Penrith, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
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...
in western
Greater Western Sydney
Greater Western Sydney is a term used to describe the western region of the metropolitan area of Sydney, Australia. The University of Western Sydney defines Greater Western Sydney as comprising 14 local government areas...
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...
. Penrith is located 50 kilometres (31 mi) 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...
and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the City of Penrith
City of Penrith
The City of Penrith is a Local Government Area in Sydney, located about west of Sydney's central business district.- History :The Municipality of Penrith was incorporated on 12 May 1871 under the Municipalities Act 1858. On 3 March 1890, St Marys was separately incorporated, and on 26 July 1893...
. It lies east of the Nepean River
Nepean River
The Nepean River is a river in the coastal region of New South Wales, Australia.The headwaters of the Nepean River rise near Robertson, about 100 kilometres south of Sydney and about 15 kilometres from the coast. The river flows north in an unpopulated water catchment area into Nepean Dam, which...
.
Penrith is a commercial centre, designated a regional city under the NSW Metropolitan Strategy.
History
Penrith was named after the town of Penrith, CumbriaPenrith, Cumbria
Penrith was an urban district between 1894 and 1974, when it was merged into Eden District.The authority's area was coterminous with the civil parish of Penrith although when the council was abolished Penrith became an unparished area....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. However, Penrith comes from "Penrhyd" which is the Welsh Language
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
for "Chief Ford / Hill Ford". How it got the name is unclear. One theory is that in the early days, development in Penrith was entirely on one road, like the English Penrith, and someone familiar with both spotted the similarity and suggested the name. The earliest known written reference to the name Penrith dates back to 1819.
Indigenous settlement
Prior to the arrival of the Europeans, the Penrith area was home to the Mulgoa tribe of the Darug peopleDarug people
The Darug people are a language group of Indigenous Australians, who are traditional custodians of much of what is modern day Sydney. There is some dispute about the extent of the Darug nation. Some historians believe the coastal Eora people were a separate tribe to the Darug...
. They lived in makeshift huts called gunyahs, hunted native animals such as kangaroos, fished in the Nepean River, and gathered local fruits and vegetables such as yams. They lived under an elaborate system of Law which had its origins in the Dreamtime
Dreamtime
In the animist framework of Australian Aboriginal mythology, The Dreaming is a sacred era in which ancestral Totemic Spirit Beings formed The Creation.-The Dreaming of the Aboriginal times:...
. Most of the Mulgoa were killed by smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
or galgala shortly after the arrival of the First Fleet
First Fleet
The First Fleet is the name given to the eleven ships which sailed from Great Britain on 13 May 1787 with about 1,487 people, including 778 convicts , to establish the first European colony in Australia, in the region which Captain Cook had named New South Wales. The fleet was led by Captain ...
in 1788. Early British explorers such as Watkin Tench
Watkin Tench
Lieutenant-General Watkin Tench was a British Marine officer who is best known for publishing two books describing his experiences in the First Fleet, which established the first settlement in Australia in 1788...
described them as friendly, saying, "they bade us adieu, in unabated friendship and good humour".
European settlement
Watkin Tench was the first British explorer to visit the area in 1789 and named the Nepean RiverNepean River
The Nepean River is a river in the coastal region of New South Wales, Australia.The headwaters of the Nepean River rise near Robertson, about 100 kilometres south of Sydney and about 15 kilometres from the coast. The river flows north in an unpopulated water catchment area into Nepean Dam, which...
after Lord Evan Nepean
Evan Nepean
Sir Evan Nepean, 1st Baronet PC was a British politician and colonial administrator.-Early career:...
, under-secretary to the home department. Governor King began granting land in the area to settlers in 1804 with Captain Daniel Woodriff's 1000 acres (4 km²) on the banks of the river the first land grant in the area. In 1814, William Cox
William Cox (pioneer)
William Cox was an English soldier, known as an explorer, road builder and pioneer in the early period of British settlement in Australia.-Early life:...
constructed a road
Great Western Highway
The Great Western Highway is a highway in New South Wales, Australia. It runs 210 km from Sydney to Bathurst.Starting as Broadway at the intersection of City Road near the fringe of the Sydney CBD, and becoming Parramatta Road to Parramatta itself, the Great Western Highway heads due west from...
across the Blue Mountains which passed through Woodriff's land at Penrith. Initial settlement in the area was unplanned but substantial enough for a courthouse to be established in 1817.
