Croydon Park, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Croydon Park is a suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...

, in the inner-west of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...

, in the state of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...

, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

. Croydon Park is about 13 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district
Sydney central business district
The Sydney central business district is the main commercial centre of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It extends southwards for about 3 kilometres from Sydney Cove, the point of first European settlement. Its north–south axis runs from Circular Quay in the north to Central railway station in...

 and is divided between the local government areas of the City of Canterbury
City of Canterbury, New South Wales
The City of Canterbury, previously the Municipality of Canterbury, is a Local Government Area in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It lies southwest of the central business district and forms part of the Greater Sydney metropolitan area....

, Burwood Council
Burwood Council
The Municipality of Burwood is a Local Government Area in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia.- Suburbs in the local government area :Suburbs serviced by Burwood Council are:* Burwood* Burwood Heights* Enfield...

 and Municipality of Ashfield
Municipality of Ashfield
The Municipality of Ashfield is a Local Government Area of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It lies approximately 10 kilometres west of the central business district.- Demographics :According to the , there:...

. Croydon
Croydon, New South Wales
Croydon is an affluent suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Croydon is located 11 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district. Croydon is split between the two local government areas of Burwood Council and the Municipality of Ashfield.The...

 is a separate suburb, to the north.

Croydon Park has a small commercial area along Georges River Road but is close to larger shopping areas in Burwood
Burwood, New South Wales
Burwood is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Burwood is located 12 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of Burwood Council....

, Ashfield
Ashfield, New South Wales
Ashfield is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Ashfield is about 9 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the Municipality of Ashfield.The official name for the...

 and Campsie
Campsie, New South Wales
Campsie is a suburb in south-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Campsie is located 13 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, on the southern bank of the Cooks River. Campsie is the commercial and administrative centre of the City of...

. Croydon Park is a small residential suburb with many stores, particularly family owned such as Pure Gelato, Little Italy Restaurant, Little Thailand, Domino's
Domino's Pizza
Domino's Pizza, Inc. is an international pizza delivery corporation headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America. Founded in 1960, Domino's is the second-largest pizza chain in the United States and has over 9,000 corporate and franchised stores in 60 countries and all 50 U.S....

, Croydon Park Chinese Restaurant and ANAR Charcoal Chicken. The local area is quite multicultural and this is reflected in the variety of cuisines available in restaurants in neighbouring suburbs.

History

Croydon Park was originally part of the territory of the Darug
Darug people
The Darug people are a language group of Indigenous Australians, who are traditional custodians of much of what is modern day Sydney. There is some dispute about the extent of the Darug nation. Some historians believe the coastal Eora people were a separate tribe to the Darug...

 tribe which occupied much of Sydney. More specifically, it was probably home to the Wangal clan (based around Concord) but may also have been home to the Cadigal (Sydney) or Bideagal (Botany Bay) clans. There were midden
Midden
A midden, is an old dump for domestic waste which may consist of animal bone, human excrement, botanical material, vermin, shells, sherds, lithics , and other artifacts and ecofacts associated with past human occupation...

s along the Cooks River
Cooks River
The Cooks River is a 23 kilometre long urban waterway of south-western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia emptying into Botany Bay. The course of the river has been altered to accommodate various developments along its shore...

 where the indigenous people camped. These were destroyed by early British settlers to make lime for mortar in buildings.http://www.canterbury.nsw.gov.au/www/html/634-aborigines-in-canterbury.asp

In 1878 and 1880, following the building of a railway station at Croydon
Croydon, New South Wales
Croydon is an affluent suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Croydon is located 11 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district. Croydon is split between the two local government areas of Burwood Council and the Municipality of Ashfield.The...

 to the north, two large subdivisions of land were undertaken using the name Croydon Park. These constituted the entire area of the current suburb. A piece of flood-prone land at the junction of Croydon Road and the Cooks River was reserved as a public park. Given the name Croydon Park, it was the first reserve in the City of Canterbury
City of Canterbury
The City of Canterbury is a local government district with city status in Kent, England. The main settlement in the district is Canterbury, the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury.-History:...

. Early settlers included many people involved in the building trade and Chinese market gardeners.http://www.canterbury.nsw.gov.au/www/html/863-history-of-croydon-park-.asp?intSiteID=1

A primary school was established in 1886 to cater for the increasing number of children in the area. Mains water was connected in 1889 and sewerage in the 1910s. The Parents and Citizens Association at the public school believed that residents were rather left out of regular postal deliveries and a petition was prepared for their member of parliament asking for a Croydon Park post office to be opened in the area. They were successful in 1914 and the surrounding neighbourhood became a separate suburb.

