Greystanes Creek

Greystanes Creek Girraween Creek
The creek alongside the riparian forest and a walking trail
Location
Country	Australia
State	New South Wales
Region	Sydney basin (IBRA), Greater Western Sydney
Local government areas	Cumberland, Parramatta
Physical characteristics
Source	Pemulwuy Lake
• location	Pemulwuy
Mouth	Merges with Pendle Hill Creek and then Toongabbie Creek, forming the Parramatta River to the east
• location	Toongabbie
• coordinates	33°46′54.3″S150°57′18.6″E / 33.781750°S 150.955167°E / -33.781750; 150.955167
Length	5.7 km (3.5 mi)
Basin features
River system	Parramatta River catchment
Tributaries
• right	Pendle Hill Creek

Greystanes Creek, also known as Girraween Creek, is an urban watercourse that is part of the Parramatta River catchment, and is located in Greater Western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. ^[1]

Both Greystanes Creek and Pendle Hill Creek are tributaries of Toongabbie Creek which becomes the Parramatta River. The creek lies predominantly in the suburbs of Pemulwuy and Toongabbie. A 1 km (0.62 mi) section of the creek is channelised (concrete-walled) as part of a flood mitigation project. ^[2]

Course

Pemulwuy Lake

The creek's first source lies at Driftway Reserve in Pemulwuy to the south, where it streams north to Pemulwuy Lake, the second source of the creek. From the lake, the creek then heads northeast to Toongabbie, flowing below Great Western Highway and Western Motorway (a small fork of the creek exists here that leads to Prospect Highway and Andrew Campbell Reserve at Prospect Nature Reserve in the west). Going north, the creek passes through the golf course (here it becomes concrete-walled), crossing beneath the North Shore & Western Line and Cumberland Line near Toongabbie railway station. At its mouth, the creek merges with Pendle Creek and then joins Toongabbie Creek (which later becomes Parramatta River to the east). ^[1]

Geography

The Greystanes Creek catchment area lies within the local government areas of Blacktown and Cumberland, and cover an area of 979 ha (2,420 acres). The creek meets with Pendle Hill Creek around 220 m (720 ft) metres upstream of the confluence of Pendle Hill Creek and Toongabbie Creek. The catchment zones of the creek are usually flat apart from the upper reaches which are defined by undulating hills. The upper limits of the creek are predominantly open space, including land occupied by the CSIRO and the Fox Hills Golf Club.

The area is urbanised north of the golf course, with the creek streaming through a floodplain that is around 100 m (330 ft) in width. A small riparian zone (which is the endangered Coastal Swamp Oak Forest) is present alongside of the creek, though most of the floodplain is a verdant meadow. The creek often floods severely during heavy rainstorms, where it occasionally overflows onto Station Road. Flood risk zones are from Portico Plaza Shopping Centre to Fitzwilliam Road and near Portia Road. ^[2] Despite its name, the creek does not flow through the suburbs of Greystanes and Girraween. ^{[a] [2]}

A rehabilitated part of the creek flows between the North Shore & Western Line and Station Road, and it features a rock lined and vegetated channel, with rock riffles placed to offer diverse habitat (to provide habitat for wildlife) and affiliated water quality advantages through flow aeration. Bank protection is provided to safeguard infrastructure and to restrain bank retreat into the adjacent Bowling Club area. Downstream of Station Road, the creek is turned into a concrete channel with grassy berms (and minor vegetation) to the border of the corridor limits. The channel then heads north to the confluence with Toongabbie Creek. ^[3]

Recreational areas

Parks and reserves along the creek include Wittama Park, Nelson Square, Shadid Reserve, Driftway Reserve (which features the scenic Pemulwuy Lake), Oklahoma Park, John Silverthorne Park, Greystanes Creek Reserve, Toongabbie Road Reserve, Fox Hills Golf Club, Portia Road Reserve, Girraween Park, Jirramba Reserve and She-Oak Reserve. ^[1]

References

1. "Greystanes Creek Reserves" (PDF). A. Bernhard & Associates. November 1998. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
2. "Greystanes Creek & Pendle Hill Creek - Flood Mitigation Study" (PDF). Water Resources Commission of New South Wales. Willing & Partners Pty Ltd. December 1985. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
3. "Upper Toongabbie Creek: Creek Maintenance and Rehabilitation Masterplan" (PDF). Waterways Maintenance and Rehabilitation Masterplan. City of Parramatta. August 2002. Retrieved 10 July 2025.

Notes

1. The area that is now Pemulwuy was once part of the suburb of Greystanes, and the creek was named after that suburb. Though today, a very small portion of the creek does stream through Greystanes – The section between the Western Motorway and Great Western Highway.