Marrickville Council
Encyclopedia
Marrickville Council is a Local Government Area (LGA) situated in the Inner West
region of Sydney
, Australia
.
The area is bounded by Leichhardt
to the north, the City of Sydney
to the east and north-east, the City of Botany Bay
to the south-east, Rockdale
to the south, Canterbury
to the west, and Ashfield
to the north-west.
While the area's background has traditionally been working-class, several waves of immigration
and a continuing trend of gentrification
have substantially influenced the demographics and character of the area. Marrickville also has a substantial student population, being situated relatively close to the University of Sydney
and the University of Technology, Sydney
.
According to Marrickville Council's website, "the area contains one of the highest percentages of artists, cultural workers and arts industries of any local government area in Australia."
and Alexandra Canal, it is believed that the area has been occupied for at least 7,000 years. The area was originally occupied by the Cadigal
clan of the Darug
people who spoke the Eora
language. Their name for most of the present day LGA was Bullanaming.
European settlement of the area began very soon after the arrival of the First Fleet
in 1788. The first land grant was made in 1789, and by 1809 all the land had been granted. In the 1830s, the district consisted of five large estates, including Thomas Chalder's estate named Marrick
after his home town in North Yorkshire
. At this point, the area was still quite rural in nature.
Following the subdivision of these estates, municipalities
were formed in Marrickville
(1861), Camperdown
(1861), Newtown
(1862), St Peters
(1871) and Petersham
(1872). The area lost its rural character as Sydney grew, and by the 1820s had become an urbanised industrial area.
The population of these municipalities increased greatly in that time, peaking at roughly 113,000 in 1948. It was in this year that the State Government introduced the Local Government (Areas) Act, and Marrickville Municipal Council was enlarged by merging with St Peters and Petersham on 1 January 1949. The Camperdown and Newtown municipalities had already been merged with the City of Sydney
, however in 1968 a boundary readjustment added parts of these areas to Marrickville, resulting in the present boundaries.
While migration has always been an important part of Marrickville, this was especially true from the 1950s to the 1970s, as large groups of immigrants arrived from Southern Europe
, the Middle East
and then Asia
. The area is today one of the most culturally diverse in the country.
against Israel.
This motion was supported by Greens, Labor and one independent councillor, including Mayor Fiona Byrne. The motion was widely condemned by politicians from both sides of politics including Foreign Minister
Kevin Rudd
, then Premier Kristina Keneally
and federal Greens leader, Bob Brown
. The move received support from Nobel Peace Prize Laureates Archbishop Desmond Tutu
and Mairead Maguire. After 3 hours in which members of the community were invited to express their opinions, the motion was rescinded at a council meeting on 19 April 2011..
On 14 April 2011 it was revealed that the boycott would cost Marrickville ratepayers A$3.4 million if implemented. The boycott also meant the council would have to replace goods from companies such as Hewlett Packard, Holden
, Volvo
and Motorola
amongst others.
After New South Wales Liberal
Premier Barry O'Farrell
threatened to sack the council, they reversed the boycott on 19 April at a council meeting. Byrne did not seek re-election, and in September 2011, Morris Hanna became the new mayor after the ALP supported his candidacy and his name was pulled out of the hat in the tie breaker. He is an independent who fought against the BDS campaign.
, between 4 and 10 kilometres south-west of the city centre. It covers an area of approximately 17 square kilometres.
The area is roughly bounded by Parramatta Road
to the north, King Street and the Princes Highway
to the east, the Cooks River
and Alexandra Canal to the south, and New and Old Canterbury Roads to the west.
Suburbs located partially in Marrickville and partially in the City of Sydney
are:
. These houses gained popularity among renovators as the suburbs became gentrified
in the late 20th century. Detached housing, wider streets and larger blocks of land are more common in the suburbs further from the city, such as Dulwich Hill and parts of Marrickville.
Several medium density apartment blocks were constructed in the area in the 1960s and 1970s. Since the 1980s, modern infill development has tended to be sympathetic with traditional streetscapes.
.
The Marrickville area is culturally and linguistically diverse. 38.3% of the population were born overseas, and 35.9% speak a language other than English at home. The main non-English languages spoken at home are Greek
, Vietnamese
, Arabic
, Portuguese
, Cantonese, Italian
and Mandarin. Indigenous Australians
form 1.7% of the total population of Marrickville.
