Winmalee, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Winmalee is a town in New South Wales
, Australia
. Winmalee is located 80 kilometres west of Sydney
, in the local government area of the City of Blue Mountains
. At the 2006 census
, Winmalee had a population of 6,345.
Originally known as North Springwood, Winmalee was officially established in 1972. Springwood
is historically significant as the first settlement in the Blue Mountains. Winmalee is surrounded by Blue Mountains National Park
. This National Park is on the World Heritage List and is known as the Greater Blue Mountains Area
World Heritage Site
. The Blue Mountains area is unofficially known as "The City Within a World Heritage National Park". Winmalee extends north from Linksview Road and Birdwood Avenue to Coramandel Avenue and east to a point part-way along Singles Ridge Road.
, a rock formation 35 km to the west.
Except for a small number of descendants there are no members of the Dharug tribe now living in the area. The majority of this group were thought to have moved northward in the Blue Mountains and to have merged with the Gundungurra tribe. Others are thought to have been wiped out during European exploration and settlement. Archaeological evidence from the aboriginal inhabitants is common throughout Winmalee and includes several open sites and occupation shelters.
In 1971, the Department of Education
selected "Winmalee" as the name for a new school in the area. Though the residents of the area approved this as the name for the proposed school they rejected it as a name for the suburb. The name Winmalee was chosen by the Department of Education as the result of a competition that had been organised amongst the local people. Terry Macauley, who was to be of the school's original primary students, suggested the name "Winmalee", an Aboriginal word for North. The word was in fact never used by the Dharug tribe's people in relation to the area, but is instead a reference to its previous unofficial name.
Winmalee was finally officially established as an independent town on 28 April 1972 after the Minister for Lands, Tom Lewis MLA announced the suburb's independence from Springwood and approved the name Winmalee despite objections from residents.
.
Other churches in Winmalee include St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, Winmalee Anglican Church (also known as St Georges) and Winmalee Presbyterian Church.
, Coles Supermarket
, Liquorland
, Chemmart Pharmacy, vet and other specialty shops. There is a small food court which has a Donut King
, Gloria Jeans and a Michel's Patisserie
. A tavern is located near the mall, as well as a dance studio.
There are also other smaller shopping districts. There is a small strip mall
located on Hawkesbury Road with a petrol station, car mechanic, takeaway shop, butcher
and a general store. The Australia Post
office has moved to the Winmalee Village Centre. There is also another very small shopping area, near the Village Centre, with a pizza shop, hairdressers and a gymnasium.
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...
. Winmalee is located 80 kilometres 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 local government area of the City of Blue Mountains
City of Blue Mountains
The City of Blue Mountains is a local government area of New South Wales, Australia, governed by the Blue Mountains City Council. The city is located in the Blue Mountains range west of Sydney.-Demographics:...
. At the 2006 census
Census 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,...
, Winmalee had a population of 6,345.
Originally known as North Springwood, Winmalee was officially established in 1972. Springwood
Springwood, New South Wales
Springwood is a town in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia. Springwood is located 72 kilometres west of Sydney in the local government area of the City of Blue Mountains. At the 2006 census, Springwood had a population of 8,210 people. It is largely Anglo-Celtic.Springwood is near the...
is historically significant as the first settlement in the Blue Mountains. Winmalee is surrounded by Blue Mountains National Park
Blue Mountains National Park
The Blue Mountains National Park is a national park in New South Wales, Australia, 81 km west of Sydney, and located in the Blue Mountains region of the Great Dividing Range. The park covers 268,987 hectares. The boundary of the park is quite irregular as it is broken up by roads, urban areas...
. This National Park is on the World Heritage List and is known as the Greater Blue Mountains Area
Greater Blue Mountains Area
The Greater Blue Mountains Area is a World Heritage Site in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia. It was inscribed on the World Heritage List at the 24th Session of the World Heritage Committee, held in Cairns from 27 November to 2 December 2000...
