Parramatta is a suburb in the City of Parramatta in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is 25 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, approximately at the geographical centre of the Sydney urban area. On the banks of Parramatta River, it is a major government and commercial centre, sometimes called Sydney's "second central business district". It is home to Westfield Parramatta, which is now the largest shopping centre in Australia.^{[citation needed]} The City of Parramatta is a Local Government Area in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. ... The Sydney Opera House on Sydney Harbour Sydney (pronounced ) is the most populous city in Australia with a metropolitan area population of over 4. ... Emblems: Floral - Waratah (Telopea speciosissima); Bird - Kookaburra (Dacelo gigas); Animal - Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus); Fish - Blue Groper (Achoerodus viridis) Motto: Orta Recens Quam Pura Nites (Newly Risen, How Brightly You Shine) Slogan or Nickname: First State, Premier State Other Australian states and territories Capital Sydney Government Const. ... The Parramatta River, New South Wales, Australia, is the main tributary of Sydney Harbour, along with the smaller Lane Cove and Duck Rivers. ... Westfield Parramatta, owned and managed by The Westfield Group, is the largest enclosed shopping centre in Sydney, Australia. ...

History

Old Government House, Parramatta.

Parramatta was founded in 1788, the same year as Sydney. The Darug people had lived in the area they called Baramada or Burramatta for many generations, and regarded the area as a food bowl, rich in food from the river and forests. The British Colony however, which had arrived in January 1788 in the First Fleet at Sydney Cove, had only enough food to support itself for a short time and the soil around Sydney Cove proved too poor to grow the thousands of kilos of food that 1000 convicts, soldiers and administrators needed to survive. During 1788 Governor Arthur Phillip had reconnoitred several places before choosing Parramatta as the likeliest place for a successful large farm. On Sunday November 2 1788, Governor Phillip took a detachment of marines along with a surveyor and, in boats, made his way up the harbour to what was called The Crescent, now part of Parramatta Park, where tents were set-up and the work of determining the best places to farm began. A work team of convicts followed, who would have to hoe the land by hand, and clear what trees they could to grow wheat, corn and barley – initially they grew these grains mainly for seed, in order to establish farming in the new colony. The farming (at what became known as Rose Hill, New South Wales) proved successful and enabled the early colony to survive, whereas it otherwise would have certainly failed. In 1791, on the King's Birthday, Governor Phillip changed the name of the growing town to Par-ra-mat-ta, a name which approximated the term used by the local people to describe their place. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2237x1651, 558 KB) Summary Picture taken and supplied by Brian Voon Yee Yap. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2237x1651, 558 KB) Summary Picture taken and supplied by Brian Voon Yee Yap. ... Government House is located in Sydney and was the official residence of the Governor of New South Wales, Australia. ... This article is about the British First Fleet of the 18th century. ... Sydney Cove is a small bay on the southern shore of Port Jackson (commonly but incorrectly called Sydney Harbour), on the coast of the state of New South Wales, Australia. ... Admiral Arthur Phillip (1786 portrait by Francis Wheatley, National Portrait Gallery, London) Admiral Arthur Phillip, RN (11 October 1738 – 31 August 1814) was a British naval officer and colonial administrator. ... Founded on the 2nd of November, 1788, Rose Hill in New South Wales was the first colonial settlement, established by Governor Phillip. ...

Governor Arthur Phillip built a small house on Rose Hill for times he spent in the town. Another house replaced that in 1799 which has remained until today - this house was used as a retreat by Governors until the 1850's, and one Governor (Governor Brisbane) made it his principal residence for a short period in the 1820's. The house Old Government House, remains as an historic site and museum and is Australia's oldest surviving public building. Major General Sir Thomas Brisbane, Governor of New South Wales Major-General Sir Thomas Makdougall Brisbane, 1st Baronet, GCH GCB (July 23, 1773 – January 27, 1860), soldier, colonial Governor and astronomer, was born at Largs in Ayrshire, Scotland, the son of Sir Thomas Brisbane. ... Government House is located in Sydney and was the official residence of the Governor of New South Wales, Australia. ...

