Blackett, New South Wales

Blackett Sydney, New South Wales
Road bridge on the cycleway passing Blackett Primary School, showing artwork
Population	3,417 (2011 census)[1]
Postcode(s)	2770
Location	48 km (30 mi) west of Sydney CBD
LGA(s)	City of Blacktown
State electorate(s)	Mount Druitt
Federal Division(s)	Chifley
Suburbs around Blackett: Bidwill Shalvey Marsden Park Lethbridge Park Blackett Oakhurst Emerton Dharruk Hebersham

Blackett is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Blackett is located 48 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Blacktown and is part of the Greater Western Sydney region.

History

Blackett takes its name from George Forster Blackett, Superintendent of the Government Cattle Station at Rooty Hill 1820–1830.

Blackett is primarily a residential suburb with very limited commercial activity, having only a small shopping complex containing a combination liquor/general store, a Halal and non-Halal butcher, a bakery, take-away store, and combined service station/general store, which caters heavily to residents of Pacific Islander extraction. It is quite close to the suburbs of Mount Druitt and St Marys, which most residents would consider to be more commercial areas (having shopping centres, banking facilities and railway stations). Other nearby suburbs with shopping facilities (though no rail access) include Emerton and Plumpton.

Transport

In the 2001 census, for people travelling to work using just one method of transportation from this postcode, 71% travelled in a car as the driver, 14% travelled in a car as passenger, 6% took the train, 4% travelled by truck, 2% walked, 2% took the bus and 1% travelled by bicycle.^[2]

By road, Blackett is adjacent to the Westlink M7 motorway which can provide very easy access to the Great Western Highway and the M4 Motorway, providing road access to the western sections of the city and eastward to the Sydney CBD. This suburb is linked by several private bus companies to the train stations located at Mount Druitt and St Marys.

Cycleways running through Blackett run from Poppondetta Park all the way to Mt Druitt and the M7 cycleway, which in turn connects to the cycleways on the M4 and M2 Motorways.

Schools

Blackett Primary School (founded in 1971) and Niland Special School are both public schools in the suburb.

Population

According to the 2011 census of Population, there were 3,417 residents in Blackett. In Blackett, 68.4% of people were born in Australia. The most common other countries of birth were New Zealand 4.8%, Samoa 2.9%, England 2.5%, Philippines 2.2% and Fiji 1.3%. 72.1% of people only spoke English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Samoan 5.5%, Arabic 2.5% and Spanish 1.3%. The most common responses for religion in Blackett were Catholic 29.0%, Anglican 23.2% and No Religion 14.9% ^[1]

Housing

Housing is very heavily dominated by public housing built throughout the 1960s and 1970s, with large numbers of freestanding fibro houses and extensive terrace-style complexes . The houses are gradually transferring to private ownership, and as this continues, these government-built premises are being replaced with privately built, modern homes, similar to those being built in other areas of Sydney.

The three most common forms of dwelling were in decreasing order: a separate house; a semi-detached, row or terrace house, or townhouse; a flat, unit or apartment.^[2]

Politics

For federal elections, Blackett is in the safe Labor electoral division of Chifley. This seat is currently held by Ed Husic of the Australian Labor Party and he was last re-elected at the 2013 elections. The seat has been held continuously by the Australian Labor Party since it was proclaimed in 1984

For NSW state elections, Blackett is in the Electoral district of Mount Druitt. This seat is currently held by Edmond Atalla, of the Australian Labor Party. It has been held by a Labor candidate since it was proclaimed in 1971.

Notes

1. ^ State Election 2003 - Polling Booth Results, courtesy State Electoral Office of NSW.
2. ^ Federal Election 2004 - Polling Booth Results for Chifley, courtesy Australian Electoral Commission.

Further reading

Westbus

• Kirtley, Allan, Longbottom, Patricia, Blackett, Martin. A History of the Blacketts. (2013) The Blacketts. ISBN 978-0-9575675-0-4. 

References

External links

• of Blackett's boundaries, from the Geographical Names Board of New South Wales.
• Profile of the federal seat of Chifley.
• The Blacketts of North East England

Coordinates: 33°44′22″S 150°48′46″E / 33.73934°S 150.81266°E / -33.73934; 150.81266