Chester Hill facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chester Hill Sydney, New South Wales
Nugent Park, Chester Hill
Population	12,814 (2016 census)
Postcode(s)	2162
Location	19 km (12 mi) west of Sydney CBD
LGA(s)	City of Canterbury-Bankstown Cumberland Council
State electorate(s)	Auburn Bankstown
Federal Division(s)	Blaxland
Localities around Chester Hill: Guildford Old Guildford South Granville Auburn Villawood Chester Hill Sefton Bass Hill Bass Hill Bass Hill

Chester Hill, a suburb of the City of Canterbury-Bankstown local government area, is located 19 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the state of New South Wales, Australia, and is part of Western Sydney, Chester Hill shares the postcode of 2162 with the neighbouring suburb of Sefton.

History

The name for Chester Hill is an inversion of Hillchester which some have thought to be an English locality but such does not seem to exist. 'Chester' is one of the English forms of the Latin word 'castra' meaning a fortified camp. The name for the suburb was conferred by Mrs H. A. McMillan, who first wished to call the place Hillcrest, after an estate near Regent's Park, and then Hillchester but neither of these names met with official approval.

Originally part of John Thomas Campbell's estate, known as Campbell Hill, it covered 1,000 acres (4.0 km²). Land was used for market gardens and orchards until the opening of the railway line in 1924 when the area developed into residential and light industrial.

A significant tract of land between Priam and Hector Streets had been occupied by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) from the 1960s. This area was used for accommodation and mess facilities for the nearby 2 Stores Depot (Regents Park) and the Ground Equipment Maintenance Squadron (Villawood). These properties were disposed of and subsequently acquired first by the Southern Cross Bible College and then by Salamah (Muslim) College.

Transport

• Chester Hill railway station is on the Bankstown Line of the Sydney Trains network.
• Bus links to Parramatta and Bankstown

Parks and recreation

Parks in Chester Hill include Campbell Hill Reserve, Everley Park, Nugent Park, the Terry Lamb Complex, which incorporates Frank Bamfield Oval, and Abbott Park which is home to the Chester Hill Youth Cricket Club and Chester Hill Hornets Junior Rugby League Club. Recreational amenities also include an RSL Club, bowling club and community garden.

Population

Demographics

According to the 2011 census, there were 11,752 residents in Chester Hill. 54.8% of people were born in Australia. The most common other countries of birth were Vietnam 10.1%, Lebanon 6.5% and China 3.0%. In Chester Hill 39.1% of people only spoke English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Arabic 20.0%, Vietnamese 11.9% and Cantonese 5.5%. The median household weekly income in Chester Hill was $935, lower than the national median of $1,234.

Chester Hill is officially the gun capital of Sydney, with one registered firearm for every 3.8 residents according to 2015 police data.

Notable residents

• Christian Heim - composer and medical researcher who grew up in Chester Hill
• Terry Lamb - former rugby league player with the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and Australian Test side—a long-term Chester Hill resident
• Rebecca Rippon - Australian women's water polo player and 2008 Beijing Olympic Games bronze medallist

Images for kids

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  Waldron Road shops