Westmead, New South Wales

Westmead is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Westmead is 26 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Parramatta and is part of the Greater Western Sydney region.

Geography
Westmead is bounded by the Parramatta River, Toongabbie Creek and Finlayson Creek in the north. On the east it is bounded by Parramatta Park, the Parramatta Golf Club, Amos Street and Good Street. The southern boundary is the Great Western Highway. The western boundary is Bridge Road and Darcy Road.

History
With the British settlement of Parramatta, Westmead was originally part of the domain of Government House. What is left of this domain, including Government House, form Parramatta Park. The name Westmead came into use when the governor's domain was first subdivided in 1859. The subdivision of the domain was completed in 1889. The Northern Meadow and Western Meadow of the domain were split off and called Northmead and Westmead. From this time orchards were established by many new settlers, including some whose names were well known in the Parramatta area - George Oakes, Nat Payten and William Fullagar among them.

Parramatta Marist School was established by Fr. John Therry in Hunter Street Parramatta in 1820, under the direction of Mr. George Morley. The school was transferred to the site of the present junior school in 1837 and entrusted to the care of the Marist Brothers in 1875. This makes Parramatta Marist the oldest Catholic school in Australia.

Health
Health is the major employer in the area, with a large public hospital, a large public children's hospital, a mental health hospital, a private hospital and three medical research facilities spanning basic, genetic and molecular science for both adults and children. A community foundation supports fundraising and awareness activities of Westmead.
 * Westmead Medical Research Foundation
 * Westmead Hospital, a major teaching hospital, which was opened in November 1978
 * Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children (also called The Children's Hospital at Westmead)
 * Westmead Millennium Institute for Medical Research
 * Cumberland Hospital, a psychiatric hospital
 * Westmead Centre for Oral Health
 * NETS, the moving intensive care service for kids
 * CareFlight, the adult medical retrieval service

Education

 * University of Western Sydney (UWS).
 * UWS College, Westmead Campus.
 * Westmead Public School was established in 1917, when an Infants' School opened in a rented Church of England hall in April of that year. By 1919 the present site was acquired, and the first purpose-built school building was opened in May 1920. In 1923 the building was extended to provide accommodation for Primary students. Within two years the growing local population created demand for additional accommodation for Primary students. At the present day Westmead Public School is one of the best primary schools in NSW, with high academic, sporting and art achievements. It schools over 900 children and has many professional teachers and staff.
 * The Catherine McAuley Catholic High School is an all Girls school located on the same campus as Parramatta Marist High School
 * Parramatta Marist High School is the oldest Catholic school in Australia, established in 1820.
 * Sacred Heart Primary School
 * Westmead Christian Grammar School (formerly Essington Christian Academy) was established at the site of Essington House in 1983. It provides a Christian Education for students from Kindergarten through to Year 6.

Transport
Westmead railway station is on the Western railway line of the City Rail network.

The Western railway line from Parramatta to Blacktown was built through the suburb in 1861. A railway station at Westmead was opened in April 1893 after a successful petition by local residents.

Bus transitway service Westmead from both Parramatta and The Hills District via the North-West T-way.