Concord West, New South Wales facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Concord West Sydney, New South Wales
Thomas Walker Hospital, now Rivendell
Postcode(s)	2138
Elevation	17 m (56 ft)
Location	16 km (10 mi) west of Sydney CBD
LGA(s)	City of Canada Bay
State electorate(s)	Drummoyne Strathfield
Federal Division(s)	Reid
Suburbs around Concord West: Rhodes Ryde Putney Liberty Grove, Olympic Park Concord West Mortlake Homebush North Strathfield Concord

Concord West (sometimes called West Concord) is a suburb in Sydney's inner-west area, in New South Wales, Australia. It is about 16 kilometers west of the main Sydney city center. Concord West is part of the City of Canada Bay local government area. The suburb of Concord is a separate area, located to the east.

Concord West is surrounded by other suburbs. To the west, you'll find Rhodes, Liberty Grove, and Homebush Bay. To the south are North Strathfield and Homebush. To the east, it borders Concord, Breakfast Point, Cabarita, and Mortlake. Concord West shares the postcode 2138 with Rhodes.

The suburb gets its name from the town of Concord, Massachusetts in the United States of America.

History of Concord West

Concord West is named after Concord, Massachusetts, in the United States. This American town was famous for the Battle of Concord, which was one of the first battles of the American Revolutionary War (1775–1778). Some historians think the suburb was named Concord to encourage peace between soldiers and settlers in early Sydney. The first land grants in this area were given out in 1793.

A very important person in the history of this area was Thomas Walker (1804–1886). He was a kind person who used his wealth to help others. He lived in a large house called Yaralla, which was on the banks of the Parramatta River. When he passed away, Thomas Walker left a lot of money to build a special hospital. This hospital, called the Thomas Walker Hospital, was designed by Sir John Sulman. It was built on a big piece of land near Yaralla. Today, this hospital is known as Rivendell Child, Adolescent and Family Unit. It helps young people with mental health challenges.

Thomas Walker's daughter, Dame Eadith Walker (1861–1937), continued her father's good work. She received special awards for her efforts. The family home, Yaralla, later became the Dame Eadith Walker Hospital. Dame Eadith also helped to create the Concord Repatriation General Hospital.

The part of Concord that is north and west of the Concord Golf Club became its own separate suburb called "Concord West" in 1993.

Places of Historical Importance

Concord West has several places that are important because of their history:

• Hospital Road: The Thomas Walker Convalescent Hospital Buildings
• The Drive: The Yaralla Estate

Shopping and Services

Concord West has a group of shops right next to the Concord West railway station. There is also another shopping area along Concord Road.

Places to Visit

The Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway is a special pathway located near the Concord Repatriation General Hospital. It remembers the brave Australian soldiers who fought in New Guinea during the Second World War.

Getting Around

The Concord West railway station is on the Northern Line of the Sydney Trains network. This makes it easy to travel by train.

There are also many buses that serve the Concord West area, helping people get around.

Schools in the Area

• Concord West Public School teaches students from Kindergarten to Year 6.
• St Ambrose Catholic Primary School is a Catholic school for students from Kindergarten to Year 6.
• Victoria Avenue Public School is another government school for students from Kindergarten to Year 6.

Churches

• St. Ambrose Catholic Church

Concord West in Pop Culture

• The Concord Repatriation General Hospital was used for the outside shots of the fictional All Saints General Western Hospital in the Australian TV show All Saints.
• Part of the Australian mini-series Bangkok Hilton was filmed at the Thomas Walker Convalescent Hospital.
• The Hollywood movie Superman Returns included scenes filmed at Rivendell Hospital. It was shown as the Vanderworth Mansion in the movie.

Who Lives Here?

According to the 2021 census, there were 6,178 people living in Concord West. Many people living here have backgrounds from Australia (18.2%), England (18.0%), Italy (17.8%), China (14.7%), and Ireland (9.4%). About 60.9% of residents were born in Australia. Other common birthplaces include China (5.6%), Italy (3.6%), South Korea (2.7%), England (1.6%), and India (1.4%).

Most people (58.4%) speak only English at home. Other languages spoken include Italian (6.6%), Mandarin (6.5%), Cantonese (4.1%), Korean (3.2%), and Greek (2.6%). For religion, the most common responses were Catholic (40.8%) and No Religion (24.3%).

Well-Known Residents

• Sydney Weekender host Mike Whitney
• Luke Foley, who was a leader for the Labor Party in New South Wales.

Images for kids

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  The Concord Hotel

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  Concord West shops, viewed from the railway station

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  Concord Hospital

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  Yaralla, which is now the Dame Eadith Walker Hospital