Kellyville, New South Wales

Infobox Australian Place | type = suburb
name = Kellyville
city = Sydney
state = NSW
lga = Baulkham Hills Shire
postcode = 2155
est =
pop = 18,922
area = 27
propval = $590,000
stategov = Castle Hill, Hawkesbury
fedgov = Mitchell
near-nw = Kellyville Ridge
near-n = Rouse Hill Beaumont Hills
near-ne = Annangrove Glenhaven
near-w = Stanhope Gardens
near-e = Castle Hill
near-sw = Glenwood
near-s = Bella Vista
near-se = Baulkham Hills Castle Hill
dist1 = 36
dir1 = north-west
location1= Sydney CBD

Kellyville is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Kellyville is located 36 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of Baulkham Hills Shire, in the Hills District.

History

Kellyville is named after Hugh Kelly, who owned the Kellyville Estate. Kelly owned a hotel on the corner of Wrights and Windsor Roads called the 'Bird-In-Hand'. Originally, the area had been known as 'There and Nowhere' followed by 'Irish Town' for the clan of Kellys that lived in the area. After Kelly's death in 1884, John Fitzgerald Burns, James Green and George Withers purchased portions of several early land grants, which were subdivided into farmlets as part of the 'Kellyville Estate', thereby giving the suburb its name. The first subdivisions of convert|100|acre|km2|sing=on lots were made in 1884. ["The Book of Sydney Suburbs", Compiled by Frances Pollon, Angus & Robertson Publishers, 1990, Published in Australia ISBN 0-207-14495-8, page 133]

Parts of Kellyville were renamed in 2002 due to exorbitant growth of the suburb. The two new suburbs were named as Beaumont Hills (north of Samantha Riley Drive) and Kellyville Ridge (west of Old Windsor Road).

Kellyville Public School is a historic building which was established in 1849. For most of the 20th century, Kellyville was semi-rural. From the 1960s to the 1980s about 900 homes were developed in an area around Acres Road, known locally as 'The Village'. More recently, major developments such as Kellyville Plaza have encouraged residential growth. Due to the suburb's location, Kellyville is a major growth area in The Hills. [ [http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/the-good-life-in-suburb-of-mcmansions/2006/08/25/1156012745873.html The Sydney Morning Herald - The good life in suburb of McMansions] ]

Commercial Areas

Shopping in Kellyville is provided mainly by Kellyville Plaza with Coles Supermarket and 22 retails stores and Woolworths Supermarket right next door which were both opened in 2003. The placement of these shopping centres has given Kellyville a district centre. Other shopping needs are met by the various shops located on a light commercial strip in an area part of 'The Village' on Windsor Road, Kellyville. Kellyville Pets, on Windsor Road, is a large and diverse pet store.

Residential Areas

Kellyville possesses a unique combination of being semi-rural, older suburban and modern. Through its combination of housing, the area is able to offer a variety of lifestyles, spanning from medium-density townhouse developments along Kellyville Shopping Plaza to opulent residences sited adjacent to natural creeks and bushlands. As a result of the suburb's strategic location, Kellyville offers a relaxed and quiet lifestyle being surrounded by rural areas and suburban Castle Hill, Baulkham Hills and Glenhaven.

In recent years, 1,500 hectares of land has been released for development, the largest urban land release in NSW. Prices range from $450,000 to $600,000 in the 1970s-built 'Village' area and new homes range from $550,000 to $2,000,000 in the new part of Kellyville. The estates have a diverse selection of new houses, in which land sizes from 500sqm to 900sqm are common.

Kellyville is the third largest suburb in the Baulkham Hills Shire, and makes up more than 9% of the total population with a population of 13,466 persons according to the 2001 ABS Census. Kellyville is a major growth area in The Hills Further development in the area following the release of new land is expected to contribute to an increase in population for The Hills by 40,000 in the next 15-20 years. (BHSC, 1999)

Housing Estates:
* Duncraig Estate (Cattai Creek Drive, north-east Kellyville) - Known for being a popular choice among home buyers due to both leafiness and diverse choice of house types, ranging from modest modern housing to large affluent properties. Residential land sizes range between 450sqm-2000sqm
* Highlands Estate (Wellgate Avenue, far-northern Kellyville area) - Renown for being an upmarket neighbourhood surrounded by natural bushland and creek. Residential land sizes range between 800sqm-900sqm
* Elizabeth Macarthur Estate (Macquarie Avenue, far-western Kellyville area) - Known as being originally the first 'New Homeworld', an estate of various display houses for aspiring brand new home buyers. Residential land sizes range between 450sqm-600sqm
* New Homeworld Display Village (Homeworld IV - River Oak Circuit, western Kellyville area). Billed as the largest display village in the world [ [http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/the-good-life-in-suburb-of-mcmansions/2006/08/25/1156012745873.html The Sydney Morning Herald - The good life in suburb of McMansions] ] with 120 homes, [ [http://www.homeworld.com.au Homeworld Website] ] it is a neighbourhood of display homes which are designed to encourage purchase of home construction. After being used as a display village, the houses are sold for normal residential occupancy. Residential land sizes range between 450sqm-550sqm