Thomas Jamison
Thomas Jamison was a prominent surgeon, government official, mercantile trader and land owner of Sydney, Australia. Jamison was also a member of the First Fleet expedition of 11 ships which founded the Australian colony of New South Wales in 1788...
(1752/53-1811), a member of the First Fleet
First Fleet
The First Fleet is the name given to the eleven ships which sailed from Great Britain on 13 May 1787 with about 1,487 people, including 778 convicts , to establish the first European colony in Australia, in the region which Captain Cook had named New South Wales. The fleet was led by Captain ...
and surgeon-general of New South Wales (after whom Jamisontown
Jamisontown, New South Wales
Jamisontown is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Jamisontown is located 56 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Penrith, and is part of the Greater Western Sydney region...
is named), and his son, the landowner, physician and constitutional reformer Sir John Jamison
John Jamison
Sir John Jamison was an important Australian physician, pastoralist, banker, politician, constitutional reformer and public figure....
(1776–1844). In 1824, Sir John erected the colony's finest Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
mansion, Regentville House, near Penrith, on a ridge overlooking the Nepean River. Sir John established an impressive agricultural estate at Regentville and became a Member of the New South Wales Legislative Council
New South Wales Legislative Council
The New South Wales Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the parliament of New South Wales in Australia. The other is the Legislative Assembly. Both sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney. The Assembly is referred to as the lower house and the Council as...
. His grave can be seen in St Stephen's graveyard. Regentville House burned down in 1868 but most of its stonework was salvaged and used for building projects in and around Penrith.
Another well-known early settler was Thomas Frost (d. 1862) who arrived from Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
in 1810. His wife Sarah had been baptised by Samuel Marsden
Samuel Marsden
Samuel Marsden was an English born Anglican cleric and a prominent member of the Church Missionary Society, believed to have introduced Christianity to New Zealand...
and her brother, Robert Rope, was reputed to be the first European born in Australia. In a Petition to the governor of the colony, Sir Thomas Brisbane
Thomas Brisbane
Major-General Sir Thomas Makdougall Brisbane, 1st Baronet GCH, GCB, FRS, FRSE was a British soldier, colonial Governor and astronomer.-Early life:...
, on 13 October 1822, Thomas Frost declares that he is a Free Man and cultivates a farm on the Nepean River
Nepean River
The Nepean River is a river in the coastal region of New South Wales, Australia.The headwaters of the Nepean River rise near Robertson, about 100 kilometres south of Sydney and about 15 kilometres from the coast. The river flows north in an unpopulated water catchment area into Nepean Dam, which...
where he has a herd of 125 cattle. He mentions that the previous Governor, General Macquarie, was pleased to grant him, Thomas, a further 50 acres (20.2 ha) of land at Bathurst
Bathurst, New South Wales
-CBD and suburbs:Bathurst's CBD is located on William, George, Howick, Russell, and Durham Streets. The CBD is approximately 25 hectares and surrounds two city blocks. Within this block layout is banking, government services, shopping centres, retail shops, a park* and monuments...
and he now craves the Governor's consent to drive cattle across the mountains to that property for pasturage. Frost's gravestone still stands in good condition in St. Stephen's Churchyard, Penrith.
The first bridge was opened over the Nepean in 1856 and was washed away the following year in a flood. The railway line was extended to Penrith in 1863, a school was established in 1865 and in 1871 the area became a municipality. It officially became a city in 1959.
Commercial area
Penrith is one of the major commercial centres in Greater Western SydneyGreater Western Sydney
Greater Western Sydney is a term used to describe the western region of the metropolitan area of Sydney, Australia. The University of Western Sydney defines Greater Western Sydney as comprising 14 local government areas...
. Penrith hosts a number of shopping complexes
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
, the largest being Westfield Penrith
Westfield Penrith
Westfield Penrith, also known as Penrith Plaza, is a shopping complex located in the Penrith, New South Wales central business district....
, formerly known as Penrith Plaza. The shopping centre features over 200 stores ranging from department stores to specialty shops.
Transport
Penrith Railway StationPenrith railway station, Sydney
Penrith railway station is a railway station on the CityRail network in New South Wales, Australia. Located in the Sydney suburb of Penrith, the station serves as a major interchange between Western line, Blue Mountains line trains. Western-bound CountryLink XPT and Xplorer services also stop here...
is a major railway station on the Western Line
Western railway line, Sydney
The Western Line is part of the CityRail metropolitan rail network in Sydney, and is the suburban section of the Main West line which connects Sydney with the west of New South Wales. It connects the Sydney CBD to the employment centre of Parramatta and the outer western suburbs, terminating at Emu...
