Emu Heights, New South Wales facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Emu HeightsSydney, New South Wales |
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| Population | 3,289 (2016 census) | ||||||||||||||
| • Density | 956.1/km2 (2,476/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Established | 1831 | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 2750 | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation | 74 m (243 ft) | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 3.44 km2 (1.3 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Location | 58 km (36 mi) W of Sydney | ||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | City of Penrith | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Penrith | ||||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Lindsay | ||||||||||||||
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Emu Heights is a suburb located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It's about 58 kilometers west of the main city area of Sydney, within the City of Penrith. This area is the traditional land of the Dharug people, who have lived here for a very long time.
Emu Heights is nestled at the base of the Blue Mountains and sits on the western side of the Nepean River. It's just outside the main Sydney city area. The Nepean River forms its northern border. To the east and south, it borders Emu Plains, and to the west, it meets the City of Blue Mountains.
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History of Emu Heights
The land that is now Emu Heights was originally home to the Dharug people. They are the traditional owners of this land.
In 1831, a free settler named George Innes arrived from Bathurst. He was given about 400 acres (1.6 square kilometers) of land near McCann's Island. He named his new property "Emu Heights." However, the name "Emu Heights" wasn't officially used for the whole neighborhood until early 1976.
Schools in Emu Heights
Emu Heights Public School opened its doors in 1972. When it first started, there were only 87 students and three teachers. Today, the school has grown and teaches over 300 students!
The school focuses on seven main areas of learning. These include English, Mathematics, Science, and Information and Communication Technology. Students also learn about human society and its environment, the Creative Arts, and personal health and social development.
Parks and Nature
Emu Heights has some lovely green spaces for everyone to enjoy.
Clissold Park
Clissold Park is a great place to see many different kinds of Australian animals and plants. The park has facilities for basketball and netball, plus a fun playground for younger kids. While it doesn't have official sports fields, it's big enough for games and is often used by the community for local events.
A peaceful stream flows through the park, coming down from the mountains. Sometimes, during big storms, this stream can cause the park to flood.
Riverside Parkland
There's also a larger parkland at the northern end of Emu Heights, right next to the Nepean River. This area gives people easy access to the river. There are ideas to add sports fields and golf facilities here in the future.
Fishing and canoeing are very popular activities on this part of the river because power boats are not allowed. Many different kinds of native and migrating waterbirds can be seen here. Sadly, the native egg-laying mammal, the platypus, used to live in this part of the river in the early 1960s but is no longer found here.
Population Facts
The 2016 census counted 3,289 people living in Emu Heights. Here are some interesting facts about the community:
- About 3.4% of the people living here are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
- Most residents, about 85.3%, were born in Australia. The next largest group, 4.0%, were born in England.
- A large majority, 93.0% of people, speak only English at home.
- When it comes to religion, the most common choices were Catholic (32.6%), No Religion (24.0%), and Anglican (22.6%).
- The most common family backgrounds (ancestries) were English (30.4%), Australian (30.1%), Irish (10.5%), Scottish (7.9%), and German (3.2%).
- Almost all homes in Emu Heights, 98.6%, are separate houses.
