Pennant Hills, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Pennant Hills is a suburb of Sydney
, New South Wales
, Australia
. Pennant Hills is located 25 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district
in the local government area of Hornsby Shire
. Pennant Hills is in the Northern Suburbs
region, but also considered to be part of the Hills District
.
The first white settlement occurred in the area with the establishment of convict timber camps in the time of Governor Lachlan Macquarie
. Permanent white settlement of Pennant Hills began only in the 1840s and took off with the arrival of the Northern railway line in the 1880s. The suburb has grown considerably since the 1950s, when the motor car became commonplace.
There are two theories about the origin of the suburb's name. One is that the name comes from a hill where a pennant
was flown as a signal during the early days of New South Wales
. However, though such signals were certainly used, there is no evidence that such a pennant was ever flown at what is now Pennant Hills, but it must be remembered that in the early 19th century the name applied to the whole ridge down as far as Mobbs Hill, which has a Telegraph Road to commemorate the signalling station. Also, references to the suburb of Pennant Hills were written 20 years before the establishment of pennant stations (Patrick 1994:79-80). Elizabeth MacArthur records receiving a flag signal at Parramatta that her husband John had returned from England in 1806. The other theory says that Pennant Hills was named after an 18th Century botanist, Thomas Pennant
(Patrick 1994:79-80), though there is no contemporary evidence for this either. The fact that the area was first referred to as "Pendant Hills" in the Sydney Gazette when first published in 1803 makes this theory unlikely, as there was no Thomas Pendant either.
The name Pennant Hills originally applied to the area now known as West Pennant Hills. However, when the northern railway line was built it passed through what is now Pennant Hills, so a suburb grew around the station and took on the name. The area around Thompsons Corner was renamed West Pennant Hills. Pennant Hills is hilly and the highest altitude is at Observatory Park on Pennant Hills Road, which once was the site of the old astronomical observatory.
. Several dozen shops are located at the north-west of the railway line, along with a library. Residential houses are found in all areas in Pennant Hills, with recent modern apartments and office towers found along Pennant Hills Road
. A significant commercial/industrial area can be found along Pennant Hills Road.
Pennant Hills is home to several entertainment venues including the Pennant Hills Hotel incorporating Patricks Nightclub.
of Sydney's CityRail
network.
Pennant Hills Road
is one of Sydney's major thoroughfares. Bus services by Shorelink
and Hills Bus have their terminus in Pennant Hills and run to West Pennant Hills
, Castle Hill
and Cherrybrook
.
Pennant Hills is also home to the first Danish Church in Australia. Crown Prince Frederik
and Crown Princess Mary
of Denmark made an official visit there on 6 March 2005.
since 1966), as well as two Catholic schools, including Mount St Benedict College
(an independent all-girls secondary school)http://www.msben.nsw.edu.au and St. Agatha's Catholic Primary School http://www.stagathapenthls.dbb.catholic.edu.au.
Multiple public, private
, catholic
, selective
schools are found in the surrounding suburbs, servicing the general vicinity.
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...
. Pennant Hills is located 25 kilometres north-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 Hornsby Shire
Hornsby Shire
Hornsby Shire is a Local Government Area in the Northern region of Sydney, Australia. The Shire stretches from the suburb of Eastwood in the south to the Hawkesbury River town of Wisemans Ferry, some to the north...
. Pennant Hills is in the Northern Suburbs
Northern Suburbs (Sydney)
The Northern Suburbs is a general term used to describe the metropolitan area on the northern bank of the Parramatta River in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia east of West Pennant Hills and west of the Lane Cove National Park, south of Hornsby...
region, but also considered to be part of the Hills District
Hills District (Sydney)
Hills District or The Hills is a general term for the north-western suburbs of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The Hills District is also referred to as The Sydney Hills and The Hills Shire...
.
History
The area was first explored by Governor Arthur Phillip shortly after 15 April 1788. It was noted that the party saw 'fine views of the mountains inland' (the Blue Mountains). Governor Phillip 'did not doubt that a large river would be found' nearby.The first white settlement occurred in the area with the establishment of convict timber camps in the time of Governor Lachlan Macquarie
Lachlan Macquarie
Major-General Lachlan Macquarie CB , was a British military officer and colonial administrator. He served as the last autocratic Governor of New South Wales, Australia from 1810 to 1821 and had a leading role in the social, economic and architectural development of the colony...