World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
. The Blue Mountains area is unofficially known as "The City Within a World Heritage National Park". Winmalee extends north from Linksview Road and Birdwood Avenue to Coramandel Avenue and east to a point part-way along Singles Ridge Road.
History
It is commonly believed that Winmalee is an Aboriginal word for north. But, as Aboriginal cultures did not use north, south, east or west, this is doubtful. It is more likely a corruption of the world Wimlah, the name of one of the Three SistersThree Sisters (Australia)
The Three Sisters is a rock formation in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia. They are close to the town of Katoomba and are one of the Blue Mountains' best known sites, towering above the Jamison Valley. Their names are Meehni , Wimlah , and Gunnedoo .-Geology:The Sisters were formed...
, a rock formation 35 km to the west.
Aboriginal heritage
The area now officially known as Winmalee was once inhabited by Aboriginal Australians known as the Dharug tribe. This was a nomadic tribe which inhabited much of the Lower Blue Mountains until European exploration and settlement. The dialect spoken by the tribe is known as the Dharug language. Current figures place the date of this settlement as beginning up to 50,000 years ago.Except for a small number of descendants there are no members of the Dharug tribe now living in the area. The majority of this group were thought to have moved northward in the Blue Mountains and to have merged with the Gundungurra tribe. Others are thought to have been wiped out during European exploration and settlement. Archaeological evidence from the aboriginal inhabitants is common throughout Winmalee and includes several open sites and occupation shelters.
European settlement
In 1970, the Geographical Names Board of New South Wales suggested that the area which had been unofficially known as 'North Springwood' be made an independent suburb of the Blue Mountains and renamed 'White Cross' because of the rapidly increasing population growth of Springwood. However residents of the area objected to the name 'White Cross'.In 1971, the Department of Education
New South Wales Department of Education and Training
The New South Wales Department of Education and Communities, a department of the Government of New South Wales, is responsibile for primary schools, secondary schools and Technical and Further Education colleges...
selected "Winmalee" as the name for a new school in the area. Though the residents of the area approved this as the name for the proposed school they rejected it as a name for the suburb. The name Winmalee was chosen by the Department of Education as the result of a competition that had been organised amongst the local people. Terry Macauley, who was to be of the school's original primary students, suggested the name "Winmalee", an Aboriginal word for North. The word was in fact never used by the Dharug tribe's people in relation to the area, but is instead a reference to its previous unofficial name.
Winmalee was finally officially established as an independent town on 28 April 1972 after the Minister for Lands, Tom Lewis MLA announced the suburb's independence from Springwood and approved the name Winmalee despite objections from residents.
High schools
- The first High School established in the Winmalee area was St Columba's High School. Originally a Catholic seminary, it was re-established as a high school in 1979, but did not cater for years 11 and 12 until 1993. The school and its grounds are some of the oldest forms of architecture in the area.The St Columbas property is one of the largest property holdings in the Blue Mountains and is rich in native flora and fauna.The whole of the St Columbas property is a Heritage property. St Columba's High School established the first Japanese Sister School agreement in the Blue Mountains. St Columba's sister school is called Hokusetsu Sanda Senior High School. .
- Winmalee High SchoolWinmalee High SchoolWinmalee High School is an Australian public school situated in the North of the suburb of Winmalee in the city of Blue Mountains, Australia. The School borders onto National Park which has been recently placed on the World Heritage List and surrounds the City.It was established in 1985, and...
was the first high school developed after the suburb was named Winmalee and had established independence. It was officially established in 1985. Winmalee High has Sister School agreements with both Arima Senior High School in Sanda City, Japan, Aurora College in Invercargill, New Zealand and Hillcrest School in Birmingham, UK
Primary schools
- St Thomas Aquinas Primary School - Opened in 1921 with a total school enrolment of 24 pupils. The school was staffed up until the early 1980s by the Sisters of St Joseph. The school moved to its current site off Hawkesbury Road in 1982, which is situated on the same grounds as St Columba's High School.
