Lilyfield, New South Wales facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lilyfield Sydney, New South Wales
Sensory Park in Leichhardt Park
Lilyfield Location in New South Wales
Postcode(s)	2040
Elevation	37 m (121 ft)
Area	2.2 km2 (0.8 sq mi)
Location	6 km (4 mi) west of Sydney CBD
LGA(s)	Inner West Council
State electorate(s)	Balmain
Federal Division(s)	Grayndler
Suburbs around Lilyfield: Rodd Point Drummoyne Rozelle Haberfield Lilyfield Glebe Annandale Leichhardt Forest Lodge

Lilyfield is a cool suburb in the Inner West of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It's about 6 kilometres west of the main city centre, the Sydney central business district. Lilyfield is part of the Inner West Council area.

This suburb is tucked between Annandale, Rozelle and Leichhardt. To the west, it borders Iron Cove. Lilyfield used to be a place where many working-class families lived. Now, like many inner-city areas, it's becoming more modern and popular. People are buying and fixing up the older homes.

Discovering Lilyfield's Past

Many people think Lilyfield got its name because lilies grew in the fields here a long time ago. But no one is really sure! Lilyfield was once part of the nearby suburb of Leichhardt.

The Story of Callan Park

One of the most important places in Lilyfield is the old Callan Park hospital. This large building was built on land from the Callan Estates. It was designed as a special hospital by a government architect named James Barnet. He based his design on a hospital in England. The main part of the hospital, made of sandstone, was finished in 1884. It was known as the Kirkbride complex.

Later, the Kirkbride complex became home to the Sydney College of the Arts. This is a place where students learn about art. The hospital functions moved to other buildings nearby. The Kirkbride complex is a very important historical site.

How Lilyfield Changed

In the 1990s, a big road called the City West Link Road was built. This road actually split Lilyfield into two parts! One part was closer to Rozelle, and the other was closer to Leichhardt. This change made the community feel a bit separated.

Orange Grove Locality

Orange Grove is a smaller area within Lilyfield. It has a central spot called Orange Grove Plaza. There's also a primary school, a market, and a pub with the same name. You can easily get around Orange Grove using the Inner West Light Rail.

Important Historical Places

Lilyfield has several places that are listed for their historical importance. These are called heritage-listed sites. They include:

• Balmain Road: Callan Park Hospital for the Insane
• Balmain Road: Broughton Hall
• Piper Street: White's Creek Aqueduct

Who Lives in Lilyfield?

The 2021 census counted 7,641 people living in Lilyfield. Here are some interesting facts about them:

• About 1.6% of the people are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
• Most people (68.1%) were born in Australia. The next most common places of birth were England (5.9%) and New Zealand (2.6%).
• About 78.6% of people speak only English at home. Other languages spoken include Italian (2.9%) and Greek (1.8%).
• When asked about religion, 49.0% said they had no religion. About 22.7% were Catholic.

Getting Around Lilyfield

A light rail maintenance facility near the City West Link in 2017. You can see the Sydney city skyline in the background!

Lilyfield has good transport options. The Inner West Light Rail has a stop on Catherine Street. This station opened in 2000 on an old railway line. It was the end of the light rail line until 2014, when the line was extended further. Lilyfield also used to have a tram line in the old Sydney tram system.

You can catch several bus services from Lilyfield:

• The 437 bus goes straight to the Sydney CBD in about 7 minutes.
• The 470 bus goes to the Sydney CBD, passing through Glebe and Broadway.
• The 370 bus runs from Leichhardt to Coogee.
• The 440 bus goes from Rozelle to Bondi Junction.
• The 445 bus travels from Balmain to Campsie railway station.
• Route 447 also serves the Lilyfield light rail station.

The City West Link is a big road that goes through Lilyfield. It's part of the A44 and crosses the Anzac Bridge. This road offers another way to get to the Sydney CBD.

If you like cycling, Lilyfield has some great bike paths. There's a path along Lilyfield Road that's part of a bigger route from Parramatta to the Sydney CBD. You can also cycle around Iron Cove on the Bay Run path. The Whites Creek path goes from Parramatta Road to White Bay.

Fun in Lilyfield's Parks

Leichhardt Park is a great place for recreation in Lilyfield. It includes the Leichhardt Park Aquatic Centre, which is a swimming centre. Leichhardt Oval, home to the Wests Tigers rugby league team, is also in this area.

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  Leichhardt Oval, Mary Street

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  Leichhardt Park Aquatic Centre

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  Leichhardt Park Aquatic Centre from Rodd Point