Meadowbank, New South Wales

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Meadowbank
LGA: City of Ryde
Suburb Established: 1801
Postcode: 2114
Telephone Prefix: 9742 XXXX, 9809 XXXX
Population: 2085 (2001 census)
County: Cumberland
Area: .60 sq. km (2001 census)
Median property Value: Median $605,000 (2005)[1]
Location: Sydney, NSW
Suburbs near Meadowbank
West Ryde Ryde Melrose Park
Rhodes Ermington Putney
Parramatta River (watercourse)

Meadowbank is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Meadowbank is easily accessible with Ferry, Bus and Train access. Established in 1802 Meadowbank contains broad parklands and great public access to Parramatta River and surrounding parklands. Meadowbank Tafe is situated on the east side of the station and is a major educational institution. Meadowbank is a small suburb that exists in a valley that runs down to the Parramatta River and experiences limited traffic as major roads circle rather than run through the suburb.

Contents

[edit] History

Western side of Meadowbank Station
Enlarge
Western side of Meadowbank Station

[edit] Aboriginal history

Little is known about the original inhabitants of the Ryde district. All of the information that we have is from the accounts of Europeans in the first few years of the founding of the colony. The territory from Sydney Cove to Parramatta, on the northern side of the Parramatta River, was thought to be that of the Wallumedegal, and had the aboriginal name Wallumetta, the territory of the Wallumede people.

Aboriginal people in the Sydney district were clans of larger groups sharing a common language. Three language groups have been identified in the Sydney Region - the Kuringgai (or Guringai), the Dharug (or Dharruk / Dharuk / Darug), and the Dharawal (or Tharawal). The Wallumedegal are thought to have been within the Dharug speaking area.[2]

[edit] European disruption

Land originally granted to Surgeon William Balmain in 1794, in the district of the Field of Mars, was bestowed the name 'Meadow Bank'. Balmain returned to England in 1801, leaving his estates to be managed by fellow surgeon D'arcy Wentworth. Wentworth agreed to sell Balmain's grants to John Bennett, an ex-convict who had been transported in 1795. By 1819 both the 'Meadow Bank Estate' and 'Chatham Farm' to the north, belonged to Bennett. In 1823 he was joined by his nephew William Bennett. John Bennett died in July 1829, a bachelor, and his nephew inherited his estate, building Meadowbank House around 1835. William then sold 'Chatham Farm' to Major Edward Darvall in 1855. William Bennett died in 1865 but his widow remained at Meadowbank until her death in 1879. The estate was subdivided in the late 1880's, given impetus by the opening of the railway from Strathfield to Hornsby in 1886.[3]

[edit] Population

In the 2001 Australian Bureau of Statistics Census of Population and Housing, the population of the Meadowbank postcode area was 2085 people, in an area of .60 square kilometres. The population was 51% females, 49% males. 60% of the population was born overseas. The eight strongest religious affiliations in the area were in descending order: Catholic, No religion, Anglican, Buddhism, Orthodox Christian, Uniting Church, Presbyterian and Reformed, and Islam. The three most common forms of dwelling were in decreasing order: a flat, unit or apartment; a separate house; a semi-detached, row or terrace house, or townhouse.

[edit] Politics

State Elections [4]
  Labor 54.75%
  Greens 7.14%
  Liberal 30.42%
  Unity Party 3.41%
  Democrats 1.78%
Federal Elections [5]
  Labor 28.4%
  Liberal 49.89%
  Greens 16.37%
  Democrats 1.26%

[edit] Federal

John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939) is an Australian politician and the country's 25th and current Prime Minister. Current Division of Bennelong, defeated Nicole Campbell of the Australian Labor Party at the 2004 election.

[edit] State

John Watkins is a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, presently holding the seat of Ryde. He was originally elected to the Assembly in 1995 when he won the previously safe conservative seat of Gladesville, before switching to the new seat of Ryde in 1999 when electral boundaries were redrawn.

[edit] Property price summary

Property Prices 12 months to 1/3/2006

  • Houses Average $639,000, Median $605,000

Median change over last 12 months 4%

  • Units Average $313,000, Median $299,000

Median change over last 12 months 4%

  • Based on sales reported to Australian Property Monitors[6]

[edit] Transport

Meadowbank Train Station
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Meadowbank Train Station

[edit] Rail

Meadowbank railway station is on Sydney's CityRail Northern railway line. It serves the suburb of Meadowbank, a mixed commercial-residential area. Meadowbank has two side platforms. The station is within walking distance of a ferry wharf served by Sydney to Parramatta ferries. The station is served by two trains per hour each way, with additional trains on weekday peak hours.

[edit] Road

Meadowbank is circled by roads. Lane Cove road to the east, Victoria Road to the north and Adelaide st to the West. Other central roads include Constitution, Meadow and Bank.

[edit] Ferry

Meadowbank has a ferry wharf on the Parramatta River as part of the Sydney Ferries network. The next wharf west is Sydney Olympic Park and east is Kissing Point. The ferry primarily services tourists on weekends and city workers during the week. RiverCat catamaran type ferries work the Parramatta River route due to shallow waters, particularly during low tides.

[edit] Attractions

[edit] Schools

Offers a broad range of courses, including business studies, fine arts, information technology, engineering, health and fitness, general education, construction and transport, hospitality, nursing and child studies. The college's Sports and Fitness Centre and Massage Therapy Clinic have excellent aerobic, weight training and massage facilities. Other facilities include a new Art Gallery, Hair and Beauty Centre, a CISCO Regional Academy, extensive language laboratories, a comprehensive library and a purpose-built ship and boat building facility.

  • St Michael's School

A Catholic primary school, founded in 1922.

[edit] Parks

  • Meadowbank Park - 2 Cricket Pitches and nets, 2 soccer fields and 8 netball courts.
  • Meadowbank section of Parramatta to Putney Cycleway.
  • Walking track along Parramatta River.

[edit] Sporting teams

  • West Ryde Denistone Junior Rugby League Club (Home ground is Meadowbank Park)

[edit] Churches

  • Meadowbank International Church
  • St Michael's Catholic Church

[edit] External links

Coordinates: -33.81692° 151.08333°

[edit] References