Quakers Hill, New South Wales

Infobox Australian Place | type = suburb
name = Quakers Hill
city = Sydney
state = nsw


caption =
lga = City of Blacktown
postcode = 2763
pop = 25,015 (2006)
area =
propval = $364,000
est =
stategov = Blacktown
Riverstone
fedgov = Division of Greenway
near-nw = Schofields
near-n = Kellyville
near-ne = Parklea
near-w = Colebee Dean Park
Glendenning
near-e = Acacia Gardens Kings Park
near-sw = Doonside
near-s = Woodcroft
near-se = Marayong
dist1 = 40
dir1 = west
location1= Sydney CBD Quakers Hill is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Quakers Hill is located 40 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Blacktown. Quakers Hill is part of the Greater Western Sydney. Quakers Hill is is colloquially known as 'Quakers'.

History

European Settlement

Quakers Hill was first mentioned in a surveyor's report in 1806. There is no reliable source giving a reason for the naming of the hill. The first property holder in the area was a Parramatta surgeon, Major West, who came to Australia in 1815. He had a 700 acre (2.8 km²) property which he named Quakers Hill. A timber mill was near the site of the railway station belonging to the Douglas family. The station was for many years (1872–1905) referred to as Douglas Siding. Between 1900 and 1905 the land was subdivided to small holding farms and market gardens. The station become known as Quakers Hill in 1905. ["The Book of Sydney Suburbs", Compiled by Frances Pollen, Angus & Robertson Publishers, 1990, Published in Australia ISBN 0-207-14495-8]

Prior to the second world war the Royal Australian Navy established a naval flying station in the area and that went on to become HMAS Nirimba (RANATE) apprentice training establishment. The base is now in public hands and is the Blacktown campus of the University of Western Sydney as well as Nirimba TAFE, Terra Sancta College and Wyndham College Senior high schools.Since the 1960s Quakers Hill has steadily become a residential suburb of considerable size.

Transport

Public Transport to and from Quakers Hill is provided by train and a number of bus services by Busways. Quakers Hill Railway Station is on the Richmond branch of the Western railway line of the Cityrail network.

Quakers Hill has experienced much road development over recent years including the construction of a new road leading directly to the education precinct, bypassing the town centre. The Westlink M7, which links the suburb directly to all major routes in and out of the greater Sydney region, opened in December 2005. Following this opening the road overpass for the Quakers Hill Parkway has been widened from two to four lanes, improving toll-free traffic flow between Richmond and Sunnyholt Roads and Quakers Hill Parkway bridge going over the Train Line has widened from 2-4 Lanes

Commercial Area

Quakers Hill Town Centre consists of street shops, a small arcade, a train station and The Quakers Inn Hotel. Additional shopping is provided at Quakers Court and the newly built Quakers Hill Shopping Centre, commonly referred to as Farnham Road shops because of its location. Roads in this area are undergoing major expansion to cope with the expected increase in traffic to the area. A police station and a community centre are quite close to the main retail area and the railway station.

Education

Quakers Hill is home to numerous schools and educational institutions. The oldest is Quakers Hill Public which was opened in 1912 [cite web | url= http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/schoolfind/locator/?section=showRecord&code=2918 | title=Quakers Hill Public School | publisher=NSW Department of Education | accessdate=2008-07-09 ] . Two other public primary schools (Barnier [cite web | url= http://www.barnier-p.schools.nsw.edu.au/| title=Barnier Public School | publisher=NSW Department of Education | accessdate=2008-07-09 ] and Hambledon [cite web | url= http://www.schoolwebsites.com.au/web/Default.aspx?PageID=114&SiteID=9 | title=Hambledon Public School | publisher=NSW Department of Education | accessdate=2008-07-09 ] ) were opened in the 1990s to cope with suburb's growing population. High school is split between Quakers Hill High School, catering to Years 7-10 [cite web | url= http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/schoolfind/locator/?section=showRecord&code=8594 | title=Quakers Hill High School | publisher=NSW Department of Education | accessdate=2008-07-09 ] , and Wyndham College, years 11-12 [cite web | url= http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/schoolfind/locator/?section=showRecord&code=8277 | title=Wyndham College| publisher=NSW Department of Education | accessdate=2008-07-09 ] . There are also a Catholic primary school (Mary Immaculate [cite web | url= http://www.maryimmaculate.parra.catholic.edu.au/ | title=Mary Immaculate Primary | publisher=Diocese of Parramatta | accessdate=2008-07-09 ] ) and high school (Terra Sancta College [cite web | url= http://www.parra.catholic.edu.au/Our-Schools/School-Profiles/School-Profile.aspx?SchoolName=Terra+Sancta+College%2C+Quakers+Hill%2FSchofields | title=Terra Sancta College | publisher=Diocese of Parramatta | accessdate=2008-07-09 ] ). Post-secondary educations is serviced by Nirimba TAFE College and the University of Western Sydney, Blacktown Campus. Four of these facilities (UWS, Nirimba TAFE, Wyndham and Terra Sancta) are located together in the Nirimba Education Precinct. [cite web | url= http://www.nirimba.nsw.edu.au/Precinct%20Nirimba%20Map03.v8%20FINAL.pdf | title=Nirimba Education Precinct | publisher=NSW Department of Education | accessdate=2008-07-09 ]

Population

Quakers Hill has become a fairly populated suburb, experiencing major growth in recent years. In 1991, the population was approximately 14,630 (1991 ABS Census) and in 1996, the population had grown by more than 4,000 people to 18,759 (1996 ABS Census). By 2006, the population of Quakers Hill had risen to 25,015.Census 2006 AUS|id= SSC11825 |name= Quakers Hill (State Suburb)|accessdate=2008-07-09 |quick=on]

port and recreation

*Quakers Hill Reserve is used by the Quakers Hill Junior Soccer Club and the Quakers Hill Cricket Club
*Mikhelson Reserve is used by the Quakers Hill Destroyers Rugby League Club and the Quakers Hill Cricket Club
*Wrights Reserve is used by the Quakers Hill Bombers AFL Club, the Quakers Hill cricket Club and Quakers Hill little A's(Athletics)
*Paterson Reserve is used by the Quakers Hill Tigers Soccer Club

References

ee also

Quakers Hill Press

External links