Jamisontown facts for kids

Jamisontown is a suburb located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is about 56 kilometers west of Sydney's main city area. This suburb is part of the City of Penrith and is found in the Greater Western Sydney region. It sits on the eastern side of the Nepean River, just south of Penrith. The name Jamisontown comes from Thomas Jamison, an early landowner and a surgeon who arrived with the First Fleet.

A Look Back at Jamisontown's History

First People of Jamisontown

Before Europeans arrived, the Mulgoa people lived in what is now Jamisontown. They spoke the Darug language. These people lived by hunting animals like kangaroos and emus for food. They also gathered plants, sweet potatoes, and berries. Their homes were simple bark huts called 'gunyahs'. Their way of life followed traditional laws based on the Dreamtime, which are ancient stories explaining the world.

European Settlement and Growth

In 1805, a man named Thomas Jamison was given a large piece of land, about 1000 acres (4 square kilometers), along the Nepean River. He was the main surgeon for the New South Wales colony at that time. Later, his son, Sir John Jamison, took over the property. Sir John was a well-known doctor and landowner. He built a grand house called Regentville nearby in the 1820s, but it was later destroyed by fire.

For about 150 years, the land in Jamisontown remained mostly rural. In 1911, an important event happened here: William Ewart Hart took off from Jamisontown for Australia's first cross-country flight. In the 1960s, the area began to be divided into smaller plots and developed. In 1976, Jamisontown was officially recognized as a neighborhood.

Local Sikh people also formed the Sydney Gurdwara Penrith (Sikh Association of Australia).

Getting Around Jamisontown

Mulgoa Road is the main road in Jamisontown. It connects the suburb to Penrith and the M4 Western Motorway. The M4 provides a quick way to get to greater Sydney and the Blue Mountains. The closest train station is Penrith, which is part of the Sydney Trains network.

Busways offers three bus services in the area. Route 791 connects Jamisontown to Penrith. Route 795 goes between Jamisontown, Penrith, and Mulgoa. Route 797 links Jamisontown to Penrith and Glenmore Park.

Fun Places to Visit

The Penrith Ice Palace is a popular attraction located in Jamisontown, close to the river. It's a great place for ice skating!

Schools in Jamisontown

Jamisontown Public School is the only school located within the suburb itself. Jamison High School, despite its name, is actually found in South Penrith.

Who Lives in Jamisontown?

Population Details

According to the 2016 Australian census, there were 5,500 people living in Jamisontown.

• About 3.2% of the people were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander.
• The most common backgrounds were English (28.4%), Australian (27.3%), Irish (8.6%), Scottish (6.6%), and German (3.1%).
• Most people (74.9%) were born in Australia. The next most common country of birth was England, at 4.7%.
• A large majority (83.6%) of people spoke only English at home.
• For religion, the most common answers were Catholic (28.4%), No Religion (23.9%), and Anglican (22.3%).

Famous People from Jamisontown

• Thomas Jamison (1745–1811) was a surgeon-general in New South Wales and an early landowner in Jamisontown.

How Jamisontown is Governed

Jamisontown is part of the local government area called Penrith City Council. This council helps manage local services and decisions for the community. The suburb is in the south ward, which is represented by several council members.

At the state level, Jamisontown is part of the Electoral district of Penrith. This means people in Jamisontown vote for a representative in the state parliament. Currently, Stuart Ayres from the Liberal Party represents this area.

At the federal level, Jamisontown is part of the Division of Lindsay. This area is represented in the national parliament by Melissa McIntosh from the Liberal Party.