Horsley Park
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2015}}
{{Use Australian English|date=February 2015}}
{{Infobox Australian place
| type = suburb
| name = Horsley Park
| city = Sydney
| state = nsw
| image = HorsleyParkNSWequestrian.jpg
| caption = Sydney International Equestrian Centre
| local_map = yes
| zoom = 12
| lga = City of Fairfield
| postcode = 2175
| pop = 1,790
| pop_year = {{CensusAU|2021}}
| pop_footnotes = {{Census 2021 AUS|id=SAL11950|name=Horsley Park (State Suburb)|accessdate=30 August 2024|quick=on}}
| est =
| elevation = 78
| area =
| stategov = Badgerys Creek
| fedgov = McMahon
| near-nw = Kemps Creek
| near-n = Eastern Creek
| near-ne = Prospect
| near-w = Mount Vernon
| near-e = Wetherill Park
| near-sw = Mount Vernon
| near-s = Cecil Park
| near-se = Abbotsbury
| dist1 = 39
| dir1 = west
| location1 = Sydney CBD
}}
Horsley Park is a suburb of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Horsley Park is located 39 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Fairfield. Horsley Park is part of the Greater Western Sydney region. It is a semi-rural suburb, located 5 km west of Wetherill Park and 11 km north-west of Fairfield.Gregory's Sydney Street Directory, Gregory's Publishing Company, 2007
History
Aboriginal people from the Cabrogal tribe, a sub-group of the Gandangara tribe, have lived in the Fairfield area for over 30 000 years. European settlement began in Fairfield in the early 19th century. Horsley Park was originally part of Colonel George Johnston's {{convert|2000|acre|km2|adj=on}} property "Kings Gift", which was given to him by Governor King for his part in putting down the Irish Rebellion at Vinegar Hill in 1804.
After his death it passed to his daughter Blanche who in 1829 married Major George Nicholas Weston. He built an Indian colonial style homestead on the property and named it "Horsley" after his birthplace in Surrey, England. Horsley Homestead is one of the few remaining early colonial buildings in the Fairfield district today protected by The Australian Heritage National Trust.
In 1959, the Horsley Drive (so named because it leads to Horsley Park) opened up as a continuous route from Lansvale. Horsley Park Public School was opened in 1931.The Heritage of Australia, Macmillan Company, 1981, p.2/24
During the Sydney 2000 Olympics, Horsley Park became the venue for events of equestrian.
Today, Horsley Park is known to have a rich Italian and Maltese heritage residing. It is also known for being the original location for the formation of Club Marconi.
Heritage listings
Horsley Park has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
Population
At the {{CensusAU|2021}}, there were 1,790 residents in Horsley Park. 65.0% of people were born in Australia with the next top countries of birth being Italy 7.7%, Malta 5.1% and Iraq 3.0%. 54.6% of people spoke only English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Italian 10.4%, Maltese 6.9% and Arabic 4.4%. Catholicism was the top religious affiliation, with 59.7% of people stating they were Catholic.
Commercial area
There are a number of small farms in the area. A small group of shops is located on the main street, The Horsley Drive, including a grocer, lolly shop, newsagent and firearms store. There is also the piety store located in the our lady of victories parish Church, where many religious artefacts can be purchased, such as statues and the annual chocolate pascal lamb, introduced by the Michaelite order of priests who took over the declining Paulist missionaries.
Schools
Horsley Park contains three schools:
- Marion Catholic Primary School (conjoined with the local Catholic Church)
- Horsley Park Public School (which has been servicing the area since the 1930s)
- St Narsai Assyrian Christian College (which relocated to the area in January 2018)[https://www.fairfieldchampion.com.au/story/5183516/assyrian-college-is-officially-opened/ St Narsai Assyrian Christian College relocates to Horsley Park] by Chris Boulous, January 23, 2018
Churches
Horsley Park is Australia's "most god-fearing suburb", with 97% professing religious belief, mostly Catholic. [http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/faiths-creating-an-australia-marked-by-postcodes-of-piety/story-e6frg6nf-1226435178412 Faiths creating an Australia marked by postcodes of piety], The Australian, 26 July 2012; [http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/bible-belts-out-sydney-has-a-band-of-believers-20120727-22zma.html Bible belt's out: Sydney has a band of believers], Sydney Morning Herald, 28 July 2012.
