Belmore, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Belmore is a suburb
, of Sydney
, New South Wales
, Australia
. Belmore is located 15 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district
, in the local government area of the City of Canterbury
.
, Governor
of New South Wales from 1868-1872. The area was known as Darkwater in its early days. Some of the first land grants in 1810 were 40.5 hectare
s (100 acres) to Richard Robinson east of Sharp Street and Kingsgrove Road and 60 acres (242,811.6 m²) to Thomas Mansfield, to the west. Francis Wild and John Sullivan were each granted 30 acres (121,405.8 m²) in 1823. The area was originally used for market gardens
and orchard
s. Subdivision started after the railway came through in 1895.
The first school opened in 1903 and the post office opened in 1907. The shopping centre began developing in the 1920s and features some classic examples of art-deco architecture.
network. The line was opened in 1895 and electrified in 1926. The station at Belmore opened on 1 February 1895.
is the former home ground of the National Rugby League
team Canterbury Bulldogs
, It is the current home ground for New South Wales Premier League team Sydney Olympic. The "Back to Belmore" campaign was established in August 2005 to upgrade Belmore Sports Grounds as a top-class sporting facility to NRL standards for the Bulldogs to stage a select number of NRL games at their traditional home ground in the long-term future.
at 8.1 per cent (1,007 persons), Lebanon
at 5.2 per cent (651 persons) and China
at 4.4 per cent (221 persons).
In terms of ethnicity, the largest group in 2001 were those claiming Greek ancestry with 16.7 per cent of responses or 2,262 persons, followed by those claiming "Australian" background at 8.0 per cent or 1,083 persons, and thirdly by those claiming English
descent with 7.9 per cent or 1,069 persons.
Census data on language spoken at home in Belmore reveals that 'English
only' is used by 25.6 per cent of residents (3,197 persons), followed by Greek
of 17.3 per cent (2,160 persons) and Arabic
which is spoken by 13.7 per cent (1,708 persons). The English language was spoken exclusively or "very well" or "well" by 71.1 per cent of the suburb's overseas-born in 2001.
According to the census, Christianity
was the most followed faith in the suburb with 65.5 per cent of residents (8,170 persons) claiming to be Christian. However, Christians in the area belong to many sects, with the largest proportions being Catholic
at 26.0 per cent or 3,242 persons, Orthodox
with 21.4 per cent or 2,675 persons, and Anglican with 6.7 per cent or 839 persons. If Christianity is thus separated statistically, Islam
overtakes Anglicanism as the third largest faith grouping and accounts for 8.5 per cent of residents or 1,063 persons; the census does not differentiate between Sunni and Shi'a.
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
, of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Belmore is located 15 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district
Sydney central business district
The Sydney central business district is the main commercial centre of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It extends southwards for about 3 kilometres from Sydney Cove, the point of first European settlement. Its north–south axis runs from Circular Quay in the north to Central railway station in...
, in the local government area of the City of Canterbury
City of Canterbury, New South Wales
The City of Canterbury, previously the Municipality of Canterbury, is a Local Government Area in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It lies southwest of the central business district and forms part of the Greater Sydney metropolitan area....
.
History
Belmore is named after the fourth Earl of BelmoreSomerset Lowry-Corry, 4th Earl Belmore
Somerset Richard Lowry-Corry, 4th Earl Belmore GCMG, PC , styled as Viscount Corry from 1841 to 1845, was an Irish nobleman and Conservative politician.-Background and education:...
, Governor
Governors of New South Wales
The Governor of New South Wales is the state viceregal representative of the Australian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who is equally shared with 15 other sovereign nations in a form of personal union, as well as with the eleven other jurisdictions of Australia, and resides predominantly in her...
of New South Wales from 1868-1872. The area was known as Darkwater in its early days. Some of the first land grants in 1810 were 40.5 hectare
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
s (100 acres) to Richard Robinson east of Sharp Street and Kingsgrove Road and 60 acres (242,811.6 m²) to Thomas Mansfield, to the west. Francis Wild and John Sullivan were each granted 30 acres (121,405.8 m²) in 1823. The area was originally used for market gardens
Market gardening
A market garden is the relatively small-scale production of fruits, vegetables and flowers as cash crops, frequently sold directly to consumers and restaurants. It is distinguishable from other types of farming by the diversity of crops grown on a small area of land, typically, from under one acre ...
and orchard
Orchard
An orchard is an intentional planting of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit or nut-producing trees which are grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of large gardens, where they serve an aesthetic as well as a productive...
s. Subdivision started after the railway came through in 1895.