The average income for a working adult in Marrickville in mid-2006 was $769 per week, $60 per week higher than the $709 average for Sydney as a whole.
rugby league club, and Petersham Park, where Sir Donald Bradman
scored his first century in grade cricket.
Tempe Lands, 10 hectares of parkland at the south-western corner of LGA, was redeveloped by Marrickville Council in 2003 on the site of a former rubbish tip at a cost of A$17.5 million. The parklands feature sporting fields, a golf driving range, and a constructed saltmarsh and ephemeral wetlands area for wildlife.
Other major parks in the area include Enmore Park, Camperdown Park, Marrickville Park, Steel Park and Camperdown Memorial Rest Park. There are also substantial parklands surrounding the Cooks River
.
celebrations at Enmore Park, the Bairro Português Food & Wine Fair in Petersham
, and the Dulwich Hill
Street Fair.
runs along the northern boundary of the Marrickville local government area. Historically the main east–west arterial road in Sydney, this section of Parramatta Road is still a busy route carrying an average of over 65,000 vehicles per day.
Other main arterial routes running through the area include State Route 54 (composed of New Canterbury Road, Stanmore and Enmore Road) linking Sydney to Liverpool, and the King Street–Princes Highway
corridor.
CityRail
provides passenger rail services to suburbs in the area. The northern part of the LGA is served by the Inner West Line, and the southern and eastern parts are served by the Bankstown line. Trains on the Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line serve Sydenham
and Tempe railway stations, and some East Hills Line trains also stop at Sydenham during the weekday peak.
Australia's busiest airport, Kingsford Smith International Airport
, is situated directly south-east of the Marrickville LGA. As a result, many parts of Marrickville suffer from high levels of aircraft noise. Aircraft taking off and landing from Kingsford-Smith Airport also fly at low altitude over the Leichhardt
, Ashfield
, Canterbury
, Rockdale
, Botany Bay LGA
, Randwick
, Canada Bay LGA
and Burwood
council areas.
After the completion of the airport's third runway in the mid-1990s, the Commonwealth Government controversially purchased and demolished 152 residential properties in the worst-affected parts of Sydenham
. The newly vacant land, which is located not under the approach path of the third runway but under the approach/departure path for runway 16R/34L, became Sydenham Green, a public park covering 4.5 hectares. A series of oversized 'living room' sculptures (lamp, chairs and fireplace) decorate the park, paying homage to the homes that formerly occupied the site.
Marrickville Council is composed of twelve councillors elected proportionally. The area is divided into four wards, each electing three councillors. The mayor is not directly elected. The current makeup of the council is as follows:
The council, elected in 2008, is:
Bethlehem
, West Bank
, since 2007 Funchal
, Madeira Islands
, Portugal, since 1996 Keelung
, Taiwan, since 1989 Kos
, Greece, since 1990 Larnaca
, Cyprus, since 2005 Safita
, Syria, since 2005 Zonnebeke
, Belgium, since 2007
The following cities have also signed agreements to formalise relationships with Marrickville: 6th of October City, Egypt
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...
region 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...
, 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...
.
The area is bounded by Leichhardt
Municipality of Leichhardt
The Municipality of Leichhardt is a Local Government Area in the inner-west of Sydney, in state of New South Wales, Australia.-History:The Municipality of Leichhardt stands on land that traditionally belonged to the Gadigal and Wangal people, of the Eora nation...
to the north, the City of Sydney
City of Sydney
The City of Sydney is the Local Government Area covering the Sydney central business district and surrounding inner city suburbs of the greater metropolitan area of Sydney, Australia...
to the east and north-east, the City of Botany Bay
City of Botany Bay
The City of Botany Bay is a Local Government Area in south eastern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It encompasses the suburbs to the north of Botany Bay, such as Botany. The administrative centre is located at Mascot, which is 7 km south of the Sydney central business...
to the south-east, Rockdale
City of Rockdale
The City of Rockdale is a Local Government Area in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The city centre is located 12 kilometres south-south-west of the Sydney central business district, on the western shores of Botany Bay...
to the south, 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....
to the west, and 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:...
to the north-west.
