Westleigh, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Westleigh is a suburb
of Sydney
, in the state of New South Wales
, Australia
. Westleigh is located 27 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district
in the local government area of Hornsby Shire
.
. Development as a residential suburb began in earnest from 1969, following the subdivision of the area bounded by Duneba and Eucalyptus Drive, and the former riding school which was situated near Billarga Road. Prior to this time the area was rural, with a small number of homes on acreage along Quarter Sessions Rd, extending north towards the former sandstone quarry near "Blackfellow's Head", which was used as a dumping ground for stolen cars of the 1940s and 1950s. The area was originally heavily timbered, so many streets bear the names of Australian trees such as Stringybark
Close, Spotted Gum Road, Eucalyptus
Drive, Peppermint Gum place and Ironbark
Close. Although the naming of the streets seems only vaguely related to what was there before houses arrived. Comically, many streets named for plants contain not a single representative specimen.
Road. This may be seen in a sudden absence of houses, as drivers find themselves immersed in a thick bushland foliage. The sweeping dip in this section has also proven a non-fatal but dangerous hazard for drivers throughout Westleigh's history, however reflective signs appear to have minimised the danger to tired or reckless drivers. This deviation, constructed in 1978, was to eliminate the dangerous bend in the original alignment as the road followed the edge of the gully. The original alignment still exists as Warrigal Drive, although in very poor condition, passing by the entrance to the former rubbish tip, and providing a second access to the Bushfire Brigade.
)
There are three housing 'villages' built here named "Sanctuary Gardens", "Wild Ash Grove" and "Huntingdale", in addition to the longer-established "Settlers' Green" (named in recognition of the "stalwart people who, by their actions opened the door to the migrants of the world and thus the nations development." ). Notably, the border of Westleigh was moved at an undetermined time, from near the roundabout at the Duffy Ave/Quarter Sessions Road intersection, to further up Duffy Avenue, possibly for the political purpose of encapsulating these new housing estates in a purely residentially zoned suburb, as opposed to the partly industrialised Thornleigh (thereby possibly increasing selling prices). These housing estates brought more people - primarily families - into the southern side of the suburb around their establishment, boosting the suburb's population as reflected in the population changes between the 2001 and 2006 censuses.
was established in about 2005 between Ruddock Park and the shopping centre.
, which can be accessed from multiple points within the suburb. Heading north, the walk leads to a nearby water hole "fragile rock", also known as "Fraggle Rock", which is an excellent spot for kids to enjoy themselves. It features a large ten meter cliff sometimes used for diving, underwater tunnels and minor waterfalls. However, swimmers should be aware of pollution levels when swimming in any bushland water system, especially within 48 hours of rainfall. Furthermore, swimmers should be aware of the potential danger of the area, including the death of a 20-year-old woman after slipping and becoming "impaled" on a tree. "Refuge Rock", a large area of sandstone rock in the bushland, to the west. Used for training of soldiers prior to WWII, bushwalkers can observe blast marks from mortar fire in the sandstone.
On the eastern side of the suburb between Warrigal Rd and Gum Blossum Drive lies an area of scrub and bushland formerly occupied by the council rubbish dump (closed in 1962), the former sewerage dump (closed in about 1964), and the Sydney Water Reservoir which was completed in 1967. The former council animal pound existed at the northern edge of the old tip, and the southern area was used for a number of years by the Sydney County Council for seasoning timber power poles ("The Pole Yards"). This area is now often used by a wide manner of 'Westleighians' for activities including walking, motorbike riding and general tom-foolerly which has been happening for over 30 years. Due to the existence the local Sydney Water property, the disused rubbish dump and adjacent area is commonly locally referred to as the 'Waterboard'). Since it has been used for illegal rubbish dumping, public access is illegal and measures have been taken to block access to this area, including local rangers / volunteers patrolling the area. The local rural fire brigade have permission to use the area for training (including live fire drills), and are somewhat regularly seen carrying out various forms of training and drills.
21% of Westleigh's population are aged under 15. Age distribution is similar to that of the rest of Australia: the median age is 40 years (and 37 for the rest of Australia). 65% of residents are married, while 26% are single and have never been married - this reflects the large number of families with dependent children (68%). The average household size is 3.1 people (larger than the Australian average of 2.6).
was located in Westleigh.
, David Speers
from Sky News
and Jason Morrison
from 2UE
.
, now part of Leigh in Greater Manchester
.
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...
. Westleigh is located 27 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...
.
History
Westleigh derived its name from its location, directly west of ThornleighThornleigh, New South Wales
Thornleigh is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Thornleigh is located north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of Hornsby Shire...