. Permanent white settlement of Pennant Hills began only in the 1840s and took off with the arrival of the Northern railway line in the 1880s. The suburb has grown considerably since the 1950s, when the motor car became commonplace.
There are two theories about the origin of the suburb's name. One is that the name comes from a hill where a pennant
Pennon
A pennon was one of the principal three varieties of flags carried during the Middle Ages . Pennoncells and streamers or pendants are considered as minor varieties of this style of flag. The pennon is a flag resembling the guidon in shape, but only half the size...
was flown as a signal during the early days 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...
. However, though such signals were certainly used, there is no evidence that such a pennant was ever flown at what is now Pennant Hills, but it must be remembered that in the early 19th century the name applied to the whole ridge down as far as Mobbs Hill, which has a Telegraph Road to commemorate the signalling station. Also, references to the suburb of Pennant Hills were written 20 years before the establishment of pennant stations (Patrick 1994:79-80). Elizabeth MacArthur records receiving a flag signal at Parramatta that her husband John had returned from England in 1806. The other theory says that Pennant Hills was named after an 18th Century botanist, Thomas Pennant
Thomas Pennant
Thomas Pennant was a Welsh naturalist and antiquary.The Pennants were a Welsh gentry family from the parish of Whitford, Flintshire, who had built up a modest estate at Bychton by the seventeenth century...
(Patrick 1994:79-80), though there is no contemporary evidence for this either. The fact that the area was first referred to as "Pendant Hills" in the Sydney Gazette when first published in 1803 makes this theory unlikely, as there was no Thomas Pendant either.
The name Pennant Hills originally applied to the area now known as West Pennant Hills. However, when the northern railway line was built it passed through what is now Pennant Hills, so a suburb grew around the station and took on the name. The area around Thompsons Corner was renamed West Pennant Hills. Pennant Hills is hilly and the highest altitude is at Observatory Park on Pennant Hills Road, which once was the site of the old astronomical observatory.
Commercial areas
Pennant Hills is one of the major commercial centres of Hornsby Shire, along with Epping, Carlingford and HornsbyHornsby, New South Wales
* Highest Maximum Temperature: 42 °C* Lowest Maximum Temperature: 4.9 °C* Warmest Month: January* Coolest Month: July* Highest Precipitation: February* Lowest Precipitation: July-Notable residents:...
. Several dozen shops are located at the north-west of the railway line, along with a library. Residential houses are found in all areas in Pennant Hills, with recent modern apartments and office towers found along Pennant Hills Road
Pennant Hills Road
Pennant Hills Road is a major highway located in Sydney, New South Wales. It runs from the suburb of Wahroonga, in the north, to the major central business district of Parramatta, Australia.-History:...
. A significant commercial/industrial area can be found along Pennant Hills Road.
Pennant Hills is home to several entertainment venues including the Pennant Hills Hotel incorporating Patricks Nightclub.
Transport
Pennant Hills railway station is on the Northern railway lineNorthern railway line, Sydney
The Northern Line is part of the metropolitan rail network in Sydney known as CityRail. It serves the northern suburbs of Sydney and the Lower North Shore, along with parts of the Inner West and the Hills District. The line utilises the Epping to Chatswood Line and parts of the Main Northern Line,...
of Sydney's 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.
Pennant Hills Road
Pennant Hills Road
Pennant Hills Road is a major highway located in Sydney, New South Wales. It runs from the suburb of Wahroonga, in the north, to the major central business district of Parramatta, Australia.-History:...
is one of Sydney's major thoroughfares. Bus services by Shorelink
Shorelink
Shorelink is a commuter bus company serving suburbs on the upper North Shore of Sydney, Australia. On 3 September 2001, the company was acquired by French public transport giant Transdev from the John A Gilbert group, forming a partnership with Transfield Services Limited in 2009...
and Hills Bus have their terminus in Pennant Hills and run to West Pennant Hills
West Pennant Hills, New South Wales
West Pennant Hills is a suburb located in the Hills District region of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. West Pennant Hills is located 25 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government areas of Hornsby Shire and The Hills Shire...
, Castle Hill
Castle Hill, New South Wales
Castle Hill is a suburb in the north-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Castle Hill is located 31 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the Hills District of the Greater Western Sydney region...
and Cherrybrook
Cherrybrook, New South Wales
Cherrybrook is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Cherrybrook is located 27 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of Hornsby Shire...
.