While the area's background has traditionally been working-class, several waves of immigration
Immigration to Australia
Immigration to Australia is estimated to have begun around 51,000 years ago when the ancestors of Australian Aborigines arrived on the continent via the islands of the Malay Archipelago and New Guinea. Europeans first landed in the 17th and 18th Centuries, but colonisation only started in 1788. The...
and a continuing trend of gentrification
Gentrification
Gentrification and urban gentrification refer to the changes that result when wealthier people acquire or rent property in low income and working class communities. Urban gentrification is associated with movement. Consequent to gentrification, the average income increases and average family size...
have substantially influenced the demographics and character of the area. Marrickville also has a substantial student population, being situated relatively close to the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
and the University of Technology, Sydney
University of Technology, Sydney
The University of Technology Sydney is a university in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The university was founded in its current form in 1981, although its origins trace back to the 1870s. UTS is notable for its central location as the only university with its main campuses within the Sydney CBD...
.
According to Marrickville Council's website, "the area contains one of the highest percentages of artists, cultural workers and arts industries of any local government area in Australia."
History
Based on artefacts found near the Cooks RiverCooks 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...
and Alexandra Canal, it is believed that the area has been occupied for at least 7,000 years. The area was originally occupied by the Cadigal
Cadigal
The Cadigal, also spelled as Gadigal, are a group of Aboriginal Australians who originally inhabited the area that they called 'Cadi', part of which later became known as the Marrickville Local Government Area of Sydney. Cadigal territory lies south of Port Jackson and stretches from South Head to...
clan of the Darug
Darug
Darug may refer to:*Darug people*Darug language*Dharruk, New South Wales...
people who spoke the Eora
Eora
The Eora are the Aboriginal people of the Sydney area, south to the Georges River, north to the Hawkesbury River, and west to Parramatta. The indigenous people used this word to describe where they came from to the British. "Eora" was then used by the British to refer to those Aboriginal people...
language. Their name for most of the present day LGA was Bullanaming.
European settlement of the area began very soon after the arrival of the First Fleet
First Fleet
The First Fleet is the name given to the eleven ships which sailed from Great Britain on 13 May 1787 with about 1,487 people, including 778 convicts , to establish the first European colony in Australia, in the region which Captain Cook had named New South Wales. The fleet was led by Captain ...
in 1788. The first land grant was made in 1789, and by 1809 all the land had been granted. In the 1830s, the district consisted of five large estates, including Thomas Chalder's estate named Marrick
Marrick
Marrick is a village and civil parish in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. Located in the Yorkshire Dales, its main attraction is Marrick Priory, which is now a residential centre for outdoor education...
after his home town in North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
. At this point, the area was still quite rural in nature.
Following the subdivision of these estates, municipalities
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
were formed in Marrickville
Marrickville, New South Wales
Marrickville, a suburb of Sydney's Inner West is located 7 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district in the state of New South Wales, Australia and is the largest suburb in the Marrickville Council local government area...
(1861), Camperdown
Camperdown, New South Wales
Camperdown is an inner-city suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Camperdown is located 4 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district and is part of the Inner West region...
(1861), Newtown
Newtown, New South Wales
Newtown, a suburb of Sydney's inner west is located approximately four kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, straddling the local government areas of the City of Sydney and Marrickville Council in the state of New South Wales, Australia....
(1862), St Peters
St Peters, New South Wales
St Peters is a suburb in the inner west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. St Peters is located 7 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Marrickville Council.-History:...
(1871) and Petersham
Municipality of Petersham
The Municipality of Petersham was a former Local Government Area of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The small municipality was proclaimed as a borough in 1871 and was centred around the suburbs of Lewisham, Petersham and Stanmore...
(1872). The area lost its rural character as Sydney grew, and by the 1820s had become an urbanised industrial area.
The population of these municipalities increased greatly in that time, peaking at roughly 113,000 in 1948. It was in this year that the State Government introduced the Local Government (Areas) Act, and Marrickville Municipal Council was enlarged by merging with St Peters and Petersham on 1 January 1949. The Camperdown and Newtown municipalities had already been merged with the City of Sydney
City of Sydney
The City of Sydney is the Local Government Area covering the Sydney central business district and surrounding inner city suburbs of the greater metropolitan area of Sydney, Australia...
