Lewisham, New South Wales facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lewisham Sydney, New South Wales
Aerial photograph of Lewisham in the 1930s showing from left, the railway line, Lewisham Hospital and Petersham Park
Postcode(s)	2049
Elevation	22 m (72 ft)
Area	0.64 km2 (0.2 sq mi)
Location	7 km (4 mi) south-west of Sydney CBD
LGA(s)	Inner West Council
State electorate(s)	Summer Hill Newtown
Federal Division(s)	Grayndler
Suburbs around Lewisham: Haberfield Leichhardt Leichhardt Summer Hill Lewisham Petersham Dulwich Hill Dulwich Hill Marrickville

Lewisham is a suburb located in the Inner West area of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is about 7 kilometres south-west of the main city centre of Sydney. Lewisham is part of the Inner West Council local government area.

History of Lewisham

Lewisham got its name in 1834 from a large property owned by Joshua Frey Josephson. He was a businessman from Germany who later became the mayor of Sydney. His property was named after a place in London called Lewisham. That name means "Leofsa's village or manor."

The first people to live in the Lewisham area were the Wangal clan. They were part of the Darug tribe. Old tools found near the Cooks River show that people lived here for at least 7,000 years.

When the First Fleet arrived in 1788, British settlers set up camp nearby. The first governor, Arthur Phillip, tried to be friendly with the local people. However, both groups needed the same food sources, which caused problems. In 1789, a serious illness spread and sadly, most of the local people died. By 1809, all the land in Lewisham had been given out to settlers.

Important Heritage Sites

Lewisham has several places that are protected because of their history. These are called heritage-listed sites. They include:

• The Long Cove Creek railway viaducts, Lewisham, which are part of the Great Southern and Western railway.
• The Lewisham Sewer Vent on The Boulevarde.
• The Lewisham Sewage Aqueduct over Long Cove Creek.

Getting Around Lewisham

Light rail service departing Lewisham West station

Lewisham railway station

Lewisham has good transport options. The Lewisham railway station is on the Inner West & Leppington Line. This train line connects Lewisham to the Sydney city centre. You can also get to other places like Strathfield, Burwood, Newtown, and Parramatta.

Lewisham is famous in railway history. It was the end point for the very first train trip in New South Wales in 1855. The actual train station wasn't built until 1885. The bridge over Long Cove Creek was built between 1885 and 1886. It used a special design from North America. This bridge site is very important for railway history in Australia.

There are also two Inner West Light Rail stations in Lewisham. These are Lewisham West and Taverners Hill. The light rail is useful for travelling to nearby areas. It also connects with Dulwich Hill railway station.

Many bus services run through Lewisham. The 413 bus goes between Campsie and the city. Other buses like the 461, 480, and 483 run along Parramatta Road. The 428/L28 and 445 buses use New Canterbury Road.

Schools in Lewisham

Lewisham has several schools for different ages.

• A Trinity Grammar School Infants School opened in 2006. It is located at 5 Thomas Street. This site used to be Saint Thomas Becket Primary School.
• Christian Brothers' High School is on The Boulevarde.
• Lewisham Public School is also on The Boulevarde.
• Petersham Public School is on the border of Lewisham and Petersham.
• The John Berne School and the Catholic Intensive English Centre are located where the former St Thomas Boys High School used to be.

Churches in Lewisham

St. Thomas Becket's Church Lewisham

Saint Thomas Becket's Catholic church is on Thomas Street. The Servants of Mary Help of Christians used to operate from the primary school hall. They are now in Camperdown.

Lewisham is also home to the Maternal Heart of Mary Latin Mass Parish. This church celebrates a special form of Catholic Mass. It is located behind St Thomas Becket's, on Charles O'Neill Way.

NASA image of Sydney's CBD and inner west suburbs, with borders of Lewisham shown in orange

People of Lewisham

In 2021, Lewisham had a population of 4,060 people. This was an increase from 3,164 people in 2016.

According to the 2011 census, Lewisham had 2,927 residents. Compared to nearby suburbs, fewer people in Lewisham were born overseas. After Australia, the most common birthplaces were England, New Zealand, and Portugal. Many people also spoke Greek and Portuguese. About 32 people (1.1%) identified as Indigenous Australians.

The census also showed how people live together. More people in Lewisham were in de facto relationships (living together without being married) than the average for New South Wales and Australia. Lewisham also had more people who said they had no religion.

Famous People from Lewisham

Some notable people have lived in Lewisham:

• Clive Caldwell (1910–1994) was a famous pilot during World War II.
• Les Haylen (1898–1977) was an author and a politician. He was a member of parliament for the area from 1943 to 1963.
• John Shand (1897–1959) was a well-known lawyer in Sydney. He worked on many important legal cases.
• Mother Xavier (1870–1938) was in charge of the Little Company of Mary. This group ran Lewisham Hospital and helped make it one of Sydney's best hospitals.
• Patrick Joseph Hartigan was a bush poet. He wrote under the name "John O'Grady."
• Percy Hordern (1864–1926) was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council. He passed away in Lewisham.