Education

Primary & Secondary Schools:
* Kellyville Public School - Public Primary School
* Sherwood Ridge Public School - Public Primary School
* Our Lady of the Rosary Primary School - Private Primary School
* Kellyville High School - Public High School
* William Clarke College - Private School for students from Kindergarten to Year 12

Pre-schools:
* Kellyville Pre-school Kindergarten Inc (President Road)
* The Cubbyhouse @ Kellyville, Early Childhood Learning Centre (Wrights Road)
* Treasure Island Early Learning Centre (Acres Road)
* Scribbles Kindy Preschool and Long Day Care Centre (Hezlett Road)
* ABC Developmental Learning Centre - Kellyville (Craigmore Drive)
* ABC Developmental Learning Centre - Kellyville (Redden Drive)
* ABC Developmental Learning Centre - Kellyville (Arnold Avenue)
* ABC Developmental Learning Centre - Kellyville (Ironbark Ridge Road)
* CFK Childcare Centre - Kellyville (Carmelo Court)
* CFK Childcare Centre - Kellyville (Barry Road)
* Fraser Avenue Child Care Centre (Fraser Avenue)

Special Needs Schools:
* Tallowood School - School for disabled students from ages 4 to 18

Transport

Road

Windsor Road is a significant road linking Parramatta, in the City of Parramatta, with Windsor, in the City of Hawkesbury. Recent infrastructure development in the Hills District has increased the accessibility of Kellyville. Windsor Road, formerly one-lane each way, was upgraded to a two-lane road in 2006 and has significantly improved traffic flow in the area. Green Road was completed as a two-lane road in 2006 and links Kellyville with the nearby Victoria Avenue, Castle Hill trading zone 2km down the road, home to three Homemaker centres, car dealers, light industrial areas and many other retail outlets. The old Glenhaven Bridge is a wooden, shared one-lane bridge and was replaced with the new Glenhaven Bridge, which is a proper concrete bridge suitable for heavy vehicles. Built in 2007, the bridge runs over Cattai Creek and allows for normal traffic flows between Kellyville and Glenhaven.

Kellyville now has the advantage of faster travel to Sydney CBD fuelled by the new Lane Cove Tunnel and the M2 Hills Motorway. In good conditions, travel takes approximately 35 minutes.

Bus and Rail

Transport to Parramatta by bus in the far-western side of Kellyville has been also been improved through the development of the bus-only North-West T-Way, which runs parallel with Old Windsor Road. Hillsbus and Busways serve the areas of Rouse Hill, Castle Hill, Parramatta, Blacktown and the Sydney CBD.

By 2017, the North West Metro will connect the Hills District with the rest of the Sydney rail network, and this would have a significant impact on the accessibility of the whole district.

port and recreation

The Bernie Mullane Sporting Complex is a major recreational facility which was officially opened in March 2003 with a total project cost of more than $13 million. As part of the project, an indoor facility for a gym and other indoor sports, tennis courts, soccer fields and cricket grounds were constructed. The complex provides for a wide range of indoor and outdoor health, recreational and sporting programs and services.

Other recreational venues include:
* Caddies Creek Reserve - Radisson Place
* Commercial Road Netball Reserve - Wellgate Avenue
* Kellyville Park - Memorial Avenue
* Macquarie Avenue Reserve - Macquarie Avenue
* The Hills Centenary Park - Cnr Commercial & Withers

Recreational facilities in close proximity include Castle Hill Country Club and Fred Caterson Reserve in Castle Hill. Fred Caterson Reserve is set within a 60 hectare bushland setting directly less than 1km south-east of Kellyville, and offers a range of outdoor options including bushwalking tracks, BMX track, cycleways, remote control car track and many other sporting fields.

Churches

Kellyville is part of the district of Sydney known as the bible belt. Apart from the megachurch Hillsong Church in Norwest Business Park, which is a 5 minute drive from Kellyville, other places of worship in the immediate Kellyville suburb include "Anglican Church Kellyville", "Seventh-Day Adventist Church Kellyville" and "Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church Kellyville".

Hospitals

There are no medical facilities available in the immediate Kellyville postcode. The Hills Private Hospital on Windsor Road, Baulkham Hills (near the corner of Merindah Road), includes Emergency for private patients and has a very large Maternity Ward. The current hospital site will be redeveloped into a rehabilitation centre when the hospital's owners, Healthscope, move the operations to the Norwest Business Park, which is expected to be completed in 2009.