. Development as a residential suburb began in earnest from 1969, following the subdivision of the area bounded by Duneba and Eucalyptus Drive, and the former riding school which was situated near Billarga Road. Prior to this time the area was rural, with a small number of homes on acreage along Quarter Sessions Rd, extending north towards the former sandstone quarry near "Blackfellow's Head", which was used as a dumping ground for stolen cars of the 1940s and 1950s. The area was originally heavily timbered, so many streets bear the names of Australian trees such as Stringybark
Stringybark
A stringybark can be any of the many Eucalyptus species which have thick, fibrous bark. Like all eucalypts, stringybarks belong to the Myrtaceae family. In exceptionally fertile locations some stringybark species A stringybark can be any of the many Eucalyptus species which have thick, fibrous...
Close, Spotted Gum Road, Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia...
Drive, Peppermint Gum place and Ironbark
Ironbark
Ironbark is a common name of a number of species in three taxonomic groups within the genus Eucalyptus that have dark, deeply furrowed bark....
Close. Although the naming of the streets seems only vaguely related to what was there before houses arrived. Comically, many streets named for plants contain not a single representative specimen.
Geography
Defined by its geographical make-up, Westleigh is clearly divided at the midpoint of Quarter SessionsQuarter Sessions
The Courts of Quarter Sessions or Quarter Sessions were local courts traditionally held at four set times each year in the United Kingdom and other countries in the former British Empire...
Road. This may be seen in a sudden absence of houses, as drivers find themselves immersed in a thick bushland foliage. The sweeping dip in this section has also proven a non-fatal but dangerous hazard for drivers throughout Westleigh's history, however reflective signs appear to have minimised the danger to tired or reckless drivers. This deviation, constructed in 1978, was to eliminate the dangerous bend in the original alignment as the road followed the edge of the gully. The original alignment still exists as Warrigal Drive, although in very poor condition, passing by the entrance to the former rubbish tip, and providing a second access to the Bushfire Brigade.
North side
The northern side of this bushland hiatus is the "newer" side of Westleigh, and features far fewer public amenities than those the southern side. The area was subdivided in 1974 and homebuilding commenced in 1977. Unfortunately the loop constructed at the northern end of Quarter Sessions Road has completely eradicated all traces of the former sandstone quarry which lay to the western side. Some line-of-sight can be established from the North-East side across the bush-filled valley to Hornsby, with some potential for wireless networking, given willing participants. (See also Wireless mesh networkWireless mesh network
A wireless mesh network is a communications network made up of radio nodes organized in a mesh topology. Wireless mesh networks often consist of mesh clients, mesh routers and gateways.The mesh clients are often laptops, cell phones and other wireless devices while the mesh routers forward traffic...
)
South side
The southern side of this division is the older side of Westleigh. Westleigh's public amenities are largely concentrated in this area, including the family friendly Westleigh Village Shopping Centre, which includes a Supermarket, Newsagent, Chemist, Baker, Fruiterer and other specialist stores, as well as nearby Cellars, Video-hire store, day-care centre, dentist, petrol/service station, and a public primary school (Thornleigh West Public School) with a number of recreational features. In about 1983, the last areas of the south side were redeveloped. "Berenbel", a property at the end of Duffy Avenue, and another small market garden property at the corner of Duffy Avenue and Quarter Sessions Road disappeared beneath suburban housing.There are three housing 'villages' built here named "Sanctuary Gardens", "Wild Ash Grove" and "Huntingdale", in addition to the longer-established "Settlers' Green" (named in recognition of the "stalwart people who, by their actions opened the door to the migrants of the world and thus the nations development." ). Notably, the border of Westleigh was moved at an undetermined time, from near the roundabout at the Duffy Ave/Quarter Sessions Road intersection, to further up Duffy Avenue, possibly for the political purpose of encapsulating these new housing estates in a purely residentially zoned suburb, as opposed to the partly industrialised Thornleigh (thereby possibly increasing selling prices). These housing estates brought more people - primarily families - into the southern side of the suburb around their establishment, boosting the suburb's population as reflected in the population changes between the 2001 and 2006 censuses.
Parks and recreation
Two large public parks are in the south side of Westleigh: Oakleigh Oval, home to the Thornleigh Thunder Football Club, and Ruddock Park (named to honour Max Ruddock, father of politician Phillip Ruddock, after his death in 1976 to acknowledge his official interest in the local Elouera Bushland Reserve ), which was the site of annual "Carols by Candlelight" and summer outdoor movies. Play equipment, public toilets, and barbecue facilities are all freely available. Ruddock Park's tennis courts are available for hire: keys are held with the newsagent in the shopping centre nearby. A fenced off-leash dog parkDog park
A dog park is a facility set aside for dogs to exercise and play off-leash in a controlled environment under the supervision of their owners...
was established in about 2005 between Ruddock Park and the shopping centre.
