| City of Canterbury Bankstown New South Wales | |||||||||||||||
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 Location in Metropolitan Sydney | |||||||||||||||
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| Population |
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| • Density | 3,348.4/km2 (8,672/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Established | 12 May 2016 | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 110.8 km2 (42.8 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Mayor | Bilal El-Hayek | ||||||||||||||
| Council seat | Bankstown | ||||||||||||||
| Region | |||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | |||||||||||||||
| Federal division(s) | |||||||||||||||
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| Website | City of Canterbury Bankstown | ||||||||||||||
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Canterbury-Bankstown Council, trading as theCity of Canterbury Bankstown and stylised asCBCity, is alocal government area in the old customaryCanterbury-Bankstown[3]New South Wales, Australia. The council was formed on 12 May 2016 from amerger of theCity of Canterbury and theCity of Bankstown,[4] after a review of local government areas by theNSW Government.
The City of Canterbury Bankstown comprises an area of 110.8 square kilometres (42.8 sq mi) and as per the2021 census, had a population of 371,006 making it the second most populouslocal government area in New South Wales.
The current mayor is Bilal El-Hayek, a member of theLabor Party, who was elected on 11 May 2023.
The traditional Aboriginal inhabitants of the land now known as the Canterbury-Bankstown were theDharug (Darag, Daruk, Dharuk) andEora peoples. Early indigenous groups relied upon the riparian network of theGeorges River andCooks River catchments towardsBotany Bay, with extant reminders of this lifestyle dating back 3,000 years including rock and overhang paintings, stone scrapers, middens and axe grinding grooves.[5][6]
Following the arrival of thefirst fleet inSydney Cove in 1788, the new British settlers in the area burned oyster shells from the middens along Cooks River to produce lime for use in building mortar. In 1793, RevRichard Johnson, a chaplain aboard the First Fleet, was the first to receive a land grant of 40 hectares and given the nameCanterbury Vale. The land was located in theAshbury-Hurlstone Park area. He named his estate 'Canterbury Vale', presumably after the See ofCanterbury in England. The date of the grant was May 1793 although he (Johnson) occupied the land months earlier. Johnson also cultivated land around his cottage in Bridge St Sydney and at another location called the Brickfield near Central Station. Johnson was praised byWatkin Tench as being one of the best farmers in the colony.[7]: 4, 6, 81
The first incursions and eventual land grants in the area by Europeans led to increasing tensions, culminating in a confrontation between Europeans and a group of Aboriginal people led by Tedbury, the son ofPemulwuy, in what is now Punchbowl in 1809. However, following Tedbury's death in 1810, resistance to European settlement generally ended.[8]
The District of Bankstown was named byGovernor Hunter in 1797 in honour of botanist SirJoseph Banks. The area remained very rural until residential and suburban development followed the development of theBankstown railway line with the passing of theMarrickville to Burwood Road Railway Act by the NSW Parliament in 1890, extending the rail line fromMarrickville Station (later Sydenham Station) toBurwood Road (later Belmore Station) by 1895.[9] With the passing of theBelmore to Chapel Road Railway Act in 1906, the line was extended further toLakemba,Punchbowl andBankstown by 1909.[9]
The first ambulance to service the area was in 1908. It was called the 'Canterbury District Ambulance Corps' and it used volunteers to transport patients to the hospital. A stretcher on wheels with a hooded cover over it (hand litter) was used to transport patients to the Western Suburbs Hospital. If a patient lived in an area around Belmore, the hand litter was transported by train from Campsie to Belmore, then it was pushed along the rough unsealed roads to the patients home, back to Belmore station, then taken by train toCampsie Station and along the streets to hospital.[citation needed]
The Canterbury District Memorial Hospital commenced business on 26 October 1929. The hospital was opened by Secretary for Public Works Buttenshaw. Prior to the opening of the hospital [in Canterbury], residents attended the Western Suburbs Hospital or the cottage hospital located inMarrickville, which was established in 1895.[citation needed]
In 1940, the events ofWorld War II were made known to the residents of Canterbury-Bankstown. Men and women who were drafted had to report for duty at a drill hall located on Canterbury Road Belmore. Camps were set up in Canterbury Race Course and surrounding parks in the region. In that same year thousands of Australian troops travelled along the goods line toDarling Harbour, ready to embark for the Middle East.
