Suburb Profiles

Newington, New South Wales

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Newington is a suburb in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales Australia. Newington is located 19 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Auburn Council.

Newington is located on the western side of Homebush Bay, on the Parramatta River and 1km north-west of Sydney Olympic Park. It is best known as the location of the Athletes Village for the Sydney 2000 Olympics and 2000 Summer Paralympics. Most people believe that Newington was only conceived as a suburb during the planning of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games; however, plans to create a suburb in the Newington area have existed as early as 1878. The Athlete's Village was converted to residential apartments after the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. Other apartments and double-storey houses have also been built since. A memorial featuring all the names of the Australian athletes who participated at the Sydney 2000 Olympics and 2000 Summer Paralympics stands on a reserve opposite Newington Marketplace.

The suburb of Newington took its name from the Newington Estate which was named by John Blaxland after his family estate in Kent, England.  

Newington is situated on the traditional aboriginal lands of the Wann clan, known as the Wann-gal. The lands of the Wann-gal stretched along the southern shore of the Parramatta River between Cockle Bay (Cadi-gal land) and Rose Hill (Burramatta-gal land). The other side of Parramatta River was occupied by the Wallumetta-gal people.

The Newington Estate was first offered to the Government for use as an Asylum for the Insane in 1874. The Government did not accept this offer, however in 1879, Government Architect James Barnett prepared a report on the suitability of the Newington estate for a Reformatory School for Boys. His report concluded that the site was suitable for a Boys Reformatory or a Benevolent Asylum for Aged Women. In September 1897 the Crown Solicitor confirmed that 5000 pounds would be paid to John Wetherill to acquire about 19 hectares of land, which included Newington House.

A then new Aged Women's Asylum was constructed to replace the existing asylum which was housed within the Immigrant Depot at the Hyde Park Barracks. The first buildings were established in 1886 on this new site to house 300 patients. At this time, the hospital was categorised as a state asylum for dependent adults' with infirmity or illness of 'incurable character'. Various additional buildings and structures were added to the Newington Hospital over the years. In 1960 it was proposed that the hospital should be closed and the site sold to industry. The significance of the site, however, stimulated significant public opposition to the plans. In 1968, after a series of drawn out negotiations, the Government of the day decided to close the hospital and transfer the property to the then NSW Department of Prisons. Some of the buildings are preserved in the grounds of the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre where they are still in use.

Newington Marketplace is an outdoor shopping centre featuring a Woolworths supermarket and specialty shops, cafes and restaurants. Newington also features a number of commercial buildings providing office and warehouse space.

Source - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newington,_New_South_Wales