Transport

There is no train
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...

 station at Croydon Park, but it is well serviced by bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...

es to neighbouring stations. The 413 is the most significant service connecting to both the city and Campsie. The 400 is also a major orbital bus route travelling from Burwood to Bondi Junction via Croydon Park, Campsie, Rockdale, Sydney Airport and Eastgardens. Other services include:
  • 462 & 464 Ashfield to Mortlake via Croydon Park and Burwood
  • 466 Ashfield to Cabarita via Croydon Park and Burwood
  • 490 Drummoyne to Hurstville via Burwood, Croydon Park and Campsie
  • 492 Drummoyne to Rockdale via Burwood, Croydon Park and Campsie


There is also a cycleway along the Cooks River connecting Olympic Park at Homebush
Homebush, New South Wales
Homebush is an inner western suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Homebush is located 15 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Strathfield. Homebush West and Homebush Bay are separate suburbs...

 with Botany Bay
Botany Bay
Botany Bay is a bay in Sydney, New South Wales, a few kilometres south of the Sydney central business district. The Cooks River and the Georges River are the two major tributaries that flow into the bay...

.

Schools

There are two primary schools in Croydon Park: Croydon Park Public School and St Francis Xaviers Catholic School. But-Har-Gra on the Georges River Road is part of Moore Theological College
Moore Theological College
Moore Theological College, otherwise known simply as Moore College, is the theological training seminary of the Diocese of Sydney in the Anglican Church of Australia...

.

Parks

Croydon Park, commonly mistaken for Croydon, boasts numerous parks and parklands, particularly close to the Cooks River
Cooks River
The Cooks River is a 23 kilometre long urban waterway of south-western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia emptying into Botany Bay. The course of the river has been altered to accommodate various developments along its shore...

. Picken Oval is home to the Western Suburbs Magpies Australian Rules team and is currently under redevelopment. Lees Park is a homeground of Canterbury Junior Soccer Association. Other parks and reserves include Flockhart Park, Rosedale Reserve and Croydon Park.

Demographics

According to the 2001 census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

, Croydon Park had a population of 10,549 in 4,220 dwellings. These properties were mostly separate houses (58%) and flats (26%) with the remainder being terraces, semi-detached or townhouse style dwellings. There are a large number of migrant
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...

s in the area with 45% of the population born overseas. The most common places were Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

 (6.6%), Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...

 (4.0%) and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

 (3.8%). Almost half the population (46%) were Roman Catholics with small numbers of Anglicans (11%) and Orthodox (8%).

Notable residents

  • Frederick Frost (1891-1971): twice awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal
    Distinguished Conduct Medal
    The Distinguished Conduct Medal was an extremely high level award for bravery. It was a second level military decoration awarded to other ranks of the British Army and formerly also to non-commissioned personnel of other Commonwealth countries.The medal was instituted in 1854, during the Crimean...

     during World War I
    World War I
    World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

    .
  • Clifford Hay (1878-1949): chief public servant to seven NSW premiers starting with William Holman
    William Holman
    William Arthur Holman was an Australian Labor Party Premier of New South Wales, Australia, who split with the party on the conscription issue in 1916 during World War I, and immediately became Premier of a conservative Nationalist Party Government.-Early life:Holman was born in St Pancras, London,...

     in 1916.
  • Brett Holman
    Brett Holman
    Brett Trevor Holman is an Australian professional football player. He currently plays as a attacking midfielder or left winger for the Dutch Eredivisie club AZ and the Australia national football team.-Early life:...

     (1984-): Australian international soccer player who grew up in Croydon Park.
  • Jack Mundey
    Jack Mundey
    Jack Mundey is a distinguished Australian union and environmental activist. He came to prominence during the 1970s for leading the New South Wales Builders' Labourers Federation in the famous Green Bans, whereby the BLF led a successful campaign to protect the built and natural environment of...

     (1929-): union and environmental activist.
  • Edward Pierson Ramsay
    Edward Pierson Ramsay
    Edward Pierson Ramsay was an Australian zoologist who specialised in ornithology.-Early life:Pierson was born in Dobroyd Estate, Long Cove, Sydney and educated at St Mark's Collegiate School, The King's School, Parramatta...

