Woodcroft 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...

 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...

. Woodcroft is located 42 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 City of Blacktown

City of Blacktown

The City of Blacktown is a Local Government Area in the heart of Western Sydney, situated on the Cumberland Plain, approximately 35 km from Sydney CBD. It is bounded by the Local Government Areas of Penrith, Parramatta, Fairfield, Holroyd, Hawkesbury and The Hills Shire. It occupies an area...

 and is part of the Greater Western Sydney

Greater Western Sydney

Greater Western Sydney is a term used to describe the western region of the metropolitan area of Sydney, Australia. The University of Western Sydney defines Greater Western Sydney as comprising 14 local government areas...

 region.

History

Up until the 1980s Woodcroft was the State Brickworks in Doonside

Doonside, New South Wales

Doonside is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Doonside is located 40 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Blacktown and is part of the Greater Western Sydney region. Featherdale Wildlife Park and the...

. In 1989, the land was purchased by estate agents and developers L.J. Hooker

L.J. Hooker

LJ Hooker is an Australian real estate franchise, founded in 1928, currently owned by Janusz Hooker, the grandson of founder Sir Leslie Hooker and was established in 1928.-History:...

. After rezoning, residential construction commenced in 1992 and Woodcroft was formally recognised as a suburb in 1996.

Commercial area

There is a modest independent retail mall on Richmond Road. Services include a service station, supermarket, video rental store, and a variety of independent and franchise fast food outlets.

Facilities such as disabled toilets, parenting rooms, and children's play areas, are either limited or not available.

Transport

The Blacktown Social Plan shows that Woodcroft households are much more likely to have one car than is usual across both the city of Blacktown, and the Sydney greater metropolitan area. However they are also much less likely to have two or more cars than is usual. This is somewhat of an indication of the transport connections throughout the area and the demographic of the population.

Access to public transport is somewhat limited, being via bus to either Blacktown, Doonside or Quakers Hill railway stations. Most households have one car.

The M7 motorway

Westlink M7

Westlink M7 - formerly Western Sydney Orbital - is one of Sydney, Australia's urban motorways and a part of Metroad 7 and the Sydney Orbital Network. It connects three Metroads: M5 at Prestons, M4 at Eastern Creek and M2 at Baulkham Hills...

 is accessible to Woodcroft via either the Richmond Road or Quakers Hill Parkway. Since it opened in December 2005 this has improved access to the Hills District

Hills District (Sydney)

Hills District or The Hills is a general term for the north-western suburbs of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The Hills District is also referred to as The Sydney Hills and The Hills Shire...

, Liverpool

Liverpool, New South Wales

Liverpool is a suburb in south-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Liverpool is located 32 km south-west of the Sydney central business district, and is the administrative centre of the local government area of the City of Liverpool...

 and providing connections to both the M2

M2 Hills Motorway

The M2 Hills Motorway is a motorway in north-western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It forms part of Sydney Metroad 2 and the 110 km Sydney Orbital Network. West of Pennant Hills Road, the M2 is also part of the National Highway.-History:Previously, Sydney's western suburbs were poorly served...

 and M4

M4 Western Motorway

The M4 Western Motorway,, is a motorway in central Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...

 motorways.

Housing

The predominant form of housing throughout the suburb is free standing single homes. Just 1.1% of residences are apartments and 13% are townhouses or semis. This modern, low density housing is a reflection of the standard of living throughout the suburb.

Population

The Blacktown Social Plan indicates that between 1996 and 2001 census, the population increased from 1683 to 4969 people, an increase of over 195%. This is linked directly to the level of residential development occurring throughout the 1990s. The 2006 census population of 5,355 shows the population has stabilised somewhat since then.

The Blacktown Social Plan shows that compared to the averages across both the City of Blacktown, and the Sydney greater metropolitan area, residents of Woodcroft are more likely to be English literate migrants, working in white collar jobs. They are also very likely to be buying their own house and to be living as a couple with children.

Since there are relatively sparse retail services here, the majority of residents are more likely to work and shop in nearby city centres such as Blacktown

Blacktown, New South Wales

Blacktown is a suburb in the City of Blacktown, in Western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Blacktown is located 34 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of City of Blacktown.Blacktown is the largest...

, Parramatta

Parramatta, New South Wales

Parramatta is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in Greater Western Sydney west of the Sydney central business district on the banks of the Parramatta River. Parramatta is the administrative seat of the Local Government Area of the City of Parramatta...

 or Penrith

Penrith, New South Wales

Penrith is a suburb in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Penrith is located west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the City of Penrith...

.