, however in 1968 a boundary readjustment added parts of these areas to Marrickville, resulting in the present boundaries.
While migration has always been an important part of Marrickville, this was especially true from the 1950s to the 1970s, as large groups of immigrants arrived from Southern Europe
Southern Europe
The term Southern Europe, at its most general definition, is used to mean "all countries in the south of Europe". However, the concept, at different times, has had different meanings, providing additional political, linguistic and cultural context to the definition in addition to the typical...
, the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
and then Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. The area is today one of the most culturally diverse in the country.
Israel boycott
On 14 December 2010 Greens councillor Cathy Peters moved a motion to support the international Boycott, Divestment and SanctionsBoycott, Divestment and Sanctions
Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions refers to a campaign first initiated on 9 July 2005 by 171 Palestinian non-governmental organizations in support of the Palestinian cause ".....
against Israel.
This motion was supported by Greens, Labor and one independent councillor, including Mayor Fiona Byrne. The motion was widely condemned by politicians from both sides of politics including Foreign Minister
Foreign minister
A Minister of Foreign Affairs, or foreign minister, is a cabinet minister who helps form the foreign policy of a sovereign state. The foreign minister is often regarded as the most senior ministerial position below that of the head of government . It is often granted to the deputy prime minister in...
Kevin Rudd
Kevin Rudd
Kevin Michael Rudd is an Australian politician who was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010...
, then Premier Kristina Keneally
Kristina Keneally
Kristina Kerscher Keneally MP, is an Australian politician and was the 42nd Premier of New South Wales. She was elected leader of the Australian Labor Party in New South Wales and thus Premier in 2009, but went on to lose government to the Liberal/National Coalition at the March 2011 state election...
and federal Greens leader, Bob Brown
Bob Brown
Robert James Brown is an Australian senator, the inaugural Parliamentary Leader of the Australian Greens and was the first openly gay member of the Parliament of Australia...
. The move received support from Nobel Peace Prize Laureates Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Desmond Tutu
Desmond Mpilo Tutu is a South African activist and retired Anglican bishop who rose to worldwide fame during the 1980s as an opponent of apartheid...
and Mairead Maguire. After 3 hours in which members of the community were invited to express their opinions, the motion was rescinded at a council meeting on 19 April 2011..
On 14 April 2011 it was revealed that the boycott would cost Marrickville ratepayers A$3.4 million if implemented. The boycott also meant the council would have to replace goods from companies such as Hewlett Packard, Holden
Holden
GM Holden Ltd is an automaker that operates in Australia, based in Port Melbourne, Victoria. The company was founded in 1856 as a saddlery manufacturer. In 1908 it moved into the automotive field, before becoming a subsidiary of the U.S.-based General Motors in 1931...
, Volvo
Volvo
AB Volvo is a Swedish builder of commercial vehicles, including trucks, buses and construction equipment. Volvo also supplies marine and industrial drive systems, aerospace components and financial services...
and Motorola
Motorola
Motorola, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, which was eventually divided into two independent public companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions on January 4, 2011, after losing $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009...
amongst others.
After New South Wales 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...
Premier Barry O'Farrell
Barry O'Farrell
Barry Robert O'Farrell MP, is an Australian politician and is the 43rd Premier of New South Wales, Minister for Western Sydney, Leader of the New South Wales Liberal Party and a Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Ku-ring-gai for the Liberal Party since 1999.Born in...
threatened to sack the council, they reversed the boycott on 19 April at a council meeting. Byrne did not seek re-election, and in September 2011, Morris Hanna became the new mayor after the ALP supported his candidacy and his name was pulled out of the hat in the tie breaker. He is an independent who fought against the BDS campaign.
Geography
The Marrickville LGA is situated in Sydney's Inner WestInner 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...
, between 4 and 10 kilometres south-west of the city centre. It covers an area of approximately 17 square kilometres.
