Wentworth Point, New South Wales
| Wentworth Point Sydney, New South Wales | |||||||||||||||
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 Looking across Homebush Bay to Sydney Olympic Park near Wentworth Point | |||||||||||||||
  Wentworth Point | |||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 33°49′35″S 151°04′41″E / 33.82647°S 151.07797°E | ||||||||||||||
| Population | 2,759 (2011 census)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| Established | 2009 | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 2127 | ||||||||||||||
| Location | 16 km (10 mi) west of Sydney CBD | ||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | City of Auburn | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Auburn | ||||||||||||||
| Federal division(s) | Reid | ||||||||||||||
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Wentworth Point is a suburb in the Inner West of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Wentworth Point is located 16 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Auburn. It is on the western shore of Homebush Bay on the southern side of the Parramatta River.
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.[2] 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.[3]
The northern part of the peninsula had been named Wentworth Point and gazetted in 1976.[4] The waterfront residential area was renamed Wentworth Point on 2 October 2009.[5][6] 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 Simonds, 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.
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 8km 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 a 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
Buses
A bus route 526 services Wentworth Point and Burwood.
Ferries
Sydney Olympic Park ferry wharf is situated at the northern end of Wentworth Point and is served by Parramatta River ferry services. Regular services run to Circular Quay and Parramatta. The wharf was temporarily closed for upgrade on 14 January 2015 for approximately 5 months.
Trains
There are no train services to Wentworth Point, but the nearby Sydney Olympic Park has a station. Services are however infrequent out of major events and peak hours. The construction of Homebush Bay Bridge between Rhodes and Wentworth Point will provide residents easier access to Rhodes station. Construction of the bridge is expected to finish in May 2016.[7]
Commercial areas
Wentworth Point has some small shops, cafes and restaurants, but has no significant shopping centre. There is a large supermarket and shopping centre at nearby Newington and Rhodes.
NSW Maritime owns about 18 hectares of land at the northern end of the point. This land has been subject to proposals for marine related development including boat storage. It has been considered as a possible location for a primary school.[8]
Recreation
Cycling and walking are well catered for by cycleways in the Millennium Parklands and Bicentennial Park. There are dedicated commuter cycleways to Sydney Olympic Park and Parramatta. Homebush Bay has potential for sailing, kayaking, rowing and dragon boating, 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, gymnasium and tennis courts. A wide range of other recreation facilities are available at nearby Sydney Olympic Park.
Future development
Homebush Bay Bridge
The 300m Homebush Bay Bridge across Homebush Bay has been approved, providing benefits to residents of the Wentworth Point area.[9] The bridge will be used by local buses and emergency service vehicles along with cyclists and pedestrians, making it easier for residents to access shops, public transport and place Wentworth Point on the map as a bay run. The bridge will be built between Footbridge Boulevard at Wentworth Point and Gauthorpe Street at Rhodes. Construction commenced in early 2014, and is expected to finish in May 2016.[10][11]
References
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Wentworth Point (State Suburb)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
- ^ The Book of Sydney Suburbs, Compiled by Frances Pollon, Angus & Robertson Publishers, 1990, Published in Australia ISBN 0-207-14495-8, page 124
- ^ Jones, Michael (1985). Oasis in the West: Strathfield's first hundred years. North Sydney: Allen & Unwin Australia. ISBN 0-86861-407-6, page 15
- ^ "Wentworth Point". Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales.
- ^ http://www.auburn.nsw.gov.au/page.aspx?id=3946
- ^ "Wentworth Point". Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales.
- ^ "Homebush Bay Bridge". www.homebushbaybridge.com.au. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
- ^ "Department of Planning and Environment - Wentworth Point". www.planning.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
- ^ http://www.billbergia.com.au/news/a-bridge-to-belonging
- ^ http://www.homebushbaybridge.com.au/pdf/department_bridge.pdf
- ^ "Homebush Bay Bridge". www.homebushbaybridge.com.au. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
