Canterbury
Suburb
Canterbury Hotel, Canterbury Road
Canterbury Location in metropolitanSydney
Interactive map of Canterbury
Coordinates:33°54′45″S151°07′05″E / 33.9126°S 151.1180°E /-33.9126; 151.1180
Country	Australia
State	New South Wales
City	Sydney
LGA	City of Canterbury Bankstown
Location	11 km (6.8 mi) south-west ofSydney CBD
Government
• State electorate	Canterbury
• Federal divisions	Watson Barton Grayndler
Elevation	26 m (85 ft)
Population
• Total	9,430 (2021 census)[2]
Postcode	2193
Suburbs around Canterbury Campsie Ashbury Ashfield Campsie Canterbury Hurlstone Park Clemton Park Earlwood Earlwood

Canterbury is a suburb in the state ofNew South Wales, Australia. Canterbury is located 10.5 kilometres (6.5 mi) south-west of theSydney central business district in theCity of Canterbury Bankstown.

The formerCity of Canterbury took its name from the suburb, however its administrative centre was located in the adjacent suburb ofCampsie, which is also a large commercial centre.

The original inhabitants of the area were theBediagal clan of theEora nation.^[3][4]

The first Europeanland grant in this suburb was of 40 hectares (100 acres) to a "very good, pious, inoffensive man", the ReverendRichard Johnson (1753-1827), the colony's first chaplain, in 1793.^{[citation needed]} He called his grant Canterbury Vale, as a tribute toCanterbury in England, and the suburb took its name from the farm. The farm extended over the area of modern-day Canterbury andAshbury suburbs. By 1800, when it was sold to LieutenantWilliam Cox, the property covered 240 hectares (600 acres). In 1803, when it covered 360 hectares (900 acres), it was sold toRobert Campbell the elder (1769-1846), who then bought up most of the land north toLiverpool Road.^{[citation needed]} The village of Canterbury was formed after 1841 subdivision of this land, then owned by Campbell. Sales of the land in the area west of Canterbury Road and north of the railway were successful, and several other sales followed in the 1840s and 1850s. Although the soil in this area was rather poor, there was some farm cultivation, but the main work was wood cutting and carting, and brickmaking. In 1840 the Australian Sugar Company bought 24 hectares (60 acres) of Campbell's Canterbury estate and a steam engine was installed, but after passing through the hands of several owners, the factory closed in 1856.^[5]

Other industries and trades such asboiling down works andtanneries later developed along the river. TheMethodists built the firstchurch in the suburb, with services beginning in 1841. TheBankstown railway line was completed in 1895, encouragingsuburban development and leading to the area becoming heavily populated. This was too late for the Sugar Mill, which ceased production in September 1854, but was favourable for horse racing, which informally began in 1871.^[6]

After much petitioning of theState Government by local residents, theMunicipality of Canterbury was proclaimed on 17 March 1879. A Town Hall was opened in 1889, but eventuallyCampsie became a more important centre and the city administration was moved from Canterbury in 1962.^[6]

The first post office opened in 1858, and the first official public school in 1878, and the district slowly developed.Canterbury Park Racecourse, on the northern bank of theCooks River has been one ofSydney's major racetracks since 1871.^[6]

On 19 January 1884, the Canterbury Park Race Cub opened, attracting approximately 3,000 attendees. The first race was won by a horse named Boniface. The racecourse is now owned and managed by theAustralian Turf Club, primarily hosting mid-week and night race meetings.

Canterbury Town Hall opened 11 April 1889, with a ceremony performed by the Premier of New South Wales,Sir Henry Parkes.

In 1921, a tram line was extended fromHurlstone Park toCanterbury station, and in 1927, a through service from Canterbury to the city commenced. The Canterbury line commenced at the Canterbury terminus in Broughton Street where a tram turning loop was provided.^[7] Trams travelling towards the city or Balmain headed north-east along Canterbury Road. A service that was provided for by theDarling Street Wharf trams branched off from the main line at New Canterbury Road and connected with lines running alongParramatta Road for Balmain. Services heading towardsMarrickville,Newtown,Sydenham andTempe turned right into Marrickville Road.^[8] The line from Dulwich Hill to Canterbury branched off from the Tempe line at Newtown, travelled along Enmore Road, then Victoria Road, before turning right onto Marrickville Road and all the way through to Canterbury Road to the Canterbury terminus.^[8]

Another line also branched off from the route toDulwich Hill at Addison Road on Enmore Road, then travelled along Addison Road to New Canterbury Road inPetersham. The line then traveled down New Canterbury Road through Dulwich Hill and Hurlstone Park toCanterbury station.

A short lived single track line operated from the Canterbury Line at Hurlstone Park along Old Canterbury Road and Prospect Road toSummer Hill railway station. Services operated between Canterbury and Summer Hill from 1915, however low patronage and competition from motor buses saw the line close in 1933. The disused track and overhead remained in place until the 1950s. Buses replaced the trams in 1954. The Canterbury terminus is currently used as a layover area for buses.^[9][10]

Canterbury has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

• Bankstown railway:Canterbury station^[5]
• 9 Fore Street:Bethungra, Canterbury^[11]
• Sugar House Road:Old Sugarmill^[12]

At the2021 census, there were 9,430 residents in Canterbury.

