Meadowbank, New South Wales

Meadowbank
Sydney, New South Wales
Meadowbank; Sydney, New South Wales
	Meadowbank railway shops and outdoor eating area
	Map
Population	4,408 (2016 census)
• Density
Established	1801
Postcode(s)	2114
Elevation	20 m (66 ft)
Area	0.7 km2 (0.3 sq mi)
Location	15 km (9 mi) north-west of Sydney CBD
LGA(s)	City of Ryde
State electorate(s)	Ryde
Federal division(s)	Bennelong
	Suburbs around Meadowbank:

Last updated January 16, 2024

Meadowbank is a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 15 kilometres north west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Ryde and part of the Northern Sydney region. Meadowbank sits in a valley on the northern bank of the Parramatta River.

History

Aboriginal culture

The territory from Sydney Cove to Parramatta, on the northern side of the Parramatta River, was thought to be that of the Wallumattagal, and had the aboriginal name Wallumetta, the territory of the Wallumede people.

Aboriginal people in the Sydney district were clans of larger groups sharing a common language. Three language groups have been identified in the Sydney Region – the Kuringgai (or Guringai), the Dharug (or Dharruk / Dharuk / Darug), and the Dharawal (or Tharawal). The Wallumedegal are thought to have been within the Dharug speaking area.^[2]

European settlement

Land originally granted to Surgeon William Balmain in 1794, in the district of the Field of Mars, was bestowed the name 'Meadow Bank'. Balmain returned to England in 1801, leaving his estates to be managed by fellow surgeon D'Arcy Wentworth. Wentworth agreed to sell Balmain's grants to John Bennett, an ex-convict who had been transported in 1795. By 1819 both the 'Meadow Bank Estate' and 'Chatham Farm' to the north, belonged to Bennett. In 1823 he was joined by his nephew William Bennett. John Bennett died in July 1829, a bachelor, and his nephew inherited his estate, building Meadowbank House around 1835. William then sold 'Chatham Farm' to Major Edward Darvall in 1855. William Bennett died in 1865 but his widow remained at Meadowbank until her death in 1879. The estate was subdivided in the late 1880s, given impetus by the opening of the Main Northern railway line from Strathfield to Hornsby in 1886. Meadowbank station opened as Hellenic, later being renamed Meadowbank, after the Meadowbank Estate.^[2] Meadowbank Public Baths established in 1895 was a former recreation destination but were closed in 1943 due to pollution from Homebush Bay.^[3] Shepherds Bay Row Boat ferry services were established as early as 1794 from Schooner Wharf (Belmore Road, near Helene Park) taking passengers to the Concord shore.

Meadowbank Manufacturing Company Works was the first industry in Meadowbank, established on 95 acres of land in 1890, with frontage to the Parramatta River and easy access to the railway producing agricultural equipment for the local area and throughout the country. The existing seawall is made from the remnants of the original sandstone. Shepherds Bay is named after early settler James Shepherd, transported as a convict in 1791. Vineyard terraces were located on the upper slopes. Former Ryde Wharf and punt located in Shepherds Bay Park. Remnants of wharf walling visible at low tide. The Ryde to Rhodes punt operated between 1898 and 1935. Passengers included employees of the State Timber yards at Rhodes and cattle. The punt was unreliable; "the cable continually gave way and cargoes of cattle went sailing downstream".

Ryde Council investigated potential sites for the Ryde Baths in 1877 and the desirability of having public baths. Ten years later, when a man was killed whilst bathing at Ryde Wharf, the issue was raised again. In 1904, a site was chosen at the bottom of Waterview Road. The Ryde Swimming Baths were opened in 1905. Mixed bathing was not permitted. Ryde Bridge took two years to build, and opened in 1935. A series of tolls were applied and were ceased to be collected in 1949. State Timber Yards were opposite on Rhodes Peninsula.^[3]

Heritage listings

Meadowbank has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

Meadowbank Railway Bridge ^[4]

Commercial area

Meadowbank is a mixed commercial-residential area. Meadowbank features a small group of shops on either side of Meadowbank railway station and a shopping centre within the residential apartment complex to the south, along Bay Drive.

