Strathfield, New South Wales

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

---

caption = Strathfield Council Chambers
lga = Municipality of Strathfield City of Canada Bay Burwood Council
postcode = 2135
pop = 20,481
area =
est = 1868
propval = [http://www.domain.com.au/public/suburbprofile.aspx?mode=%20$257,000&suburb=Strathfield&postcode=2135#mapanchor $1,080,000] (2007)
website = http://www.strathfield.nsw.gov.au/
stategov = Strathfield
fedgov = Lowe
near-nw = Homebush
near-n = North Strathfield
near-ne = Concord
near-w = Rookwood
near-e = Burwood
near-sw = Belfield
near-s = Strathfield South
near-se = Enfield
dist1 = 14
dir1 = west
location1= Sydney CBD

Strathfield is an Inner West suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Strathfield is located 14 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of the Municipality of Strathfield. A small section of the suburb north of the railway line sits in the local government area of the City of Canada Bay, while the area east of The Boulevarde, sits within the Burwood Council. North Strathfield and Strathfield South are separate suburbs, to the north and south respectively.

Strathfield is bounded by the suburbs of Burwood to the east, Concord, North Strathfield and Homebush to the north, Enfield, Strathfield South to the south and Rookwood Cemetery to the west.

History

Strathfield was originally named 'Redmire' (later Redmyre), which was name of the large estate on which much of the suburb is built. The 'Redmire Estate' was land first granted to James Wilshire in 1808 and later the property of wealthy ex-convict Samuel Terry, who named the land 'Redmire' after his birthplace in England. The first property "Seven Oaks Farm" was built in 1868 on the Redmire Estate.The name Strathfield was adopted in 1885, when the Council of the Municipality of Strathfield was incorporated. The name 'Strathfield' was the name of one of the large homes of the local area. Today, Strathfield is a prestigious and sought after suburb. Many wealthy families have built their lives in the suburb, attracted by the leafy environment and proximity to Sydney city. [Book of Sydney Suburbs, Frances Pollon (Angus and Robertson) 1990, p.246]

The Strathfield Massacre was an infamous event in the suburb's history which occurred on 17 August 1991. It involved a shooting rampage at Strathfield Plaza that left eight dead, including the gunman, and six more wounded.:See also "History of Strathfield, New South Wales"

Commercial Area

Strathfield is known as a regional centre for education and Strathfield railway station is a major transport hub. Strathfield town centre contains Strathfield Plaza shopping centre and a small strip of shops, restaurants, cafes and a Police shopfront.

The square precinct has become a relatively regular shooting location for the ABC comedy's "The Chaser's War on Everything" vox pop interviews.

Transport

Strathfield railway station is a major interchange on the CityRail network and for buses serving the inner west. The M4 Western Motorway begins at Strathfield and heads west to Parramatta, Blacktown and Penrith. Parramatta Road links Strathfield east to Burwood and the Sydney CBD and west to Parramatta.

chools

The suburb is home to a significant number of schools. Independent schools include:
*St Patrick's College (5-12)
*Santa Sabina College, which is now listed on the Register of the National Estate [The Heritage of Australia, Macmillan Company, 1981, p.2/15] (7-12)
*Santa Maria Del Monte, the junior school of Santa Sabina College (K-6)
*Meriden Anglican School for Girls (K-12)
*St Martha's Catholic Primary School (K-6)
*Sydney Adventist College, Strathfield Campus (5-12)
*Trinity Grammar Preparatory School (K-6)

There are also a number of state schools in the area:
*Strathfield Girls High (7-12)
*Strathfield South High (7-12)
*Strathfield South Public School (K-6)
*Homebush Boys High (7-12)
*Homebush Public School (K-6)

The suburb is also home to two tertiary institutions, a campus of Australian Catholic University, the former home of the Christian Brothers novitiate and Catholic Teachers' College. The Catholic Institute of Sydney, where priests for the Archdiocese of Sydney, and other theologians and ministers, are trained, is located on the site of the old Australia Post training centre.

Churches

Churches located in Strathfield include St Martha's Roman Catholic Church, St David's Presbyterian Church and St Anne's Anglican Church.

