Casula, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Casula is a suburb
of Sydney
in the state of New South Wales
, Australia
. Casula is located 35 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district
, in the local government area of the City of Liverpool
.
Casula is the first suburb immediately south of Liverpool
on the Hume Highway
and the Main Southern Railway between Sydney and Melbourne
. Casula consists of undulating, gently rolling land, with elevations across the suburb being mostly between 30 and 70 metres above sea level. The Georges River
forms the eastern boundary of the suburb, and its western bank is paralleled by a relatively steep escarpment.
nation. 'Tharawal' is the indigenous
terminology that refers to the country and people who belong to Greater Southern and South-Western Sydney. The Tharawal Local Aboriginal Land Council (LALC) extends through Liverpool
, Camden
, Campbelltown
and Wollondilly Local Government Areas (LGA's). The totem animal for Tharawal country is the Superb Lyre Bird (Menura novaehollandiae).
and fruit
growing. Another notable farm was Glenfield Farm, which dates from circa 1817. Situated in Leacocks Lane, it originally belonged to Charles Throsby, a member of the Legislative Council and an explorer. The farm is the oldest continuously worked farm in Australia and is listed on the Register of the National Estate
.
During the First World War
, a large Australian Imperial Forces recruitment and training reserve was located in Casula - a fact reflected by the name of one of its major residential streets, "Reserve Road". This camp became briefly notorious in 1916 when a large mob of soldiers rebelled against the strict training regimen, marched on nearby Liverpool
, ransacked and looted several pubs, hijacked several trains to Central Station in Sydney
and continued their drunken rioting, resulting in the Military Police shooting dead one rioter.
In 1918, Walter Ingham Sr. bought 42 acres (169,968.1 m²) of bush land in Casula as a gift to 18-year-old son, Walter. On his death in 1953, his sons Jack
and Bob took over the small chicken breeding operation and built it into the largest producer of chickens and turkeys in Australia. Inghams Enterprises is now headquartered in Liverpool.
Being heavily farmed, the area did not become suburbanised until the late 1950s. Much of the acreage in the central and southern portions were subdivided and developed over the next few decades but even now there are pockets of undeveloped land.
Woodland. The Cumberland Plain Woodland is listed as an endangered ecological community under the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 and the Commonwealth Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The greatest threats to the Cumberland Plain Woodland include land clearing for agriculture and urban expansion and the introduction of noxious weed species.
Cumberland Plain Woodland is formed above soils derived from Wianamatta shale
of the Sydney Basin
Geological group. The vegetation is characterised as a open woodland composed of canopy species: Forest Grey Gum (Eucalyptus tereticornis
), Grey Box
(Eucalyptus moluccana
), Spotted Gum (Corymbia maculata
) and Narrow-leafed ironbark (Eucalyptus crebra
) The understory is primarily composed of Blackthorn (Bursaria spinosa
), Acacia implexa
, indigofera australis
, Hardenbergia violacea
and Dodonaea viscosa
ssp cuneata. Native grasses such as kangaroo grass (Themeda australis) and weeping meadow grass (Microlaena stipoides
) can also be found in the understory.
). The ridge line at the top of the park offers views to the Holsworthy
bush land. The bellbird
walking track takes you through the remnant stand of Cumberland Plain Woodland and can be linked to a track along the Georges River where a lookout can be found by the Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre. The 'Weaving Garden' bush regeneration
group are currently bush regenerating within the reserve.
, which is situated next to Casula railway station, was a former 1950s power station. It reopened in 1994 as an arts centre housing many culturally diverse exhibitions from artists living in the South West Region of Sydney
. Past projects includes Viet Nam Voices, Cybercultures, Shanghai Star, and Belonging. The centre closed in July 2006 to undergo significant renovations. The new centre opened on 5 April 2008 and counts a 326 seat theatre, new exhibition spaces, artist studios and residencies among its facilities.
discount department store, Coles and Franklins
supermarkets and approximately forty specialty shops. The Crossroads Homemaker Centre is situated at the southern end of Casula, containing Bunnings Warehouse hardware, numerous bedding and furniture stores, electrical stores such as Bing Lee
and Clive Peeters
and a Flower Power gardening shop.
, with continuous freeway-standard highway to central Sydney
and the North Shore. The Hume Highway
cuts through the centre of Casula.
Casula railway station is on the South railway line
of the CityRail
network, but not all trains stop there. Relatively frequent bus services link Casula to the major commercial and retail centre of Liverpool
and Liverpool railway station.
, Casula had a population of 13,202, which was substantially families. The number of single-person households (15%) was well below the national average (23%) while the number of couples with children (57%) was well above average (45%). There were higher than average numbers of Australian citizens and people born overseas with the most significant groups being those born in Fiji
(3.5%), Italy
(2.3%), and Lebanon
(also 2.3%).