The area is roughly bounded by 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...
to the north, King Street and the Princes Highway
Princes Highway
The Princes Highway extends from Sydney to Port Augusta via the coast through the states of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, a distance of 1941 km or 1898 km via the former alignments of the highway ....
to the east, 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...
and Alexandra Canal to the south, and New and Old Canterbury Roads to the west.
Suburbs in the local government area
The suburbs and localities completely within in the Marrickville Council area are:- Dulwich HillDulwich Hill, New South WalesDulwich Hill is a residential suburb in the Inner West of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Dulwich Hill is located 9 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Marrickville Council...
- EnmoreEnmore, New South WalesEnmore is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Enmore is located 5 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of Marrickville Council.-History:...
- LewishamLewisham, New South WalesLewisham is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Lewisham is located 8 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Marrickville Council. The postcode is 2049...
- MarrickvilleMarrickville, New South WalesMarrickville, a suburb of Sydney's Inner West is located 7 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district in the state of New South Wales, Australia and is the largest suburb in the Marrickville Council local government area...
- PetershamPetersham, New South WalesPetersham is a suburb in the Inner West of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Petersham is located 6 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Marrickville Council...
- St PetersSt Peters, New South WalesSt Peters is a suburb in the inner west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. St Peters is located 7 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Marrickville Council.-History:...
- StanmoreStanmore, New South WalesStanmore is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in New South Wales, Australia. Stanmore is located 6 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of Marrickville Council.-History:...
- SydenhamSydenham, New South WalesFor other places called Sydenham, see Sydenham .Sydenham is a small suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Sydenham is located 8 kilometres south of Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of Marrickville Council...
- TempeTempe, New South WalesTempe is a suburb in the inner west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Tempe is located 9 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of Marrickville Council....
Suburbs located partially in Marrickville and partially in the City of Sydney
City of Sydney
The City of Sydney is the Local Government Area covering the Sydney central business district and surrounding inner city suburbs of the greater metropolitan area of Sydney, Australia...
are:
- CamperdownCamperdown, New South WalesCamperdown is an inner-city suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Camperdown is located 4 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district and is part of the Inner West region...
- NewtownNewtown, New South WalesNewtown, a suburb of Sydney's inner west is located approximately four kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, straddling the local government areas of the City of Sydney and Marrickville Council in the state of New South Wales, Australia....
Housing
The suburbs within the Marrickville area are generally characterised by Victorian-era terraces, semi-detached houses and other varieties of urban federation housingFederation architecture
Federation architecture refers to the architectural style in Australia, which was prevalent from around 1890 to 1920. The period refers to the Federation of Australia on 1 January 1901, when the Australian colonies collectively became the Commonwealth of Australia...
. These houses gained popularity among renovators as the suburbs became gentrified
Gentrification
Gentrification and urban gentrification refer to the changes that result when wealthier people acquire or rent property in low income and working class communities. Urban gentrification is associated with movement. Consequent to gentrification, the average income increases and average family size...
in the late 20th century. Detached housing, wider streets and larger blocks of land are more common in the suburbs further from the city, such as Dulwich Hill and parts of Marrickville.
Several medium density apartment blocks were constructed in the area in the 1960s and 1970s. Since the 1980s, modern infill development has tended to be sympathetic with traditional streetscapes.
Population
The population of the Marrickville area was measured at 75,525 people by the most recent CensusCensus in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
.
The Marrickville area is culturally and linguistically diverse. 38.3% of the population were born overseas, and 35.9% speak a language other than English at home. The main non-English languages spoken at home are Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
, Vietnamese
Vietnamese language
Vietnamese is the national and official language of Vietnam. It is the mother tongue of 86% of Vietnam's population, and of about three million overseas Vietnamese. It is also spoken as a second language by many ethnic minorities of Vietnam...
, Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
, Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
, Cantonese, Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
and Mandarin. Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
form 1.7% of the total population of Marrickville.
The average income for a working adult in Marrickville in mid-2006 was $769 per week, $60 per week higher than the $709 average for Sydney as a whole.
Parks
The Marrickville area has 88 parks and reserves of various sizes within its boundaries. Major sporting grounds include Henson Park, home of the Newtown JetsNewtown Jets
The Newtown Jets are an Australian rugby league football club based in Newtown, a suburb of Sydney's inner west. They currently compete in the NSWRL Premier League competition, having left the top grade after the 1983 NSWRFL season...
rugby league club, and Petersham Park, where Sir Donald Bradman
Donald Bradman
Sir Donald George Bradman, AC , often referred to as "The Don", was an Australian cricketer, widely acknowledged as the greatest batsman of all time...
scored his first century in grade cricket.
