Banksia, New South Wales facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Banksia Sydney, New South Wales
Princes Highway at Banksia
Population	3,388 (2016 census)
Established	1906
Postcode(s)	2216
Elevation	18 m (59 ft)
Location	12 km (7 mi) south of Sydney CBD
LGA(s)	Bayside Council
State electorate(s)	Rockdale
Federal Division(s)	Barton
Suburbs around Banksia: Bardwell Valley Arncliffe Arncliffe Bexley Banksia Kyeemagh Rockdale Rockdale Brighton-Le-Sands

Banksia is a suburb located in southern Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It's about 12 kilometres south of the main city centre of Sydney. Banksia is part of the Bayside Council area and is known as part of the St George region.

History of Banksia

Banksia gets its name from Joseph Banks. He was a botanist (a scientist who studies plants) who sailed with James Cook on his famous journey in 1770. They visited nearby Botany Bay.

In the 1850s, the land where Banksia now stands was owned by brothers Simeon and James Pearce. Back then, the area was mostly covered in trees. People started building homes here in the 1880s. A Member of Parliament named Frederick Jamison Gibbes was one of the main developers, and a street in Banksia is named after him. The area grew much faster after the railway station opened on 21 October 1906. Many names were suggested for the suburb, but the final choice came from David George Stead, who was the father of famous writer Christina Stead. The local post office opened in August 1924.

Historic Places in Banksia

Banksia has some places that are protected because of their history. One important site is:

• 212 West Botany Street: This is where the Arncliffe Market Gardens are located.

Famous Spots in Banksia

Here are some well-known places you can find in Banksia:

• Banksia Hotel
• National Film and Sound Archive
• Rocksia Hotel
• St Savvas of Kalymnos Orthodox Church (This church used to be called the Banksia Free Church.)

St Savvas of Kalymnos Orthodox Church Banksia (Formerly the Historical Banksia Free Church)

Shopping and Businesses

Shops on Railway Street

Banksia is mostly a place where people live, with a few areas for shops and businesses. You'll find many houses and some apartment buildings. The main shopping area is a small group of shops on Railway Street, right next to Banksia railway station. Here, you can find a bakery, a take-away food shop, a convenience store, a chemist, an Australia Post office, and hairdressers.

More shops and businesses are located along the Princes Highway. This business area stretches into the nearby suburbs of Arncliffe and Rockdale. Many of these businesses are related to cars, like car dealerships, shops selling car parts, tyre shops, and places to get your car fixed. You can also find hotels and various take-away food places.

There's also a market garden (a place where vegetables are grown for sale) on the eastern side of West Botany Street, near St George Soccer Stadium. Next to St George Stadium in Barton Park, you'll find the Rockdale Ilinden Sports Centre. This used to be the home ground for the Rockdale Ilinden Football Club, a soccer team mostly supported by people from Macedonian backgrounds.

Getting Around Banksia

Banksia railway station is on the Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line of the Sydney Trains network, making it easy to travel by train. Banksia also has bus services provided by Transit Systems. Route 420 runs between Burwood and Eastgardens, passing through Sydney Airport.

Who Lives in Banksia?

According to the 2016 census, there were 3,388 people living in Banksia. About half of the residents (49.9%) were born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were Macedonia (7.0%) and China (4.6%).

When it comes to languages spoken at home, 42.4% of people spoke only English. Other languages spoken included Macedonian (10.8%), Arabic (5.9%), Cantonese (5.2%), Greek (4.8%), and Mandarin (3.1%). The most common religions reported were Catholic (23.8%), No Religion (18.2%), and Eastern Orthodox (16.5%).

Houses in Banksia

• 

  Bestic Street

• 

  Kimpton Street

• 

  Gibbes Street

• 

  Sandstone cottage in Godfrey Street