Quakers Hill, New South Wales

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Quakers Hill is a suburb in the City of Blacktown, in Western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It was first mentioned in a surveyor's report in 1806. There were Quaker settlers in the area some years later, but it is doubted they were the reason for the suburb's name.

1 Early European Settlement
2 Australian Defence Force establishments
3 Post-war growth
4 Transport Services
5 Retail Services
6 Other services
7 Schools
8 External links

[edit] Early European Settlement

The first property holder in the area was a Parramatta surgeon, Major West, who came to Australia in 1815. He had a 700 acre (2.8 km²) property which he named Quakers Hill. A timber mill was near the site of the railway station belonging to the Douglas family. The station was for many years (1872-1905) referred to as Douglas Siding. Between 1900 and 1905 the land was subdivided to small holding farms and market gardens. 1905 saw the station become known as Quakers Hill.

[edit] Australian Defence Force establishments

Prior to the second world war the Royal Australian Navy established a naval flying station in the area and that went on to become HMAS Nirimba (RANATE) apprentice training establishment. The base is now in public hands and is the Blacktown campus of the University of Western Sydney as well as Nirimba TAFE and Terra Sancta College.

[edit] Post-war growth

Since the 1960s Quakers Hill has steadily become a residential suburb of considerable size.

Quakers Hill has become a fairly populated suburb due to experiencing major growth over the past 10 - 20 years.

For example in 1991, the population was approximately 14,630 (1991 ABS Census) and in 1996, the population had grown by more than 4000 people to 18,759 (1996 ABS Census). Currently in Quakers Hill and Acacia Gardens the population is 24,717 (2001 ABS Census).

[edit] Transport Services

Public Transport to and from Quakers Hill is provided by train and a number of bus services, which allows students easy access to local education facilities as well as enabling residents to access Blacktown, Sydney CBD, Blacktown, Penrith and Richmond.

Quakers Hill has experienced much road development over recent years including the construction of a new road leading directly to the Education Precinct bypassing the town centre and a petrol station. The Westlink M7, which links the suburb directly to all major routes in and out of the greater Sydney region, opened in December 2005. Following this opening the road overpass for the Quakers Hill Parkway is being widened from two to four lanes, improving toll-free traffic flow between Richmond and Windsor Roads.

[edit] Retail Services

Quakers Hill Town Centre consists of street shops, a small arcade, a train station and The Quakers Inn Hotel. Additional shopping is provided at Quakers Court and the newly built Quakers Hill Shopping Centre, both located outside of the existing town centre, and Westpoint Shopping Centre located in Blacktown which is a regional shopping centre undergoing major expansion.

[edit] Other services

There is both a Police Station and a Community Centre quite close to the main retail area and the railway station. There is some criticism that the police station is on the opposite side of the railway line from the shopping area and Quakers Inn hotel, which generates a significant portion of the local work for the officers stationed there.

[edit] Schools

Quakers Hill is the home to numerous schools and educational institutions including a public primary school and Catholic primary school located at the intersection of Farnham Road and Barnier Drive. There is also a junior high school and the Nirimba Education Precinct which consists of the University of Western Sydney, Blacktown Campus, Nirimba TAFE College, and two senior high schools.