Bankstown

Bankstown is a suburb of south-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is 20 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of the City of Bankstown.

History

Prior to European settlement, Cumberland Plains Woodland occupied much of the area. Turpentine ironbark forest covered much of what is now Bankstown. The land was occupied by the Bediagal people. Their land bordered the Dharawal and the Darung people. The Aboriginal inhabitants strongly opposed the European settlers. The resistance ceased after a number of their leaders were killed or imprisoned in 1816. In that year an epidemic broke out amongst the native people which reduced the Aboriginal populations, this also contributed to the end of their resistance.

In 1795, Matthew Flinders and George Bass explored up the Georges River for about 20 miles beyond what had been previously surveyed, and reported favourably to Governor Hunter of the land on its banks. Hunter examined the country himself, and established one of the pioneer colonies there, called Bank's Town, today written as one word Bankstown.

Bankstown Line

The Bankstown Line (numbered T3, coloured orange) is a commuter rail line operated by Sydney Trains in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It serves Canterbury-Bankstown and parts of the Inner West and Western Sydney. The Bankstown railway line is the physical railway line which carries the section of the Bankstown Line between Sydenham and Birrong.

History

Railway line history

The Bankstown railway line opened between Sydenham on the Illawarra railway line and Belmore in 1895. This was the first solely suburban line to open in Sydney- all other rail lines were mainlines carrying traffic into and out of Sydney. In 1909, the line was extended to Bankstown, with intermediate stations at Lakemba and Punchbowl. In 1916, the Metropolitan Goods Line was constructed, running parallel to the Bankstown Line between Marrickville and Campsie. A second extension, from Bankstown to Birrong, opened in 1928. This provided connections to the main suburban railway at Lidcombe and the main south line to Liverpool. A new station between Lakemba and Punchbowl at Wiley Park opened in 1938.

Sydney Metro

Sydney Metro (known during early planning and construction as Sydney Rapid Transit) is an automated rapid transit system under construction in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The first dedicated rapid transit line to be constructed is a link from Rouse Hill to Epping. The new line will connect to the existing Epping to Chatswood railway line, which will be converted to rapid transit standards. The entire project is called Sydney Metro Northwest and is expected to open in 2019.

Planning work has commenced for Sydney Metro City & Southwest, an extension across Sydney Harbour and through the Central Business District which will then take the trains to Bankstown. This is expected to start construction in 2017 and open in 2024. Following this, the "Illawarra local" tracks between Sydenham and Hurstville are planned to be linked to the metro network.

Sydney will be the first Australian city to build a full-fledged rapid transit system. Plans and projects involving a high speed, rapid transit underground railway in Sydney date at least back to 2008, although an initial proposal was raised as early as 2001. Despite extensive plans for an underground network in the past, disputes over privatisation and funding had hampered government approval, delaying its inception. In spite of difficulties getting the project off the ground, government approval for what was initially known as the North West Rail Link – Sydney's first underground metro, was given in 2013. Route extensions and a name change to the Sydney Metro soon followed.