Cranebrook, New South Wales facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cranebrook Sydney, New South Wales
Sydney International Regatta Centre
Cranebrook Location in New South Wales
Population	15,759 (2016 census)
Established	1804
Postcode(s)	2749
Elevation	40 m (131 ft)
Location	65 km (40 mi) west of Sydney CBD
LGA(s)	Penrith City Council
State electorate(s)	Penrith Londonderry
Federal Division(s)	Lindsay
Suburbs around Cranebrook: Castlereagh Londonderry Londonderry Castlereagh Cranebrook Llandilo Jordan Springs Mount Riverview Penrith Cambridge Gardens

Cranebrook is a suburb located in Greater Western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is about 65 kilometers (40 miles) west-northwest of the main city area of Sydney. Cranebrook is part of the City of Penrith local government area.

This suburb is surrounded by rural areas like Castlereagh, Llandilo, and Londonderry. It also includes the Mount Pleasant housing area.

History of Cranebrook

Cranebrook got its name from an early farmer named James McCarthy. In 1804, he received 100 acres (about 400,000 square meters) of land. He called his farm "Crane Brook farm" because there were many cranes in the area.

James McCarthy also started a cemetery in 1804. After his four-year-old daughter passed away, he set aside land to bury her. This became one of the first Catholic cemeteries in Australia. A post office in Cranebrook opened in 1886, closed in 1929, reopened in 1934, and then closed again in 1957.

Exploring Cranebrook's Geography

Cranebrook has a hilly landscape. Many people living on the western side of the suburb can enjoy beautiful views. They can see across the Nepean River to the Blue Mountains. Residents on the eastern side have views over the ADI Site. This area is rich in native trees and is home to many kangaroos.

The Northern Road separates Cranebrook (on the west) from the ADI Site (on the east). This ADI Site is a large area of land, about 15 square kilometers in size. The southern edge of Cranebrook is Andrews Road, and the northern edge is Smeeton Road. The western edge is Castlereagh Road and Church Street. Near here is McCarthys Lane Cemetery, which is thought to be Australia's oldest Catholic cemetery.

The Penrith Lakes Scheme

West of Castlereagh Road, you'll find the Penrith Lakes. These are a group of lakes that were once quarries. Quarries are places where materials like sand and stone are dug out of the ground. These quarries started in 1979. Today, the site provides about 75% of Sydney's sand and crushed stone. This includes about 85% of the materials needed for concrete.

One of these lakes is the Sydney International Regatta Centre. This center hosted the rowing events for the Sydney 2000 Olympics. There is also the popular Penrith Whitewater Stadium. This stadium hosted the whitewater slalom events for the same Sydney 2000 Olympics. The Penrith Lakes Development Corporation (PLDC) manages how the Penrith Lakes Scheme is used.

Many people think these lakes are filled by the Nepean River. However, they are actually filled by rainwater and ground water. When the Nepean River floods, the lakes system can help control the water levels. There are plans to make sure the Penrith Lakes area offers many benefits. These include environmental, social, cultural, and economic values. The PLDC has a community group that meets regularly to give advice on the lakes' development.

The lakes were also used as a filming location for the movie Mad Max: Fury Road in 2015.

Who Lives in Cranebrook?

According to the 2016 census, there were 15,759 people living in Cranebrook.

• About 5.2% of the people were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander.
• The average age of people in Cranebrook was 32. This is younger than the national average age of 38.
• Most people, about 79.5%, were born in Australia.
• The next most common countries of birth were England (3.4%), New Zealand (1.7%), Philippines (0.8%), and India (0.7%).
• Most people (86.1%) spoke only English at home. Other languages spoken included Spanish (0.7%) and Maltese (0.6%).
• The most common religions were Catholic (32.3%), No Religion (25.0%), and Anglican (20.6%).

Shopping and Services

The main shopping area in Cranebrook is on Borrowdale Way. Here you can find a shopping center and some parkland.

Getting Around Cranebrook

Residents of Cranebrook can easily get to Penrith. They can travel south on The Northern Road or Castlereagh Road. This car trip takes about 10 minutes. People can also travel north to Windsor and Richmond. These towns are about 10–15 minutes away by car.

To get to the Sydney city center, which is 65 kilometers away, you can drive down The Northern Road to the M4 Motorway. Another option is to take a train from Penrith Railway Station. Cranebrook itself does not have a train station. However, there are buses that can take residents into Penrith.

Schools in Cranebrook

Cranebrook has three public primary schools: Braddock Public School, Henry Fulton Public School, and Samuel Terry Public School. The local public high school is Cranebrook High School.

There is also a Catholic primary school called Corpus Christi, located in northern Cranebrook. St Paul's Grammar School is a private Christian school that offers the IB Diploma Programme.

Churches in Cranebrook

There are two churches in Cranebrook. These are Corpus Christi Catholic Church on Andromeda Drive and St Thomas's Anglican Church on Callisto Drive.

Housing in Cranebrook

Cranebrook is mostly a residential area, meaning it has many homes. It has mostly medium-density housing, which means houses are built fairly close together. Towards the north, there is some low-density semi-rural housing. While some of the older semi-rural areas date back to when Cranebrook was first settled, much of the medium-density housing has been built in the last 15 years. New homes are still being built regularly.

The population is mainly local families. Many of them own their homes or hope to own a home. There are some units and semi-detached houses in the Mount Pleasant area. However, most homes are detached houses with good-sized yards. They often have well-kept gardens and many mature native trees.

In 2010, a new housing community called Waterside was built in the southwestern part of Cranebrook. This development has 694 homes, along with lakes and parklands. Soon after Waterside was finished, a new development called Jordan Springs was built east of Cranebrook. This area was once part of the Australian Defence Industry land. It shares a border with Cranebrook along The Northern Road.