| Parramatta Sydney, New South Wales |
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Church Street, Parramatta |
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| Population: | 18,448[1] | ||||||||||||
| Established: | 1788 | ||||||||||||
| Postcode: | 2150 | ||||||||||||
| Location: | 23 km (14 mi) west of Sydney CBD | ||||||||||||
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| Region: | Greater Western Sydney | ||||||||||||
| County: | Cumberland[3] | ||||||||||||
| Parish: | St. John[3] | ||||||||||||
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| Federal Division: | |||||||||||||
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Parramatta ( /ˌpærəˈmætə/) is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia.[3][10][11] It is located in Greater Western Sydney 23 kilometres (14 mi) west of the Sydney central business district on the banks of the Parramatta River. Parramatta is the administrative seat of the Local Government Area (LGA) of the City of Parramatta. Part of the suburb is shared with the City of Holroyd LGA.[2][3][4]
Parramatta is the economic capital of Greater Western Sydney and the sixth largest central business district in Australia.[12] Since 2000, Parramatta has seen the consolidation of its role as a government centre with the relocation of agencies such as the New South Wales Police Force headquarters and Sydney Water,[13] from the Sydney CBD. Simultaneously, major upgrades have occurred around the railway station with the expansion of Westfield Parramatta, the creation of a new transport interchange, and the ongoing development of the Civic Place local government precinct.
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The Darug people had lived in the area for many generations, and regarded the area as rich in food from the river and forests. They called the area Baramada or Burramatta ('Parramatta') which means "head of waters"[14] or "the place where the eels lie down".[3][15] To this day there is a plenitude of eels and other sea creatures attracted to the profusion of nutrients created by the saltwater of Port Jackson meeting the freshwater of the Parramatta River's catchment. The eel has been adopted as the symbol of the Parramatta Eels Rugby League club.
Parramatta was founded in 1788, the same year as Sydney. The British Colony, which had arrived in January 1788 in the First Fleet at Sydney Cove, had only enough food to support itself for a short time and the soil around Sydney Cove proved too poor to grow the amount of food that 1,000 convicts, soldiers and administrators needed to survive. During 1788, Governor Arthur Phillip had reconnoitred several places before choosing Parramatta as the most likely place for a successful large farm.[16] Parramatta was the furthest navigable point inland on the Parramatta River (i.e. furthest from the thin, sandy coastal soil) and also the point at which the river became freshwater and therefore useful for farming.
On Sunday 2 November 1788, Governor Phillip took a detachment of marines along with a surveyor and, in boats, made his way upriver to a location that he called The Crescent, a defensible hill curved round a river bend, now in Parramatta Park. As a settlement developed, Governor Phillip gave it the name "Rose Hill" (now used for a nearby suburb) which in 1791 he changed to Parramatta, approximating the term used by the local Aboriginal people.
In an attempt to deal with the food crisis, Phillip in 1789 granted a convict named James Ruse the land of Experiment Farm at Parramatta on the condition that he develop a viable agriculture. There Ruse became the first person to successfully grow grain in Australia. The Parramatta area was also the site of John Macarthur's pioneering of the Australian wool industry at Elizabeth Farm in the 1790s.
Governor Arthur Phillip built a small house for himself on the hill of The Crescent. In 1799 this was replaced by a larger residence which, substantially improved by Governor Lachlan Macquarie from 1815 to 1818, has survived to the present day, used as a retreat by Governors until the 1850s with one Governor (Governor Brisbane) making it his principal home for a short period in the 1820s. The house, Old Government House, is currently a historic site and museum within Parramatta Park and is Australia's oldest surviving public building.[17]
In 1803, a famous incident occurred in Parramatta, involving a convicted criminal named Joseph Samuel, originally from England. Samuel was convicted of murder and sentenced to death by hanging, but the rope broke. In the second attempt, the noose slipped off his neck. In the third attempt, the new rope broke. Governor Phillip was summoned and pardoned Samuel, as the incident appeared to him to be divine intervention.