Churches
Pennant Hills was established as a Catholic parish in 1928 and a number of Catholic churches have been built since then. The parish's current church, St. Agathas, was built in 1979. St Mark's Anglican Church http://www.stmarks.com.au, a Baptist church and a Uniting Church also serve Pennant Hills.Pennant Hills is also home to the first Danish Church in Australia. Crown Prince Frederik
Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark
Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark, Count of Monpezat, is the heir apparent to the throne of Denmark. Frederik is the elder son of Queen Margrethe II and Henrik, the Prince Consort.-Name and christening:...
and Crown Princess Mary
Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark
Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark, Countess of Monpezat, is the wife of Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark...
of Denmark made an official visit there on 6 March 2005.
Schools
Pennant Hills also has two government schools (Pennant Hills Public School since 1925 and Pennant Hills High SchoolPennant Hills High School
Pennant Hills High School is a public, comprehensive, co-educational, high school situated in the northern suburb of Pennant Hills in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, about 15–20 minutes to walk from Pennant Hills railway station....
since 1966), as well as two Catholic schools, including Mount St Benedict College
Mount St Benedict College
Mount St Benedict College is a Catholic, independent, girls high school in the Good Samaritan tradition, offering holistic education based on Benedictine values of Pax, Hospitality and Stewardship...
(an independent all-girls secondary school)http://www.msben.nsw.edu.au and St. Agatha's Catholic Primary School http://www.stagathapenthls.dbb.catholic.edu.au.
Multiple public, private
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
, catholic
Catholic school
Catholic schools are maintained parochial schools or education ministries of the Catholic Church. the Church operates the world's largest non-governmental school system...
, selective
Selective school (New South Wales)
Selective schools in New South Wales, Australia are government high schools operated by the New South Wales Department of Education and Training, that have accepted their students based upon their academic merit...
schools are found in the surrounding suburbs, servicing the general vicinity.
Sport and recreation
- Pennant Hills Park - home to a RugbyRugby footballRugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
/CricketCricketCricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
field, an Aussie Rules/Cricket field, a Soccer field, a large number of tennisTennisTennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
courts, one of the main netballNetballNetball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
facilities in the area (including a new indoor court), two hockeyField hockeyField Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
fields and an archeryArcheryArchery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
range. It is surrounded by beautiful bushland, with numerous walking tracks. The Baden-PowellRobert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-PowellRobert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell, Bt, OM, GCMG, GCVO, KCB , also known as B-P or Lord Baden-Powell, was a lieutenant-general in the British Army, writer, and founder of the Scout Movement....
Scout Centre also backs onto bushland in the area. There are a number of walks and runs in or originating from the park.
Demographics
The population according to the 2006 Census was 6,830. A popular well known figure often referred to as 'The can man" collects cans on his old school bicycle, battling the hills of this brilliant suburb in the name of charity, nominated for pennthillian of the year in 2007 and 2008.Notable residents
- Former Attorney General of Australia Philip RuddockPhilip RuddockPhilip Maxwell Ruddock is an Australian politician who is currently a member of the House of Representatives representing the Division of Berowra, New South Wales, for the Liberal Party of Australia...
- St Kilda midfielder Lenny HayesLenny HayesLenny Hayes is a professional Australian rules footballer playing with St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League.Hayes is a former captain of St Kilda and continues to be an onfield leader in the Saints' midfield....
, who played for the Pennant Hills Demons in the NSW Football League. - EssendonEssendon Football ClubThe Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
tagger Mark McVeighMark McVeighMark McVeigh is an Australian rules footballer. He made his debut for Essendon Football Club in 1999 after representing NSW/ACT at Under 18 level...
, who also played for the Demons in the NSW Football League. - Sydney SwansSydney SwansThe Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...
Football Club midfielder Jarrad McVeighJarrad McVeighJarrad McVeigh is a New South Wales-born AFL player with the Sydney Swans. He is the younger brother of Essendon's Mark McVeigh.- Biography :...
, who also played for Pennant Hills Demons in the NSW Football League. - JohnJohn KonradsJohn Konrads is an retired Australian freestyle swimmer of the 1950s and 1960s, who won the 1500 m freestyle at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. In his career, he set 26 individual world records, and after his swimming career ended, was the Australasian director of L'Oréal, as well as campaigning...
and Ilsa KonradsIlsa KonradsIlsa Konrads was an Australian freestyle swimmer of the 1950s and 1960s, who won silver in the 4x100 m freestyle relay at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. In her career, she set 12 individual world records, and after her swimming career ended, was the Australasian editor of Belle...
, siblings and world record-breaking swimmers.