Badgerys Creek, New South Wales

Badgerys Creek Sydney, New South Wales
Badgerys Creek Road at Badgerys Creek Park
Coordinates	33°52′47″S 150°45′08″E / 33.87961°S 150.75231°E / -33.87961; 150.75231Coordinates: 33°52′47″S 150°45′08″E / 33.87961°S 150.75231°E / -33.87961; 150.75231
Population	455 (2011 census)[1]
Postcode(s)	2555
Location	51 km (32 mi) west of Sydney CBD
LGA(s)	City of Liverpool
State electorate(s)	Camden Mulgoa
Federal Division(s)	Lindsay Werriwa
Suburbs around Badgerys Creek: Luddenham Luddenham Kemps Creek Luddenham Badgerys Creek Kemps Creek Greendale Bringelly Rossmore

Badgerys Creek, also known as Badgery's Creek, is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia, located approximately 51 kilometres (32 mi) west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government areas of the City of Liverpool. It is part of the Greater Western Sydney region and is adjacent to the suburbs of Kemps Creek and Austral.

The suburb is best known as being the most favoured site for a Second Sydney Airport.^[2] In April 2014, the Abbott Government confirmed the construction of the Western Sydney Airport, scheduling construction in 2016.^[3]

History

James Badgery was a British-born farmer and miller who, in 1806, was granted 840 acres (3.4 km²) in the suburb that bears his name today. His original land grant was on the north side of Elizabeth Drive; land which today is used for farming research by the CSIRO and University of Sydney. Badgery named his property Exeter Farm but the creek running through the property became known as Badgery's Creek and that name was eventually applied to the local area.^[4]

Badgery bought other land to the south of his grant and after he died, the area was subdivided in the 1880s, vastly increasing the local population. Badgerys Creek Post Office opened on 10 July 1894 and closed in 1989.^[5] A school was established in 1895 and the area gradually developed as a rural suburb which by 1981 had a population of 1,560.

In 1986, the Federal Government announced that the Second Sydney Airport would be sited at Badgerys Creek. The government bought a number of properties for that purpose, and as a result of that, as well as concerns about living near an airport, many people moved away, meaning that by 1996 there were fewer than 500 residents. By 2011 the population had further shrunk to 455. Construction of the airport has never started, but in 2012 an A$8 million report into Sydney's aviation needs found that Badgerys Creek remained the best site,^[6] with construction subsequently scheduled to start in 2016.

Geography

Badgerys Creek flows north into a reservoir in the suburb's north, as does South Creek, the suburb's eastern boundary. West of the reservoir lies Mills Hill, and south-west of that, by just over a kilometre, is Raymond Hill, 125 metres (410 ft) AHD . The western boundary is Oaky Creek, and then Cosgrove Creek after the two merge 500 metres (1,600 ft) north of Elizabeth Drive, and to the south-west the hill known as Anchau (118 metres (387 ft) AHD ).^[7]

Climate

Commercial area

North of Elizabeth Drive, a substantial amount of land is taken up by the CSIRO Research Station, the University of Sydney MacGarvie Smith Veterinary Farm, and a landfill depot. Much of the research establishment is dotted with reservoirs. The southeast includes a brickworks, and land owned by Telstra, also featuring a number of reservoirs. The suburb is also home to the Hubertus Liverpool Rifle Club.^[7]

Schools

The suburb had one primary school, Badgerys Creek Public School, decommissioned in 2014 to make way for Sydney's second airport.

Demographics

According to the 2011 census, there were 455 residents in Badgerys Creek. 64.0% of residents were born in Australia. The most common other countries of birth were China 4.2%, Malta 2.9% and Italy 2.0%. 63.9% of residents spoke only English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Cantonese 8.8%, Maltese 3.7% and Italian 2.9%. The most common responses for religious affiliation were Catholic 32.7%, Anglican 21.3% and No Religion 15.2%.^[1]

Parks

The suburb is home to Badgerys Creek Park. A toilet block formerly provided has been demolished.

References