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. It has frequent services to and from the City and is also a minor stop on the intercity Blue Mountains Line.
Penrith railway station has its own bus interchange (as do several major railway stations in Sydney). Penrith is also served by Nightride Bus route 70.
M4 Western Motorway
The M4 Western Motorway,, is a motorway in central Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
using either The Northern Road or Mulgoa Road exits. If travelling east from the Blue Mountains, access is best obtained by the Great Western Highway.
Access from the south can be obtained by The Northern Road and Mulgoa Road, north from Castlereagh road or Richmond road, or from north and south via Westlink M7
Westlink M7
Westlink M7 - formerly Western Sydney Orbital - is one of Sydney, Australia's urban motorways and a part of Metroad 7 and the Sydney Orbital Network. It connects three Metroads: M5 at Prestons, M4 at Eastern Creek and M2 at Baulkham Hills...
and the M4 Western Motorway.
Education
Penrith Public School and Penrith High SchoolPenrith High School
Penrith High School is a selective, public, co-educational high school located in Penrith, a western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
are two public schools in High Street. Jamison High School
Jamison High School
Jamison High School is located in South Penrith in Western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is located on the corner of Evan and Maxwell streets, and stands adjacent to the Southlands Shopping Centre....
is in South Penrith
South Penrith, New South Wales
South Penrith is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. South Penrith is located 55 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Penrith and is part of the Greater Western Sydney region.South Penrith is bounded by...
. St Nicholas of Myra is a Catholic primary school, which is part of Catholic Education, Diocese of Parramatta
Catholic Education in the Diocese of Parramatta
There has been Catholic Education in the Diocese of Parramatta since before the Second World War. There are 76 Catholic systemic schools in the diocese with a total student population of around 41,000...
), is located in Higgins Street.
The Penrith campus of Nepean College of TAFE
Western Sydney Institute of TAFE
TAFE NSW - Western Sydney Institute is a large complex decentralised educational institute and is one of the largest Institutes of TAFE NSW. The Institute annually enrolls more than 90,000 students and offers around 1,000 vocational education courses....
is located in the centre of town on Henry Street. The Penrith campus of the University of Western Sydney
University of Western Sydney
The University of Western Sydney, also known as UWS, is a multi-campus university in the Greater Western region of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
is located in nearby Werrington
Werrington, New South Wales
Werrington is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Werrington is located 48.5 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Penrith and is part of the Greater Western Sydney region.-Aboriginal culture:Prior to...
.
Landmarks and tourist attractions
- Penrith Museum of Fire
- St Stephen's Church (built in the 1830s), in High Street, and its historic graveyard
- Penrith has a campus of the University of Western SydneyUniversity of Western SydneyThe University of Western Sydney, also known as UWS, is a multi-campus university in the Greater Western region of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
- Sydney International Regatta CentreSydney International Regatta Centre400px|thumb|Sydney International Regatta Centre BridgeThe Sydney International Regatta Centre, located in Penrith, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, is a rowing and canoe sprint venue built for the 2000 Summer Olympics...
, which was the location for the rowing competitions for the 2000 Olympic Games2000 Summer OlympicsThe Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia... - Panthers World of Entertainment
- Penrith Sake Brewery
- Nepean RiverNepean RiverThe Nepean River is a river in the coastal region of New South Wales, Australia.The headwaters of the Nepean River rise near Robertson, about 100 kilometres south of Sydney and about 15 kilometres from the coast. The river flows north in an unpopulated water catchment area into Nepean Dam, which...
- Nepean Belle - paddle wheeler that does tours along the Nepean River.
- Head of the RiverHead of the River (New South Wales)The Head of the River rowing regatta refers to two New South Wales school rowing competitions, one for boys and one for girls.-NSW Schoolboy Head of the River Regatta:...
, which takes place at the regatta centreSydney International Regatta Centre400px|thumb|Sydney International Regatta Centre BridgeThe Sydney International Regatta Centre, located in Penrith, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, is a rowing and canoe sprint venue built for the 2000 Summer Olympics...
Arts
The Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Complex is in High Street next to the Council Chambers. Named after operaOpera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
singer Joan Sutherland
Joan Sutherland
Dame Joan Alston Sutherland, OM, AC, DBE was an Australian dramatic coloratura soprano noted for her contribution to the renaissance of the bel canto repertoire from the late 1950s through to the 1980s....
