Concord West, New South Wales

Concord West is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Concord West is located 16 km west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Canada Bay. Concord is a separate suburb, to the east.

Concord West is bordered on the west by Rhodes, Liberty Grove and Homebush Bay; to the south by North Strathfield and Homebush; and to the east by Concord, Breakfast Point, Cabarita and Mortlake. It shares the postcode of 2138 with Rhodes.

History
Concord takes its name from Concord, Massachusetts, in the USA. It was the site of the Battle of Concord, the first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War (1775–1778). Some historians believe the suburb was named Concord, to encourage a peaceful attitude between soldiers and settlers. The first land grants in the area were made in 1793.

Concord West was under the jurisdiction of Concord Council, until it amalgamated with Drummoyne Council in 2000 to form the City of Canada Bay. The surrounding parish is also named Concord Parish.

A major historical figure in the area was Thomas Walker (1804–1886), a philanthropist who lived in the Victorian Italianate mansion, Yaralla, on the shores of Parramatta River. When he died, Walker left substantial funds for the establishment of a convalescent hospital in the area. The hospital—known as the Thomas Walker Hospital—was designed by Sir John Sulman in the Federation Free Classical style and built on a large site north-west of Yaralla. It is now listed on the Register of the National Estate. Since the late 1970s, it has functioned as Rivendell Child, Adolescent and Family Unit, which specialises in the treatment of young people with psychological problems.

Walker's philanthropic work was continued by his daughter Dame Eadith Walker (1861–1937), who was awarded a Commander of the British Empire in 1919, and was made a Dame 1929. The family home, Yaralla, eventually became the Dame Eadith Walker Hospital; like the Thomas Walker Hospital, it was listed on the Register of the National Estate. Dame Eadith also aided in establishing the Concord Repatriation General Hospital.

Commercial area
Concord West has a group of shops beside Concord West railway station. Another commercial area is located along Concord Road.

Visitors site
The Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway is a Walkway located near the repatriation Hospital which commemorates the Australian soldiers who participated in the New Guinea capmain during the second World War.

Health
Concord West is home to one of Sydney's major hospitals, Concord Repatriation General Hospital (commonly known as Concord Hospital). Concord Hospital has its own postcode, 2139.

The hospital grounds, particularly around the Dame Edith Walker Hospital in the Yaralla Estate to the south, contain some remnants of critically endangered Sydney Turpentine-Ironbark Forest in a relatively intact state.

Transport
Concord West railway station is on the Northern line of the CityRail network.

Pop culture

 * Concord Repatriation General Hospital provides the external shots for the fictional All Saints General Western Hospital in the Australian television drama series All Saints.
 * Australian mini series Bangkok Hilton was partly filmed in the grounds of the Thomas Walker Convalescent Hospital.

Demographics
According to the 2011 Census, there were 5,850 residents in Concord West. The most common ancestries in Concord West were Australian 18.4%, English 14.7%, Italian 13.7%, Irish 8.0% and Chinese 6.6%. In Concord West 62.7% of people only spoke English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Italian 7.7%, Greek 3.3% and Cantonese 3.3%.

Notable residents

 * Sydney Weekender host Mike Whitney