Wentworth Point, New South Wales facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Wentworth Point Sydney, New South Wales
Wentworth Point from the Bennelong Bridge
Population	6,994 (2016 census)
• Density	11,700/km2 (30,000/sq mi)
Established	2009
Postcode(s)	2127
Elevation	5 m (16 ft)
Area	0.6 km2 (0.2 sq mi)
Location	12 km (7 mi) west of Sydney CBD
LGA(s)	City of Parramatta
State electorate(s)	Auburn
Federal Division(s)	Reid
Suburbs around Wentworth Point: Melrose Park Meadowbank Rhodes Newington Wentworth Point Concord West Lidcombe Sydney Olympic Park Liberty Grove

Wentworth Point is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located 13 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, on the eastern edge of the local government area of City of Parramatta. It is on the western shore of Homebush Bay on the southern side of the Parramatta River. Wentworth Point is usually regarded as part of the Greater Western Sydney region, including in administrative contexts, but it is also regarded as part of the Inner West region of Sydney in some contexts, especially commercial contexts.

History

This suburb was once part of the suburb of Homebush, named after Homebush Bay, the bay with a natural and artificial shoreline on the southern side of the Parramatta River. Homebush was established in the 1800s by the colonies assistant surgeon D'arcy Wentworth. According to local government historian Michael Jones, "Wentworth is popularly credited with having called the area after his 'home in the bush', although Homebush is also a place in Kent." It is considered unlikely that it was named after the village in Kent as D'Arcy Wentworth was Irish and had no links to the English county.

The northern part of the peninsula had been named Wentworth Point and gazetted in 1976. The waterfront residential area was renamed Wentworth Point on 2 October 2009. Auburn Council sought public comment on a proposal to rename the Homebush Bay area, to remove confusion with its namesake suburb Homebush. The area encompassing Sydney Olympic Park was given autonomy as a suburb and the Carter Street industrial precinct was absorbed by the neighbouring suburb of Lidcombe, this brought the suburb of Homebush Bay to an end.

Industrial and commercial usage

After much of the area was reclaimed from Homebush Bay, Wentworth Point was used for a variety of industrial uses.

Notable businesses include Ralph Symonds, a plywood manufacturer, which used the river as a transport route for large logs, which were then moored in Homebush Bay while awaiting processing. Other activities have included McPhee Transport depot (now TNT who are due to move out in mid-2015), the former Head Office and warehouse space for Hyundai Cars (now occupied by Acer Computers) and a radio transmission tower for 2GB, a Sydney radio station.

de Havilland Marine (Large Craft) (registered company number F11799) was located on the waters edge at 5-7 Burroway Road, Homebush Bay. Due to a lack of new business it closed its doors in 1982. In the years prior it manufactured various large aluminium craft for both the local and international market. These included Carpentaria Class Patrol Boats for Burma & the Solomon Islands, Titan Work Boats for the New South Wales (NSW) government, and the hulls of the Nepean Bell which still operates on the Nepean River in NSW.

Residential development

Prior to the move of the Royal Agricultural Society showgrounds from Moore Park to Homebush (as the area of Sydney Olympic Park was then known), much of Wentworth Point was bought by Payce Consolidated Limited. Most of Wentworth Point is now zoned for medium to high density residential development.

Internet

ADSL/ADSL2 is not available in the area because the nearest phone exchange is 8 km away on Parramatta Road. The Mariners Cove Community does have ADSL1 but with only 150 ports in the RIM and around 200 Apartments, many residents live without an ADSL connection and connect to the internet in other ways. For a long time Homelinx, which was owned by Payce Consolidated Limited, installed a fibre network and was the sole provider of internet to the Waterfront Community. Net Open Access came into being to hold the network owned by Homelinx to open up the network to competition and to give residents choice. Stealth Networks and W3 Networks now provide services, just as any other ISP can, as long as they cooperate with Net Open Access to start selling services as the network is open to anyone to use.

Transport

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

Wentworth Point is served by bus. The 526 bus services Wentworth Point from Burwood to Rhodes in both directions. The 533 bus services Wentworth Point from Chatswood to Olympic Park in both directions. An additional local shuttle bus started on 22 May 2016.

Sydney Olympic Park ferry wharf is located near the northern end of Wentworth Point, but in the neighbouring suburb of Sydney Olympic Park. The wharf is served by Parramatta River ferry services. Regular services run to Circular Quay, Darling Harbour and Parramatta. The wharf was upgraded to have two docks and faster transitions in 2015.

Until 2016, Wentworth Point was relatively isolated by road. Because it is surrounded by parklands in the west and south and by water in the north and east, it was only accessible by road from the rest of Sydney by two roads, Hill Road which connected it to Lidcombe, and Bennelong Parkway, which connected it to Sydney Olympic Park and the A3 arterial road. Moreover, the northern and southern sections of Wentworth Point are not accessible to each other, except by going via Hill Road in neighbouring Sydney Olympic Park. Road access to the northern section was improved when the 300-metre (984 ft) Bennelong Bridge across Homebush Bay opened in May 2016, making it easier for residents to access shops and the railway station at Rhodes. However, the bridge roadway can only be used by buses and emergency service vehicles. The bridge also includes a pathway for cyclists and pedestrians.

There are no train services to Wentworth Point; the closest stations are Rhodes and Olympic Park.

Stage 2 of the Parramatta Light Rail is a proposed light rail link between Westmead and Sydney Olympic Park via Parramatta, and would pass adjacent to the suburb on the western side. The project would include the construction of a bridge across the Parramatta River, between Sydney Olympic Park and Melrose Park.

Recreation

The local bridge is open and creates a bay run or cycle loop. A shorter 6 kilometer loop through Bicentennial Park or a longer 12 kilometer loop through to Silverwater Bridge is available.

Cycle paths extend further through Sydney Olympic Parklands used by cyclists, runners and walkers. And onwards to Parramatta and elsewhere.

Kayaking, rowing and dragon boating can be seen inside Homebush Bay, but water access and boat storage facilities are limited. There is a recreation club in Wentworth Point called ‘Pulse’ which has a 25-meter indoor heated pool, an outdoor recreational pool, gym and tennis courts. A wide range of other recreation facilities are available at nearby Sydney Olympic Park.

Images for kids

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  Main street through the centre of Wentworth Point