The Aboriginal tribe of Gandangara once lived in the area. European settlement began in the early 1840s. During the 1860s, Villawood was used as pastoral land, but it was overrun with wild dogs. Woodville Road, which runs through Villawood, was once named Dog Trap Road because many farmers set dog traps for these wild dogs. A train station opened in 1922 to service the area was originally known as Woodville Road. Unfortunately, there was confusion with another place called Woodville in the Hunter Valley and thus the name was transposed into 'Villawood'.[2]
In the 1970s, Villawood's significance as a site for migrant accommodation grew with the establishment of the Villawood Immigration Detention Centre. Originally, the detention centre served as a temporary holding place for migrants waiting for processing or asylum seekers who arrived in Australia. Over the decades, the role of the detention centre has evolved, and it has been a central point of debate in Australian immigration policy.
Up until the 1990s, Villawood's post-war housing estates continued to evolve, though the area retained its working-class image. It remained primarily residential, with limited commercial development compared to other Sydney suburbs. However, in recent years, Villawood has experienced some gentrification, with new developments, infrastructure improvements and more diverse retail offerings.
Schools and churches
Villawood East Public School and Sacred Heart Primary School are located in the suburb. There are also day and community centres, several Christian churches and a Mosque conducts Islamic services in the old post office building on Woodville Road at the shopping centre.
Commercial area
Villawood Place was once a major shopping centre, serving the surrounding areas. After nearby Bass Hill Plaza opened, many Villawood businesses went into decline, leaving a legacy of abandoned shop fronts and buildings, including the abandoned Franklins supermarket and large Australia Post office. There has been rejuvenation and renovation of Woodville (Villawood) Place since with construction of the new supermarket and homegoods stores, a bakery, chemists, grocers and other shops. It is located in proximity to Villawood railway station.
A business park in Villawood holds enterprises concerning hardware products, furniture, auto parts and second-hand goods. Leightonfield railway station services an industrial area in the eastern part of Villawood.
Apart from the Woods Action centre (see above) which includes Indoor Climbing, Ten-pin bowling, Go-karting and the Wiggles indoor play centre, Villawood is home to three other major sport and recreation areas: The Wran Leisure Centre, Thurina Park and Villawood Skatepark.
The Wran Leisure Centre (named after Neville Wran) houses a swimming pool, tennis courts, a gymnasium and squash courts. Thurina Park houses two multi purpose sporting fields that cater for soccer, cricket and baseball. Thurina Park is also home to the Villawood United Soccer Club.
Demographics
At the 2021 census, Villawood recorded a population of 7,051. Of these:[1]
The median age of Villawood residents was 34 years, compared to the national median of 38 years. Children aged 0–14 years made up 20.5% of the population (national average is 18.2%) and people aged 65 years and over made up 12.3% of the population (national average is 17.2%).
There is a very diverse ethnic range. Fewer than half (41.6%) of residents were born in Australia; the next most common countries of birth were Vietnam 12.7%, Lebanon 7.3%, China 3.4%, Afghanistan 2.5% and Iraq 2.2%. Looking past the country of birth to residents' self-identified ancestry shows another dimension of this cultural diversity: the most common ancestries were Lebanese 16.2%, Vietnamese 14.5%, Australian 11.9%, English 9.1% and Chinese 9.1%. Less than one third (22.7%) of people spoke English at home; other languages spoken at home included Arabic 23.5%, Vietnamese 15.1%, Mandarin 3.4%, Cantonese 2.9% and Hazaraghi 1.4%.
The most common response for religion was Islam at 32.8%.
Detention centre
Protesters at the detention centre (April 2011).
The suburb is home to Villawood Immigration Detention Centre, which is situated at 15 Birmingham Avenue. It was originally a hostel, constructed in 1949, to accommodate post-war refugees from Europe. In 1976, a subdivision of the original camp was converted into an immigration detention centre. In addition to housing asylum seekers, people refused entry into the country at international airports and seaports may also be detained in the centre.
The centre has been the focus of much controversy, with accusations of human rights abuses.[3] In January 2008, the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) said the high-security section of Villawood Detention Centre was the "most prison like" of all Australia's immigration detention centres, and demanded it be closed immediately.[4]
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