In 1940 the department of Civil Aviation purchased 250 hectares of land in Bankstown for the construction of Bankstown Airport and an RAAF Station was formed. The facility was a secondary airport toMascot Airport. In 1942 a command bunker (Sydney Air Defence Headquarters) of semi underground construction was established on the corner of Edgar and Marion Street Bankstown. The bunker was manned byNo. 1 Fighter Sector RAAF, members of theNo.2 Volunteer Air Observer Corps, theWAAAF's, theRAAF and theUnited States Army Air Forces. The primary use of the Sydney Air Defence Headquarters was the location, tracking and interception of all planes in the eastern area of the South West Pacific.[10][7]: 89
In 1941,WAAAF's were posted to Bankstown. The women were trained as clerks, wireless telegraphists, mess orderlies,drill instructors anddrivers, a portion of these women were assigned to work in the command centre (Bankstown Bunker) located on Black Charlies Hill. In 1942, Belmore House, the current sight of today's Roselands Shopping Centre was used by theAustralian Army for the training of troops. Tents on the property were used to house an infantry battalion and an ambulance corps. The site was vacated after a year. Units of the US Air Force were based in Bankstown after 1942, earning the suburb the nickname 'Yankstown'. Also in 1942 a military hospital was established for theU.S. Army atHerne Bay, now known as Riverwood. It was the largest military hospital in Australia duringWorld War II. Known as the118 General Hospital it consisted of 490 timber barracks-type buildings, which could house a total of 4,250 beds and accommodate up to 1,250 patients and 3,500 staff.[7]: 94
Within the same year 16 US fighter planes that were based at Bankstown airport flew over Canterbury racecourse at low altitude during a race meet. This was to let the Australian public, especially those of the district to know that they, their allies were there for their protection. Regardless of these events, punters were annoyed at the disruption caused.
From 1944 to 1945, aVolunteer Air Observer Corps operated in Bankstown. These volunteers were both male and female, were of 15 to 60 years of age and were given several weeks training. There were over 300 volunteers who worked in shifts that the air force called 'flights' 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This freed RAAF personnel for other duties. In 1945 Bankstown Airport was occupied by the BritishFleet Air Arm, known asHMS Nabberley, and theRAAF by 1946.[10][7]: 88, 90, 91–94
After much petitioning of theNSW Government by local residents, theMunicipality of Canterbury was proclaimed on 17 March 1879. The council first met in the home of the first mayor, Alderman John Sproule, and premises were then leased in the St Paul's Church schoolroom at 47-49 Canterbury Road, Canterbury. The Canterbury Town Hall, located on Canterbury Road between Canton and Howard Streets, was opened in 1889 by the Premier of New South Wales, SirHenry Parkes. However, over time, Campsie became a more important centre, particularly along Beamish Street and Canterbury Council planned a gradual move of civic services there when funds became available.[11] In 1954 a Baby Health Centre by Davey & Brindley opened on Beamish Street, followed by a library next door by Davey, Brindley & Vickery in 1958 at a cost of £30,000, and the municipal administration finally moved in 1963.[11] At the time of its opening by the mayor R. J. Schofield on 26 September 1958, the Campsie Library was reputed to be the largest municipal library in Sydney.[11][12] The Canterbury Municipal Administration Building designed by architects Whitehead & Payne, built by Rex Building Company Pty Ltd, and completed at a cost of £163,000 was opened adjacent to the Library and Baby Health Centre by the mayor, James S. Scott, on 21 September 1963.[13][14][15] The City of Canterbury was proclaimed on 16 November 1993 by theGovernor of New South Wales, Rear AdmiralPeter Sinclair.
