Bella Vista, New South Wales facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bella VistaSydney, New South Wales |
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Bella Vista Farm
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| Population | 8,384 (2021 census) | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 2153 | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation | 77 m (253 ft) | ||||||||||||||
| Location |
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| LGA(s) | The Hills Shire | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Kellyville | ||||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Mitchell | ||||||||||||||
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Bella Vista is a suburb located about 33 kilometres northwest of the Sydney central business district (CBD). Its name means "Nice View" in Italian. It is part of The Hills Shire in New South Wales, Australia. Bella Vista is known for its Norwest Business Park, which has offices for many large companies. It also features shopping centres, tall buildings, and places for work and fun.
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History of Bella Vista
The land where Bella Vista now stands has a long history. In 1799, a man named Joseph Foveaux was given a large piece of land, about 400 hectares. He later sold this land to John Macarthur in 1801. John Macarthur bought more land, making his property about 800 hectares in total.
John and Elizabeth Macarthur raised sheep on this farm. They also had other farms in Camden and Parramatta. Elizabeth Macarthur often managed these farms and the sheep flocks. She sometimes called this particular farm "my Seven Hills Farm."
Some people thought this farm was only for breeding special merino sheep. However, records show that their best merino rams were kept at Elizabeth Farm in Parramatta. The Seven Hills farm was quite isolated. The sheep there faced dangers like theft and challenges from local Indigenous groups. In 1805, two of Macarthur's workers were killed on the farm. The sheep on this farm originally came from 600 sheep bought from Foveaux.
What we can say for sure is that this was one of Australia's first big sheep breeding farms. The success with fine merino sheep later achieved at Camden was built on Elizabeth's hard work at Seven Hills. A part of this land was later bought by the Pearce family. They named their property Bella Vista.
All the old buildings you see on the site today are from the Pearce family's time. There are no buildings left from the Macarthur period. In the 1890s, Edward Henry Pearce, who owned Bella Vista, was known as the "largest and most successful orange grower" in the area. The Pearce family sold Bella Vista in 1950.
Until the mid-1990s, the area was mostly used for small farms. Since then, Bella Vista has changed a lot. It now has many homes and a busy business district. However, the old homestead and farm buildings have been saved. This part of the Pearce family property is now owned by The Hills Shire Council. A group called "Friends of Bella Vista Farm Park" is working to restore all the buildings on this special site.
Heritage Sites in Bella Vista
Bella Vista has a few places that are listed for their historical importance. These include:
- Elizabeth Macarthur Drive: The Bella Vista homestead.
- Seven Hills Road: The Pearce Family Cemetery.
People of Bella Vista
In 2021, there were 8,384 people living in Bella Vista. About 48.4% of them were born in Australia. Other common birthplaces included India (10.7%), China (8.7%), and Sri Lanka (4.5%).
When it comes to languages spoken at home, 43.7% of residents spoke only English. Other languages included Mandarin (12.1%), Hindi (5.1%), and Tamil (4.7%).
For religious beliefs, the most common answers were No Religion (23.2%), Catholic (21.1%), and Hinduism (15.6%).
Shopping and Business in Bella Vista
Bella Vista has shopping centres and a big hotel. It is quickly becoming a major business hub in the Hills District. The largest business area is the Norwest Business Park on Norwest Boulevard. This park has shops, offices, factories, and hotels. The industrial areas in West Bella Vista are still growing, with many new warehouses being built.
Shopping Centres
Circa Retail is a shopping centre located near Old Windsor Road. It has a Woolworths supermarket and 25 other specialty stores.
Company Headquarters
In 2006, Woolworths, a big Australian retail company, moved all its main offices into a large complex in Norwest Business Park. Their headquarters are now in Bella Vista. Homeart, another Australian retail chain, also has its main office here.
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Norwest Boulevard, a key road in Bella Vista's business park.
Getting Around Bella Vista
A big reason for Bella Vista's recent growth is its great location near the end of the Sydney M2 motorway. This motorway, opened in 1997, means you can get from Bella Vista to the CBD in about half an hour if traffic is good. It also connects Bella Vista to two other important roads: the Cumberland Highway and the Westlink M7.
Before the Sydney Metro Northwest train line was built, buses were the only public transport for Bella Vista residents. Bus companies like Busways and CDC NSW still serve the area. You can find frequent buses connecting Bella Vista to nearby places like Parramatta, Castle Hill, Blacktown, and Seven Hills. There are also special peak-hour services directly to St Marys, North Sydney, and the Sydney CBD. Many bus routes use the North-West T-way, which is a special bus lane.
Now, two train stations serve the area. Bella Vista railway station is at Lexington Drive and Old Windsor Road. Norwest railway station is in the suburb of Norwest, near Hillsong Church. The Sydney Metro Northwest is the main train line connecting people in northwest Sydney to places like Epping, Chatswood, North Sydney, and the Sydney CBD. It has also made it easier to get to Castle Hill, Norwest Business Park, and Rouse Hill.
Schools in Bella Vista
Bella Vista is close to many schools and educational places, including:
- Bella Vista Public School
- Baulkham Hills High School
- Crestwood High School
- Crestwood Public School
- Gilroy Catholic College
- Glenwood High School
- Hillsong International Leadership College, run by Hillsong Church
- Matthew Pearce Public School
- Model Farms High School
- St Michael's Primary School
Churches in Bella Vista
Nearby churches include:
- Hillsong Church, located in Norwest Business Park
- Norwest Anglican Church
- St Michael's Catholic Church in Baulkham Hills