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...
in the state of 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...
. Casula is located 35 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 Liverpool
City of Liverpool, New South Wales
The City of Liverpool is a Local Government Area to the southwest of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia.-History:It is one of the oldest urban settlements in Australia, founded in 1810 as an agricultural centre by Governor Lachlan Macquarie...
.
Casula is the first suburb immediately south of Liverpool
Liverpool, New South Wales
Liverpool is a suburb in south-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Liverpool is located 32 km south-west of the Sydney central business district, and is the administrative centre of the local government area of the City of Liverpool...
on the Hume Highway
Hume Highway
The Hume Highway/Hume Freeway is one of Australia's major inter-city highways, running for 880 km between Sydney and Melbourne. It is part of the Auslink National Network and is a vital link for road freight to transport goods to and from the two cities as well as serving Albury-Wodonga and...
and the Main Southern Railway between Sydney and Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. Casula consists of undulating, gently rolling land, with elevations across the suburb being mostly between 30 and 70 metres above sea level. The Georges River
Georges River
The Georges River is a waterway in the state of New South Wales in Australia. It rises to the south-west of Sydney near the coal mining town of Appin, and then flows north past Campbelltown, roughly parallel to the Main South Railway...
forms the eastern boundary of the suburb, and its western bank is paralleled by a relatively steep escarpment.
Aboriginal
The original inhabitants of the Casula area were the Tharawal or Dharawal people of the greater EoraEora
The Eora are the Aboriginal people of the Sydney area, south to the Georges River, north to the Hawkesbury River, and west to Parramatta. The indigenous people used this word to describe where they came from to the British. "Eora" was then used by the British to refer to those Aboriginal people...
nation. 'Tharawal' is the indigenous
Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
terminology that refers to the country and people who belong to Greater Southern and South-Western Sydney. The Tharawal Local Aboriginal Land Council (LALC) extends through Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, Camden
Camden
- Australia :* Camden, New South Wales** Camden Council ** Electoral district of Camden- England :* London Borough of Camden** Camden Town, an area in the borough* Camden School for Girls- United States :* Camden, Alabama* Camden, Arkansas...
, Campbelltown
Campbelltown
Campbelltown can refer to:Places in Australia:*Towns/suburbs:**Campbelltown, New South Wales**Campbelltown, South Australia**Campbell Town, Tasmania*Government areas:**Electoral district of Campbelltown, state electoral district in New South Wales...
and Wollondilly Local Government Areas (LGA's). The totem animal for Tharawal country is the Superb Lyre Bird (Menura novaehollandiae).
European
Casula was first settled by agriculturalists in the nineteenth century, among them Richard Guise, who named his farm "Casula". The area became dominated by poultry farming, market gardeningMarket 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 fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
growing. Another notable farm was Glenfield Farm, which dates from circa 1817. Situated in Leacocks Lane, it originally belonged to Charles Throsby, a member of the Legislative Council and an explorer. The farm is the oldest continuously worked farm in Australia and is listed on the Register of the National Estate
Register of the National Estate
The Register of the National Estate is a listing of natural and cultural heritage places in Australia. The listing was initially compiled between 1976 and 2003 by the Australian Heritage Commission. The register is now maintained by the Australian Heritage Council...
.
During the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, a large Australian Imperial Forces recruitment and training reserve was located in Casula - a fact reflected by the name of one of its major residential streets, "Reserve Road". This camp became briefly notorious in 1916 when a large mob of soldiers rebelled against the strict training regimen, marched on nearby Liverpool
Liverpool, New South Wales
Liverpool is a suburb in south-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Liverpool is located 32 km south-west of the Sydney central business district, and is the administrative centre of the local government area of the City of Liverpool...
, ransacked and looted several pubs, hijacked several trains to Central Station in 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...
and continued their drunken rioting, resulting in the Military Police shooting dead one rioter.
In 1918, Walter Ingham Sr. bought 42 acres (169,968.1 m²) of bush land in Casula as a gift to 18-year-old son, Walter. On his death in 1953, his sons Jack
John H. Ingham
John Horace Ingham AO was a leading Australian businessman and co-founder of the largest Thoroughbred horse racing and breeding operation in Australia....
and Bob took over the small chicken breeding operation and built it into the largest producer of chickens and turkeys in Australia. Inghams Enterprises is now headquartered in Liverpool.
Being heavily farmed, the area did not become suburbanised until the late 1950s. Much of the acreage in the central and southern portions were subdivided and developed over the next few decades but even now there are pockets of undeveloped land.
Cumberland Plain Woodland
The ecological community that once covered vast areas (125,000 Ha) of South-Western Sydney, including Casula is known as the Cumberland PlainCumberland Plain
The Cumberland Plain is a region in the Sydney Basin of New South Wales, Australia. The plain extends from 10 kilometres north of Windsor in the north, to Picton in the south; and...
