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Cardiff, New South Wales facts for kids

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This page is about the place in New South Wales, Australia. For the city in (old) South Wales, United Kingdom, see Cardiff.
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Cardiff
Greater Newcastle, New South Wales
Cardiff Main Rd E from Veronica.jpg
Main Rd looking east from Veronica Street, Cardiff
Cardiff is located in the Hunter-Central Coast Region
Cardiff
Cardiff
Location in the Hunter-Central Coast Region
Population 6,318 (2021 census)
 • Density 463/km2 (1,200/sq mi)
Postcode(s) 2285
Elevation 19 m (62 ft)
Area 8.3 km2 (3.2 sq mi)
Location
LGA(s) Lake Macquarie
Parish Kahibah
State electorate(s)
  • Lake Macquarie
  • Wallsend
  • Charlestown
Federal Division(s)
Suburbs around Cardiff:
Argenton Glendale Cardiff Heights
Boolaroo Cardiff Garden Suburb
Macquarie Hills Cardiff South Garden Suburb

Cardiff is a town in New South Wales, Australia. It is part of the Lake Macquarie area. You can find it about 17 kilometres (11 mi) west of Newcastle.

Cardiff has schools for all ages. It also has a busy town centre. Here you can find shops, a post office, and places to eat.

History of Cardiff

The first people to live in this area were the Awabakal Aboriginal people. They were the original owners of this land.

In 1833, a large piece of land was given to George Weller. It was about 2,560 acres (10.4 km2) big. Later, more settlers came to the area starting in 1862. This place was first called Winding Creek. This name came from a stream that flowed through the valley.

Why Cardiff Grew

In the late 1800s, two main things brought people to Winding Creek:

  • Coal Mining: Coal mines like Lymington (1882) and South Wallsend (1884) opened. These mines were near where Cardiff South is today.
  • Railway Construction: Work began on the Sydney to Newcastle railway in 1883. Many workers came to Winding Creek to build the tracks. The railway line was later moved to its current spot. This was because the original path was too steep for trains.

For a short time, the area was called Lymington. But the postal service said it was too similar to another town's name. Many Welsh settlers lived here. One of them, James Edwards, suggested the name Cardiff. This was after the capital city of Wales. The name Cardiff became official in 1889.

Schools in Cardiff

Cardiff has several schools for young people:

  • Cardiff Public School (government primary)
  • Cardiff North Public School (government primary)
  • St. Kevin's Primary School (Catholic primary)
  • Cardiff High School (government secondary)

Cardiff High School opened in 1962. It serves students from Cardiff and nearby areas. These include Cardiff South and Macquarie Hills. The school celebrated its 50th birthday in 2013.

Who Lives in Cardiff?

The 2016 census counted 5,830 people in Cardiff and its surrounding areas.

  • About 4.0% of people were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander.
  • Most people (86.0%) were born in Australia. The next largest group came from England (1.7%).
  • Most homes (90.8%) spoke only English.
  • The most common religions were No Religion (32.5%), Catholic (20.7%), and Anglican (20.1%).

Shopping in Cardiff

Cardiff has a small shopping centre. It also has many smaller shops. You can find two supermarkets here.

The Cardiff Shopping Centre has a liquor store, a newsagency, and a bakery. There is also a sushi cafe, a hairdresser, and a travel agency.

Sports Clubs

Cardiff has many sports clubs for different activities:

  • Cricket (Warners Bay–Cardiff Junior Cricket Club, Cardiff–Boolaroo District Cricket Club, Ulinga Cricket Club)
  • Rugby League (Cardiff Cougars, Cardiff Cobras)
  • Football (soccer) (Cardiff JSFC)
  • Lawn Bowls (Cardiff Bowling Club)
  • Netball (Cardiff Netball Club)
  • Australian rules football (Cardiff Hawks)

Cardiff's Industrial Area

Cardiff is a big place for jobs. This is because of the Cardiff Industrial Estate. It employs the most people in the entire Hunter region.

Getting to some parts of this industrial area can be tricky. One road, Munibung Road, often gets very busy. It also has many accidents. The main entrance to the industrial estate also faces heavy traffic.

Future Plans

There are plans to extend Pennant Street. This would create a new road over the railway line. It would connect to Main Road and the Stockland Glendale shopping centre. The plan also includes a new railway station. This station would make it easier to get to the industrial estate and the shopping centre. This project is ready to go, but it needs money from the state government.

In 2021, Munibung Road was extended. It now connects to T C Frith Avenue in Boolaroo. This new section goes through a redeveloped area.

Cardiff Railway Station

Cardiff railway station, NSW
Cardiff railway station

The main northern railway line runs through Cardiff. It passes north of the industrial area and town centre. Cardiff railway station is on Main Road. It is up a steep hill from the town centre.

The station has one island platform. This platform is located between the two train tracks.

There are two car parks on the south side of the station. One small car park is right next to the tracks. A larger car park is down a steep staircase. Both car parks can also be reached by lifts.

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