Population

The population of Kellyville in 2001 was 13,668 people. By 2006 the population was 18,922 showing a population growth of 38% in the area during that time. The predominant age group in Kellyville is 0 - 9 years. Households in Kellyville are primarily couples with children and are likely to be repaying over $2000.00 per month on mortgage repayments. In 2001, 82% of the homes in Kellyville were owner-occupied compared with 85% in 2006. Approximately 30% of households in Kellyville have a total annual income of over $130,000, followed by 21% of households with a total annual income of $88,000-$130,000. Approximately 60% of all household occupants are purchasers (mortgage holders), followed by 24% of households who own outright. Capital gains in median house prices from 2007 to 2008 have had change of 8.5%.

Issues

Environmental Impact

Kellyville, as with other newer suburbs in both the south-west and north-west districts of Sydney, has been victimised in the media as being synonymous to being developed as a McMansion suburb. [ [http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/10/23/1098474925523.html The Sydney Morning Herald - Copping the bile in Kellyville] ] McMansions are criticised for being indifferent in design and, in cheap, low-cost designs, mediocre in terms of build quality. Aggravating the problem is the fact that most McMansions are built at a higher house-to-land ratio, resulting in closer construction between neighbouring boundaries, smaller backyards and smaller setbacks. Because of less land and much larger floorplans (in which double of what a typical house would cover), environmental impact is a concern. Less trees are able to be planted to offer natural shade from extreme summer heat, and more energy is needed to run air-conditioners and heaters. [ [http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/08/26/1061663776473.html The Sydney Morning Herald - Crowded land of giants] ]

Much more of a concern is the fact that development occurs on greenfield. [ [http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/how-do-you-cook-kellyville-max/2006/11/14/1163266547678.html The Sydney Morning Herald - How do you cook Kellyville max?] ] Most greenfield sites in Kellyville were significant contributors to Sydney's primary produce and, because the land is replaced with urban development, farmland will have to be transferred further away from urban centres, thereby increasing food prices. Urban sprawl will have environmental consequences as formerly undeveloped land is replaced with concrete and bricks. This means that average temperatures in the region would increase as heat in summer is absorbed during daytime and released at night.

Planning

Planners and politicians have been criticised for releasing land for development before any infrastructure reforms had been undertaken. Planning deficiencies has led to a exorbitant lack of reliable public transport. The North West Metro (originally called the North West Rail Link) was originally announced in 1998 as a heavy rail line for completion in 2010. However, in 2006, the schedule was revised for completion in 2017. As a result of lack of decent transport and political progress, it is common for Kellyville residents to own at least two motor vehicles.

Also, the project’s announcement meant the junking of the previously proposed Metropolitan Railway Expansion Program (MREP) that would have linked the north-west and south-west districts of Sydney, which have long been delegated for absorbing future population growth, with a direct rail line to the commercial and employment corridor encompassing Macquarie Park, Chatswood, St Leonards, North Sydney, Sydney CBD and Sydney Airport. The now defunct Sydney CBD Rail Link, which would have provided for a second crossing of Sydney Harbour and up to four new CityRail stations within the city, would also have brought faster, more reliable services to every reach of the existing network by easing capacity on the severely congested City Circle, in particular Town Hall and Wynyard stations.

Public Transport Deficiency

The deficiency of public transport in the area is often criticised. [ [http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Off-the-rails-the-suburbs-where-the-car-rules/2005/05/29/1117305503621.html The Sydney Morning Herald - Off the rails: The suburbs where the car rules] ] Due to low density planning the bus service within many of the suburbs is slow and infrequent. The long-promised North West Metro rail link to the Castle Hill and Kellyville areas has been repeatedly delayed and its future is now in doubt. As a result, commuters to the city are forced either to drive through expensive and congested tollways or take buses which are almost always overcrowded. [ [http://rousehill.yourguide.com.au/news/local/news/general/overcrowding-on-hellsbus-to-city/792107.aspx Northern News - Overcrowding on Hellsbus to city] ] The lack of public transport accessibility of the whole district has slowed down population and property value growth potential.

Land Release

Over the next two decades, Kellyville will be further developed on remaining greenfield sites. These sites include northern Kellyville and the Balmoral Road Release Area (casually known as the 'Hole in the Doughnut', due to being remained undeveloped while surrounding areas have experienced urban development activities). There are 3500 lots in northern Kellyville and 6000 lots in the Balmoral Road Release Area.

References

External links

* [http://www.about-australia.com/new-south-wales/sydney/destinations/kellyville/ History of Kellyville] .