Woodland. The Cumberland Plain Woodland is listed as an endangered ecological community under the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 and the Commonwealth Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The greatest threats to the Cumberland Plain Woodland include land clearing for agriculture and urban expansion and the introduction of noxious weed species.
Cumberland Plain Woodland is formed above soils derived from Wianamatta shale
Wianamatta shale
Wianamatta Shale is the uppermost outcropping unit in the Sydney Basin in New South Wales, Australia. It dates from the Triassic Period and generally comprises fine grained sedimentary rocks such as shales and laminites with less common sandstone units...
of the Sydney Basin
Sydney Basin
The Sydney Basin is a sedimentary basin on the east coast of New South Wales, Australia consisting of Permian and Triassic sedimentary rocks...
Geological group. The vegetation is characterised as a open woodland composed of canopy species: Forest Grey Gum (Eucalyptus tereticornis
Eucalyptus tereticornis
Eucalyptus tereticornis is a species of tree native to eastern Australia.It has a great many common names, of which Forest Red Gum is perhaps the most widely known...
), Grey Box
Grey box
Grey box or Grey Box may refer to:*Grey box , a rigid plastic container used to collect materials such as cardboard and newspapers.*Grey box identification method, used to model industrial processes*Software Grey Box Testing...
(Eucalyptus moluccana
Eucalyptus moluccana
Eucalyptus moluccana, commonly known as the grey box or gum-topped box, is a medium sized to occasionally tall tree with rough, persistent bark on the lower trunk, shedding above to leave a smooth whitish or light grey, sometimes shiny surface; hence the original name Eucalyptus hemiphloia, from...
), Spotted Gum (Corymbia maculata
Corymbia maculata
Corymbia maculata , commonly known as Spotted Gum, is an endemic Australian tree.-Description:Spotted Gum is a medium to tall tree with a straight trunk, growing up to 70 metres in height. However, there is an old reference to a 91 metre tall tree...
) and Narrow-leafed ironbark (Eucalyptus crebra
Eucalyptus crebra
Eucalyptus crebra, commonly known as the Narrow-leaved ironbark or Narrowleaf red ironbark, is a type of Ironbark tree native to eastern Australia. A member of the large genus Eucalyptus, this tree is in the Myrtaceae family and can grow to a large spreading tree up to 35 m high...
) The understory is primarily composed of Blackthorn (Bursaria spinosa
Bursaria spinosa
Bursaria spinosa is a small tree or shrub in the family Pittosporaceae. The species occurs in mainly in the eastern and southern half of Australia and not in Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Reaching 10 m high, it bears fragrant white flowers at any time of year but particularly summer...
), Acacia implexa
Acacia implexa
Acacia implexa is an Australian Acacia, used for furniture making. Its common name is Lightwood....
, indigofera australis
Indigofera australis
Indigofera australis, known as Australian Indigo, is an attractive species of leguminous shrub in the genus Indigofera...
, Hardenbergia violacea
Hardenbergia violacea
Hardenbergia violacea is a species of Australian flowering plant, known in Australia by the common names false sarsaparilla, purple coral pea, happy wanderer, native lilac and waraburra . It often grows as a climbing vine, but also as a subshrub.It is used as a landscape plant in the southwestern U.S...
and Dodonaea viscosa
Dodonaea viscosa
Dodonaea viscosa is a species of flowering plant in the soapberry family, Sapindaceae, that has a cosmopolitan distribution in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions of Africa, the Americas, southern Asia and Australasia.-Description:...
ssp cuneata. Native grasses such as kangaroo grass (Themeda australis) and weeping meadow grass (Microlaena stipoides
Microlaena stipoides
Microlaena stipoides or Ehrharta stipoides, is a species of grass that occurs naturally in all states of Australia as well as in New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and the Philippines. It has also been introduced into Hawaii and Reunion Island and has been reported as invasive in both...
) can also be found in the understory.
Leacock Regional Park
The National Parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS) Leacock Regional park is home to one of the last remaining stands of Cumberland Plain Woodland. It is also home to the critically endangered Cumberland Plain Land Snail (Meridolum corneovirensMeridolum corneovirens
Meridolum corneovirens is a species of air-breathing land snail, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Camaenidae. This species is endemic to Australia.- External links :*...