, the building was designed by architect Philip Cox
Philip Cox
Professor Philip Sutton Cox AO is an Australian architect.Professor Cox is the founding partner of COX Architects & Planners, one of the largest architectural practices in Australia....
and opened in 1990. It incorporates the Penrith Conservatorium of Music and the Q Theatre, which had been operating in Railway Street for 30 years before moving to the complex in 2006.
Sport and recreation
Penrith Panthers
The Penrith Panthers are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in the western Sydney suburb of Penrith. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, the top rugby league football competition in Australasia. For the 2012 NRL season they will be coached by Ivan...
rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
club who play in 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...
. The club (one of the largest in Australia) has a massive entertainment complex and resort, Panthers World of Entertainment. Penrith's Junior Rugby League competition is the largest in the world, which also incorporates teams from the Blue Mountains, Blacktown and Windsor/Richmond areas. Visit the Penrith Junior League Website for more information.
The Panthers' home ground, Penrith Stadium (or Centrebet Stadium), is also home to the Penrith Nepean United soccer club. The club has been quite successful, perhaps the team's most memorable result has been a 2-1 Win against Asian Champions League contenders Sydney FC in a home game friendly match in front of 5000 fans on August the 17th 2007.
There are also many other sporting associations, including cricket
Cricket
Cricket 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...
clubs, AFL
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
clubs, Penrith City Outlaws gridiron team, Panthers Triathlon club and swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
clubs. For a full list see the Penrith City Council's list of sporting groups.
Just west of Cranebrook
Cranebrook, New South Wales
Cranebrook is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Cranebrook is located 65 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Penrith and is part of the Greater Western Sydney region....
is the Penrith Lakes Scheme, a system of flooded quarries that are now recreational lakes. One of these lakes hosted the rowing
Sport rowing
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
events of the Sydney 2000 Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
. This facility is rated as a Level One course which can be used for international events. The course itself is fully buoyed and can be modified to accommodate swimming and kayaking events.
North of the rowing lake is the Penrith Whitewater Stadium
Penrith Whitewater Stadium
The Penrith Whitewater Stadium is located near Sydney, Australia. It is an artificial whitewater sporting facility which hosted the canoe/kayak slalom events at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. The facility is part of the Penrith Lakes Scheme, which is converting open-pit sand and gravel mines...
, the only pump-powered and artificial whitewater
Artificial whitewater
An artificial whitewater course is a site for whitewater canoeing, whitewater kayaking, whitewater racing, whitewater rafting, playboating and slalom canoeing with artificially generated rapids.-Flow diversion:...
slalom course in the Southern Hemisphere. It was built for the Sydney 2000 Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
, and it continues to host international competitions on a regular basis.
Penrith is home to the Elite Fight Gym
Elite Fight Gym
Elite Fight Gym is an Australian mixed martial arts gym, based in Penrith.-History:Elite Fight Gym is one of the leading mixed martial arts training facilities in Sydney, Australia. Head trainer James Te-huna is currently competing in the UFC, and has helped train the rugby league team Parramatta...
. A mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
training facility run by UFC
Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...
fighter James Te-Huna
James Te-Huna
James Te-Huna is a New Zealand mixed martial artist who is currently competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.-Early career and background:Te-Huna is of Maori descent and became the first New Zealander to enter the UFC....
.
Media
Penrith is home to four local weekly newspapers: The Western Weekender, Nepean News, Penrith Press and Penrith Star. It is also home to local radio stations Vintage FM 87.6, FUSION 87.8 FM Dance Music Radio and Cool Country 2KA2KA
2KA was an Australian radio station, licensed to Katoomba, New South Wales, and serving the Blue Mountains area of western Sydney. It was launched on 7 September 1935.In December 1937 the station moved from 1160kHz to 780kHz...
.
Geography
Cumberland 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...