Meadowbank has waterfront high-rise apartments with views of the Parramatta River, and cafés and restaurants along the water's edge.^[5]

Meadowbank TAFE is situated on the east side of the station. It is one of the largest TAFE NSW colleges in Sydney.^[6]

Transport

Meadowbank is easily accessible by Road, Ferry, Bus and Train. Meadowbank experiences limited traffic as major roads circle rather than run through the suburb. Lane Cove Road to the east, Victoria Road to the north and Adelaide Street to the West. Other central roads include Constitution Road, Meadow Crescent and Bank Street.

Meadowbank railway station is on the Main Northern railway line. Meadowbank has two side platforms. The station is served by four trains per hour each way, with additional trains on weekday peak hours. The station is within walking distance of Meadowbank ferry wharf served by Sydney to Parramatta ferries.

Meadowbank has a ferry wharf on the Parramatta River as part of the Sydney Ferries network. The next wharf west is Sydney Olympic Park and east is Kissing Point. The ferry primarily services tourists on weekends and city workers during the week.

Landmarks and features

Schools

Meadowbank Multipurpose Learning Centre is the local Long Day care centre for children aged 0–6 and provides a Before and After School Care facility for the children of Meadowbank Public School.
The Italian Bilingual School. This school moved from Leichhardt to See Street, Meadowbank in 2013. It offers students a bilingual education in English and Italian.
Meadowbank TAFE ^[7]
St Michael's School is a Catholic primary school, founded in 1922 by the Sisters of Mercy.

A new education precinct is slated to open on the TAFE site around 2020.

Churches

Meadowbank International Church
Ryde Presbyterian Church
St. Michael's Catholic Church
River City Church

Parks

Meadowbank features great public access to Parramatta River and surrounding parklands.

Meadowbank Park, Constitution Road. Major sports field complex for football, soccer, cricket, baseball, hockey, and netball. Bike and jogging track on Parramatta River foreshore, forming part of the Parramatta Valley Cycleway.^[8]
Memorial Park – Meadow Crescent. Adjacent to the Parramatta River. Bike track, part of the Parramatta Valley Cycleway. RiverCat Ferry Wharf. A WWII Memorial Walk has been constructed using stones from each country where Australians served or were stationed.^[8]
Anderson Park, Parsonage Street
Ann Thorn Park, Constitution Road
Helene Park, Bowden Street
Headland Park, Bowden Street
Woolway Park, Union Street (West Ryde)

Waterways

Scout halls

1st Meadowbank Scout Group located in Angas Street
Epping Scout Group has a boat shed at 150 Bowden Street, next to the public ferry wharf, and in the summer uses it for sailing and canoeing activities

Demographics

In the 2016 Australian Bureau of Statistics Census of Population and Housing, the population of Meadowbank was 4,408 people. The population was 49.4% male, 50.6% female. 34.2% of people were born in Australia. The most common countries of birth were China 14.2%, India 9.0%, South Korea 8.8%, Philippines 3.3% and Hong Kong 2.9%. 36.2% of people only spoke English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Mandarin 14.8%, Korean 10.1%, Cantonese 6.8%, Hindi 3.4% and Persian 2.3%. The most common responses for religion were No Religion 33.8%, Catholic 17.8% and Hinduism 9.3%.^[1]

96.3% of occupied private dwellings in Meadowbank were flats or apartments.^[1]

Politics

State Elections^[9]
	Labor	54.75%
	Greens	7.14%
	Liberal	30.42%
	Unity Party	3.41%
	Democrats	1.78%

Federal Elections^[10]
	Labor	45.33%
	Liberal	45.49%
	Greens	5.53%
	Democrats	0.70%

The Federal member for Bennelong is Jerome Laxale and the current State member for Ryde is Jordan Lane. The Mayor of the local Ryde City Council is Sarkis Yedelian.

Related Research Articles

Rhodes is an Inner West suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Rhodes is located 12 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Canada Bay. It was formerly part of Concord Municipality until a merger with Drummoyne Council to form Canada Bay in December 2000.

The Parramatta River is an intermediate tide-dominated, drowned valley estuary located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. With an average depth of 5.1 metres (17 ft), the Parramatta River is the main tributary of Sydney Harbour, a branch of Port Jackson. Secondary tributaries include the smaller Lane Cove and Duck rivers.

Town Hall railway station is a heritage-listed underground commuter rail station located in the centre of the Sydney central business district in New South Wales, Australia. The station opened on 28 February 1932. It is named after the Sydney Town Hall, located directly above the station.