Tempe Lands, 10 hectares of parkland at the south-western corner of LGA, was redeveloped by Marrickville Council in 2003 on the site of a former rubbish tip at a cost of A$17.5 million. The parklands feature sporting fields, a golf driving range, and a constructed saltmarsh and ephemeral wetlands area for wildlife.
Other major parks in the area include Enmore Park, Camperdown Park, Marrickville Park, Steel Park and Camperdown Memorial Rest Park. There are also substantial parklands surrounding 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...
.
Events
A number of entertainment and cultural events are held in Marrickville throughout the year. The Marrickville Road Festival is the area's largest annual event, drawing a crowd of around 50,000 people each year. Other major events in the area include the Newtown Festival, Australia DayAustralia Day
Australia Day is the official national day of Australia...
celebrations at Enmore Park, the Bairro Português Food & Wine Fair in Petersham
Petersham, New South Wales
Petersham is a suburb in the Inner West of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Petersham is located 6 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Marrickville Council...
, and the Dulwich Hill
Dulwich Hill, New South Wales
Dulwich Hill is a residential suburb in the Inner West of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Dulwich Hill is located 9 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Marrickville Council...
Street Fair.
Roads
Parramatta RoadParramatta 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...
runs along the northern boundary of the Marrickville local government area. Historically the main east–west arterial road in Sydney, this section of Parramatta Road is still a busy route carrying an average of over 65,000 vehicles per day.
Other main arterial routes running through the area include State Route 54 (composed of New Canterbury Road, Stanmore and Enmore Road) linking Sydney to Liverpool, and the King Street–Princes Highway
Princes Highway
The Princes Highway extends from Sydney to Port Augusta via the coast through the states of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, a distance of 1941 km or 1898 km via the former alignments of the highway ....
corridor.
Rail
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...
provides passenger rail services to suburbs in the area. The northern part of the LGA is served by the Inner West Line, and the southern and eastern parts are served by the Bankstown line. Trains on the Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line serve Sydenham
Sydenham railway station, Sydney
Sydenham railway station is a major interchange station located in the small Sydney suburb of Sydenham, serving the East Hills, Illawarra and Bankstown lines on the CityRail system. The Illawarra line platforms are also used by a very small number of South Coast line services. The station is...
and Tempe railway stations, and some East Hills Line trains also stop at Sydenham during the weekday peak.
Airport
Sydney Airport
Sydney Airport may refer to:* Sydney Airport, also known as Kingsford Smith International Airport, in Sydney, Australia* Sydney/J.A. Douglas McCurdy Airport, in Nova Scotia, Canada...
, is situated directly south-east of the Marrickville LGA. As a result, many parts of Marrickville suffer from high levels of aircraft noise. Aircraft taking off and landing from Kingsford-Smith Airport also fly at low altitude over the Leichhardt
Municipality of Leichhardt
The Municipality of Leichhardt is a Local Government Area in the inner-west of Sydney, in state of New South Wales, Australia.-History:The Municipality of Leichhardt stands on land that traditionally belonged to the Gadigal and Wangal people, of the Eora nation...
, 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:...
, 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:...
, Rockdale
City of Rockdale
The City of Rockdale is a Local Government Area in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The city centre is located 12 kilometres south-south-west of the Sydney central business district, on the western shores of Botany Bay...
, Botany Bay LGA
City of Botany Bay
The City of Botany Bay is a Local Government Area in south eastern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It encompasses the suburbs to the north of Botany Bay, such as Botany. The administrative centre is located at Mascot, which is 7 km south of the Sydney central business...
, Randwick
City of Randwick
The City of Randwick is a Local Government Area in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. One of Sydney's largest parks, Centennial Park, lies within the city boundary of Randwick. Other major landmarks in Randwick include the world-famous Randwick Racecourse,...