The first school opened in 1903 and the post office opened in 1907. The shopping centre began developing in the 1920s and features some classic examples of art-deco architecture.
Commercial area
Belmore contains a mixture of residential, commercial and industrial developments. The main commercial area is located along Burwood Road, near Belmore railway station. Commercial and industrial developments are also located along Canterbury Road and surrounding streets.Transport
Belmore railway station is located on the Bankstown line of the CityRailCityRail
CityRail is an operating brand of RailCorp, a corporation owned by the state government of New South Wales, Australia. It is responsible for providing commuter rail services, and some coach services, in and around Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong, the three largest cities of New South Wales. It is...
network. The line was opened in 1895 and electrified in 1926. The station at Belmore opened on 1 February 1895.
Churches and schools
- All Saints Greek Orthodox Church, St Albans Anglican Church, St Josephs Catholic Church, Belmore Church of Christ.
- Belmore South Public School, Belmore North Public School, Belmore Boys High School, St Josephs Primary School, All Saints Grammar.
Sport
Belmore Sports GroundBelmore Sports Ground
Belmore Sports Ground, formerly known as Belmore Oval, is a multi-purpose stadium in Belmore, New South Wales, Australia. The park covers and from 1951 has contained the Belmore Bowling Recreation Club green. It is close to Belmore railway station....
is the former home ground of the National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
team Canterbury Bulldogs
Canterbury Bulldogs
The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Belmore, a suburb in the Canterbury-Bankstown region of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, as well as New South Wales Rugby League junior competitions...
, It is the current home ground for New South Wales Premier League team Sydney Olympic. The "Back to Belmore" campaign was established in August 2005 to upgrade Belmore Sports Grounds as a top-class sporting facility to NRL standards for the Bulldogs to stage a select number of NRL games at their traditional home ground in the long-term future.
Demographics
Belmore is one of Australia's more ethnically diverse suburbs. According to the 2001 Census, 48.5 per cent of Belmore residents (6,053 persons) stated they had been born overseas, far higher than the Australian average of 23.1 per cent. Nonetheless, the Australia-born still constituted the largest birthplace group at 41.0 per cent (5,115 persons), followed by those born in GreeceGreece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
at 8.1 per cent (1,007 persons), Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
at 5.2 per cent (651 persons) and China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
at 4.4 per cent (221 persons).
In terms of ethnicity, the largest group in 2001 were those claiming Greek ancestry with 16.7 per cent of responses or 2,262 persons, followed by those claiming "Australian" background at 8.0 per cent or 1,083 persons, and thirdly by those claiming English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
descent with 7.9 per cent or 1,069 persons.
Census data on language spoken at home in Belmore reveals that 'English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
only' is used by 25.6 per cent of residents (3,197 persons), followed by Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
of 17.3 per cent (2,160 persons) and Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
which is spoken by 13.7 per cent (1,708 persons). The English language was spoken exclusively or "very well" or "well" by 71.1 per cent of the suburb's overseas-born in 2001.
According to the census, Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
was the most followed faith in the suburb with 65.5 per cent of residents (8,170 persons) claiming to be Christian. However, Christians in the area belong to many sects, with the largest proportions being Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
at 26.0 per cent or 3,242 persons, Orthodox
Orthodox Christianity
The term Orthodox Christianity may refer to:* the Eastern Orthodox Church and its various geographical subdivisions...
with 21.4 per cent or 2,675 persons, and Anglican with 6.7 per cent or 839 persons. If Christianity is thus separated statistically, Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
overtakes Anglicanism as the third largest faith grouping and accounts for 8.5 per cent of residents or 1,063 persons; the census does not differentiate between Sunni and Shi'a.