Raby, New South Wales facts for kids
Quick facts for kids RabySydney, New South Wales |
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Burrendah Reservoir
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| Population | 5,944 (2016 census) | ||||||||||||||
| Established | 1976 | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 2566 | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation | 70 m (230 ft) | ||||||||||||||
| Location | 55 km (34 mi) south-west of Sydney CBD | ||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | City of Campbelltown | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Leppington | ||||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Macarthur | ||||||||||||||
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Raby is a suburb located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is about 55 kilometres south-west of the main city centre of Sydney. Raby is part of the City of Campbelltown, which is a local government area. It is also part of the wider Macarthur region.
Contents
History of Raby
Raby got its name from Raby Road. This road had been around for over 150 years. It connected an old family property to Campbelltown.
In 1976, the official name 'Raby' was approved for the new suburb. This was because the suburb was being built near Raby Road.
Early European Settlement
Alexander Riley (1778–1833) was a businessman and farmer. In 1809, he was given a large piece of land. This land was about 3,000 acres (12 square kilometres).
He named his new farm "Raby" to honour his mother, whose family name was Raby. It was also the name of a family property in England. On his farm, he raised merino sheep. He also brought the first cashmere goats to Australia.
Developing the Suburb
Raby started to be built as a suburb of Campbelltown in the late 1970s. Private companies began to divide the land into smaller blocks for houses.
In 1978, the City of Campbelltown Council decided on a fun theme for naming new streets. They chose "airplanes of the world."
The first areas where land was sold had streets named after famous fighter planes. These included Mustang Drive, Sopwith Avenue, and Spitfire Drive.
By the early 1990s, most of Raby was finished. However, some small areas were still being developed. In 1992, more street names like Arrow Place were added. These were on the site of the old Heathfield Public School.
Landmarks and Parks
Raby has several important places and parks.
- Raby Sports Complex: An old creek, Bunbury-Curran Creek, was turned into this sports area. It is used by the Campbelltown-Camden District Cricket Club for their home games.
- Sunderland Reserve: This park is named after a nearby road.
- Lake Burrendah Reserve: An old farm dam was kept and named Lake Burrendah. "Burrendah" is an Aboriginal word meaning "place of the swan."
- Kooringa Reserve: The name "Kooringa" comes from a Koori word for "sheoak," which is a type of tree.
- Blain Reserve: This reserve is named after an old family. The Blain family lived in the area since the 1800s.
Schools in Raby
Raby has several schools for students of different ages.
Heathfield Public School
The first school in Raby was Heathfield Public School. It was named after a local farm owned by the Blain family. This school was temporary and used portable classrooms. It was located near the Raby shopping centre. Heathfield Public School closed in 1986.
Robert Townson Public School
Robert Townson Public School opened in 1986. It replaced Heathfield Public School. The land where the old Heathfield Public School stood was then used for new houses.
Robert Townson High School
Robert Townson High School opened in 1987. It is a high school for both boys and girls. It serves students from Raby and nearby areas like St Andrews, Kearns, and Varroville. Both Robert Townson Public School and Robert Townson High School are named after an important early settler in the area.
Mount Carmel High School
Mount Carmel High School is a Catholic school. It is located on a large piece of land in the neighbouring suburb of Varroville. It is next to the Mount Carmel Catholic Parish.
Population Information
Here are some facts about the people living in Raby, based on the 2016 Census:
- Total Population: 5,944 people lived in Raby.
- Australian Born: About 71.7% of the people were born in Australia.
- Main Overseas Birthplaces: The most common places people were born outside Australia were the United Kingdom (3%), India (1.7%), and New Zealand (1.7%).
- Main Religions: The most common religions were Catholic (32.2%), Anglican (18.3%), and Islam (5.8%).