, a fairly flat area of Western Sydney, extending to Windsor
Windsor, New South Wales
Windsor is a town in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Windsor is located in the local government area of the City of Hawkesbury. It sits on the Hawkesbury River, on the north-western outskirts of the Sydney metropolitan area. At the 2006 census, Windsor had a population of...
in the north, Parramatta
Parramatta, New South Wales
Parramatta is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in Greater Western Sydney west of the Sydney central business district on the banks of the Parramatta River. Parramatta is the administrative seat of the Local Government Area of the City of Parramatta...
in the east and Thirlmere
Thirlmere, New South Wales
Thirlmere is a small semi-rural town in the Macarthur Region of New South Wales, Australia, in Wollondilly Shire. Popularly known for its railway origins, the town is located 89 km south west of Sydney , one third of the distance from Sydney to Canberra...
in the south. The Nepean River
Nepean River
The Nepean River is a river in the coastal region of New South Wales, Australia.The headwaters of the Nepean River rise near Robertson, about 100 kilometres south of Sydney and about 15 kilometres from the coast. The river flows north in an unpopulated water catchment area into Nepean Dam, which...
forms the western boundary of the suburb and beyond that, dominating the western skyline, are the Blue Mountains. There is a difference of opinion between Penrith City Council and the Geographical Names Board of New South Wales as to the boundaries of Penrith the suburb. The Board includes in its official description the area of Kingswood Park, Lemongrove and North Penrith, which the Council considers separate suburbs.
Climate
The city falls under the Humid subtropical climateHumid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a climate zone characterized by hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters...
(Cfa). The temperatures are a few degrees warmer than Sydney (Observatory Hill) on summer days and a few degrees cooler on winter nights. In extreme cases, there could be a temperature differential of 10 degrees Celsius in summer due to sea breezes, which do not usually penetrate inland to the Nepean. Mean Summer temperatures are 18 °C to 30 °C and in the Winter 6 °C to 18 °C. Mean
Mean
In statistics, mean has two related meanings:* the arithmetic mean .* the expected value of a random variable, which is also called the population mean....
yearly rainfall is 698.6 millimetres, which is less than Sydney (Observatory Hill) rainfall by 300-400mm, as coastal showers do not penetrate inland. The highest recorded temperature is 46.0 °C in January 2001. The wettest months are from October through to March and driest from April to September, although high amount of rain is still evenly distributed throughout the year.
Demographics
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...
conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics
Australian Bureau of Statistics
The Australian Bureau of Statistics is Australia's national statistical agency. It was created as the Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics on 8 December 1905, when the Census and Statistics Act 1905 was given Royal assent. It had its beginnings in section 51 of the Constitution of Australia...
, Penrith had a population of 11,396. Apart from English, no language was spoken by more than 1% of the population with 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...
(0.9%) topping the list. Of people born overseas, three of the top five countries were England, New Zealand and Scotland with India (1.0%) the leading non-English speaking country of birth.
Notable residents
- Thomas BentThomas BentSir Thomas Bent KCMG , Australian politician, was the 22nd Premier of Victoria. He was one of the most colourful and corrupt politicians in Victorian history....
(1838–1909) Premier of Victoria 1904 to 1909, born in Penrith - Ken KearneyKen KearneyKen "Killer" Kearney was an Australian rugby footballer – a dual-code international player – and a rugby league coach. He represented the Wallabies in seven Tests and the Kangaroos in thirty-one Test matches and World Cup games. He captained Australia in nine rugby league Test matches in 1956 and...
(1924–2006) ARL Hall of Fame, St George captain-coach and dual international - Richie BenaudRichie BenaudRichard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....
(b.1930) cricketer and commentator - Grigor TaylorGrigor TaylorGrigor Taylor is an Australian actor, best known for his parts in several television series including Matlock Police and Glenview High....
(b.1943) 1970s TV actor - Jennifer MaidenJennifer MaidenJennifer Maiden is a contemporary Australian poet.Jennifer Maiden was born in Penrith, New South Wales. She began publishing professionally in the late 1960s and has been active in Sydney's literary scene since then. She took a BA at Macquarie University in the early 1970s...
(b.1949) poet - Ched Towns (1951–2000) Vision-impaired triathlete and motivational speaker who lost his life preparing to be the first blind person to climb Mount Everest
- Alan WhitickerAlan WhitickerAlan J. Whiticker is an Australian non-fiction author with currently over 30 published books.Whiticker writes primarily on matters pertaining to the history of the sport of rugby league in Australia, but has also published works on subjects as diverse as the Wanda Beach Murders and an adaptation...
(b.1958) Prolific non-fiction author - Nathan BrackenNathan BrackenNathan Wade Bracken is a former Australian cricketer. A tall left-arm fast-medium bowler, Bracken is capable of swinging the ball both ways. He has represented Australia in all forms of the game...