, Canada Bay LGA
City of Canada Bay
The City of Canada Bay is a Local Government Area of New South Wales, Australia and located in the metropolitan area of Sydney. The city was formed in December 2000, following the merger of Concord and Drummoyne councils...
and Burwood
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...
council areas.
After the completion of the airport's third runway in the mid-1990s, the Commonwealth Government controversially purchased and demolished 152 residential properties in the worst-affected parts of Sydenham
Sydenham, New South Wales
For other places called Sydenham, see Sydenham .Sydenham is a small suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Sydenham is located 8 kilometres south of Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of Marrickville Council...
. The newly vacant land, which is located not under the approach path of the third runway but under the approach/departure path for runway 16R/34L, became Sydenham Green, a public park covering 4.5 hectares. A series of oversized 'living room' sculptures (lamp, chairs and fireplace) decorate the park, paying homage to the homes that formerly occupied the site.
Council
Morris Hanna became the new mayor in September 2011, succeeding Fiona Byrne. Hanna is an independent who fought against the anti-Israel BDS campaign (see above).Marrickville Council is composed of twelve councillors elected proportionally. The area is divided into four wards, each electing three councillors. The mayor is not directly elected. The current makeup of the council is as follows:
| Party | Councillors | |
|---|---|---|
| The 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... |
5 | |
| Australian Labor Party 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... |
4 | |
| Independents Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... |
3 | |
| Total | 12 | |
The council, elected in 2008, is:
| Ward | Central Ward | Max Phillips | 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... |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Iskandar | 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... |
Deputy Mayor | |||
| Victor Macri | Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... |
||||
| North Ward | Fiona Byrne | 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... |
|||
| Laura Wright | 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... |
||||
| Cathy Peters | 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... |
||||
| South Ward | Peter Olive | 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... |
|||
| Mary O'Sullivan | 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... |
||||
| Morris Hanna | Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... |
Mayor | |||
| West Ward | Marika Kontellis | 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... |
|||
| Emanuel Tsardoulias | 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... |
||||
| Dimitrios Thanos | Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... |
Sister cities
Marrickville Council has sister city relations with the following cities:Bethlehem
Bethlehem
Bethlehem is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank of the Jordan River, near Israel and approximately south of Jerusalem, with a population of about 30,000 people. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority and a hub of Palestinian culture and tourism...
, West Bank
Palestinian territories
The Palestinian territories comprise the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Since the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988, the region is today recognized by three-quarters of the world's countries as the State of Palestine or simply Palestine, although this status is not recognized by the...
, since 2007 Funchal
Funchal
Funchal is the largest city, the municipal seat and the capital of Portugal's Autonomous Region of Madeira. The city has a population of 112,015 and has been the capital of Madeira for more than five centuries.-Etymology:...
, Madeira Islands
Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
, Portugal, since 1996 Keelung
Keelung
Keelung City is a major port city situated in the northeastern part of Taiwan. It borders New Taipei and forms the Taipei–Keelung metropolitan area, along with the Taipei and New Taipei. Nicknamed the Rainy Port for its frequent rain and maritime role, the city is Taiwan's second largest seaport...
, Taiwan, since 1989 Kos
Kos
Kos or Cos is a Greek island in the south Sporades group of the Dodecanese, next to the Gulf of Gökova/Cos. It measures by , and is from the coast of Bodrum, Turkey and the ancient region of Caria. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within the Kos peripheral unit, which is...
, Greece, since 1990 Larnaca
Larnaca
Larnaca, is the third largest city on the southern coast of Cyprus after Nicosia and Limassol. It has a population of 72,000 and is the island's second largest commercial port and an important tourist resort...
, Cyprus, since 2005 Safita
Safita
Safita is a city in northwestern Syria, located to the southeast of Tartous and to the northwest of Krak des Chevaliers. The city has a population of 33,000. It's situated atop three hills and the valleys between them, in the Syrian Coastal Mountain Range...
, Syria, since 2005 Zonnebeke
Zonnebeke
Zonnebeke is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the villages of Beselare, Geluveld, Passendale, Zandvoorde and Zonnebeke proper. On January 1, 2006 Zonnebeke had a total population of 11,758...
, Belgium, since 2007
The following cities have also signed agreements to formalise relationships with Marrickville: 6th of October City, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...