Homebush, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
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. Homebush is located south of Homebush Bay, an inlet of the Parramatta River
.
. According to local government historian Michael Jones, "Wentworth is popularly credited with having called the area after his 'home in the bush', although Homebush is also a place in Kent
." A more logical origin of the name is to be found in the history of droving
cattle and sheep to Sydney's major saleyards, which were located at what is now Flemington markets, also known as Homebush West
. Drovers would camp in what was then a pastured terrain at the end of their long journey through 'the bush
' and may thus have adopted the name 'home bush'.
of the CityRail
network. Parramatta Road
and the M4 Western Motorway
are the main arterial roads passing through the suburb.
. Many more commercial developments are located along Parramatta Road
.
Inner West (Sydney)
The Inner West is a general term which is used to describe the metropolitan area directly to the west of the Sydney central business district, New South Wales, Australia...
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...
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...
. Homebush is located 15 kilometres 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...
, in the local government area of the Municipality of Strathfield
Municipality of Strathfield
The Municipality of Strathfield is a Local Government Area of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The Municipality incorporates the suburbs of Flemington, Homebush, Homebush West, Strathfield South entirely, and shares the following suburbs with other Councils, Belfield, Greenacre, and Strathfield...
. Homebush West
Homebush West, New South Wales
Homebush West is an inner western suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Homebush West is located 16 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Strathfield...
and Homebush Bay
Homebush Bay, New South Wales
Homebush Bay was the former name of a suburb of western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia that took in the suburbs of Sydney Olympic Park, Wentworth Point and part of the neighbouring suburb of Lidcombe. Homebush Bay is located 16 kilometres west of the Sydney central business...
are separate suburbs. Homebush is located south of Homebush Bay, an inlet of the Parramatta River
Parramatta River
The Parramatta River is a waterway in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The Parramatta River is the main tributary of Sydney Harbour, a branch of Port Jackson, along with the smaller Lane Cove and Duck Rivers....
.
History
Homebush was established in the 1800s by the colony's then assistant surgeon D'Arcy WentworthD'Arcy Wentworth
D'Arcy Wentworth was born in Portadown, County Armagh, Ireland and emigrated to Australia as an assistant surgeon to then-new colony of Sydney.- Emigration to Australia :...
. According to local government historian Michael Jones, "Wentworth is popularly credited with having called the area after his 'home in the bush', although Homebush is also a place in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
." A more logical origin of the name is to be found in the history of droving
Droving
Droving is the practice of moving livestock over large distances by walking them "on the hoof".Droving stock to market, usually on foot and often with the aid of dogs, has a very long history in the old world...
cattle and sheep to Sydney's major saleyards, which were located at what is now Flemington markets, also known as Homebush West
Homebush West, New South Wales
Homebush West is an inner western suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Homebush West is located 16 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Strathfield...
. Drovers would camp in what was then a pastured terrain at the end of their long journey through 'the bush
The Bush
"The bush" is a term used for rural, undeveloped land or country areas in certain countries.-Australia:The term is iconic in Australia. In reference to the landscape, "bush" describes a wooded area, intermediate between a shrubland and a forest, generally of dry and nitrogen-poor soil, mostly...
' and may thus have adopted the name 'home bush'.
Transport
Homebush railway station is on the Inner West line and South lineSouth railway line, Sydney
The South Line is a railway line in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and is part of the CityRail suburban network...
of the CityRail
CityRail
CityRail is an operating brand of RailCorp, a corporation owned by the state government of New South Wales, Australia. It is responsible for providing commuter rail services, and some coach services, in and around Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong, the three largest cities of New South Wales. It is...
network. Parramatta Road
Parramatta Road
.Parramatta Road is the major historical east-west artery of metropolitan Sydney, Australia, connecting the Sydney with Parramatta. It is the eastern-most part of the Great Western Highway. Much of its traffic has been diverted to modern expressways such as the M4 and the City West Link...
and the M4 Western Motorway
M4 Western Motorway
The M4 Western Motorway,, is a motorway in central Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
are the main arterial roads passing through the suburb.
Commercial area
Homebush has a small row of shops along Rochester Street, opposite Homebush Public School. These shops extend to The Crescent, opposite Homebush railway stationHomebush railway station, Sydney
Homebush railway station is a station on the Main Suburban railway line of Sydney's CityRail system. Located in the suburb of Homebush, it is at the point where six tracks reduce to four. The station is served mainly by Inner West line trains, though some South line trains also stop here. There are...
. Many more commercial developments are located along Parramatta Road
Parramatta Road
.Parramatta Road is the major historical east-west artery of metropolitan Sydney, Australia, connecting the Sydney with Parramatta. It is the eastern-most part of the Great Western Highway. Much of its traffic has been diverted to modern expressways such as the M4 and the City West Link...
.
Schools
- Homebush Public School - Government primary school.
- Homebush Boys High SchoolHomebush Boys High SchoolHomebush Boys High School, founded in 1936, is a comprehensive public high school for boys. It is located in Homebush, in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
- Government high school.
- Pre-Uni New College High School - private coaching college.
Population
According to the 2001 census, the population of the local government area including Homebush is 28,206. There were 13,862 men and 14,344 women. Only 31.9% of the population are Australian born with the remainder being born in India(8.9%), Sri Lanka(8.5%), China(8.5%), Korea(8.3%) and Vietnam(2.1%). Other than English, Tamil(11.5%) was the most common spoken language at the 2006 ABS CensusReligion
Catholicism was the most commonly practiced religion (23.2%) followed by Hinduism (17.8%)Notable residents
- D'Arcy WentworthD'Arcy WentworthD'Arcy Wentworth was born in Portadown, County Armagh, Ireland and emigrated to Australia as an assistant surgeon to then-new colony of Sydney.- Emigration to Australia :...
, surgeon - James LangJames Lang (politician)James Christian Lang was an Australian politician. The son of Jack Lang, Premier of New South Wales 1925–27 and 1930–32, he succeeded his father as the member for Auburn in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, serving from 1946 to 1950.Born in Homebush, Lang was educated at North...
, politician - Thomas KeneallyThomas KeneallyThomas Michael Keneally, AO is an Australian novelist, playwright and author of non-fiction. He is best known for writing Schindler's Ark, the Booker Prize-winning novel of 1982 which was inspired by the efforts of Poldek Pfefferberg, a Holocaust survivor...
, author of Homebush Boy: A Memoir (1995) - Fenella KerneboneFenella KerneboneFenella Kernebone is an Australian radio and television presenter, based in Sydney.Kernebone was just three months old when her family moved to Homebush, New South Wales, in Sydney’s west. She was educated at the Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney in Croydon, New South Wales...
, arts presenter