Peakhurst facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Peakhurst Sydney, New South Wales
Peakhurst Inn, Forest Road
Population	10,539 (2016 census)
Established	1840
Postcode(s)	2210
Elevation	46 m (151 ft)
Location	21 km (13 mi) south-west of Sydney CBD
LGA(s)	Georges River Council
State electorate(s)	Oatley
Federal Division(s)	Banks
Suburbs around Peakhurst: Riverwood Riverwood Hurstville Padstow Peakhurst Mortdale Padstow Heights Lugarno Peakhurst Heights

Peakhurst is a suburb in Southern Sydney, Australia. It is part of the St George Area. This suburb is about 21 kilometres south-west of the main Sydney central business district. Peakhurst is managed by the Georges River Council.

Peakhurst's western side touches Salt Pan Creek, which flows into the Georges River. Peakhurst Heights is a separate suburb to the south. It is bordered by Boggywell Creek and Lime Kiln Bay, also on the Georges River. Some local people still think of Peakhurst Heights as part of Peakhurst.

History of Peakhurst

Peakhurst got its name from a land owner called John Robert Peake. He bought 10 acres of land here in 1838. This land was near where Forest Road and Henry Lawson Drive are today. John Robert Peake even gave some land for the Wesleyan Church, which was built in 1855.

The area was first given as land to Captain John Townson in 1808. John Robert Peake bought his land from William Hebblewhite. In 1871, when the public school was started, a school inspector suggested using Peake's name for the suburb. The local post office opened in 1885.

The first big business here was cutting down trees. The forests were full of different kinds of wood, especially turpentine. The cut timber was taken to Sydney using teams of bullocks. After the trees were cleared, people started growing fruit in orchards.

Shopping and Businesses

Peakhurst has many shops and businesses. Most of them are found along Forest Road and Boundary Road. You can find different retail shops, restaurants, and cafes near the Peakhurst Inn Hotel on Forest Road. The hotel has a pub and a drive-through bottle shop. Peakhurst also has a large area for factories and industrial businesses. This area is mainly on and around Boundary Road.

Getting Around Peakhurst

The main roads in Peakhurst are Forest Road, Henry Lawson Drive, Stoney Creek Road, Boundary Road, Bonds Road, Broad Arrow Road, Isaac Street, and Baumans Road. Forest Road is a very busy road that goes through many other suburbs in Sydney. The closest train station is in the nearby suburb of Riverwood.

Several bus companies operate routes through Peakhurst:

• U-Go Mobility runs five bus routes:
  • 941 from Hurstville station to Bankstown station
  • 942 from Lugarno to Campsie station
  • 943 from Lugarno to Hurstville station
  • 944 from Bankstown station to Mortdale station
  • 945 from Hurstville station to Bankstown station
• Transit Systems operates the M91 bus. This route goes from Hurstville Station to Parramatta station, passing through Peakhurst.

St Abraam and St Mikhail Al-Behairy Coptic Orthodox Church

Schools in Peakhurst

Peakhurst has four public schools for students:

• Georges River College Peakhurst Campus
• Peakhurst Public School
• Peakhurst South Public School
• Peakhurst West Public School

Places of Worship

There are several churches in Peakhurst:

• Georges River Life Church
• Church@thepeak Anglican Church
• Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church
• St Abraam and St Mikhail Al-Behairy Coptic Orthodox Church
• Peakhurst Uniting Church
• Spanish Evangelical Jerusalem Baptist Church
• Samoan Assembly of God Church

Sports and Fun Activities

Peakhurst has many places for sports and recreation. These include:

• Grandviews Bowling Club, where people play lawn bowls.
• Tennis courts for playing tennis.
• Peakhurst Park, a popular park.
• Many sports fields at Gannon's Park.

The local soccer clubs are Peakhurst United and Forest Rangers.

Who Lives in Peakhurst?

In 2006, there were 9,113 people living in Peakhurst. About 23.4% of them were born overseas. The top countries they came from were China (2.9%), the United Kingdom (2.7%), and the Republic of Macedonia (1.4%). Most residents (70%) spoke English at home. Other common languages were Arabic (4.9%), Greek (4.6%), and Cantonese (3.6%). For religion, the most common choices were Catholic (28.1%), Anglican (21.6%), and Orthodox (10.1%).

Famous People from Peakhurst

• Oliver Arnold Olds (1896-1979): He was born in Burwood but lived at 78 Bonds Road in Peakhurst. He was a brave soldier in World War I. Oliver Olds was also a very important person in the local council. He was an alderman for many years and even served as mayor of Hurstville in 1946, 1947, and 1948. Olds Park was named after him to honour his contributions.
• Myles Joseph Dunphy (1891-1985): He was an architect and a famous conservationist. This means he worked hard to protect nature and the environment.
• Richard Farleigh (born in the 1960s): Richard lived in Peakhurst for some time. He is now a very successful investor and was known as a "Dragon" on the TV show Dragons' Den. He is also an international chess player.

Peakhurst's Environment

In 2002, a study began to check the environmental impact of the industrial area. Groups like Bushcare volunteers help to protect the small areas of native forests that are still left. There are a few small freshwater streams in the suburb, which mostly flow into Salt Pan Creek. Some of the trees in Peakhurst were part of a special study in 1990 by the National Trust.