Granville, New South Wales facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Granville Sydney, New South Wales
Granville Town Hall (2024)
Established	1855
Postcode(s)	2142
Elevation	17 m (56 ft)
Area	3.3 km2 (1.3 sq mi)
Location	18 km (11 mi) W of Sydney CBD
LGA(s)	Cumberland City Council City of Parramatta
State electorate(s)	Granville
Federal Division(s)	Parramatta
Suburbs around Granville: Harris Park Rosehill Silverwater Merrylands Parramatta Granville Clyde Guildford South Granville Auburn

Granville is a suburb located in Western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is about 18 kilometers (11 miles) west of the main city area of Sydney. Granville is part of two local government areas: Cumberland City Council and the City of Parramatta.

South Granville is a different suburb nearby. The Duck River forms a natural boundary on the eastern side, separating Granville from Auburn.

Granville's Early History

In 1855, the area we now call Granville was known as Parramatta Junction. This name came from its importance as the final stop of New South Wales' first railway line. The train line ran from Sydney to this area, which helped it grow and attract new businesses.

In the early days, people cut down trees in the area to use as fuel for steam engines in Sydney and Parramatta. Later, the wood was used for firewood. Some tree barks were also used by leather makers or for roofing simple huts. By the 1860s, most of the timber was gone.

In 1862, a large property called Drainville was divided into smaller blocks for homes and farms. A few years later, a factory that made tweed fabric was built, using water from the Duck River. In 1878, Granville got its own post office.

How Granville Got Its Name

The name 'Parramatta Junction' was used until 1880. People held two public meetings to choose a new name. Some funny names were suggested, like Drainwell and Swagsville! But in the end, they chose Granville. This name honored a British politician named Granville Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville. Even though some people thought the name sounded "too French," it stuck.

At that time, Granville was a small place with only a few hundred residents. Early farmers tried to grow grapes, but the land wasn't right for it. They also found that fruit trees were damaged by flying foxes. So, the open grasslands became mostly used for dairy cows.

Granville had its own local government, called the Granville Municipality, starting in 1885. This council managed the area until 1948, when it became part of the larger City of Parramatta.

Important Events in Granville

On Anzac Day in 1974, Granville experienced severe flooding from Duck Creek due to very heavy rain. This flood caused a lot of damage, including to the local RSL club, where many old photos were lost.

Granville is also known for the Granville railway disaster. This terrible event happened on January 18, 1977. A train derailed and hit a bridge, causing the bridge to collapse. Sadly, 83 people died, making it the worst train accident in Australian history.

Historic Places in Granville

Granville has several places that are important for their history. These are called heritage-listed sites:

• 10 Carlton Street: Granville Town Hall
• 157 Blaxcell Street: Crest Theatre

Buildings and Local Attractions

St. Aphanasius Ukrainian Autocephalic Orthodox church

Granville has a mix of homes, shops, and industrial areas. The main commercial and residential parts are near Granville railway station and Parramatta Road. Many homes are older styles, like weatherboard or brick houses. You can also find more modern apartment buildings, especially close to the train station.

Some interesting buildings to see include:

• The Granville Town Hall, built in 1888.
• The Royal Hotel, which has a similar style to the Town Hall.
• The Former School of Arts building on Good Street, built in 1883.
• St. Marks Anglican Church, which dates back to 1882.
• St. Aphanasius Church, a Ukrainian Orthodox church with unique onion domes, built in 1956.
• The White Palace in South Street, which has cool Art Deco designs on its outside.
• The Granville RSL building, with its interesting modern design of intersecting circles.

The Crest Theatre

The "Crest" Theatre, originally a movie theatre.

The Crest building, located on the corner of Blaxcell and Redfern Streets, was built in 1948 by Hoyts as a movie theater. It showed films until 1963. The building has a unique Quonset hut shape, but its front and inside show a mix of Art Deco and modern styles, like the grand "Picture Palaces" of that time. Today, it is used as a place for events and functions.

The Crest Theatre is considered very important and is listed on the NSW State Heritage Register. It's one of the few cinemas built in Australia during the 1940s that is still largely original, both inside and out.

Getting Around Granville

Train Travel

Granville railway station is a busy station on the Sydney Trains network. It serves the T1 Northern and Western Lines and T2 Inner West & Leppington Line. The station is easy to access for people using wheelchairs. There's also a bus interchange, a car park, and bike racks right next to the station.

Bus Services

Granville has a new bus interchange. Several bus routes run through Granville railway station, connecting it to other suburbs like Parramatta, Fairfield, Hurstville, and Sefton. There's also a special NightRide bus service for late-night travel.

Roads and Highways

Parramatta Road has always been a very important road for Sydney. It connects to the Great Western Highway, which is a major route to the west of the state. The M4 Western Motorway runs alongside the Great Western Highway and helps reduce traffic on the older roads. There are easy ways to get on and off the M4 near Parramatta.

Education in Granville

Granville has a large TAFE college, which offers many different courses. There are also several schools, including Granville Boys High School, Delany College, Granville Public School, Granville East Public School, Blaxcell Street Public School, and Holy Family Catholic School. The suburb also has a public library run by Cumberland Council.

Culture and Sports

The Granville RSL Club at sunset

Sports and Recreation

Granville has an Olympic-sized swimming pool and a great facility for soccer. Garside Park is a historic sports ground where the Granville Rage soccer club plays.

Sydney Speedway is a 460-meter (500-yard) dirt track for racing. It opened in 1977 at the old Granville Showground. This speedway is mainly for Sprintcars and has been home to many famous Australian drivers. It's also the only place outside North or Central America to host a round of the famous World of Outlaws sprintcar series.

The Granville Magpies Soccer Club has been playing in Sydney competitions since the early 1880s. They originally played behind Hudson Brothers' Works in Clyde before moving to what is now F.S. Garside Park.

Granville's Population

Granville is a very diverse suburb with people from many different backgrounds.

Who Lives in Granville?

According to the 2016 census, Granville had a population of 15,332 people.

• More than half of the people (66.3%) were born outside Australia. The top countries of birth were India, China, Nepal, Lebanon, and the Philippines.
• About one in five people (21.9%) spoke only English at home. Many other languages are spoken, including Arabic, Nepali, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Hindi.
• For religious beliefs, the most common responses were Catholic, Islam, Hinduism, and No Religion.

Famous People from Granville

Many notable people have connections to Granville:

• John Devitt (1937-2023), an Olympic gold medalist in swimming.
• Jack Ferguson (1924–2002), a former deputy premier of New South Wales.
• Mark Geyer (born 1967), a rugby league player.
• Paul Hogan (born 1940), a famous actor, known for Crocodile Dundee.
• Judy Stone (born 1942), an Australian pop singer.