Ryde is a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Ryde is located 13 km north-west of the Sydney central business district and 8 km east of Parramatta. Ryde is the administrative centre of the local government area of the City of Ryde and part of the Northern Sydney region. It lies on the north bank of the Parramatta River. People from Ryde are colloquially known as Ryders, Rydiens or Rydemen.

Meadowbank railway station is located on the Main Northern line, serving the Sydney suburb of Meadowbank. It is served by Sydney Trains T9 Northern Line services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryde Bridge</span> Bridges across the Parramatta River in Sydney, Australia

The Ryde Bridge, also called the Uhrs Point Bridge, are two road bridges that carry Concord Road, part of the A3, across Parramatta River from Ryde in the northern suburbs of Sydney to Rhodes in Sydney's inner west, in New South Wales, Australia.

West Ryde is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. West Ryde is located 16 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Ryde and is part of the Northern Sydney region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Putney, New South Wales</span> Suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Putney is a suburb of Northern Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is located 14 kilometres (9 mi) north-west of the Sydney central business district on the northern bank of the Parramatta River. Its local government area is the City of Ryde.

Melrose Park is a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, located 12 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district. Melrose Park is split between the local government areas of the City of Ryde and the City of Parramatta. It is part of the Northern Sydney region. Melrose Park sits on the northern bank of the Parramatta River. The Melrose Park Residents Action Group (MPRAG) represents the community on local issues.

Birchgrove is a suburb in the Inner West of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Birchgrove is located five kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Inner West Council.

Meadowbank ferry wharf is located on the northern side of the Parramatta River serving the Sydney suburb of Meadowbank.

Milsons Point ferry wharf is located on the northern side of Sydney Harbour serving the Sydney suburb of Milsons Point. It is next to Luna Park and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It is served by Sydney Ferries Parramatta River and Pyrmont Bay services operated by First Fleet and RiverCat class ferries.

Balmain East ferry wharf is located on Sydney Harbour serving the Sydney suburb of Balmain East.

Sydney Olympic Park ferry wharf is located on the southern side of the Parramatta River serving the Sydney suburb of Wentworth Point.

Parramatta River ferry services connect suburbs along the Parramatta River in Sydney with Circular Quay by commuter ferry. The services are numbered F3 and form part of the Sydney Ferries network.

Northern Sydney is a large metropolitan area in Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on the north shore of Sydney Harbour and Parramatta River. The region embraces suburbs in Sydney's north-east, north and inner north west. Northern Sydney is divided into distinctive regions such as the North Shore, Northern Beaches and Forest District.

Charity Creek, a northern tributary of the Parramatta River, is a creek west of Sydney Harbour, located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It joins the Parramatta River at Meadowbank Park, Meadowbank.

Smalls Creek, a northern tributary of the Parramatta River, is a creek west of Sydney Harbour, located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It joins the Parramatta River at Meadowbank Park, Meadowbank.

Meadowbank Manufacturing Company was an Australian manufacturer in Meadowbank, New South Wales.

The Parramatta Valley cycleway is a 15-kilometre-long (9.3 mi) shared-use path for cyclists and pedestrians that is generally aligned with the Parramatta River in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The eastern terminus of the cycleway is at Morrison Bay Park in Ryde and heads west along dedicated bike paths, quiet streets and the river foreshore to its western terminus at Parramatta Park in Parramatta.

References

1 2 3 Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Meadowbank (State Suburb)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
1 2 "A Brief History of Ryde". City of Ryde. Archived from the original on 13 June 2008. Retrieved 20 September 2008.
1 2 Ryde River Walk Masterplan Archived 6 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine at Ryde City Council
↑ "Meadowbank Rail Bridge over Parramatta River". New South Wales State Heritage Register . Department of Planning & Environment. H01189. Retrieved 18 May 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence .
↑ "10 Most Underrated Sydney Suburbs". Sydney Suburb Reviews. 29 November 2019. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
↑ "Meadowbank". TAFE NSW. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
↑ "TAFE NSW – Northern Sydney Institute: Meadowbank College". TAFE NSW. Archived from the original on 20 July 2008. Retrieved 20 September 2008.
1 2 Things to Do and See in Ryde at Ryde City Council
↑ "District Summary: State Electoral District of RYDE". 2007 State Election Results. New South Wales Electoral Commission. Retrieved 20 September 2008.
↑ "House of Representatives NSW Division – Bennelong". Election 2007 Virtual Tally Room. Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 20 September 2008.