Surrounding bushland
Most of the suburb (except the southern side) is surrounded by natural bushland, which at times poses significant bush fire danger. On the western side of the suburbs runs the Great North WalkGreat North Walk
The Great North Walk is a walking track which runs from Sydney to Newcastle in New South Wales, Australia. The main track, in length, runs between the Obelisk in Macquarie Place in Sydney to Queens Wharf Tower in Bicentennial Park in Newcastle and is well sign-posted. There are many "side tracks"...
, which can be accessed from multiple points within the suburb. Heading north, the walk leads to a nearby water hole "fragile rock", also known as "Fraggle Rock", which is an excellent spot for kids to enjoy themselves. It features a large ten meter cliff sometimes used for diving, underwater tunnels and minor waterfalls. However, swimmers should be aware of pollution levels when swimming in any bushland water system, especially within 48 hours of rainfall. Furthermore, swimmers should be aware of the potential danger of the area, including the death of a 20-year-old woman after slipping and becoming "impaled" on a tree. "Refuge Rock", a large area of sandstone rock in the bushland, to the west. Used for training of soldiers prior to WWII, bushwalkers can observe blast marks from mortar fire in the sandstone.
On the eastern side of the suburb between Warrigal Rd and Gum Blossum Drive lies an area of scrub and bushland formerly occupied by the council rubbish dump (closed in 1962), the former sewerage dump (closed in about 1964), and the Sydney Water Reservoir which was completed in 1967. The former council animal pound existed at the northern edge of the old tip, and the southern area was used for a number of years by the Sydney County Council for seasoning timber power poles ("The Pole Yards"). This area is now often used by a wide manner of 'Westleighians' for activities including walking, motorbike riding and general tom-foolerly which has been happening for over 30 years. Due to the existence the local Sydney Water property, the disused rubbish dump and adjacent area is commonly locally referred to as the 'Waterboard'). Since it has been used for illegal rubbish dumping, public access is illegal and measures have been taken to block access to this area, including local rangers / volunteers patrolling the area. The local rural fire brigade have permission to use the area for training (including live fire drills), and are somewhat regularly seen carrying out various forms of training and drills.
Age and family data
2006 census data suggests that Westleigh's population is 4,523, and populated by a higher proportion of Australian-citizens (90%) and Australian-born (71%) than that of greater Sydney (86% and 71% respectively).21% of Westleigh's population are aged under 15. Age distribution is similar to that of the rest of Australia: the median age is 40 years (and 37 for the rest of Australia). 65% of residents are married, while 26% are single and have never been married - this reflects the large number of families with dependent children (68%). The average household size is 3.1 people (larger than the Australian average of 2.6).
Religious affiliation
Slightly over 50% of Westleigh residents are either Anglican or Catholic (Anglican: 27%; Catholic: 27%). 15.1% cited 'no religion' during the 2006 census.Housing
Average house prices for suburbs covered by the 2120 postcode were $657,000. In 2006, only 9% of houses were being rented, with the 89% fully owned or being purchased.Pop culture
The house in the iconic Australian political comedy drama film Don's PartyDon's Party
Don's Party is a 1971 play by David Williamson set during the 1969 Australian federal election. The film based on the play was entered into the 27th Berlin International Film Festival.-Plot:...
was located in Westleigh.
Notable residents
Former residents include actor Mel GibsonMel Gibson
Mel Colm-Cille Gerard Gibson, AO is an American actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. Born in Peekskill, New York, Gibson moved with his parents to Sydney, Australia when he was 12 years old and later studied acting at the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art.After appearing in...
, David Speers
David Speers
David Speers is an Australian journalist and the political editor at Sky News Australia. He worked with the Macquarie Radio Network, including the station 2GB, and the Southern Cross radio network, including stations 2UE and 3AW, before joining Sky in 2000. He has been a member of the National...
from Sky News
Sky News
Sky News is a 24-hour British and international satellite television news broadcaster with an emphasis on UK and international news stories.The service places emphasis on rolling news, including the latest breaking news. Sky News also hosts localised versions of the channel in Australia and in New...
and Jason Morrison
Jason Morrison (radio broadcaster)
-History:Jason was born in 1971 and raised in Hornsby, which is a suburb of Sydney's North. He went to St. Leo's College at Waitara and is Catholic. He has given little away about his family but has revealed that his father is an Engineer and his mother is a Librarian.He trained at 2GB in a...
from 2UE
2UE
2UE is a commercial radio station in Sydney, Australia owned by Fairfax Media. It is Sydney's and Australia's oldest commercial radio station, first broadcasting on 26 January 1925 on 1025 kHz AM before moving to 950 kHz in 1935 when virtually all Australian radio stations were assigned new...
.
See also
Westleigh township in EnglandEngland
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...
, now part of Leigh in Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
.