- Winmalee Public School - The school's first year was in 1972 when pupils boarded at Springwood Primary. The first classes were held at Winmalee in the last weeks of 1972, but the school began on the site at the beginning of 1973.
- Ellison Public School - Ellison Public School received its first complement of pupils in February 1986 under the supervising care of its foundation principal, and a staff of eight teachers. With an initial enrolment of 228 pupils, the school was organized into eight classes catering for kindergarten through to fifth grade. Ellison Public lies near the border of Springwood and Winmalee, drawing students from both regions.
Churches
Winmalee is the site of the 'Holy Monastery of St George', a monastic community for men under the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of AustraliaGreek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia
The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia is the Australian archdiocese of the Greek Orthodox Church, part of the wider communion of Orthodox Christianity. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia is a jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.- Archbishop of Australia...
.
Other churches in Winmalee include St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, Winmalee Anglican Church (also known as St Georges) and Winmalee Presbyterian Church.
Parks and recreation
Summerhayes Park is a public reserve which is used for sport and recreational activities. Its facilities include tennis and netball/basketball courts, a newly built skate park and fields for Football (soccer) both local (NDSFA) and Representative (FNSW) all year round. It is the home of Springwood United Football Club (formally Springwood Soccer & Sports Club) , Winmalee Netball Club , Springwood Netball Club and a variety of other clubs. Summerhayes Park has a rich diversity of native flora and fauna and contains many threatened or endangered species and ecological communities. It is also a great bushwalking area with many interesting tracks, vistas and aboriginal archeological sitesCommercial area
The Winmalee Village centre was officially opened in the early 1980s and refurbished in 2005. It comprises a of 22 specialty shops including: TargetTarget Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
, Coles Supermarket
Coles Supermarkets
Coles Supermarkets is an Australian supermarket chain owned by Wesfarmers. It has 741 stores nationally Coles Supermarkets is an Australian supermarket chain owned by Wesfarmers. It has 741 stores nationally Coles Supermarkets is an Australian supermarket chain owned by Wesfarmers. It has 741...
, Liquorland
LiquorLAND
Liquorland is an Australian liquor chain owned by Wesfarmers. Liquorland is one of three brands within Wesfarmers' Coles division., along with fine-wine focussed Vintage Cellars and the larger discount format 1st Choice Liquor Superstore...
, Chemmart Pharmacy, vet and other specialty shops. There is a small food court which has a Donut King
Donut King
Donut King is Australia's biggest doughnut franchise, based in Southport, Queensland.-History:The Donut King chain was founded in 1981 in Sydney, and is currently managed, under license, by the Southport-based Retail Food Group Limited...
, Gloria Jeans and a Michel's Patisserie
Michel's Patisserie
- About :Michel's Patisserie is a chain of bakery-style food outlets selling cakes, pies, savouries and espresso coffee. The company is a franchise system that was founded in 1988 and is based in Australia with over 360 retail outlets in all Australian states and territories except Northern...
. A tavern is located near the mall, as well as a dance studio.
There are also other smaller shopping districts. There is a small strip mall
Strip mall
A strip mall is an open-area shopping center where the stores are arranged in a row, with a sidewalk in front. Strip malls are typically developed as a unit and have large parking lots in front...
located on Hawkesbury Road with a petrol station, car mechanic, takeaway shop, butcher
Butcher
A butcher is a person who may slaughter animals, dress their flesh, sell their meat or any combination of these three tasks. They may prepare standard cuts of meat, poultry, fish and shellfish for sale in retail or wholesale food establishments...
and a general store. The Australia Post
Australia Post
Australia Post is the trading name of the Australian Government-owned Australian Postal Corporation .-History:...
office has moved to the Winmalee Village Centre. There is also another very small shopping area, near the Village Centre, with a pizza shop, hairdressers and a gymnasium.