External links

History from Olympic Coordination Authority (Original link, now dead)
Sydney by Ferry
Local content is published regularly on Instagram under @visitmeadowbank
Angela Phippen – Ryde Library (2008). "Meadowbank". Dictionary of Sydney . Retrieved 28 September 2015.[ CC-By-SA ]

33°49′01″S151°05′00″E / 33.81692°S 151.08333°E / -33.81692; 151.08333

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[ABSMeadowbank-1] 1 2 3 Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Meadowbank (State Suburb)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 12 December 2017.

[RydeHistory-2] 1 2 "A Brief History of Ryde". City of Ryde. Archived from the original on 13 June 2008. Retrieved 20 September 2008.

[Ryde_River_Walk_Masterplan-3] 1 2 Ryde River Walk Masterplan Archived 6 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine at Ryde City Council

[nswshr-1189-4] "Meadowbank Rail Bridge over Parramatta River". New South Wales State Heritage Register . Department of Planning & Environment. H01189. Retrieved 18 May 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence .

[5] "10 Most Underrated Sydney Suburbs". Sydney Suburb Reviews. 29 November 2019. Retrieved 8 September 2023.

[6] "Meadowbank". TAFE NSW. Retrieved 8 September 2023.

[7] "TAFE NSW – Northern Sydney Institute: Meadowbank College". TAFE NSW. Archived from the original on 20 July 2008. Retrieved 20 September 2008.

[Things_to_Do_and_See_in_Ryde-8] 1 2 Things to Do and See in Ryde at Ryde City Council

[9] "District Summary: State Electoral District of RYDE". 2007 State Election Results. New South Wales Electoral Commission. Retrieved 20 September 2008.

[10] "House of Representatives NSW Division – Bennelong". Election 2007 Virtual Tally Room. Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 20 September 2008.

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v t e Geography of Parramatta River
Sources	Toongabbie Creek Darling Mills Creek
Tributaries: left	Vineyard Creek Subiaco Creek Archer Creek Smalls Creek Charity Creek Lane Cove River
Tributaries: right	Duck River Haslams Creek Powells Creek Iron Cove Creek Hawthorne Canal
Islands	Rodd Island Snapper Island Spectacle Island Cockatoo Island
Parramatta River ferry services	Parramatta Rydalmere Sydney Olympic Park Meadowbank Kissing Point Cabarita Abbotsford Chiswick Huntleys Point
River crossings	Rings Bridge Bernie Banton Bridge Lennox Bridge Barry Wilde Bridge Elizabeth Street Footbridge Macarthur Bridge Clyde-Carlingford railway bridge Thackeray Bridge (footbridge) Silverwater Bridge James Ruse Drive bridge John Whitton Bridge Meadowbank Railway Bridge Ryde Bridge Mortlake Ferry Gladesville Bridge
River inlets and bays	Homebush Bay Kissing Point Bay Morrisons Bay Kendall Bay Glades Bay France Bay Exile Bay Canada Bay Kings Bay Hen and Chicken Bay Looking Glass Bay Abbotsford Bay Wallumatta Bay Five Dock Bay Lukes Bay Drummoyne Bay Iron Cove
Suburbs: north	North Parramatta Rydalmere Ermington Melrose Park Meadowbank Putney Tennyson Point Gladesville Henley Huntleys Point Huntleys Cove Hunters Hill Woolwich Greenwich
Suburbs: south	Parramatta Camellia Silverwater Newington Wentworth Point Sydney Olympic Park Liberty Grove Rhodes Concord Mortlake Breakfast Point Cabarita Canada Bay Five Dock Wareemba Abbotsford Chiswick Drummoyne Russell Lea Rodd Point Haberfield Lilyfield Rozelle Birchgrove

v t e Suburbs of the City of Ryde, Northern Suburbs, Sydney
Denistone Denistone East Denistone West East Ryde Eastwood Gladesville Macquarie Park Marsfield Meadowbank Melrose Park North Ryde Putney Ryde Tennyson Point West Ryde
List of Sydney suburbs