Parramatta has many buildings on the Register of the National Estate, including: Elizabeth Farm House, Experiment Farm Cottage, Lancer Barracks, Parramatta Town Hall, the former Post Office in Church Street, Centennial Clock, Lennox Bridge, St John's Cathedral, St John's Cemetery,[18] St Patrick's Cathedral, Parochial School in Elizabeth Street, Arthur Phillip High School,[19] Brislington in Marsden Street, Hambledon Cottage in Hassall Street,[20] former King's School Group, Roman Catholic Cemetery in North Parramatta, Parramatta Psychiatric Centre (Cumberland Hospial), Parramatta Park – including Old Government House, All Saints Church Group (Source: The Heritage of Australia, Macmillan Company, 1981)
Parramatta Gaol is Australia's oldest prison. The Gaol was formally proclaimed on 2 January 1842 with progressive opening of wings up until approximately 1910. It was closed from 1918 to 1922 and again for a short period in 1997/1998. Located on O'Connell Street, it is now known as the Parramatta Correctional Centre and functions as a short-term detention centre.[21] The gaol's more infamous guests over the years include Neddy Smith.[22]
Parramatta is a major business and commercial centre, sometimes called Sydney's "second central business district". Parramatta has many high density commercial and residential developments. It is home to Westfield Parramatta, which is the second largest shopping centre in Australia. Church Street is home to many shops and restaurants. The northern end of Church Street, close to Lennox Bridge, features al fresco dining with a diverse range of cuisines. The southern end of Church Street features many Chinese restaurants and extends past Westfield to 'Auto Alley', named for the prevalence of car dealerships. Parramatta Town Hall is located in the heart of the city, near Church Street Mall. There are plans for the redevelopment of the Parramatta Civic Centre and street mall. The proposal includes a state of the art culture and art centre and new plaza.
Immediately south of the CBD Church Street is known across Sydney as Auto Alley for the many car dealerships lining both sides of the street as far as the M4 Motorway.[23]
Parramatta's Woolpack Hotel claims to hold Australia's oldest pub licence (dating to 1796).[24]
Since 2000, Parramatta has seen the consolidation of its role as a government centre, with the relocation of agencies such as the New South Wales Police Force Headquarters and the Sydney Water Corporation[13] from Sydney CBD. At the same time, major construction work occurred around the railway station with the expansion of Westfield Shoppingtown, the creation of a new transport interchange and the ongoing development of the Civic Place local government precinct. Numerous private businesses have also relocated their offices to Parramatta.
The western part of the Parramatta CBD is known as the Parramatta Justice Precinct and houses the corporate headquarters of the (NSW) Department of Attorney General and Justice. Other legal offices include the Children's Court of New South Wales and the Sydney West Trial Courts, Legal Aid Commission of New South Wales, Office of Trustee and Guardian (formerly the Office of the Protective Commissioner), NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, as well as a branch of the Family Court. Nearby on Marsden Street is the Parramatta Court House and the Drug Court of New South Wales.
The Garfield Barwick Commonwealth Law Courts Building (named in honor of Sir Garfield Barwick), houses courts of the Federal Magistrates Court and the Family Court of Australia.
A hospital known as The Colonial Hospital was established in Parramatta in 1818.[25] This then became Parramatta District Hospital. Jeffery House was built in the 1940s. With the construction of the near-by Westmead Hospital complex public hospital services in Parramatta were reduced but after refurbishment Jeffery House again provides clinical health services.
Near-by, Brislington House has had a long history with health services. It is the oldest colonial building in Parramatta, dating to 1821.[26] It became a doctors residence before being incorporated into the Parramatta Hospital in 1949.
On the northern fringe of Parramatta stands Cumberland Hospital, providing psychiatric health services.
Parramatta is the major transport hub for western Sydney, servicing trains and buses, as well as having a ferry service.
Parramatta railway station is a major transport interchange on the CityRail network. It is served by the Blue Mountains line, Cumberland line and the Western line.[27] The station was originally opened on 4 July 1860,[28] five years after the first railway line in Sydney was opened in 1855, running from Sydney to Parramatta Junction (now Granville, New South Wales). It was recently upgraded, with work beginning in late 2003 and the new interchange opening on 19 February 2006.[29] The original station still exists within the over-all structure as part of Platform 4.
