Birrong

Birrong Sydney, New South Wales
Auburn Road, Birrong
Coordinates	33°53′35″S 151°01′23″E / 33.893°S 151.023°ECoordinates: 33°53′35″S 151°01′23″E / 33.893°S 151.023°E
Population	2,953 (2011 census)[1]
Postcode(s)	2143
Location	22 km (14 mi) south-west of Sydney CBD
LGA(s)	Canterbury-Bankstown Council
State electorate(s)	Bankstown
Federal Division(s)	Blaxland
Suburbs around Birrong: Sefton Regents Park Regents Park Sefton Birrong Potts Hill Yagoona Yagoona Potts Hill

Birrong, a suburb of local government area Canterbury-Bankstown Council, is located 22 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the state of New South Wales, Australia, and is a part of the South-western Sydney region.

Birrong shares its postcode of 2143 with neighbouring suburbs Regents Park and Potts Hill.

Landmarks

Birrong features a large number of community facilities such as six soccer/rugby league fields, tennis courts, a large natural park reserve, a bowls club, and swimming pool. Birrong also has two high schools, Birrong Boys High School and Birrong Girls High School, and a primary school. A small group of shops is located on Auburn Road, featuring a barber, bakery, newsagent, IGA (including bottle shop and butcher), hair salon and florist.

History

The Aboriginal word Birrong meaning star, was adopted as the suburb's name around 1927.^[2]

One of the first settlers of Birrong was Joseph Hyde Potts who was granted land in the area in 1835 and has Potts Hill named after him. Development in the area of Birrong increased with the opening of the railway in 1928. Birrong Park, an area that was subject to flooding was drained as relief work during the Great Depression (1929-1934). The post office opened in 1955.^[3]

Demographics

In the 2011 census the population of Birrong is 2,953, 51.1% female and 48.9% male.

The median/average age of the Birrong population is 37 years of age.

50.3% of people living in Birrong were born in Australia. The other top responses for country of birth were Vietnam 15.7%, China 3.3%, Lebanon 3.2%, New Zealand 2.3%, Fiji 1.1%.

35.3% of people speak English as their first language 19.5% Vietnamese, 13.3% Arabic, 5.8% Cantonese, 3.1% Mandarin, 1.6% Macedonian.

The religious make up of Birrong is 24.7% Catholic, 18% Buddhism, 14% Islam, 9.5% No Religion, 8.4% Anglican.

Education

Birrong Girls High School is a public girls high school that was established as a girls' comprehensive high school in 1957. There are 820 students (2006 estimate) from a wide variety of cultural backgrounds enrolled in the school. 84% of students are from non-English speaking background (NESB) which represents 46 language groups.

Transport

Birrong is served by a railway station on the Bankstown Line of the Sydney Trains network. Birrong is also serviced by a bus network run by Transdev NSW.

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Birrong (State Suburb)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 29 April 2013.
2. History Suburb Names
3. The Book of Sydney Suburbs, Compiled by Frances Pollon, Angus & Robertson Publishers, 1990, Published in Australia ISBN 0-207-14495-8, page 30