     (1842-1916): curator of the Australian Museum
    Australian Museum
    The Australian Museum is the oldest museum in Australia, with an international reputation in the fields of natural history and anthropology. It features collections of vertebrate and invertebrate zoology, as well as mineralogy, palaeontology, and anthropology...

     from 1874-1894.
  • Grahame Thomas (1938-): Australian Test cricketer.
  • Nikki Webster
    Nikki Webster
    Nikki Webster is an Australian pop performer. She is best known for her starring role in the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony and her single "Strawberry Kisses".-Recording career:...

     (1987-): Pop singer and performer at the 2000 Sydney Olympics opening ceremony.

Politics




Voting in Croydon Park since 2000
Elections Fed01http://www.aec.gov.au/Elections/federal_elections/2001/results/NSWLOWE.htm NSW03
New South Wales state election, 2003
Elections to the 53rd Parliament of New South Wales were held on Saturday 22 March 2003. All seats in the Legislative Assembly and half the seats in the Legislative Council were up for election...

http://www.elections.nsw.gov.au/state_government_elections/election_results/district_index/canterbury/results/2003
Fed04http://results.aec.gov.au/12246/results/HousePollingPlaceFirstPrefs-12246-985.htm NSW07http://vtr.elections.nsw.gov.au/lafirstcandidatespost.canterbury.aspx
Two Party Preferred Results
  Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...

56% nr 56% 68%
  Liberal
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...

44% nr 44% 32%
First Preference Results
  Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...

48% 53% 44% 55%
  Liberal
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...

40% 30% 40% 28%
  Greens
Australian Greens
The Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, is an Australian green political party.The party was formed in 1992; however, its origins can be traced to the early environmental movement in Australia and the formation of the United Tasmania Group , the first Green party in the world, which...

4% 9% 10% 8%
  Unity Party
Unity Party (Australia)
Unity Party is a small multiculturist party in Australia, formed in 1997 with the aim of opposing the rise of controversial anti-immigration politician Pauline Hanson. Initially billed as a party to unite Australians of all ethnicities against racism, in practice it has never managed to draw...

1% 3% nc 4%
  Christian Democrats
Christian Democratic Party (Australia)
The Christian Democratic Party is a right-wing political party in Australia. Its leader is Fred Nile, a Congregational Church minister and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council.-Formation:...

nc nc 1% 4%
  Democrats
Australian Democrats
The Australian Democrats is an Australian political party espousing a socially liberal ideology. It was formed in 1977, by a merger of the Australia Party and the New LM, after principals of those minor parties secured the commitment of former Liberal minister Don Chipp, as a high profile leader...

4% 1% 1% 1%



Croydon Park is divided between three local government areas and as a result is frequently divided between different state and federal electorates as well. For the 2007 federal election, it will be wholly within the division of Lowe http://www.aec.gov.au/_content/Why/redistributions/2005/nsw/report/final/2006sht_4_syd.pdf, represented by John Murphy
John Murphy (Australian politician)
John Paul Murphy , Australian politician, is an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives since October 1998, representing Lowe and then Reid, New South Wales. He was born in Dunedoo, New South Wales...

, although in 2004 part had been in the neighbouring seat of Watson. Georges River Road is used as the boundary between the state seats of Strathfield, represented by Virginia Judge
Virginia Judge
Dianne "Virginia" Judge , a former Australian politician, was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Strathfield for the Australian Labor Party from 2003 until 2011.-Early life:...

 and Canterbury, represented by Linda Burney
Linda Burney
The Hon. Linda Jean Burney MP, an Australian politician, is a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Canterbury for the Australian Labor Party since 2003...

http://www.elections.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/2132/sydmetro.gif. In local government elections, City of Canterbury
City of Canterbury
The City of Canterbury is a local government district with city status in Kent, England. The main settlement in the district is Canterbury, the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury.-History:...

 residents are part of East Ward http://www.canterbury.nsw.gov.au/www/html/35-maps-of-our-city.asp represented by two Labor councillors and one Independent. The Municipality of Ashfield
Municipality of Ashfield
The Municipality of Ashfield is a Local Government Area of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It lies approximately 10 kilometres west of the central business district.- Demographics :According to the , there:...

 residents are in South Ward, currently represented by two Labor councillors and one Green. Burwood Council
Burwood Council
The Municipality of Burwood is a Local Government Area in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia.- Suburbs in the local government area :Suburbs serviced by Burwood Council are:* Burwood* Burwood Heights* Enfield...

doesn't divide into wards so Croydon Park residents in that part are represented by the entire council composed of three Labor councillors, three Independent and one Unity councillor. Recent elelction results as shown in the attached table indicate the area is generally considered a Labor area but not always as strongly Labor as some other parts of the Inner West.

External links

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