Wallacia, New South Wales

Wallacia
Federal division(s)
Wallacia; Federal division(s)	Hume
	Suburbs around Wallacia:

Wallacia is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Formerly a rural village it is 68 kilometres (42 mi) west of the Sydney GPO (General Post Office), in the local government areas of the City of Penrith, City of Liverpool and Wollondilly Shire. It is part of the Greater Western Sydney region.

History

Originally the region was called Riverview, but later became known locally as Wallace after Robert Wallace who grazed cattle on the 2,000 acres (8.1 km²) that he rented from Sir

Mulgoa

where Elizabeth Fowler (née Holt) had the PO Licence. John Fowler accepted the Wallacia PO licence from 1 April 1908 which has been in continuous Fowler family management for 100 years, celebrated 1 April 2008.

Wallace Post Office opened on 16 January 1891 and was renamed Boondah in 1905 and Wallacia in 1906.^[2]

flour mill and additional brewery. When rust got into the English soft wheat, the flour mill failed and George Edward Cox of Winbourne (now Christian Brothers Retreat Mt Zion) at Mulgoa across the Nepean River, a teetotaller, bought Grove Farm to stop further brewing. Grove Farm was subsequently purchased by William "Billy" Baines hence Baines Hill on Silverdale Road over the Blue Mountains monosinclinal foothills. In 1873, the highest recorded Nepean River

flood was marked by Billy Baines with a brass plaque on a sandstone block at Grove Farm near the barn, which still has a water mark on a wood trunk pillar.

The region was chiefly one of dairying and grazing during the 19th century, but in the early 20th century – because of its rural atmosphere and proximity to Sydney – tourism developed as people opened their homes as guest houses. After the Second World War however, the increase in car ownership and the availability of air travel saw a decline in the local tourist trade. Wallacia was once home to Bullen's Animal World, a theme park and circus, for several decades.

Growth in the area in the past few years has mainly occurred with the development of hobby farms by people seeking a retreat from city life. To celebrate the centenary in 2006, the suburb had a parade with floats,

line dancing

and vintage trucks.

Landmarks

Wallacia sits beside the Nepean River and landmarks include the Weir, Wallacia Bridge, Little Bondi and Wallacia Hotel – mock Tudor design by the Fowler family. It was the first place in Australia to introduce a fish ladder next to a weir. Wallacia's tourism is centred on the day-tripper trade with the Wallacia Hotel and the Wallacia Golf Course, the chief attractions.

Blaxland Crossing Reserve is a prominent parkland with

Assyrian singers and Assyrian folk dancing.^[3]

Phap Bao Zen Centre, a Vietnamese Buddhist monastery, is located in the suburb.[4]

A few kilometres south of the suburb is

Bents Basin, a nature reserve which features a large swimming hole

.

References

^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Wallacia (State Suburb)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
^ Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
^ Zinda Magazine
^ "THÀNH VIÊN GIÁO HỘI". The Unified Vietnamese Buddhist Congregation of Australia – New Zealand. Retrieved 14 July 2021.

33°51′54″S 150°38′24″E / 33.86500°S 150.64000°E / -33.86500; 150.64000

External links

[census-1] Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Wallacia (State Suburb)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 17 April 2018.

[Post_Office-2] Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Retrieved 16 June 2012.

[3] Zinda Magazine

[4] "THÀNH VIÊN GIÁO HỘI". The Unified Vietnamese Buddhist Congregation of Australia – New Zealand. Retrieved 14 July 2021.

[2]

[3]