The Parramatta ferry wharf is at the Charles Street Weir, which divides the tidal saltwater from the freshwater of the upper river, on the eastern boundary of the Central Business District. The wharf is the westernmost destination of the Sydney Ferries River Cat ferry service which runs on Parramatta River.[30]
Parramatta Road has always been an important thoroughfare for Sydney from its earliest days. From Parramatta the major western road for the state is the Great Western Highway The M4 Western Motorway, running parallel to the Great Western Highway has taken much of the traffic away from these roads, with entrance and exit ramps close to Parramatta.
James Ruse Drive serves as a partial ring-road circling around the eastern part of Parramatta to join with the Cumberland Highway to the north west of the city.
The main north-south route through Parramatta is Church Street. To the north it becomes Windsor Road, and to the south it becomes Woodville Road.
Parramatta is also serviced by a major bus interchange. This includes the North West T-Way to Rouse Hill and the Liverpool-Parramatta T-way to Liverpool. Parramatta is also serviced by five high-frequency metrobus services which include:
Parramatta is also serviced by Hillsbus (part of Westbus), Sydney Buses, Busways and, Veolia buses which service other suburbs around Parramatta.[31]
A free bus Route 900 is operated by Parramatta City Council in conjunction with the state government. Route 900 circles Parramatta CBD.[32]
A free bus also links Parramatta Stadium to Parramatta railway station when the Parramatta Eels have a home game.
Church Street takes its name from St John's Cathedral (Anglican), which was built in 1803 and is the oldest church in Parramatta. While the present building is not the first on the site, the towers were built during the time of Governor Macquarie, and were based on those of the church at Reculver, England, at the suggestion of his wife, Elizabeth.[33] The historic St John's Cemetery is located nearby on O'Connell Street.[34]
St Patrick's Cathedral (Roman Catholic) is one of the oldest Catholic churches in Australia. Construction commenced in 1836, but it wasn't officially complete until 1837. In 1854 a new church was commissioned, although the tower was not completed until 1880, with the spire following in 1883.[35] It was built on the site to meet the needs of a growing congregation. It was destroyed by fire in 1996, with only the stone walls remaining. On 29 November 2003, the new St Patrick's Cathedral was dedicated.[36] The historic St Patricks Cemetery is located in North Parramatta.
The Uniting Church is represented by Leigh Memorial Church.[37]
Parramatta Salvation Army is one of the oldest active Salvation Army Corps in Australia.
Parramatta is also home to the Parramatta and Districts Synagogue, which services the Jewish community of western Sydney.[38]
A Buddhist temple is located in Cowper Street, Parramatta.[39]
Parramatta's Mosque is hidden away in an apartment building on Marsden Street, Parrmatta.[40]
The district is served by Hindu temples located on Eleanor St, Rosehill,[41] and a Murugan temple in Mays Hill.[42]
Public Schools
Private Schools
Tertiary Education
Parramatta Park is a large park adjacent to Parramatta Stadium. It was formerly the Governor's Domain – land set aside for the Governor to supply his farming needs. As the Governor's Domain the grounds were much larger than the modern Parramatta Park – extending from Parramatta Road to the south… evident by a small gatehouse adjacent to Parramatta High School.
Over time parts of the domain were re-allocated to make way for Parramatta High School, a golf course, the Western (railway) line, Parramatta RSL and Bowling Club, Parramatta Swimming Centre, and Parramatta Stadium.
