Emu Plains, New South Wales

Infobox Australian Place | type = suburb
name = Emu Plains
city = Sydney
state = NSW


caption =
lga = City of Penrith
postcode = 2750
est = circa 1814
pop = 8000 (2006)
area = 7.92
propval =
stategov = Penrith
fedgov = Lindsay
near-nw = Emu Heights
near-n = Castlereagh
near-ne = Penrith
near-w = Glenbrook
near-e = Jamisontown
near-sw = Glenbrook
near-s = Leonay
near-se = Regentville
dist1 = 58
dir1 = west
location1= Sydney CBD

Emu Plains is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Emu Plains is located 58 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Penrith and is part of the Greater Western Sydney region.

Emu Plains is on the western side of the Nepean River, located at the foot of the Blue Mountains.

History

Aboriginal Culture

Prior to European settlement, what is now Emu Plains was on the border of the Western Sydney-based Darug people and the Southern Highlands-based Gandangara people, whose land extended into the Blue Mountains. The local Darug people were known as the Mulgoa who lived a hunter-gatherer lifestyle governed by traditional laws, which had their origins in the Dreamtime. They lived in huts made of bark called 'gunyahs', hunted kangaroos and emus for meat, and gathered yams, berries and other native plants. [cite web | url= http://www.mananura.com/aboriginal-history-dharugtx.html | title=Dharug Aboriginal History | publisher=Christopher Tobin | accessdate=2007-07-26 ]

European Settlement

The first British explorers to visit the area surveyed Emu Plains in 1790 and named it Emu Island after emus they sighted on the land and in the mistaken belief that the land was actually on an island in the Nepean River. It was first referred to by its current name by Governor Lachlan Macquarie in 1814 when William Cox started building his road over the Blue Mountains from there. A government farm with convict labour was established in 1819. It closed down in 1832 with the establishment of the village of Emu Plains. [cite web | url= http://www.penrithcity.nsw.gov.au/index.asp?id=452 | title=Penrith Local Suburb Profiles - Emu Plains | publisher=Penrith City Council | accessdate=2007-07-26 ]

The removal of river-stones from the Nepean River for concrete and road-base was begun by the Emu and Prospect Gravel and Road Metal Company in the 1880s. A railway siding, which was to be ultimately expanded into a short branch, was first laid in from the Main Western Line at Emu Plains in 1884. Railway operations, which included their own locomotives, continued until 1967, after when only a siding, shunted by Government trains, remained. All railway operations ceased in 1993 ["Sydney's Forgotten Quarry Railways" Oakes, John ISBN 0 9757870 3 9 pp38-52] .

Commercial Area

The main commercial centre is Centro Lennox, formerly Lennox Shopping Centre, named after David Lennox.

Transport

Emu Plains railway station is situated on the Western Line of the CityRail network. It is the last station on the suburban part of the line with Lapstone, the next station to the west, considered part of the Intercity network. While a long distance from Sydney city, there are many express services from Emu Plains to the city. Emu Plains is also serviced by the [http://www.bmbc.com.au Blue Mountains Bus Company] .

Emu Plains can easily be accessed from Penrith via the Great Western Highway. Access from further east is best obtained by the M4 Western Motorway. If travelling east from the Blue Mountains, access is best obtained by the Great Western Highway.

Education

The local government primary school is Emu Plains Public School and the high school is Nepean High School. There is also a Catholic primary school, Our Lady of the Way, and high school, McCarthy Catholic College.

Population

Demographics

The recorded population of Emu Plains in the 2006 census was 7944. The age profile and most other statistics were similar to the Australian national averages. Most people were Australian born (79%) with the remainder generally from English-speaking countries such as England or New Zealand. There were more detached houses (75%) and fewer apartments (7%) than in the national statistics while the median income ($536 per week) was slightly higher than the national average ($466). [Census 2006 AUS| id = SSC11357 | name = Emu Plains (State Suburb) | quick = on | accessdate=2007-07-27 ]

Notable Residents

* Edwin Evans (1849-1921), Australian cricketer
* Sir Francis Forbes (1784-1841), chief justice of New South Wales, who built the house Edinglassie at Emu Plains
* Gerald (1905-1962) & Margo (1908-1978) Lewers, artists who donated their house as the Penrith Regional Art Gallery
* Toby Ryan (1818-1899), early landholder, sportsman and politician

Governance

Until 1963, Emu Plains was part of Blue Mountains City Council but was then transferred to Penrith City Council, where it is currently split between the North and South Wards. At the state level, it is part of the Electoral district of Penrith, represented by Labor's Karyn Paluzzano. Federally, it is part of the Division of Lindsay, represented by Labor's David Bradbury.

See also

*Emu Plains Correctional Centre
*Emu Plains railway station

References

External links

* [http://www.penrithcity.nsw.gov.au/index.asp?id=969 Penrith Local Suburb Profiles]
* [http://www.emuplains-p.schools.nsw.edu.au/main_page.html Emu Plains Public School]