Cambridge Park, New South Wales
| Cambridge Park Sydney, New South Wales | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
  Cambridge Park | |||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 33°44′54″S 150°44′4″E / 33.74833°S 150.73444°ECoordinates: 33°44′54″S 150°44′4″E / 33.74833°S 150.73444°E | ||||||||||||
| Population | 6,160 (2011 census)[1] | ||||||||||||
| • Density | 2,342/km2 (6,066/sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Established | 1884 | ||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 2747 | ||||||||||||
| Area | 2.63 km2 (1.0 sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Location | 53 km (33 mi) W of Sydney CBD | ||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | City of Penrith | ||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | |||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Lindsay | ||||||||||||
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Cambridge Park is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia 53 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Penrith. It is part of the Greater Western Sydney region.
History
Aboriginal culture
Prior to European settlement, what is now Cambridge Park was home to the Mulgoa people who spoke the Darug language. They lived a hunter-gatherer lifestyle governed by traditional laws, which had their origins in the Dreamtime. Their homes were bark huts called "gunyahs". They hunted kangaroos and emus for meat, and gathered yams, berries and other native plants. Shortly after the arrival of the First Fleet in Australia in 1788, an outbreak of smallpox decimated the local indigenous communities and made it easier for settlers to dispossess them of their land.[2]
European settlement
The first land grant in the area was made in 1831 to Phillip Parker King, son of the Governor Phillip Gidley King. He named it St Stephens although it later became part of the Werrington estate belonging to his sister Mary Lethbridge. It was run as a farm until the 1880s when the estate was subdivided into smaller farms, one of which became Cambridge Park. Development in the area began in the 1950s.[3] Cambridge Park Post Office opened on 2 January 1953 and closed around 1995.[4]
Housing
Developed mainly in the 1950s, the streets are at right angles to each other, unlike the curving street patterns of the newer suburbs to the north, and the houses are mostly fibro on quarter acre blocks.
Demographics
According to the 2011 census, there were 6,160 residents in Cambridge Park.
In Cambridge Park, 79.7% of people were born in Australia. The most common other countries of birth were England 4.4%, New Zealand 1.7% and Germany 0.8%.
88.5% of people only spoke English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Greek 0.7%, Arabic 0.7%, Italian 0.5%, Polish 0.4% and German 0.4%.
The most common responses for religion in Cambridge Park were Catholic 30.9%, Anglican 26.8% and No Religion 17.8%.[1]
Governance
At a local government level, Cambridge Park is part of the north ward of Penrith City Council, represented by Lexie Cettolin, Kevin Crameri, Ross Fowler, Pat Sheehy (currently mayor of Penrith) and John Thain. At the state level, it is part of the Electoral district of Londonderry, represented by Labor's Prue Car. Federally, it is part of the Division of Lindsay, represented by Liberal Party Member Fiona Scott.
References
- 1 2 Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Cambridge Park (State Suburb)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
- ↑ "Dharug Aboriginal History". Christopher Tobin. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 26 July 2007.
- ↑ "Penrith Local Suburb profiles – Cambridge Park". Penrith City Council. Retrieved 13 August 2007.
- ↑ Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Retrieved 16 June 2012.