Land at Parramatta was granted to James Ruse, an emancipated convict, and is now the site of Experiment Farm, which was built by Dr. John Harris in the 1830's. Nearby is Elizabeth Farm, the home of controversial wool pioneer John Macarthur (wool pioneer). This article is about the Australian farmer. ... Experiment Farm Cottage is a tourist attraction in Harris Park, Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia. ... Elizabeth Farm is the home of controversial Australian wool pioneers, John and Elizabeth Macarthur. ...

The name Parramatta is derived from Dharug Baramada.^[1] The area was at first named The Crescent, then Rose Hill, New South Wales, changing to the native name for the area in 1791.

It is on a stretch of the Parramatta River which is a gathering place for native species of eel, as it is the point where saltwater meets freshwater and creates a profusion of nutrients. The eel has been adopted as the symbol of the Parramatta Eels rugby league club, which competes in the National Rugby League. Suborders Anguilloidei Nemichthyoidei Congroidei Synaphobranchoidei See text for families. ... The National Rugby League (NRL) is the premier rugby league competition in Australia and New Zealand. ...

Current developments

At the start of the new millennium, Parramatta saw the consolidation of its role as a government centre, with the relocation of facilities, such as the NSW Police Headquarters, from Sydney's CBD. At the same time, major construction work occurred around the railway station with the expansion of Westfield Shoppingtown, the creation of a new "Transport Interchange", and the development of the Civic Place local government precinct. Badge of the NSW Police // Background The New South Wales Police Force (also NSW Police or NSWPOL) is the primary law enforcement agency in the State of New South Wales, Australia. ... Parramatta is a major suburb in Sydney. ...

Private businesses have also started to relocate their offices to Parramatta in response to the high property prices in the CBD.

In a bid to regenerate central-west Sydney as an urban centre there have been calls for the Museum of Contemporary Arts to be relocated from Circular Quay to Parramatta. MCA in Sydney The Museum of Contemporary Art (abbreviated MCA) in Sydney, Australia is an Australian museum solely dedicated to exhibiting, interpreting and collecting contemporary art, both from across Australia and around the world. ... Buildings and railway station at Circular Quay Circular Quay wharf and railway station as seen from an approaching Rivercat ferry. ...

Landmarks

Lake Parramatta

Lake Parramatta is a 10-hectare reserve, based around a former reservoir. The catchment area for the lake is bounded by North Rocks Rd, Pennant Hills Rd and Hunts Creek. The entrance is from Lackey Street, North Parramatta. Lake Parramatta is a 10 hectare nature reserve. ...

Parramatta Park

Parramatta Park is a large park adjacent to Parramatta Stadium. It was formerly the Governor's Domain and contains Old Government House, mentioned above. Another feature is the natural amphitheatre located on one of the bends of the river, named by Governor Philip as "the Crescent", which is used to stage concerts.

Ferry Wharf

The ferry wharf is at the Charles Street Weir, which divides the tidal saltwater from the freshwater of the upper river, on the eastern boundary of the Central Business District. The wharf is the westernmost destination of the Sydney Ferries|River Cat ferry service.

Church Street

Church Street is the home to many restaurants with a diverse range of cuisines. It takes its name from St John's Anglican Cathedral opposite the Town Hall. Nearby is the historic St John's Cemetery.

This is a complete listing of the suburbs and localities in the greater Sydney area in alphabetical order. ...

References

1. ^ Troy, Jakelin. “The Sydney Language”, Macquarie Aboriginal Words. Sydney: Macquarie Library, 76.

External links

Coordinates: -33.81554° 151.00735° Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...

• Maps and aerial photos
  • Street map from Street Directory, MSN Maps and Multimap.
  • Satellite image from Google Maps, WikiMapia and Terraserver.
• Parramatta City Council website
• 2001 Census Information