Emu Plains, New South Wales

Emu Plains is a town, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Emu Plains is located 58 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Penrith and is part of the Greater Western Sydney region.

Emu Plains is on the western side of the Nepean River, located at the foot of the Blue Mountains.

Aboriginal Culture
Prior to European settlement, what is now Emu Plains was on the border of the Western Sydney-based Darug people and the Southern Highlands-based Gandangara people, whose land extended into the Blue Mountains. The local Darug people were known as the Mulgoa who lived a hunter-gatherer lifestyle governed by traditional laws, which had their origins in the Dreamtime. They lived in huts made of bark called 'gunyahs', hunted kangaroos and emus for meat, and gathered yams, berries and other native plants.

European Settlement
The first British explorers to visit the area surveyed Emu Plains in 1790 and named it Emu Island after emus they sighted on the land and in the mistaken belief that the land was actually on an island in the Nepean River. It was first referred to by its current name by Governor Lachlan Macquarie in 1814 when William Cox started building his road over the Blue Mountains from there. A government farm with convict labour was established in 1819. It closed down in 1832 with the establishment of the village of Emu Plains.

The removal of river-stones from the Nepean River for concrete and road-base was begun by the Emu and Prospect Gravel and Road Metal Company in the 1880s. A railway siding, which was to be ultimately expanded into a short branch, was first laid in from the Main Western Line at Emu Plains in 1884. Railway operations, which included their own locomotives, continued until 1967, after when only a siding, shunted by Government trains, remained. All railway operations ceased in 1993.

Emu Plains has a number of landmark buildings:
 * The railway station is a notable building of brick and sandstone, with Tudor chimneys, built in 1883. It is unusual for railway stations because it has two storeys; it has a Local Government Heritage Listing.
 * Emu Hall is a substantial home by the Nepean River. It was built in 1851 by Toby Ryan (1818–1899), who occupied the house until 1875. The house has a Local Government Heritage Listing.
 * St Paul's Anglican Church was built in 1848 and has a cemetery.
 * The former Arms of Australia Inn was built in 1833 to service the roads through the area. It has been restored by the Nepean District Historical Society with government funding and is used as a historical museum. It has a Local Government Heritage Listing.


 * At the corner of Russell Street and the Great Western Highway is the original Emu Plains post office, a sandstone Gothic cottage also known as Duke's Cottage.

Commercial area
The main commercial centre is Centro Lennox, formerly Lennox Shopping Centre, named after David Lennox.

Transport
Emu Plains railway station is situated on the Western Line of the CityRail network. It is the last station on the suburban part of the line with Lapstone, the next station to the west, considered part of the Intercity network. While a long distance from Sydney city, there are many express services from Emu Plains to the city. Emu Plains is also serviced by the Blue Mountains Bus Company.

Emu Plains can easily be accessed from Penrith via the Great Western Highway. Access from further east is best obtained by the M4 Western Motorway. If travelling east from the Blue Mountains, access is best obtained by the Great Western Highway.

Education
The local government primary school is Emu Plains Public School and the high school is Nepean High School. There is also a Catholic primary school, Our Lady of the Way, and high school, McCarthy Catholic College.

Demographics
The recorded population of Emu Plains in the 2006 census was 7944. The age profile and most other statistics were similar to the Australian national averages. Most people were Australian born (79%) with the remainder generally from English-speaking countries such as England or New Zealand. There were more detached houses (75%) and fewer apartments (7%) than in the national statistics while the median income ($536 per week) was slightly higher than the national average ($466).

Notable residents

 * Edwin Evans (1849–1921), Australian cricketer
 * Sir Francis Forbes (1784–1841), chief justice of New South Wales, who built the house Edinglassie at Emu Plains
 * Gerald (1905–1962) & Margo (1908–1978) Lewers, artists who donated their house as the Penrith Regional Art Gallery
 * Toby Ryan (1818–1899), early landholder, sportsman and politician

Governance
Until 1963, Emu Plains was part of Blue Mountains City Council but was then transferred to Penrith City Council, where it is currently split between the North and South Wards. At the state level, it is part of the Electoral district of Penrith, represented by Liberal Stuart Ayres. Federally, it is part of the Division of Lindsay, represented by Labor's David Bradbury.