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Cheltenham, New South Wales facts for kids

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Cheltenham
SydneyNew South Wales
Cheltenham corner house-1w.jpg
House opposite Cheltenham Station
Population 2,166 (2021 census)
Postcode(s) 2119
Elevation 119 m (390 ft)
Location 18 km (11 mi) NW of Sydney CBD
LGA(s) Hornsby Shire
Region Northern Suburbs
State electorate(s) Epping
Federal Division(s) Berowra
Suburbs around Cheltenham:
Beecroft Pennant Hills Pennant Hills
Beecroft Cheltenham North Epping
Carlingford Epping Epping

Cheltenham is a suburb located in the northern part of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It's about 18 kilometres north-west of Sydney's main city centre. This area is known for its quiet, leafy streets and some beautiful old houses from the 1800s.

Cheltenham is a small place where most people live in houses. It has a special English feel to it. Even though it shares a postcode with the nearby suburb of Beecroft, people in Cheltenham often feel like their suburb is unique. They work together with Beecroft on local issues through a group called the Beecroft Cheltenham Civic Trust.

(1)Cheltenham house-4
A lovely home in Cheltenham

Discovering Cheltenham's Past

Cheltenham got its name from a house built by William Chorley. He was a tailor from Sydney who bought land here. He named his new house after his hometown, Cheltenham, in Gloucestershire, England.

Mr. Chorley even asked the government to build a train station near his property. When the station opened in 1898, it was named Cheltenham, just like his house! A road in the area, Sutherland Road, was named after John Sutherland, who was in charge of public works from 1887 to 1889.

Keeping History Alive: The Beecroft Cheltenham History Group

SLNSW 13411 Mrs Surgeons home at Cheltenham
A photo from 1941 of a home in Cheltenham

In 1987, some local history fans started the Beecroft Cheltenham History Group. Their goal was to record the history of both Beecroft and Cheltenham. They also wanted to collect and save old photos and other important information about the area.

Since 2005, this group has been part of the Beecroft Cheltenham Civic Trust. They have even published books! In 1995, they released a book about the history of Beecroft and Cheltenham up to 1914. Later, they published books about walks around the area and the Beecroft Children's Library.

Special Places in Cheltenham

Cheltenham has some places that are officially listed as heritage sites. This means they are important historical locations that need to be protected. One of these special places is:

  • 67 Cobran Road: This is the location of a property called Ahimsa.

Who Lives in Cheltenham?

Let's look at some interesting facts about the people who live in Cheltenham, based on information from the 2021 census. There were 2,166 people living there at that time.

A Mix of Cultures

Cheltenham is home to people from many different backgrounds!

  • Most people (64.2%) were born in Australia.
  • Other common birthplaces include China (9.5%), Hong Kong (3.6%), England (3.0%), India (2.3%), and Sri Lanka (1.7%).
  • The most common family backgrounds are English, Australian, and Chinese.
  • While most people speak English at home (66.1%), many also speak Mandarin (11.4%) or Cantonese (7.2%).

Age and Income

  • The average age of people in Cheltenham is 46 years old.
  • About 16.6% of the population are children under 15.
  • Cheltenham is known as a wealthy suburb. The average weekly income for a household here is much higher than the national average.
  • Most homes in Cheltenham (95.7%) are separate houses.

Beliefs and Religions

When it comes to religion, many people in Cheltenham say they have no religion (39.2%). Other common religions include Anglican (15.2%), Catholic (14.1%), Hinduism (4.1%), and Buddhism (3.5%).

Getting Around Cheltenham

Train Travel

Cheltenham railway station is part of Sydney's train network, on the Northern Line. It's quite unique because it doesn't have a busy shopping area around it. This is because William Chorley, who named the suburb, put rules on the land around the station to keep it residential.

Roads and Motorways

The M2 Hills Motorway runs along the southern edge of Cheltenham. For many years, Sutherland Road was a busy shortcut through Cheltenham and Beecroft. However, when the M2 motorway opened in 1997, Sutherland Road was closed where it met the M2. This made the areas east of the railway line much quieter, which has been good for the value of homes there.

Schools in the Area

Cheltenham is home to Cheltenham Girls' High School, which is a government school. It's located along Beecroft Road and The Promenade. Nearby, in Beecroft, you can find primary schools like Beecroft Public School and Arden Anglican School.

Shopping Near Cheltenham

From the very beginning, Cheltenham was planned to be a place just for homes, without any shops. So, if you live in Cheltenham, you'll usually do your shopping in nearby suburbs like Beecroft, Pennant Hills, or Epping. The closest big shopping centre is in Carlingford.

Ahimsa: A Special Bush Retreat

Ahimsa is the name of a special bush retreat located on Cobran Road. The word "Ahimsa" comes from India and means "non-violence." This property was once the home of a famous environmentalist named Marie Byles, who passed away there in 1979.

You can find Ahimsa at the back of Day Road and Cobran Road. The National Trust of Australia looks after the site. While the house itself is rented out, the beautiful bush area is open to the public, though there are some rules to follow.

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