Camden, New South Wales facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Camden Sydney, New South Wales
Argyle Street, Camden
Established	1840
Postcode(s)	2570
Elevation	77 m (253 ft)
Location	65 km (40 mi) south-west of Sydney CBD
LGA(s)	Camden Council
Region	Macarthur
State electorate(s)	Camden
Federal Division(s)	Hume
Localities around Camden: Ellis Lane Cobbitty Kirkham Grasmere Camden Elderslie Cawdor Camden South Spring Farm

This house at Camden Park was designed by John Verge and built for John Macarthur between 1832 and 1835.

Camden is a historic town and suburb located about 65 kilometers (40 miles) south-west of Sydney, in New South Wales, Australia. It is part of the Macarthur region. Camden used to be the main administrative center for the Camden Council area until July 2016.

Camden's Past: A Look at Its History

First People: The Indigenous History of Camden

The land where Camden now stands was originally home to Indigenous Australians. It was at the northern edge of the Gandangara people's land. They called this area Benkennie, which means 'dry land'. North of the Nepean River lived the Muringong people, and to the east were the Tharawal people.

These groups lived in family units, usually with 20 to 40 members. They hunted animals like kangaroos, possums, and eels. They also gathered yams and other fruits and vegetables that grew in the area. These people were known for being strong and generally peaceful. However, as British settlers moved onto their land, their food sources became scarce. This led to conflict, which largely ended in 1816.

European Settlement: How Camden Began

In 1795, explorers first visited this area. They called it 'Cowpastures' because they found a herd of cattle that had gone missing there. In 1805, Governor King gave John Macarthur a large piece of land, about 5,000 acres (2,000 hectares), at Cowpastures. Macarthur had been promised this land by Lord Camden, a British official. Macarthur named his property Camden Park to honor Lord Camden.

Macarthur's wool business grew very successfully. Local people soon wanted a town to be built in the area to support this growing industry. In 1840, after John Macarthur passed away, his children decided to divide some of the land. They sold the first lots for the new town of Camden. The Camden Post Office opened on May 1, 1841. By 1883, the town had over 300 people, and a local council was formed in 1889.

Important Historic Places in Camden

Camden has many important historic buildings and places. Some of these are listed on the Commonwealth Heritage List or the New South Wales State Heritage Register. These lists help protect places that are important to Australia's history.

• Camden Post Office, located at 135 Argyle Street.
• Camden Park House and Garden, found on Elizabeth Macarthur Avenue.
• Macquarie Grove, on Aerodrome Road.
• Nant Gwylan and Garden, on Exeter Street.
• St Johns Anglican Church Precinct, including St John's Anglican Church, at 6-22 Menangle Road.

Getting Around: Transport in Camden

From 1882 to 1963, Camden had a train station that connected it to Campbelltown and Sydney. Today, Camden is served by Camden Airport. This airport is mainly used for flying schools, the Australian Air League, and other types of general aviation.

Camden's Weather: Climate Information

Camden has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has hot, humid summers and mild winters.

Learning in Camden: Schools and Universities

Camden is an important place for learning. The University of Sydney has research facilities here for its veterinary and agricultural schools. This means students learn about animal health and farming.

The local area has several high schools:

• Mount Annan High School
• Camden High School
• Elderslie High School
• Elizabeth Macarthur High School

There are also eight Catholic schools and three Anglican schools in the area.

Camden's Culture: Events and Media

The Camden Show is a popular yearly event. It combines fun amusement park rides with traditional elements of a state fair, like animal displays and competitions.

Camden has three local radio stations:

• 2MCR
• Vintage FM
• C91.3FM

Sydney radio station Gold 101.7 also reaches Camden. Local newspapers include the Camden Advertiser, the District Reporter, and the Macarthur Chronicle.

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  Camden Show 2011, main arena.

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  A Traction engine at the Camden Show.

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  A Cobb & Co. coach at the Camden Show in 2011.

Who Lives in Camden? Demographics and Notable People

Population and Background

According to the 2021 census, there were 3,378 people living in Camden. Most residents, about 80.3%, were born in Australia. Other common countries of birth include England (4.5%), New Zealand (1.2%), and Scotland (0.8%).

About 88.8% of people in Camden speak only English at home. Other languages spoken include Italian, Spanish, and German. For religion, the most common responses were Catholic (30.3%), No Religion (28.0%), and Anglican (21.3%).

Famous People from Camden

James William Macarthur-Onslow was a soldier, grazier, and politician from Camden.

Many interesting people have connections to Camden:

• Senna Agius (born 2005), a motorcycle racer.
• Jason Behrendorff, a cricketer.
• Steven Bradbury, a speed skater who won Australia's first Winter Olympics gold medal.
• Professor Graeme Clark, who invented the Bionic Ear.
• Chloe Esposito, a modern pentathlon athlete who won a gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
• Amy Harrison, an association football (soccer) player.
• Rob Hirst, the drummer for the band Midnight Oil.
• John Macarthur, known as the father of the Australian wool industry.
• Dustin Martin, an Australian rules footballer.
• Mat Mladin, a world motorcycle champion.
• Garry Rush, a racing car driver.

See also

In Spanish: Camden (Nueva Gales del Sur) para niños