In March 1895, a petition was submitted to the NSW Colonial Government by 109 residents of the Bankstown area, requesting the establishment of the "Municipal District of Bankstown" under theMunicipalities Act, 1867.[16] The petition was subsequently accepted and the "Municipal District of Bankstown" was proclaimed by Lieutenant GovernorSir Frederick Darley on 7 September 1895.[17] The first six-member council, standing in one at-large constituency, was elected on 4 November 1895.[18] With the passing of theLocal Government Act 1906, the council area became known as the "Municipality of Bankstown".
Bankstown's city status was proclaimed in 1980 in the presence ofQueen Elizabeth II, becoming the "City of Bankstown".[19]
A2015 review of local government boundaries by theNSW GovernmentIndependent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal recommended that the City of Canterbury merge with the City of Bankstown to form a new council with an area of 110 square kilometres (42 sq mi) and support a population of approximately 351,000.[20] Following an independent review, on 12 May 2016 theMinister for Local Government announced, with the release of theLocal Government (Council Amalgamations) Proclamation 2016, that the merger with the City of Bankstown would proceed with immediate effect, creating a new council with an area of 72 square kilometres (28 sq mi).[4]
The council was initially under the management of Administrator Richard Colley until elections were held.[21] The first meeting of the council was held at Bankstown Council Chambers on 24 May 2016.[22] The former Bankstown General Manager, Matthew Stewart was proclaimed as the first General Manager of the council.[21] Jim MontaguePSM, Canterbury Council General Manager from 1983 to 2016, was initially proclaimed as a Deputy General Manager of the new Council, but retired two weeks after the proclamation.[23]
At the first council meeting on 24 May 2016, the administrator, Richard Colley, resolved to adoptcity status and the council name would be known as the "City of Canterbury Bankstown" by way of changing the council's trading name and business registration.[24] However, as this act merely changed the trading name of the council, the legal name as proclaimed in 2016 remains "Canterbury-Bankstown Council", which can only be changed by official proclamation in theNSW Government Gazette under section 206 of theLocal Government Act, 1993.[25]
In 2021, the council began resolving a proposal to de-amalgamate the City of Canterbury Bankstown. The de-amalgamation would restore the formerCity of Canterbury andCity of Bankstown to their original boundaries. In July 2022, the council began preparations to submit a business case to the NSW Government for approval.[26]
At the ordinary council meeting on 28 November 2023, it was resolved that council would halt all work, and financial spending, on preparing its implementation plan to de-amalgamate, until such time the NSW Government gave an iron-clad commitment to fully fund the cost of any de-amalgamation, and all ongoing costs.[27]However, in 2024, it was confirmed that a bill would be passed in parliament by the NSW Government which would indicate that the government would not foot the bill for any council wishing to de-amalgamate.[28]
The federal divisions ofBarton,Banks,Blaxland,Grayndler andWatson are located within part or all of the region of Canterbury-Bankstown. The state electoral districts ofBankstown,Canterbury,East Hills andLakemba are located within part or all of the region. It is a relatively safe region for theLabor party.
