Berala, New South Wales facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Berala Sydney, New South Wales
Berala Hotel, Woodburn Road
Population	8,610 (2021 census)
Postcode(s)	2141
Elevation	28 m (92 ft)
Location	16 km (10 mi) west of Sydney CBD
LGA(s)	Cumberland Council
State electorate(s)	Auburn
Federal Division(s)	Reid Blaxland
Suburbs around Berala: Auburn Auburn Lidcombe Auburn Berala Lidcombe Regents Park Regents Park Chullora

Berala is a suburb located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is about 16 kilometres west of the city centre. Berala helps connect the inner west, south west, and western parts of Sydney. It is part of the Cumberland Council area. The postcode for Berala is 2141, which it shares with Lidcombe.

History of Berala

The name Berala comes from an Aboriginal word, Bareela. This word means "musk duck". When the railway line was being built, several names were considered for the station. Berala was chosen. The train station opened in 1912. Later, a public school opened in 1924. The post office followed in 1927.

Getting Around Berala

Berala railway station is on the Main Southern railway line. This train line connects Berala to many other places. Bus services also run through Berala. You can catch a bus to places like Auburn and Bankstown.

Shops and Services

Berala has a small shopping area right next to the railway station. Here you can find a Charcoal Chicken restaurant and a newsagent. There is also the EVT bakery. A larger Woolworths supermarket is also located very close to the train station.

People and Culture

The 2021 census showed that 8,610 people live in Berala. Many different cultures make up the community. The most common backgrounds reported were Chinese, English, Australian, Vietnamese, and Filipino.

Many people in Berala were born overseas. The most common countries of birth after Australia were China, Vietnam, Philippines, and South Korea. While 21.2% of people speak only English at home, many other languages are also spoken. These include Mandarin, Cantonese, Arabic, Vietnamese, and Korean.

Berala used to be known as a working-class suburb. Over the last ten years, it has been changing. More professionals and skilled workers are choosing to live here. This is because Berala is becoming more central to Sydney. It is also close to other major areas like Parramatta. Even with these changes, Berala still has a friendly, village-like feel.

Schools in Berala

Berala has several schools for young people.

• Berala Public School is the local public primary school.
• St Peter Chanel Catholic Primary School is a primary school for children, mainly of Roman Catholic faith.
• Trinity Junior Catholic College is also in Berala. It used to be called St Peter Chanel Girls High School.

Sport and Fun

Berala offers places for sports and recreation.

Community Centre

The Berala Community Centre for Recreation Activities

The Berala Community Centre is a place where people can go for different fun activities.

Parks and Fields

Coleman Park is a large park in Berala. It has two full-size soccer fields and two smaller soccer fields. There is also a baseball field. Kids can enjoy a children's play area. The park also has basketball facilities. The Lidcombe Waratahs soccer club plays their games here.

Local Sports Teams

The Berala Bears are a junior rugby league team. They play in the Canterbury-Bankstown District Junior Rugby League competition. Their team colours are gold and black. Their home ground is Guilfoyle Park, which is in the nearby suburb of Regents Park.

Many talented players have come from the Berala Bears. Some of these players have gone on to play professionally. They include:

• Terry Matterson (played for Brisbane Broncos)
• Daniel Tupou (played for Sydney Roosters)
• Matt Utai (played for Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and Wests Tigers)
• Jeremy Smith (played for South Sydney Rabbitohs)
• Anthony Watmough (played for Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles)
• Apisai Koroisau (played for South Sydney Rabbitohs)
• Samisoni Langi (played for Sydney Roosters)
• Isaac Lumelume (played for Melbourne Storm)