Waitara, New South Wales facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Waitara Sydney, New South Wales
Waitara Station
Population	7,837 (2021 census)
Postcode(s)	2077
Elevation	187 m (614 ft)
Location	18 km (11 mi) north-west of Sydney CBD
LGA(s)	Hornsby Shire
State electorate(s)	Hornsby Ku-ring-gai
Federal Division(s)	Bradfield
Suburbs around Waitara: Hornsby Hornsby Asquith Hornsby Waitara North Wahroonga Normanhurst Wahroonga Wahroonga

The Grange Village, a place for people over 55

Our Lady of the Rosary Cathedral

Waitara is a suburb located in the Upper North Shore area of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It's about 19 kilometers north-west of the main city center of Sydney. Waitara is part of the Hornsby Shire, which is a local government area.

Discovering Waitara's Name

Waitara gets its name from the Māori people of New Zealand. The word 'Waitara' can mean hail, pure water or hail, wide steps. There's also a town in New Zealand with the same name. The suburb was named after the Waitara River in New Zealand. This river is famous because Australian soldiers, who were volunteers, fought there during the New Zealand Wars.

How Waitara Became a Suburb

A man named Myles McRae once owned land near Hurstville in Southern Sydney. When he sold this land, the company that bought it used the name Waitara for their new housing project. Later, McRae bought more land closer to Hornsby. When a railway station opened there in 1895, he suggested the name Waitara, and it was officially chosen.

Waitara used to have its own Post Office, which opened in 1913. It closed in 1986. Another Post Office, Waitara East, opened in 1966 and closed in 1994.

Getting Around Waitara

Waitara railway station is a key part of the suburb's transport. It's on the North Shore railway line and is part of the Sydney Trains network. This station was originally called Sandy Bank.

Several bus routes also run through Waitara, operated by CDC NSW. These buses help people travel to different places:

• 575: From Macquarie University to Hornsby
• 587: From Westleigh to Hornsby
• 589: From Sydney Adventist Hospital to Hornsby
• 591: From St Ives to Hornsby
• 600: From Parramatta to Hornsby

Places to Visit in Waitara

Waitara is a busy spot for anything to do with cars. You can find many car dealerships, both for new and used cars. There are also places for car maintenance and smash repairs.

The suburb has one hotel, called the Blue Gum Hotel. There has been a hotel on this spot since 1884, but the older buildings were destroyed by fires. The building you see today was built in 1962.

Waitara also has a Rugby League Club, known as Asquith Rugby League Club. If you like to stay active, there's a gym called Millennium Health Club.

The Police and Community Youth Clubs (PCYC) run a Performing Arts Centre in Edgeworth David Avenue. This avenue is named after a famous scientist, Edgeworth David.

Schools in Waitara

Waitara has good schools for kids of different ages:

• The public school is Waitara Public School. It has special O.C. (opportunity class) classes for students who are very talented. This school is actually located in Wahroonga, a nearby suburb.
• The Catholic school is Our Lady of the Rosary Primary School. It started around 1918 and was first located on the Pacific Highway. It has since moved to Yardley Avenue.

Churches in Waitara

Waitara is home to several churches:

• Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church was originally on the Pacific Highway. It later moved to 27 Yardley Avenue. This church is now the main church, or cathedral, for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Broken Bay. It is called Our Lady of the Rosary Cathedral, Waitara. A hymn tune is even named after it!
• There is a large Korean Catholic Community Church in Waitara. This church has a youth group called WCKYS. This group has three smaller parts: Kerygma, J.O.Y. (Jesus Others and You), and Youth Legion of Mary. Kerygma plans youth masses, while J.O.Y. members teach at the Waitara Korean Sunday School.
• The Anglican Church of Waitara, also known as All Saints, is on the corner of Burdett Street and Palmerston Road. Besides church services, they offer other activities like English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, children's groups, youth groups, and Bible studies.
• The Seventh-day Adventist Church, located at the corner of Park Avenue and Alexandria Parade, was built in 1903.

Who Lives in Waitara?

The 2021 census gives us a snapshot of the people living in Waitara. The total population was 7,837 people. There were slightly more women (51.6%) than men (48.4%). The average age of people in Waitara was 36 years old, which is similar to the average age across Australia.

People in Waitara come from many different backgrounds. The most common ancestries were Chinese (25.5%), Indian (17.0%), English (12.3%), Australian (10.3%), and Korean (4.8%). While 31.4% of people were born in Australia, many others were born in India (16.2%), China (14.7%), South Korea (3.6%), the Philippines (3.5%), and Iran (3.4%).

English is spoken at home by 30.6% of people. Other languages spoken include Mandarin (15.5%), Hindi (7.0%), Cantonese (6.2%), and Persian (3.8%). On average, there are 2.4 people in each household. When it comes to religion, 34.3% of people said they had no religion, 19.2% were Hindu, and 13.6% were Catholic.