Suburbs in the City of Canterbury Bankstown area are:
The City of Canterbury-Bankstown is home to the second highest number of registered businesses in NSW. In 2021–22, the City of Canterbury-Bankstown had an estimated Gross Regional Product (GRP) of $16.7 billion, making it the eight largest economy in the state.[29]
Multinational companies includingVolkswagen have based their Australian operations in Canterbury-Bankstown. The City of Canterbury-Bankstown is home to the largest postal distribution centre in theSouthern Hemisphere[citation needed], which is operated by theAustralia Post.Bankstown Airport is a major employment area for aviation and logistics. TheNSW Police Force,NSW Ambulance,NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service and theRoyal Flying Doctor Service have their flight operations at Bankstown Airport.[30]
| Selected historical census data for the City of Canterbury Bankstown | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Census year | 2016[31] | 2021[1] | ||
| Population | Estimated residents oncensus night | 346,302 | 371,006 | |
| LGA rank in terms of size within New South Wales | 1st |  2nd | ||
| % of New South Wales population | 4.63% | 4.59% | ||
| % of Australian population | 1.48% | 1.46% | ||
| Cultural and language diversity | ||||
| Ancestry, top responses | Lebanese | 12.5% |  14.1% | |
| Australian | 11.8% | 13.9% | ||
| English | 10.2% | 11.3% | ||
| Chinese | 9.4% | 11.6% | ||
| Vietnamese | 6.0% | 7.3% | ||
| Language, top responses (other thanEnglish) | Arabic | 17.2% |  17.2% | |
| Vietnamese | 7.2% | 7.5% | ||
| Greek | 5.4% | 4.7% | ||
| Mandarin | 5.0% | 5.1% | ||
| Cantonese | 3.9% | 3.7% | ||
| Religious affiliation | ||||
| Religious affiliation, top responses | Catholic | 23.4% | 21.5% | |
| Islam | 20.8% | 23.6% | ||
| No religion | 15.0% | 17.5% | ||
| Eastern Orthodox | 8.9% | 8.5% | ||
| Not stated | 8.6% | 8.0% | ||
| Median weekly incomes | ||||
| Personalincome | Median weekly personal income | A$502 | A$625 | |
| % of Australian median income | 75.8% | 77.6% | ||
| Family income | Median weekly family income | A$1,437 | A$1,786 | |
| % of Australian median income | 82.9% | 84.2% | ||
| Household income | Median weekly household income | A$1,298 | A$1,556 | |
| % of Australian median income | 90.3% | 89.1% | ||
| Dwelling structure | ||||
| Dwelling type | Separate house | 57.1% | 55.0% | |
| Semi-detached,terrace ortownhouse | 16.1% | 15.7% | ||
| Flat or apartment | 25.9% | 28.5% | ||
The Canterbury-Bankstown region is characterised by high-density housing towards the east and larger family homes towards the west with large natural parklands toward the south, such as those aroundSalt Pan Creek. Suburbs within the region have a multicultural nature.
Like Sydney's inner west, Canterbury-Bankstown is multi-cultural. There is a significant Chinese, Indian, Korean, Fijian, Vietnamese, Lebanese, Greek, Italian, Yugoslav and African population. This is also reflected in the variety and style of many local businesses and cultural institutions.
Notable former residents include the former Prime MinisterJohn Howard[32] andPaul Keating[33] and OlympianIan Thorpe.[34]
TheAustralian Bureau of Statistics defines two statistical areas (SAL3) called "Canterbury" and "Bankstown" respectively, which together largely correlate with the customary definitions of the Canterbury–Bankstown region. Based on the2021 Australian census:
City of Canterbury Bankstown Council | |
|---|---|
| Leadership | |
Mayor | Bilal El-Hayek (Labor) |
Deputy Mayor | Karl Saleh (Labor) |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 15 councillors |
 Map of elected councillors by party in each of the 5 wards[37] | |
Political groups | Majority (8)
Others (7)
|
| Elections | |
| Single transferable vote | |
Last election | 14 September 2024 |
Next election | 16 September 2028 |
