Kirkham, New South Wales facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kirkham Sydney, New South Wales
Camelot, Kirkham (around 1900)
Population	694 (2011 census)
Postcode(s)	2570
Elevation	79 m (259 ft)
Location	64 km (40 mi) from Sydney CBD
LGA(s)	Camden Council
State electorate(s)	Camden
Federal Division(s)	Hume
Suburbs around Kirkham: Cobbitty Cobbitty Harrington Park Cobbitty Kirkham Narellan Camden Camden Elderslie

The stables of John Oxley's Kirkham property

Kirkham is a small area, or suburb, located in the Macarthur Region of Sydney. It is in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Kirkham is part of the Camden Council area. Much of Kirkham is currently undeveloped. It might stay that way because many parts of it are low and can flood easily.

A Glimpse into Kirkham's Past

Who Lived Here First?

The land we now call Kirkham was originally home to the Muringong people. They were the southernmost group of the Darug people, who are the traditional owners of this land.

Early European Settlers and Land Grants

In 1805, a man named John Macarthur started a large farm in nearby Camden. He was famous for raising merino sheep, which produce fine wool. A few years later, in 1810, an explorer named John Oxley was given about 600 acres (2.4 square kilometers) of land nearby. He named his new property Kirkham, after the place where he was born in Yorkshire, England.

Kirkham's Connection to "A Place to Call Home"

You might have heard of Kirkham from the TV show A Place to Call Home. The show featured a fictional house called Ash Park. This house is actually a real property named Camelot, which is located on John Oxley's old land in Kirkham. Oxley's original home was also called Kirkham. Today, only the stables from his original property remain.

The Story of Camelot House

The beautiful house known as Camelot was designed by an architect from Canada, John Horbury Hunt. It was built around 1888 for James White, who was a politician in New South Wales. The house was built on the site of Oxley's old Kirkham Mill. It was first called Kirkham, just like Oxley's property.

The name was changed to Camelot in 1900 by a new owner, Frances Faithful-Anderson. When she saw the house, it reminded her of lines from a poem by Tennyson called "The Lady of Shalott", which mentions the legendary place of Camelot. This historic house is very important and is protected by heritage lists at both the state and federal levels.

People and Community in Kirkham

Understanding the Population

In 2006, a survey found that Kirkham had 655 people living there. Most people in Kirkham, about 84%, were born in Australia. A smaller number were born in England (5%) or Scotland (2%).

Money and Homes

The average weekly income for people in Kirkham was higher than the national average. However, the average monthly payments for home loans were also much higher than the national average. This means that while people earned more, they also had higher housing costs.

How Kirkham is Governed

Local Government and Representatives

Kirkham is part of the south ward of Camden Council. This ward is represented by elected officials called councillors. The local mayor is Theresa Fedeli.

State and Federal Government

For the federal government, Kirkham is part of the Macarthur electorate. This area is represented by a member of parliament. For the state government, Kirkham is in the Camden electorate. This area is also represented by a member of parliament in the state government.