Houses

Strathfield’s residential landscape is extremely varied, ranging from country-style estates to high-rise apartments. Many styles of architecture have been employed over past decades, with dwellings having been constructed in Victorian, Federation, Interwar period architecture, Californian Bungalow and contemporary periods.

The suburb is renowned for its many grand mansions, many of which have been recognised for their historic value. Some examples include 'Bellevue' in Victoria Street and 'Radstoke' in Malvern Crescent, as well as Helikon, built in 1893 and designed by Charles Slayter, which is now listed on the Register of the National Estate. [3] The majority of these houses date back to the 1900s, when they were constructed as the country homes of wealthy merchants.

Since the mid 1990s, a construction boom has seen the redevelopment of many of Strathfield’s more modest homes, typically Californian Bungalows built during the 1930s and 1940s. Primarily these have been replaced by modern, multi-million dollar mansions, although Strathfield has retained its wide avenues and most of the extensive natural vegetation. Streets such as Victoria Street, Llandillo Avenue and Kingsland Road predominantly feature older mansions, while Agnes Street, Newton Road and Barker Road are common locations for new homes.

Additionally, decreasing land sizes through subdivision has led to an increase in residential densities, reflecting the outward expansion of Sydney's inner city. A large proportion of Strathfield’s population now dwells in apartments. The area immediately surrounding Strathfield Railway Station is now dominated by high rise residential towers which have been constructed over the past decade. Many smaller apartment complexes are located in other areas within the suburbs, such as along Liverpool Road, that were built during the 1960s and 1970s.

Parks and recreation

Strathfield Spring Fair is always held at Strathfield Park.

Population

Demographics

According to the 2006 census, Strathfield had a total population of 20,482 people. It has become one of the most culturally diverse suburbs in Sydney, particularly so in the high-density housing regions around Strathfield railway station. Overall 51.5% of people were born overseas, with migrants born in South Korea (8.6%), China (8%), India (7.8%), Hong Kong (2.6%) and Sri Lanka (2.4%). Of residents born in Australia, only 22% have Australian parents. Overall, common ancestries (by country of birth of parents) include China (18%), UK (8.3%), India (7.8%), Italy (5.6%), Lebanon (4.8%), Ireland (4.6%) and Greece (2.7%). [2006 Census [http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/prenav/ViewData?&action=404&documentproductno=SSC11949&documenttype=Details&tabname=Details&areacode=SSC11949&issue=2006&producttype=Community%20Profiles&&producttype=Community%20Profiles&textversion=false&navmapdisplayed=true&breadcrumb=LPD&&collection=Census&period=2006&producttype=Community%20Profiles&#Basic%20Community%20Profile] ]

Notable Residents

* Prime Ministers (George Reid, Billy Hughes and Frank Forde)
* NSW Premier James McGirr
* Test cricketers (Bob Simpson and Alan Davidson)
* Singer/songwriters and international pop-stars The BeeGees (who lived in Redmyre Road early in their career).
* Hip hop artist Mitchell Lowe - a.k.a. Nudl one

Culture

Whilst perhaps not boasting the significant cultural contributions of neighbouring Burwood (the suburb in which The Easybeats and AC/DC were formed and cricketing legend Don Bradman was married), Strathfield has made a contribution to Australia's cultural landscape. Strathfield has made an impact on the indie rock and indie pop scene, producing bands such as Prince Vlad & the Gargoyle Impalers, The Upbeat, Lunatic Fringe, The Mexican Spitfires and Women of Troy. It has also inspired pop songs such as The Mexican Spitfires's song "Rookwood" about Rookwood Cemetery and the legendary Blitzkrieg punk rock of Radio Birdman's classic mid-1970s "Murder City Nights" in which the quietly domestic Woodward Avenue, Strathfield features prominently in the lines::"Cruising down Woodward gotta find me some action/Looking for a lover with a power reaction."

Whilst Radio Birdman were never Strathfield residents the inspiration for the Woodward Avenue, Strathfield reference in this track was the postal address of one of the first members of their fan club. Indie pop legend Grant McLennan of The Go-Betweens also called Carrington Avenue, Strathfield home for a few years in the 1990s.

ee also

*Strathfield Massacre
*History of Strathfield, New South Wales

References

* [http://www.strathfieldhistory.org.au/search.htm Strathfield History]

External links