Zetland, New South Wales facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Zetland Sydney, New South Wales
Green Square
Postcode(s)	2017
Elevation	23 m (75 ft)
Area	0.8 km2 (0.3 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10)
• Summer (DST)	AEDT (UTC+11)
Location	4 km (2 mi) south of Sydney CBD
LGA(s)	City of Sydney
State electorate(s)	Heffron
Federal Division(s)	Sydney
Suburbs around Zetland: Alexandria Waterloo Moore Park Alexandria Zetland Kensington Beaconsfield Rosebery Kensington

Zetland is a lively suburb located in the inner south of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It's only about 4 kilometres south of the main city centre, known as the Sydney central business district. Zetland is managed by the City of Sydney local council, and its postcode is 2017.

Zetland is part of the exciting Green Square area. This area is becoming very popular and modern. It's home to big companies, like the Commonwealth Bank's large office, and other businesses in finance and technology.

The Green Square Plaza is a central spot, surrounded by new streets, a cool swimming centre called Gunyama Park Aquatic Centre, and beautiful parklands. You'll also find many modern apartments, a library, and shops here. Zetland is mostly a place where people live, with many medium and tall apartment buildings.

What is the History of Zetland?

Zetland got its name from Thomas Dundas, 2nd Earl of Zetland. He was a friend of Governor Sir Hercules Robinson. The name "Zetland" is an old way of spelling "Shetland", which is a group of islands in Scotland.

How Did Zetland Change Over Time?

Long ago, Zetland had a lagoon and many wetlands. These were wet, marshy areas. In the early 1900s, these wetlands were drained. This made space for the Victoria Park racecourse, a place for horse racing. This racecourse was located near O’Dea Avenue, South Dowling Street, Epsom Road, and Joynton Avenue.

The racecourse was privately owned and closed after World War II. In 1947, a British businessman named Lord Nuffield bought the land. From 1950, his company, Nuffield Australia, used the site to build cars. Other companies like BMC Australia and Leyland Australia continued making cars there until the factory closed in 1975.

After that, the land was bought by the Australian government. It became a storage depot for the Royal Australian Navy. This depot operated until the mid-1990s. Today, this land has been redeveloped into many new homes and apartments.

The Zetland Post Office first opened on January 4, 1937. It closed many years later on September 29, 1983.

What About Old Tram Lines in Zetland?

From 1902, a tram service ran through Zetland. Trams are like buses that run on tracks. This tram line helped people travel around. It first went through Chalmers and Redfern Streets, then south along Elizabeth Street to Zetland.

In 1924, the line was made longer, reaching Epsom Road in Rosebery. Later, in 1948, a new section of track was built on Elizabeth Street. This was done to help build the Eastern Suburbs Railway. The tram line was fully electric and had two tracks. However, the tram service in Zetland eventually closed in 1957.

What are the Waterloo Wetlands?

The Waterloo Wetlands were once a very important part of the landscape around Waterloo and Zetland. These wetlands were large areas of wet land. Today, Woolwash Park Pond is the only small part left of this old landscape.

This pond is connected to a huge underground water source called an aquifer. In the 1800s, businesses like wool washing and leather tanning were built here. They chose this area because of the clean water from the aquifer. Some plants from the original wetlands still grow there.

Woolwash Park Pond is now a key part of how water is managed at Victoria Park in Zetland. The water from the pond is used to water plants. Because of this, no fish or other water plants are allowed in the pond.

Who Lives in Zetland?

Let's look at the people who call Zetland home.

How Many People Live in Zetland?

According to the 2021 census, there were 12,622 people living in Zetland.

What is the Age of Residents?

The people living in Zetland are generally younger than the average age across Australia. The average age of a Zetland resident was 30 years old. This is younger than the national average of 39 years.

Where Are People From?

Many different cultures make up Zetland. About 32.3% of people were born in Australia. The next largest groups were from:

• China (20.5%)
• England (5.0%)
• Ireland (3.3%)
• Indonesia (2.4%)
• Hong Kong (2.1%)

Zetland is also home to the largest number of Brazilians in Sydney. More than 2% of residents were born in Brazil. This is even higher than popular beach suburbs like Bondi Beach. Also, over 2% of Zetland residents speak Portuguese, and about 5% speak Portuguese and Spanish. This is more than Petersham, which used to be known for having the most Portuguese speakers.

What Are the Main Religions?

When asked about religion, most people in Zetland said they had no religion (54.2%). The next most common response was Catholic (17.2%).

How Do People Get Around in Zetland?

Zetland is a great place for transport. It has train, bus, and bike path connections to other parts of Sydney.

Green Square railway station is located on the edge of Zetland. This station is part of the Airport & South Line of the Sydney Trains network. The next station to the north is Central railway station, which is a major hub. To the south, the next station is Mascot railway station.

Images for kids

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  The historic Zetland Hotel.

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  Terraced houses, a common sight in the area.

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  Modern apartments along Ascot Avenue.