Airds, New South Wales

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


caption =
lga = City of Campbelltown
postcode = 2560
pop = 3742 (2006 census)
est =
area =
propval =
stategov = Campbelltown
fedgov = Macarthur
near-nw = Campbelltown
near-n = Ruse
near-ne = Kentlyn
near-w = Bradbury
near-e = Holsworthy
near-sw = Bradbury
near-s = St Helens Park
near-se = Holsworthy
dist1 = 56
dir1 = south-west
location1= Sydney

Airds is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Airds is located 56 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Campbelltown. [Gregory's Sydney Street Directory, Gregory's Publishing Company, 2007]

Airds is a predominantly residential area and the majority of houses within the suburb are owned by the New South Wales Department of Housing.

History

Governor Lachlan Macquarie named the region Airds, after the Scottish family estate of his wife Elizabeth Campbell.

Airds appeared in land grant lists, and referred to almost the entire area between Glenfield and Gilead. The name fell into disuse as Campbelltown and other settlements along the valley floor came to be known by their individual names after the 1820s. [Book of Sydney Suburbs, Frances Pollon (Angus and Robertson) 1990]

In January 1975, tenders for the first homes in the Housing Commission's 'Kentlyn' subdivision were called but the name Airds was not approved until May 1976. [ [http://www.campbelltown.nsw.gov.au/default.asp?iDocId=2091&iSubCatID=1365&iNavCatID=322 Airds History] ] Like many public housing estates in Sydney, Airds was constructed on Radburn principles designed to separate traffic from pedestrians. As a result, houses in the suburb did not face roads, which was later found to create enormous problems relating to crime and passive surveillance in the suburb. It is one of the most socially disadvantaged suburbs of Sydney.

Population

According to the 2006 census, Airds had a population of 3,742 people, which could be categorised as being mostly single-parent families in government housing. Single parent families accounted for 55% of all families in the suburb, more than three times the national average (16%). This led to a young average age in the suburb, just 23, compared to the national average of 37, and a low average income, just $549 per week compared to a national figure of $1171. The vast majority of homes were rented (86%) and 94% of these were public housing. [Census 2006 AUS | id = SSC11009 | name = Airds (State Suburb)| quick = on| accessdate=2008-09-01 ]

chools

Schools in the suburb include:
*John Warby Public School
*Briar Road Public School
*Airds High School

ervices

Airds contains the Reiby Juvenile Detention Centre.

References

External links