The Council comprises fifteenCouncillors electedproportionally, with three Councillors elected in fivewards. On 9 September 2017 the current Council was elected for a fixed term of office.[4][21] Although the fixed term of the council is typically four years, due to delays caused by amalgamations and theCOVID-19 pandemic, the first term from 9 September 2017 expired on 4 December 2021.[38] The Mayor and Deputy Mayor are elected by the Councillors for two-year and one-year terms, respectively. The City of Canterbury Bankstown was under the management of Administrator Richard Colley and Interim General Manager Matthew Stewart until elections were held on 9 September 2017 and the first meeting of the elected Council on 26 September 2017.[21]
The most recent election was held on 14 September 2024,[37] the makeup of the council, by order of election, is as follows:
| Ward | Councillor | Party | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bankstown Ward[39] | George Zakhia | Liberal | Elected 2017 | |
| Khal Asfour | Labor | Elected 2017; Mayor 2017–2023 | ||
| Bilal El-Hayek | Labor | Elected 2017; Deputy Mayor 2019–2020, 2021–2022;Mayor 2023–present | ||
| Bass Hill Ward[40] | Rachelle Harika | Labor | Elected 2017; Deputy Mayor 2020–2021, 2023–2024 | |
| Christopher Cahill | Labor | |||
| Saud Abu-Samen | Community Voice | Elected 2024 | ||
| Canterbury Ward[41] | Clare Raffan | Labor | Elected 2017; Deputy Mayor 2018–2019, 2022–2023 | |
| Barbara Coorey | Independent | Canterbury West Ward Councillor 1991–1999; Canterbury Deputy Mayor 1995–1996[42] | ||
| Conroy Blood | Greens | Elected 2024 | ||
| Revesby Ward[43] | Wendy Lindsay | Liberal | Elected 2024; State member forEast Hills 2019–2023 | |
| Jennifer Walther | Liberal | Elected 2024 | ||
| David Walsh | Labor | |||
| Roselands Ward[44] | Harry Stavrinos | Our Local Community | Elected 2024 | |
| Karl Saleh | Labor | Canterbury West Ward Councillor 2004–2016;Deputy Mayor 2008–2009, 2012–2013, 2015–2016; 2024–present. | ||
| Sherin Akther | Labor | Elected 2024 | ||
| Mayor | Term | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Richard Colley (Administrator) | 12 May 2016 – 26 September 2017 | General Manager of Bankstown 2000–2007 and Administrator ofWollongong 2010–2011[21][45] |
| Khal Asfour | 26 September 2017 – 11 May 2023 | Mayor of Bankstown 2011–2014, 2015–2016[46][47][48][49][50] |
| Bilal El-Hayek | 11 May 2023 – present | [51][52] |
| Deputy Mayor | Term | Notes |
| Nadia Saleh | 26 September 2017 – 25 September 2018 | [46] |
| Clare Raffan | 25 September 2018 – 19 September 2019 | [53] |
| Bilal El-Hayek | 19 September 2019 – 28 September 2020 | [47] |
| Rachelle Harika | 28 September 2020 – 29 September 2021 | [54] |
| Linda Downey | 29 September 2021 – 24 December 2021 | Mayor of Bankstown 2014–2015[48] |
| Bilal El-Hayek | 24 December 2021 – 29 September 2022 | [49] |
| Clare Raffan | 29 September 2022 – 11 September 2023 | [55][51] |
| Rachelle Harika | 11 September 2023 – 15 October 2024 | [52] |
| Karl Saleh | 15 October 2024 – present | [56] |
| General Manager | Term | Notes |
| Matthew Stewart | 12 May 2016 – present | General Manager of Bankstown 2010–2016[21] |
| Party | Votes | % | Swing | Seats | Change | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labor | 72,278 | 41.3 | −6.1 | 8 | 1 | ||
| Liberal | 30,096 | 17.2 | −12.8 | 3 | 2 | ||
| Greens | 17,350 | 9.9 | +6.2 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Community Voice | 10,093 | 5.8 | 1 | 1 | |||
| Our Local Community | 6,308 | 3.6 | 1 | 1 | |||
| Libertarian | 15,904 | 9.1 | 0 | | |||
| Animal Justice | 1,601 | 0.9 | −0.7 | 0 | | ||
| Unity | 1,556 | 0.9 | 0 | | |||
| Democrats | 967 | 0.6 | 0 | | |||
| Independents | 19,042 | 10.9 | −2.3 | 1 | |||
| Formal votes | 175,195 | 89.9 | |||||
| Informal votes | 19,577 | 10.1 | |||||
| Total | 194,772 | 15 | |||||
| Registered voters / turnout | |||||||