The park contains Old Government House and thus Parramatta was once the capital of the colony of New South Wales until Governors returned to residing in Sydney in 1846.[49] (Sydney also has a Governor's Domain adjacent to Government House). Another feature is the natural amphitheatre located on one of the bends of the river, named by Governor Philip as "the Crescent", which is used to stage concerts. Over 120 bird species have been recorded there. It is home to the Dairy Cottage, built from 1798 to 1805, originally a single-room cottage and is one of the earliest surviving cottages in Australia. It was built for ex-convict George Salter. Between 1814 and 1816 it was converted to a dairy. The Tudor Gatehouse, on O'Connell Street, was erected by the Park Trust in 1885 and designed by Gordon McKinnon. It was restored in 1980. The remains of Governor Brisbane's private astronomical observatory, constructed in 1822, are visible. Astronomers who worked at the observatory, discovering thousands of new stars and deep sky objects, include James Dunlop and Carl Rümker. In 1822, the architect S. L. Harris designed the Bath House for Governor Brisbane and built it in 1823. Water was pumped to the building through lead pipes from the river. In 1886, it was converted into a pavilion.[50]
Lake Parramatta is a 10-hectare reserve, based around a former reservoir. The catchment area for the lake is bounded by North Rocks Road, Pennant Hills Road and Hunts Creek. The entrance is from Lackey Street, North Parramatta. Parramatta River runs through the suburb in an easterly direction.
According to the 2006 census conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Parramatta had a population of 18,448 with the average age 30, compared to a national average of 37. Place of birth of 57.6% of residents was overseas, including 14.1% from India and 12.8% from China. Apart from English, the most common languages spoken were Mandarin (11%), Cantonese (6.5%), Arabic (5.5%), Hindi (5.1%) and Gujarati (3.2%). The religious affiliation responses were Catholic (21.3%), No Religion (18.3%), Hinduism (13.3%), Anglican (7.4%) and Islam (6.8%).[1]
The majority of dwellings in Parramatta were apartments (72%), compared to a national average of 14%, and 58% of all dwellings were rented compared to a national average of 27%. The average rent in Parramatta was $230 per week slightly higher than the national average of $190 but then the average weekly wage of $482 was also slightly higher than average ($466).[1]
Parramatta falls in the humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with warm to hot, humid summers and mild winters. Rainfall is common throughout the months, but the most wet is February. Parramatta is slightly warmer than Sydney CBD, but in extreme cases it can be 5-10 degrees warmer than Sydney. Rainfall is fairly evenly divided between summer and winter, but is slightly higher during the first three months of the year, when easterly winds dominate.[54]
| Climate data for Parramatta | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 44.8 (112.6) |
41.9 (107.4) |
40.5 (104.9) |
37.0 (98.6) |
29.2 (84.6) |
25.5 (77.9) |
25.9 (78.6) |
30.6 (87.1) |
35.4 (95.7) |
40.1 (104.2) |
42.7 (108.9) |
43.9 (111.0) |
44.8 (112.6) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 28.3 (82.9) |
27.8 (82.0) |
26.2 (79.2) |
23.8 (74.8) |
20.5 (68.9) |
17.8 (64.0) |
17.3 (63.1) |
19.0 (66.2) |
21.6 (70.9) |
23.9 (75.0) |
25.3 (77.5) |
27.5 (81.5) |
23.2 (73.8) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 17.5 (63.5) |
17.5 (63.5) |
15.8 (60.4) |
12.8 (55.0) |
10.0 (50.0) |
7.5 (45.5) |
6.2 (43.2) |
7.1 (44.8) |
9.3 (48.7) |
11.9 (53.4) |
14.0 (57.2) |
16.2 (61.2) |
12.1 (53.8) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 10.1 (50.2) |
9.2 (48.6) |
6.8 (44.2) |
4.0 (39.2) |
1.4 (34.5) |
0.8 (33.4) |
−1 (30.2) |
0.7 (33.3) |
1.4 (34.5) |
3.6 (38.5) |
4.0 (39.2) |
7.7 (45.9) |
−1 (30.2) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 103.3 (4.067) |
124.4 (4.898) |
107.5 (4.232) |
88.0 (3.465) |
71.9 (2.831) |
83.9 (3.303) |
45.4 (1.787) |
56.1 (2.209) |
53.7 (2.114) |
70.3 (2.768) |
84.2 (3.315) |
69.8 (2.748) |
956.2 (37.646) |
| Avg. precipitation days | 12.0 | 12.1 | 12.4 | 9.1 | 10.0 | 10.3 | 7.9 | 7.9 | 8.0 | 10.3 | 11.4 | 10.1 | 121.5 |
| Source: [55] | |||||||||||||