Macarthur (New South Wales)

Infobox Australian Place | type = region
name = Macarthur
region = Sydney Metropolitan
state = New South Wales
lga = Wollondilly, Campbelltown, Camden
stategov =
fedgov =
pop = 233,065 (2006)
near-n = South-western Sydney
near-ne = South-western Sydney
near-e = Southern Sydney
near-se = Illawarra
near-s = Southern Highlands
near-nw = Western Sydney
near-w = Blue Mountains
near-sw = Southern Tablelands

Macarthur is a region in south-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The region includes the local government areas of the Campbelltown, the town of Camden and Wollondilly Shire. It covers an area of 3,067 square kilometres and has a population of close to 240,000 residents. Most of the area is taken up by Wollondilly Shire while the majority of the population lives within Campbelltown and its surrounding suburbs.

This region is generally regarded as the area where the city of Sydney meets rural countryside of regional New South Wales. Campbelltown and Camden were once rural towns which have since been subjected to the heavy urban sprawl of metropolitan Sydney.

It is one of the fastest growing regions in the Sydney Metropolitan area with many new modern suburbs sprouting up in recent decades like Glen Alpine, Harrington Park, Blair Athol, Mount Annan, Currans Hill, Macquarie Links and Englorie Park.

History

The history of the region begins over 40,000 years ago and is contained in the continuing culture of the Tharawal people. The land still contains reminders of their past lives in rock engravings, cave paintings, axe grinding grooves and shell middens. Their culture also remains in the surviving songs, stories and descendants. The lands of the Tharawal language Nation extended from approximately Botany Bay to Shoalhaven and to the foothills of the mountain ranges. The principal symbol of the Tharawal nation is the lyrebird.

European history began in 1788 shortly after settlement at Sydney Cove, when the colony’s entire herd of cattle (four cows and two bulls) strayed from their enclosure and were lost. In 1795 a herd of 61 cattle were discovered on the land between the Nepean River and Georges River. This area was to become known as the Cowpastures – and was deemed a restricted area to provide ongoing protection for the herd. In 1803, John Macarthur was granted 5,000 acres (20 km²) at Cowpastures and began grazing Merino sheep. He also began Australia’s dairy industry and his sons later introduced viticulture, fruit growing and wheat.

The region is steeped in history with statesmen, adventurers, larrikins and villains all having an association with the Macarthur region which makes it a tourist destination.

References

External Links

* [http://www.macarthurtourism.com.au/ - Macarthur Tourism Website]