Rookwood, New South Wales facts for kids
Quick facts for kids RookwoodNew South Wales |
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Rookwood Necropolis
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| Postcode(s) | 2141 | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation | 34 m (112 ft) | ||||||||||||||
| Location | 14 km (9 mi) west of Sydney CBD | ||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | Cumberland Council | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Auburn | ||||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Watson | ||||||||||||||
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Rookwood is a suburb in western Sydney, Australia. It is about 14 kilometers west of the Sydney city center. This area is part of the Cumberland Council. Rookwood is the most eastern suburb in Greater Western Sydney.
The entire suburb of Rookwood is taken up by Rookwood Cemetery. This cemetery is the biggest in the Southern Hemisphere.
Contents
A Look at Rookwood's Past
Rookwood got its name from a novel written in 1834. The book was called Rookwood and was written by William Harrison Ainsworth.
Before it was called Rookwood, this area had a different name. A railway station opened here in 1859. It was called Haslam's Creek. This station was on the railway line that went from Sydney to Parramatta. Samuel Haslam owned land near the creek from 1804.
Haslam's Creek was also the site of the first railway accident in New South Wales. This happened in July 1858 and sadly, two people died.
How Rookwood Got Its Name
When the big cemetery opened in 1867, it was known as Haslam's Creek Cemetery. People living nearby did not like their area being so closely linked to a burial ground.
So, in 1876, the suburb was renamed Rookwood. The railway station's name also changed to Rookwood in 1878. By the 1880s, shops started to open in the area.
Who Lives in Rookwood?
Rookwood is a very quiet area. It is located between the Inner West of Sydney and Greater Western Sydney. In the 2021 Australian census, it was reported that Rookwood had "no people or a very low population." This means very few, if any, people live there.
Getting Around Rookwood
Rookwood used to have its own railway station. Rookwood railway station was on Sydney's main suburban railway line. However, it closed in 1967.
There was also a special train line just for the cemetery. This was called the Rookwood Cemetery Line. It originally started near Central railway station in Sydney. This line is now closed.
The Cemetery Train Line
The cemetery railway line opened on October 22, 1864. When it first opened, the line went to a place called Cemetery Station No. 1.
Later, the line was made longer. On May 26, 1897, it was extended to Cemetery Station No. 3. This extension needed some changes to the first station. A waiting room had to be removed so the train could go right through the building.
The line was extended one last time on June 19, 1908. It then reached Cemetery Station No. 4. This special train line for the cemetery closed in 1948.
Bus Services
Today, you can travel through Rookwood by bus. Transit Systems operates one bus route in the area:
- 408: This bus goes from Rookwood Cemetery to Burwood. It passes through Flemington, Homebush, and Strathfield.
