City of Canterbury (New South Wales) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids City of Canterbury New South Wales
Location in Metropolitan Sydney
Population	146,314 (2012)
• Density	4,303.45/km2 (11,145.9/sq mi)
Established	17 March 1879 (Municipality) 16 November 1993 (City)
Abolished	12 May 2016 (2016-05-12)
Area	34 km2 (13.1 sq mi)
Mayor	Brian Robson (Labor Labor)
Council seat	Canterbury Administration Building, Campsie
Region	Inner West South West
Website	City of Canterbury
LGAs around City of Canterbury: Strathfield Burwood Ashfield Bankstown City of Canterbury Marrickville Bankstown Hurstville Rockdale

The City of Canterbury was a special area in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, that had its own local government. It was located in the south-west part of Sydney. This city was mostly made up of homes and some small factories. It was also a place where people from over 130 different countries lived! Many people who lived there were born overseas, so it was known as the "City of Cultural Diversity." It started as the Municipality of Canterbury in 1879 and became the City of Canterbury in 1993.

The last leader, called the Mayor, was Brian Robson. The City of Canterbury Council stopped existing on 12 May 2016. It joined with the City of Bankstown to form a new, bigger council called the City of Canterbury-Bankstown.

What Suburbs Were in Canterbury?

The City of Canterbury included many suburbs. Here are some of the main ones:

A Look Back: History of Canterbury

Canterbury Town Hall

Long before European settlers arrived, Indigenous Australians lived in this area for thousands of years. In 1770, explorers from the ship HM Bark Endeavour explored the land along the Cooks River. In 1793, the first land grant was given to Reverend Richard Johnson, who was the chaplain of the First Fleet. He named the area Canterbury Vale.

More homes started to be built in the 1880s. A train line was extended to Canterbury in 1895. This helped more people move to the area, and it became very populated.

Local residents asked the State Government for their own council. So, the Municipality of Canterbury was officially created on 17 March 1879. The council first met in the home of the first mayor, John Sproule. The Canterbury Town Hall opened in 1889. Later, in 1963, the main council office moved to Campsie. On 16 November 1993, the area was officially named the City of Canterbury.

Why Did Canterbury Merge?

In 2015, the NSW Government looked at how local government areas were set up. They suggested that the City of Canterbury should join with the City of Bankstown. This would create a new, larger council. On 12 May 2016, the merger happened. This created the new City of Canterbury-Bankstown council.

Who Lived in Canterbury? (Demographics)

At the 2011 Census, about 137,454 people lived in the City of Canterbury. The average age of people living there was 35 years old. About 20% of the population were children aged 0 to 14 years.

The City of Canterbury was known for its many different cultures. The top five backgrounds people identified with were:

• Chinese
• Australian
• Lebanese
• Greek
• English

Many different languages were spoken at home, besides English. The most common languages were:

• Arabic
• Greek
• Mandarin
• Cantonese
• Vietnamese

Campsie Early Childhood Centre, designed in 1954.

People in Canterbury (2001-2011)
Census year			2001	2006	2011
Population		Number of residents	129,935	129,963	137,454
		% of New South Wales population			1.99%
		% of Australian population	0.69%	0.65%	0.64%
		Cultural and language diversity
Ancestry, top responses		Chinese			11.6%
		Australian			9.7%
		Lebanese			9.5%
		Greek			9.5%
		English			8.9%
Language, top responses (other than English)		Arabic	12.2%	10.1%	13.2%
		Greek	11.1%	10.4%	9.8%
		Mandarin	1.7%	2.7%	5.6%
		Cantonese	2.7%	3.3%	5.5%
		Vietnamese	n/c	2.2%	3.8%
Religious affiliation
Religious affiliation, top responses		Catholic	43.4%	41.7%	25.6%
		Islam	5.1%	5.1%	16.6%
		Eastern Orthodox	15.8%	13.4%	13.6%
		No religion	11.1%	13.4%	12.5%
		Buddhism	n/c	n/c	6.1%
Median weekly incomes
Personal income		Average weekly personal income		A$366	A$430
		Household income		Average weekly household income		A$1,007	A$1,029

Symbols of Canterbury: Coat of Arms and Logo

Arms of City of Canterbury

Notes The arms of the City of Canterbury, granted by Letters of the King of Arms, College of Arms, designed by H. Ellis Tomlinson on the occasion of the centenary of the Municipality of Canterbury, consist of: Crest On a wreath of the colours, within a circlet of six mullets each of eight points or, a mount vert issuant therefrom a cross formy fitchy sable entwined with a rose argent, barbed, seeded, stalked, leaved and slipped proper. Escutcheon Argent a bar wavy azure between three choughs proper, each holding in the dexter foot a cross formy fitchy sable, on a chief gules a lion couchant guardant. Argent a bar wavy azure between three choughs proper, each holding in the dexter foot a cross formy fitchy sable, on a chief gules a lion couchant guardant. Supporters On either side a sea-horse argent gorged with a collar wavy azure charged with two Polar Stars or, one being manifest, and holding in the mouth a sprig of Canterbury Bell proper with five flowers azure. Motto MAGNUM NOMEN HABEMUS ("We bear a great name") Symbolism The shield is based on arms of Canterbury, Kent, England, which displays a gold lion on red above the three choughs , attributed as the arms of St. Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury 1162–1170. To the choughs is added a blue wave for Cooks River, and each holds a distinctive black cross from the arms of the Archbishop of Canterbury. At the top of the shield, the gold lion is taken from the former council seal. The Crest is set in the colours of white and blue, the NSW colours, and refers to the foundation and naming of Canterbury by the Reverend Richard Johnson, appointed as the State's first chaplain in 1786. A ring of gold stars from the State arms encloses a grassy mound representing Johnson's grant of Brickfield Hill in which is fixed the Canterbury cross to denote his foundation of the Church in the place named Canterbury Vale. His Yorkshire origins are indicated by the White Rose of York. The Supporters are a marine version of the White horse of Kent, England, of which the City of Canterbury is the capital. These 'sea-horses' denote coastal or river traffic, charged with the Polar Star from James Cook's arms. In their mouths are sprays of the Canterbury Bell flower, also taken from the former seal.

The City of Canterbury had its own special symbols, like a coat of arms and a logo.

What Was the Logo Like?

The council's logo, used until 2016, had two "C" shapes in black and white. These were crossed by a light blue wave. This wave represented the Cooks River, which flows through the area.

Friends Around the World: Sister Cities

The City of Canterbury had "sister city" relationships with two places in other countries. This means they shared cultural and friendly ties.

• Eunpyong-gu, Seoul, South Korea. A special garden in Campsie was made in 2000 to celebrate this friendship, which started in 1988.
• Patras, Greece.

Images for kids

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  The Administration Building in Campsie. This was the main office for Canterbury Council from 1963 to 2016.

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  John Sproule (1838–1905) was the first Mayor of Canterbury from 1879 to 1880.