). The ridge line at the top of the park offers views to the Holsworthy
Holsworthy
Holsworthy is the name of several places and other things associated with those places:*Holsworthy, Devon, England**Holsworthy A.F.C., a football club in Holsworthy, Devon**Holsworthy Beacon*Holsworthy Hamlets, another parish, also in Devon...
bush land. The bellbird
Bellbird
Bellbird is a name given to several kinds of bird, noted for their far-carrying bell-like call:* Neotropical bellbirds * Crested Bellbird * New Zealand Bellbird...
walking track takes you through the remnant stand of Cumberland Plain Woodland and can be linked to a track along the Georges River where a lookout can be found by the Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre. The 'Weaving Garden' bush regeneration
Bush regeneration
Bush regeneration, a form of natural area restoration is the term used in Australia for the ecological restoration of remnant vegetation areas, such as through the minimisation of negative disturbances, both exogenous such as exotic weeds and endogenous such as erosion...
group are currently bush regenerating within the reserve.
Landmarks
The Casula PowerhouseCasula Powerhouse
The Casula Powerhouse is located in Casula, New South Wales, Australia, on the banks of the George's River within the City of Liverpool. Formerly a 1950s power station, Casula Powerhouse has become a contemporary multi-arts facility and quickly established itself as a leading community cultural...
, which is situated next to Casula railway station, was a former 1950s power station. It reopened in 1994 as an arts centre housing many culturally diverse exhibitions from artists living in the South West Region 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...
. Past projects includes Viet Nam Voices, Cybercultures, Shanghai Star, and Belonging. The centre closed in July 2006 to undergo significant renovations. The new centre opened on 5 April 2008 and counts a 326 seat theatre, new exhibition spaces, artist studios and residencies among its facilities.
Commercial area
Casula Mall was opened in 1986, consisting of a K martKmart Australia
Kmart Australia Limited is a discount department store chain owned by Wesfarmers. It operates 172 stores in Australia and 15 in New Zealand, with its head office located in Mulgrave, Victoria. Wesfarmers uses the Kmart name under licence from Sears Holdings Corporation.-History:Kmart Australia...
discount department store, Coles and Franklins
Franklins
Franklins is a discount supermarket chain selling packaged groceries and perishables throughout New South Wales, Australia. It owns the No Frills brand of generic products, promoted by their mascot, "Red Sock". It is known as "Australia's Original Discount Grocer"...
supermarkets and approximately forty specialty shops. The Crossroads Homemaker Centre is situated at the southern end of Casula, containing Bunnings Warehouse hardware, numerous bedding and furniture stores, electrical stores such as Bing Lee
Bing Lee
Bing Lee is an Australian retailing company, a chain of superstores specializing in consumer electronics, computer and telecommunication goods. Bing Lee is the largest privately-held electrical retail business in New South Wales with 41 stores and a turnover of about $490 million...
and Clive Peeters
Clive Peeters
Clive Peeters was an Australian electrical, computers, kitchens and whitegoods retailer with stores in Victoria, Queensland and Tasmania. Under the original owners, the first stores opened in Melbourne in 1973 and Brisbane in 2001....
and a Flower Power gardening shop.
Transport
Casula is bordered on the north and west by the M5 South Western MotorwayM5 South Western Motorway
The M5 South Western Motorway is a privately operated tolled motorway in south-western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It forms part of Sydney Metroad 5 and the Sydney Orbital Network...
, with continuous freeway-standard highway to central 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...
and the North Shore. The Hume Highway
Hume Highway
The Hume Highway/Hume Freeway is one of Australia's major inter-city highways, running for 880 km between Sydney and Melbourne. It is part of the Auslink National Network and is a vital link for road freight to transport goods to and from the two cities as well as serving Albury-Wodonga and...
cuts through the centre of Casula.
Casula railway station is on the South railway line
South railway line, Sydney
The South Line is a railway line in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and is part of the CityRail suburban network...
of the CityRail
CityRail
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, but not all trains stop there. Relatively frequent bus services link Casula to the major commercial and retail centre of Liverpool
Liverpool, New South Wales
Liverpool is a suburb in south-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Liverpool is located 32 km south-west of the Sydney central business district, and is the administrative centre of the local government area of the City of Liverpool...
and Liverpool railway station.
Schools
Casula Primary School was opened on De Meyrick Avenue in 1959, Casula High School was commissioned around 1973 and All Saints Catholic Senior College was founded in 1987.Housing
Casula is notable for its variable demographics and mixture of socio-economic levels existing side by side. The central and southern areas consist mainly of privately owned houses, with some large mansions and properties in this area (including the locally famous Mexican-style ranch mansion on Old Kurrajong Road owned by the Ingham family, Australia's most famous frozen chicken magnates).Population
According to the 2006 censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, Casula had a population of 13,202, which was substantially families. The number of single-person households (15%) was well below the national average (23%) while the number of couples with children (57%) was well above average (45%). There were higher than average numbers of Australian citizens and people born overseas with the most significant groups being those born in Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
(3.5%), Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
(2.3%), and 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...
(also 2.3%).