Sydenham, New South Wales facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sydenham Sydney, New South Wales
R class tram no 1923 at Sydenham railway station, 20 November 1954. Trams in Sydney services
Sydenham Location in New South Wales
Postcode(s)	2044
Elevation	9 m (30 ft)
Location	8 km (5 mi) south of Sydney CBD
LGA(s)	Inner West Council
State electorate(s)	Heffron
Federal Division(s)	Grayndler
Suburbs around Sydenham: Marrickville Marrickville St Peters Marrickville Sydenham St Peters Tempe Tempe St Peters

Sydenham Green is a large park in Sydenham.

Another view of Sydenham Green.

Sydenham is a small suburb in the Inner West area of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is located about 8 kilometres south of the main city centre of Sydney. Sydenham is part of the Inner West Council and is surrounded by other suburbs like Marrickville, St Peters, and Tempe.

History of Sydenham

St Peters Town Hall, a historic building in Sydenham.

Sydenham started to grow after the Illawarra railway line was built through the area in the late 1800s. The suburb was named after Sydenham in London, England. Both places are close to their city centres and have important railway junctions.

The railway station in Sydenham first opened on October 15, 1884. It was originally called Marrickville. Its name changed to Sydenham on March 19, 1895. This happened because a new railway line was being built to Bankstown, and the first station on that new line was going to be named Marrickville.

The local post office opened in April 1899. It was first known as Tempe Park. It was only renamed Sydenham much later, in 1964.

Sydenham has some important historical places. One of these is the Sydenham railway station itself, which is listed as a heritage site.

People in Sydenham

In the 2016 Census, there were 1,145 people living in Sydenham. About 51.9% of these people were born in Australia. Most people, 51.0%, spoke only English at home.

When it came to religion, the most common answers were:

• No Religion: 35.6%
• Catholic: 20.1%
• Buddhism: 11.9%
• Not stated: 9.3%
• Eastern Orthodox: 6.7%

Getting Around Sydenham

Sydenham railway station is a very important transport hub. It is a junction where three different train lines meet on the Sydney Trains network. These lines are the Illawarra, Airport & South, and Bankstown lines. A new Sydney Metro line is also being built there as of 2023.

Old Tram Services

In the past, there was a tram line that went through Sydenham. This line connected the Cooks River Line and the Dulwich Hill line. Trams ran along Railway Road and Sydenham Road in the suburb.

What Sydenham is Like

Sydenham is a small suburb. It stretches from the railway station towards the Princes Highway. The area has a mix of homes and industrial businesses. There are a few shops located near the intersection of Unwins Bridge Road and Railway Road, close to the Sydenham railway station. The Marrickville Metro Shopping Centre is also very close to Sydenham.

Sydenham Green Park

Sydenham is located directly under the flight path for Sydney Airport. This means planes fly low over the area. To help with noise for people living there, the government bought many houses between Unwins Bridge Road and the Princes Highway. These properties were then turned into a large park called Sydenham Green.

The park takes up a big part of the small suburb. Sydenham Green is on both sides of Railway Road. It is named after a park in Sydenham, London. Two old buildings along Railway Road were kept: a sandstone terrace house and St Mary's Church. Inside the park, you can see large sculptures that look like living room furniture, such as a lamp, chairs, and a fireplace. These sculptures are a way to remember the homes that used to be there.

Schools and Churches Nearby

There are several schools close to Sydenham. These include St Pius Catholic School near Marrickville Metro, Tempe High School (Sydney), and Tempe Public School. St Mary's Church was once the first Coptic Church outside of Egypt, but it was later taken down in 2017.