Auburn, New South Wales

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Auburn
SydneyNew South Wales

Auburn Gallipoli Mosque
Postcode: 2144
Property Value: AUD $ 350,000
Location: 19 km (12 mi) west of Sydney CBD
LGA: Auburn Council
State District: Auburn
Federal Division: Reid
Suburbs around Auburn:
Granville Rosehill Silverwater
South Granville Auburn Lidcombe
Sefton Regents Park Berala

Auburn is a suburb in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales Australia. Auburn is located 19 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of Auburn Council.

Contents

[edit] History

The suburb was named after Oliver Goldsmith's poem The Desserted Village, which describes 'Auburn' in England as the loveliest village of the plain. [1]

[edit] Commercial Area

Auburn has a mixture of residential, commercial and industrial areas. A commercial area is located close to Auburn railway station. 'Auburn Central' is a small shopping centre below residential apartments, between South Parade and the Queen Street mall. Auburn Central features a Woolworths supermarket, Big W discount department store, specialty shops and cafes.

South of the railway station, the commercial area stretches for approximately 1km and features many Middle Eastern shops, restaurants and supermarkets. This has made Auburn a focal point for various immigrant groups in Sydney, especially for significant events such as football matches or political developments in the Middle East.

North of the railway station, commercial and industrial developments are also located along the length of Parramatta Road and surrounding streets. Major developments here include:

[edit] Transport

Auburn railway station is on the Southern line and Western line of the CityRail network.

[edit] Landmarks

  • Auburn Hospital with basic 24-hour emergency facilities is on Norval and Hargrave Streets.
  • Auburn Botanic Gardens [3]

[edit] Schools

[edit] Churches and Mosques

The Auburn Gallipoli Mosque took thirteen years to construct and was largely funded by the Turkish community in the area. [4] The name of the mosque reflects the legacy of Gallipolli in Turkey and the shared bond between Australian society and the Australian Turkish Muslim Community who constructed the mosque.

Architect Omer Kirazoglu designed it in the Classical Ottoman Style of Architecture characterised by a central dome and minarets. The builder was Ahmet Asim who donated much of his time. It is a source of pride for the local community and whilst considered a Turkish mosque it is frequented by all sections of the Islamic community and is one of Sydney's busiest mosques. The mosque prides itself on being open to all members of the Australian community with both organised and impromptu open days.

There are several smaller mosques situated at the south of the suburb, albeit far smaller than the main Auburn Gallipoli mosque.

[edit] Population

[edit] Demographics

Auburn prides itself as having one of the largest refugee communities in Australia. The traditionally Anglo-celtic and southern European population has slowly been replaced by a high percentage of immigrants from Turkish, Lebanese and Vietnamese backgrounds. Auburn also has a fast growing Iraqi, Iranian, Afghan, Sudanese and Chinese communities. Auburn has received some negative publicity in recent time within the local Australian media as being an enclave of immigrants within largely Anglo-celtic, lower-middle class western Sydney. There is an interesting juxtaposition between the large Islamic community and the lower-middle class Anglo-celtic community.

[edit] Notable Residents

[edit] Pop Culture

  • SBS television drama East West 101 was filmed in Auburn.
  • Several Sydney rappers/hip-hop artists have begun coining the phrase "Representing Southside Auburn to the fullest" in underground records and onstage to indicate their solidarity with the suburb.

[edit] References

  1. ^ The Book of Sydney Suburbs, Compiled by Frances Pollen, Angus & Robertson Publishers, 1990, Published in Australia ISBN 0-207-14495-8, page 11
  2. ^ Reading Cinemas
  3. ^ Wilson, Jan; Laura Vallee, Murray Fagg (2006-12-12). Auburn Botanical Gardens. Directory of Australian Botanic Gardens and Arboreta. Australian National Botanic Gardens. Retrieved on 2007-02-03.
  4. ^ Gallipoli Mosque

[edit] External links