(b.1977) Australian Cricketer - John HastingsJohn Hastings (cricketer)John Wayne Hastings is a cricketer for the Victorian Bushrangers.-Statistics:A tall all-rounder who combines right-arm fast-medium bowling with strong lower-order batting. At the end of the 2006–07 season he was recruited from New South Wales, where he had represented the state in under-age and...
(b. 1985) Australian Cricketer - Simon KeenSimon KeenSimon John Cobrin Keen is an Australian cricketer. He is currently a member of the New South Wales Blues state squad.-References:...
(b. 1987) Australian U19's Cricketer - Jason DundasJason DundasJason Dundas , is an Australian television presenter and actor who is best known for his role as host of Australia’s most popular travel series Getaway, along with his early career as an MTV Australia VJ...
(b.1981) Television Presenter - Mick FanningMick FanningMichael Eugene "Mick" Fanning, nicknamed "White Lightning", is an Australian professional surfer and dual world champion. Fanning won both the 2007 and 2009 ASP World Tour.-Early years:...
(b.1981) surfing world champion 20072007 ASP World TourThe ASP World Tour is a professional competitive surfing league. It is run by the Association of Surfing Professionals.-Tournaments:-Final Standings: -Tournaments: denotes wildcard surfer-Final Standings:-External links:*... - Melissa Wu (b.1992) Olympian - Diver
- James Te-HunaJames Te-HunaJames Te-Huna is a New Zealand mixed martial artist who is currently competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.-Early career and background:Te-Huna is of Maori descent and became the first New Zealander to enter the UFC....
UFC Fighter - Numerous Rugby LeagueRugby leagueRugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
players including Greg AlexanderGreg AlexanderGregory Peter Stephen "Greg" Alexander is a former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s and 90s who has since become a commentator. A goal-kicking half-back, in his career he played for and captained the Penrith Panthers and the Auckland Warriors clubs and also represented his country...
and his brother Ben (1970–1992), Mark CarrollMark Carroll (rugby league)Mark Carroll is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s and 90s. A prop-forward, he represented Australia internationally and New South Wales in State of Origin and played club football for the Penrith Panthers, South Sydney Rabbitohs, Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles and...
, John CartwrightJohn Cartwright (rugby league)John Cartwright is an Australian professional rugby league football coach and former player. He is the current head coach for the Gold Coast Titans of the National Rugby League...
, Brad FittlerBrad FittlerBradley Scott "Freddie" Fittler AM is an Australian professional rugby league football coach and former player. The current coach of NSW City team in the City vs. Country clash, he coached in the NRL for the Sydney Roosters between 2007 and 2009. As a player, Fittler captained both New South Wales...
, Des HaslerDes HaslerDes Hasler is an Australian former professional rugby league player and current head coach of the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. He played in 309 matches in a first-grade career spanning 16 seasons. Most of his career was spent with the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, with whom he won two premierships...
, Tim SheensTim SheensTim Sheens is an Australian professional rugby league football coach and former player. He currently coaches the Wests Tigers of the National Rugby League and in 2009 was appointed coach of the Australian national team, the Kangaroos...
, Luke RooneyLuke RooneyLuke Rooney is an Australian professional rugby union footballer for RC Toulonnais in the Top 14 competition as of 2012. His previous teams include Melbourne Rebels and the Penrith Panthers.-Rugby League:...
, Mark GeyerMark GeyerMark Geyer , is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s and '90s. An Australian international and New South Wales State of Origin representative second-rower, he is currently a rugby league media identity...
and Michael JenningsMichael Jennings (rugby league)Michael Joseph "Jenko" Jennings is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Penrith Panthers of the National Rugby League...
. - Tony JonesTony Jones (sports journalist)Tony Jones is an Australian sports journalist, based in Melbourne.Jones studied at a radio school before beginning his career in radio newsrooms in country Victoria and Melbourne's 3AW. He joined the Nine Network in May 1986, making the move from news into sport.Tony began presenting weekend...
, Australian sports journalist based in Melbourne. - Firass DiraniFirass DiraniFirass Dirani is an Australian actor known for his roles of Nick Russell, the Red Mystic Ranger on Power Rangers Mystic Force, Charlie on the 2009 Australian film The Combination, and as John Ibrahim on the 2010 series Underbelly: The Golden Mile....
, Australian TV actor - James CourtneyJames CourtneyJames Courtney is an Australian racing driver who competes in the V8 Supercar Championship. He is the current Australian Touring Car Champion after winning the 2010 title for Dick Johnson Racing....
, V8 Racecar Driver