Wentworth Point is a modern suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is about 13 kilometres west of the main city centre, called the Sydney central business district. This suburb sits on the western side of Homebush Bay, which is part of the Parramatta River. Wentworth Point is part of the City of Parramatta local council area.

How Wentworth Point Got Its Name and History
Shopping and Local Businesses
Who Lives in Wentworth Point?
Fun Things to Do
Getting Around Wentworth Point

How Wentworth Point Got Its Name and History

This area was once part of a larger suburb called Lidcombe. People used to call it "North Lidcombe." Later, between 1989 and 2009, it was known as "Homebush Bay."

The name "Lidcombe" came about in 1913. It's a portmanteau word, which means it's made by blending parts of two other words. In this case, it combines "Lid" from Frederick Lidbury and "combe" from Henry Larcombe. These were two mayors from an older local council.

The name "Homebush Bay" comes from the bay itself. The bay was named after a large property called "Home Bush." This property was set up in the 1800s by a surgeon named D'Arcy Wentworth. Some people think he named it "Home Bush" because it felt like his home in the bush. However, there's also a place called Homebush in England.

Wentworth Point, the tip of the land sticking out into the bay, is named after the Wentworth family. There was also a smaller inlet called Wentworth Bay nearby, but it's now gone because land was filled in. Part of Wentworth Point used to be a small island called Mud Island, which also became connected to the mainland by filling in land.

Early Development and Industry

In the late 1800s, when railways arrived, more homes were built in nearby areas like Homebush and Strathfield. This inspired the owners of the "Home Bush" property to try and sell off parts of their land for homes.

In 1881, some land, including the area that became Wentworth Point, was divided up for sale. This was called the "Homebush Park Estate." Later, in 1883, another attempt was made to sell land as the "Wentworth Estate." But these plans didn't work very well. Most of the land stayed empty, and only a few people lived there. Some parts of the area then started to be used for factories and businesses, like a large government meat processing plant built in 1907.

Wentworth Point was part of the "Municipality of Lidcombe" from 1913. This council later joined with "Auburn Council" in 1948.

From Industry to Modern Homes

A lot of Wentworth Point today is built on land that was once water. Starting in 1949, parts of Homebush Bay were drained and filled in. The northern tip of this new land was officially named Wentworth Point in 1976. After being reclaimed, Wentworth Point was used for different types of industries.

For example, a company called Ralph Symonds made plywood here. They used the river to transport large logs. Other businesses included a transport depot and the main office for Hyundai Australia. There was also a tall tower for the radio station 2GB.

A company called de Havilland Marine used to build large aluminium boats here until 1982. They made patrol boats for other countries and work boats for the New South Wales government.

The Olympics and New Beginnings

In 1989, "North Lidcombe" was renamed "Homebush Bay." In the 1990s, parts of the area started to be redeveloped. Before the Royal Agricultural Society moved its showgrounds to what is now Sydney Olympic Park in 1998, a lot of land in Wentworth Point was bought by a company called Payce Consolidated. The Sydney Olympic Park ferry wharf opened in 1997 at the very end of the peninsula.

Growing as a Residential Area

An aerial view of Wentworth Point and its surrounds

To avoid confusion with the suburb of Homebush, Auburn Council officially renamed the waterfront area "Wentworth Point" on 2 October 2009. The area around Sydney Olympic Park became its own suburb. This meant the suburb of Homebush Bay no longer existed.

In 2013, the rules for Wentworth Point changed from industrial to residential use. This meant that new homes could be built, along with shops and cultural places.

In 2016, the Auburn Council was closed down. Wentworth Point then became part of the City of Parramatta council.

Most of Wentworth Point is now planned for many homes, including apartment buildings. A new school, Wentworth Point Public School, opened in 2018. It has grown very quickly, showing how many families have moved to the area.

In 2023, the suburb's boundaries were changed slightly. Some new apartment buildings and the Sydney Olympic Park ferry wharf are now officially part of Wentworth Point.

Shopping and Local Businesses

Wentworth Point has several small shops, cafes, and restaurants.

Marina Square is a shopping centre that opened in 2018. It was built by an Australian company called Billbergia. The centre has over 40 shops, including a Coles supermarket.

A small part of the suburb, on Hill Road, is still used for industrial businesses. This industrial area actually cuts the suburb in two. This means there's no direct road connecting the northern and southern parts of Wentworth Point within the suburb itself. You have to drive through the neighbouring suburb of Sydney Olympic Park to get from one part to the other.

The NSW Maritime agency owns a large piece of land at the northern end of Wentworth Point. There are plans for this land to be used for things like boat storage.

Who Lives in Wentworth Point?

Main street through the centre of Wentworth Point

In 2021, there were 12,703 people living in Wentworth Point. This was a big increase from 2016!

About 34.6% of people were born in Australia.
Many people also came from China (21.0%), South Korea (8.1%), India (3.8%), Iran (2.0%), and the Philippines (2.0%).
The most common family backgrounds were Chinese (31.6%), English (11.9%), and Korean (10.5%).
About 32.1% of people spoke only English at home. Other common languages included Mandarin (23.0%), Korean (9.8%), and Cantonese (5.1%).
Many people (46.9%) said they had no religion. Other common religions included Catholic (15.1%) and Islam (7.0%).
The average weekly income for households in Wentworth Point was $2,035, which was higher than the average for New South Wales.

Fun Things to Do

Wentworth Point is a great place for outdoor activities!

There are many cycle paths that go through the Sydney Olympic Park area. These paths are popular with cyclists, runners, and walkers.
The Bennelong Bridge allows for a fun loop around Homebush Bay for cycling or walking. You can do a shorter 6-kilometre loop or a longer 12-kilometre loop.
You might see people kayaking, rowing, or dragon boating in Homebush Bay.
There's a recreation club in Wentworth Point with an indoor heated pool, an outdoor pool, a gym, and tennis courts.
Many other sports and recreation facilities are available nearby at Sydney Olympic Park.

Getting Around Wentworth Point

Bennelong Bridge serves as a pedestrian and bus only connection to Rhodes station

Wentworth Point is served by buses and ferries.

The 526 bus travels between Burwood and Rhodes, passing through Wentworth Point.
The 533 bus connects Chatswood to Olympic Park, also stopping in Wentworth Point.
A special local shuttle bus started in 2016 to help people get around the suburb.

The Sydney Olympic Park ferry wharf is located at the northern end of Wentworth Point.

You can catch ferries from here to places like Circular Quay (Sydney's main harbour), Darling Harbour, and Parramatta.
The ferry wharf was improved in 2015 to make trips faster.

For a long time, it was a bit tricky to get to Wentworth Point by car because it's surrounded by parks and water. There were only two main roads in. However, things improved in 2016 when the Bennelong Bridge opened.

This bridge is about 300 metres long and crosses Homebush Bay.
It makes it much easier for people in Wentworth Point to reach shops and the train station in Rhodes.
Only buses and emergency vehicles can drive across the bridge.
But it also has a path for cyclists and pedestrians, which is great for getting around.

There are no train stations directly in Wentworth Point. The closest train stations are Rhodes and Olympic Park.

There are plans for a new light rail line, called Stage 2 of the Parramatta Light Rail. This line would connect Westmead and Sydney Olympic Park, passing close to Wentworth Point. It would also include a new bridge over the Parramatta River.

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Wentworth Point, New South Wales facts for kids

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