| Party | Votes | % | Swing | Seats | Change | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labor | 83,724 | 47.4 | +0.0 | 9 | | ||
| Liberal | 52,960 | 30.0 | +0.6 | 5 | | ||
| Greens | 6,608 | 3.7 | −4.8 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Independent | 16,221 | 9.1 | +4.6 | 0 | | ||
| Barbara Coorey Independent Group | 9,027 | 5.1 | +5.1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Our Local Community | 5,105 | 2.9 | −7.2 | 0 | | ||
| Animal Justice | 2,746 | 8.2 | +8.2 | 0 | | ||
| Communist League | 99 | 0.1 | 0 | | |||
| Formal votes | 176,490 | ||||||
The biggest commercial areas in the Canterbury-Bankstown area are located atBankstown,Campsie andRoselands. Bankstown is the largest central business district in the region and features a large shopping centre calledBankstown Central. Roselands also features a large shopping centre calledRoselands Shopping Centre. The Canterbury–Bankstown region also has a variety of Vietnamese, Lebanese, Greek, Italian, Spanish, African and Australianrestaurants,delicatessens, sweet shops, grocery and fresh food markets.
Canterbury, Liverpool and Punchbowl Roads are the main roads through the area. TheM5 Motorway runs through the Bankstown area and close to the southern boundary of the Canterbury area, and provides a motorway connection from this region east toSydney Airport and west to Liverpool and beyond and (via theM8 Motorway andWestConnex) theInner West region and beyond.
Public transport in the region includes trains and buses. TheLidcombe & Bankstown Line runs fromBankstown toLidcombe. Currently the Bankstown line is closed betweenSydenham andBankstown stations, as it is being converted toMetro North West & Bankstown Line which will open in 2026.
TheAirport & South Line runs from theCity Circle and passes through the southern part of Canterbury-Bankstown, with all stations services that terminate atRevesby and limited stops services which continue ontoMacarthur. This line also provides a direct connection from the region toSydney Airport. There are various bus routes provided largely by the privately owned companiesTransit Systems andU-Go Mobility.
The Canterbury-Bankstown region is home to the Bankstown Campus ofWestern Sydney University.
Public high schools in the area includeBankstown Senior College,Bankstown Girls High School,Wiley Park Girls High School, Belmore Boys High School[58],Birrong Girls High School, Birrong Boys High School,Canterbury Boys High School andPunchbowl Boys High School.
Belmore Boys High School has elite football and rugby league programs[59] in conjunction with theBulldogs to create equitable opportunities for those seeking to develop in the sport. Bulldogs playerHazem El Masri attended Belmore Boys High School.
Teachers and principals in the area have become influential in the NSW educational space, including Department of Education Secretary Murat Dizdar[60], who was a head teacher at Belmore Boys High School before becoming deputy principal at Punchbowl Boys High School. Local politician,Jihad Dib was a former principal of Punchbowl Boys High School.
The former City of Canterbury is served by the Sydney Local Health District ofNSW Health, which also covers the Inner West region.Canterbury Hospital, a historic public hospital operated by the Sydney Local Health District is in the region.[61] The former City of Bankstown is served by the South Western Sydney Health District of NSW Health, which also covers an expansive area to the south and west of Sydney as far south as the Southern Highlands.[62]
The City of Canterbury Bankstown has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
The City of Canterbury Bankstown has 7sister cities.[72]
Broken Hill, AustraliaCobar Shire, Australia
Suita, Japan
Yangcheon District,Seoul, South KoreaEunpyeong District,Seoul, South Korea
Tianhe District,Guangzhou, China
Colorado Springs, United States
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