Camellia, New South Wales facts for kids
Quick facts for kids CamelliaSydney, New South Wales |
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Aerial view of Camellia
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| Postcode(s) | 2142 | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation | 9 m (30 ft) | ||||||||||||||
| Location | 17 km (11 mi) west of Sydney CBD | ||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | City of Parramatta | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Parramatta | ||||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Parramatta | ||||||||||||||
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Camellia is a suburb located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is mostly an industrial area, meaning it has many factories and businesses, but no one lives there.
Since late 2015, work has started to clean up the environment in Camellia. The plan is for this area to become a major place for new, taller buildings and more homes in the future.
Camellia is about 17 kilometers west of the main part of Sydney, known as the Sydney central business district. It is part of the City of Parramatta local government area.
The suburb is bordered by the Parramatta River to the north and other waterways like Clay Cliff Creek and Duck River. Major roads like Grand Avenue and James Ruse Drive run through it. Camellia shares its postcode (2142) with nearby suburbs like Granville and Rosehill.
Contents
Camellia's Early Days
Who Lived Here First?
The first people to live in this area were the Burramattagal clan. They were Indigenous Australians who used the Parramatta River and nearby creeks for food. They found fish, shellfish, birds, reptiles, and marsupials in the forests and waterways.
European Arrival and Exploration
On April 22, 1788, Governor Arthur Phillip and his team traveled inland from Sydney Cove. They were looking for better farmland for the new settlement. They landed near a river, which Governor Phillip named Duck River because there were so many ducks there.
They explored the area and camped by Clay Cliff Creek, which had fresh water. John White, a surgeon with the group, wrote about finding a new branch of Port Jackson harbor. He noted the tall grass and a plant that looked like indigo. He also mentioned how important fresh water was for their camps.
How Camellia Got Its Name
Clay Cliff Creek was an important boundary for land given to early settlers. One of these was John Macarthur, who was famous for his work with wool. He expanded his land, including Elizabeth Farm, to cover the riverfront between Parramatta and Duck River.
A railway station opened here in 1885. It was first called Subiaco. However, this caused confusion with a school called Benedictine school on the other side of the Parramatta River. So, in 1901, the station's name was changed to Camellia. This new name came from a nearby plant nursery called Camellia Grove Nursery, which grew many camellia flowers. This nursery was on land that was once part of Elizabeth Farm.
Important Historic Places
Camellia has some places that are listed for their historical importance.
- Grand Avenue: Sewage Pumping Station 67 is one of these sites.
In the northwest part of Camellia, there is a very old grave. It belongs to Eleanor Magee, a convict from the First Fleet, her child, and her unborn baby. They lost their lives in the Parramatta River in 1793 when their boat overturned. They were buried on land that belonged to Eleanor's husband, Christopher Magee. This is one of the oldest European graves in Australia.
What's in Camellia Today?
Camellia is mainly an area for industries and businesses. There is an office building near the railway station that has an Aldi supermarket. This site was once a large industrial plant.
Getting Around Camellia
Train and Light Rail
Camellia railway station used to be part of the Sydney Trains network on the Carlingford Line. The Sandown railway line also served the industries in Camellia, but passenger trains stopped running on it in 1991.
In 2015, plans were announced to change parts of the Carlingford railway line and the Sandown line into a new light rail system. This project is called the Parramatta Light Rail. One line will connect from Sydney Olympic Park to Camellia or Rydalmere, and then both lines will go to Westmead.
Main Roads
Grand Avenue is the main road that runs through Camellia.
Images for kids
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Grand Avenue, with decorative rocks
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Industry in Camellia