• 42.4% of the population were born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were China 8.0%, Vietnam 5.0%, Mongolia 2.9%, Nepal 2.9% and Philippines 2.7%.
• 37.1% of the population spoke only English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Mandarin 8.9%, Greek 5.8%, Vietnamese 5.4%, Arabic 4.2% and Cantonese 3.4%.
• The most common responses for religion were No Religion 34.5%, Catholic 22.1%, Eastern Orthodox 8.3%, Buddhism 7.7% and Not stated 7.1%.^[2]
• The most common ancestries in Canterbury were Chinese 16.4%, English 13.0%, Australian 12.4%, Greek 7.5% and Irish 5.4%.^[2]

Canterbury has ahumid subtropical climate (Cfa) with warm summers and mild winters.

High density mixed use buildings are located along Charles Street, Broughton Street, Canterbury Road and Close Street. Commercial developments are mostly situated on Canterbury Road and surrounding streets. Commercial offices will be built along Canterbury Road, Broughton Street, Charles Street and Close Street as part of the Canterbury Centre Masterplan. The current shopping precinct, close toCanterbury railway station, includes anAldi supermarket and the landmark Hotel Canterbury. Lumex Canterbury is a shopping plaza along Canterbury Road and Cooks Avenue which includes dining shops and a fitness centre. On 16 November 2016, aWoolworths shopping centre opened on the corner of Canterbury Road and Charles Street.^[14]

Canterbury Road is a majorarterial route, 11 kilometres (7 miles) long and the only vehicular crossing of the Cooks River within the suburb. The road connects the inner suburbs of Sydney withBankstown and suburbs further to the south-west. Secondary routes, King and Holden Streets, connect the suburb toAshfield in the north.

Canterbury railway station is located on theBankstown line of theSydney Trains network. The line, which crosses the Cooks River, was opened in 1895 and electrified in 1926. The station was closed on 30 September 2024 to allow for the line to be converted toSydney Metro standards; the Metro trains will subsequently serve the rebrandedMetro North West & Bankstown Line.^[15] Two additional tracks were laidfor goods traffic through toPort Botany. The station is the terminus for severalTransit Systems bus routes.

Pedestrians andcyclists can cross the Cooks River at one of two dedicatedfootbridges making the riverside pleasant and accessible for recreational users. The popularCooks River bicycle track follows the river along its northern bank connecting the suburb withHomebush to the north-west andBotany Bay to the east. The river itself is navigable only during hightide and used occasionally bycanoeists.^[16]

Extensive parkland may be found on the banks of theCooks River.Canterbury Park Racecourse, a 33 ha. (82 acre) racecourse on the northern bank, features a 1,578-metre (1,725 yard) track (racecourse) and attracts thousands to itshorse racing carnivals.

• Tasker Park is on the southern bank of the Cooks River near the railway bridge. It is named after WS Tasker (Alderman 1925-31 and 1937–44). It includes playing fields, aswimming pool and anice rink. It is connected to the northern bank by a footbridge.

• Mary MacKillop Reserve is on the southern bank of the Cooks River next to the Canterbury Road Bridge. Originally a rubbish tip, it was built up above flood levels from riverside soils in the 1930s.^[17] The reserve was named after Alderman Sydney Hollingsworth Simpson, who helped secure the land, however many residents assumed it was named afterWallis Simpson. A path along the river called "Coronation Row" commemorates thecoronation ofQueen Elizabeth II and her visit toSydney in 1953. Simpson Reserve was renamedMary MacKillop Reserve by Canterbury City Council in 1995.
• Canterbury Park, according to modern boundaries, is part ofAshbury. It is home to Campbell and Blick Ovals.

• Canterbury Boys' High School
• Canterbury Girls High School
• Canterbury Public School
• Canterbury South Public School

St Paul'sAnglican Church is located on 33 Church St. It was built on part ofRobert Campbell's Canterbury estate on land donated by his daughter, Sophia Ives Campbell. The Church was designed byEdmund Blacket. It was built from local sandstone and was completed between 1858 and 1859. The church was consecrated on 12 April 1860. It is built in the Gothic Revival Church style with a steeply pitched roof which was originally covered with slate, but now by cement tiles. It features stained glass windows and a lych gate on heavy stone piers.^[18]

Uniting Church Fiji Parish is a FijianUniting Church located on 301 Canterbury Rd. AMethodist church previously occupied the site.^[19]

Canterbury is located in the Canterbury Ward of theCity of Canterbury-Bankstown.^[20]

ForNew South Wales state elections, the suburb is in theElectoral district of Canterbury.

For federal elections, Canterbury is primarily located within theDivision of Watson. In state and federal elections, Canterbury residents predominantly vote for theAustralian Labor Party.

• Vali Myers, artist, born in Canterbury.

• 
  Former Canterbury Post Office building
• 
  Art-deco amenities building
• 
  Junction of Cooks River and Cup and Saucer Creek, with old sugarmill in the background

• Pollon, F.; Healy, G., eds. (1988)."Ashbury" and "Canterbury" entries.{{cite book}}:|work= ignored (help)

1.^ Canterbury extends across both sides of theCooks River, which forms a natural defining boundary around the outer limits of the Inner Western suburbs of Sydney.

• Brian Madden and Lesley Muir (2013)."Canterbury Sugarworks Industrial Site".Dictionary of Sydney. Retrieved26 September 2015. [CC-By-SA]

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