Churches located in Horsley Park include:
- Our Lady of Victories Catholic Church, known for its Good Friday Procession
- Spanish Community Bible Church
- [http://horsleypark.church Horsley Park Christian Church] (also known as Chung Chen Chinese Christian Church), founded by Chinese refugees from East Timor, and located in Horsley Park since 12 November 2000
- Bethel Mar Thoma Church Sydney, consecrated on 9th March 2024, is an Indian Christian denomination which follows Lesser Eastern/Syrian traditions.
Transport
The Westlink M7 motorway runs through Horsley Park. [http://www.transitsystems.com.au/sydney/pdf/timetables/812_813_Timetable.pdf Bus route 813] operate between Horsley Park shops on the Horsley Drive and the Fairfield interchange
Climate
Horsley Park has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) with warm to hot summers and cool to mild winters. The highest recorded temperature was 47.0 °C, registered on 4 January 2020. -2.3 °C was the lowest temperature recorded on 17 July 2007.
{{Weather box
|location = Horsley Park (Sydney International Equestrian Centre)
|metric first = Yes
|single line = Yes
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan record high C = 47.0
|Feb record high C = 46.4
|Mar record high C = 40.5
|Apr record high C = 35.9
|May record high C = 28.1
|Jun record high C = 24.7
|Jul record high C = 27.3
|Aug record high C = 28.4
|Sep record high C = 36.0
|Oct record high C = 37.5
|Nov record high C = 42.0
|Dec record high C = 44.4
|year record high C = 47.0
|Jan high C = 30.0
|Feb high C = 28.7
|Mar high C = 26.8
|Apr high C = 23.8
|May high C = 20.5
|Jun high C = 17.6
|Jul high C = 17.4
|Aug high C = 19.1
|Sep high C = 22.4
|Oct high C = 24.7
|Nov high C = 26.4
|Dec high C = 28.4
|year high C = 23.8
|Jan low C = 18.0
|Feb low C = 17.8
|Mar low C = 16.2
|Apr low C = 12.9
|May low C = 9.0
|Jun low C = 7.1
|Jul low C = 5.9
|Aug low C = 6.5
|Sep low C = 9.3
|Oct low C = 11.9
|Nov low C = 14.3
|Dec low C = 16.2
|year low C = 12.1
|Jan record low C = 10.4
|Feb record low C = 10.4
|Mar record low C = 7.2
|Apr record low C = 1.9
|May record low C = 0.8
|Jun record low C = -1.8
|Jul record low C = -2.3
|Aug record low C = -0.5
|Sep record low C = 0.7
|Oct record low C = 3.6
|Nov record low C = 5.6
|Dec record low C = 8.9
|year record low C = -2.3
|Jan precipitation mm = 75.7
|Feb precipitation mm = 122.3
|Mar precipitation mm = 90.1
|Apr precipitation mm = 69.0
|May precipitation mm = 43.6
|Jun precipitation mm = 66.5
|Jul precipitation mm = 51.3
|Aug precipitation mm = 39.1
|Sep precipitation mm = 37.4
|Oct precipitation mm = 62.7
|Nov precipitation mm = 77.8
|Dec precipitation mm = 66.2
|year precipitation mm = 804.4
|Jan precipitation days = 7.8
|Feb precipitation days = 7.6
|Mar precipitation days = 8.8
|Apr precipitation days = 6.7
|May precipitation days = 5.2
|Jun precipitation days = 6.4
|Jul precipitation days = 5.0
|Aug precipitation days = 4.0
|Sep precipitation days = 4.7
|Oct precipitation days = 5.9
|Nov precipitation days = 7.2
|Dec precipitation days = 7.2
|year precipitation days = 76.5
|unit precipitation days = 1 mm
|humidity colour=green
|Jan humidity = 49
|Feb humidity = 53
|Mar humidity = 54
|Apr humidity = 53
|May humidity = 52
|Jun humidity = 55
|Jul humidity = 50
|Aug humidity = 42
|Sep humidity = 42
|Oct humidity = 45
|Nov humidity = 50
|Dec humidity = 48
|year humidity = 49
|source 1 = {{cite web
| url = http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_067119_All.shtml
| publisher = Bureau of Meteorology |title = Climate statistics for Horsley Park |access-date = 4 July 2022}}
|date=July 2022
}}
See also
- Western Sydney Parklands, a large parkland situated in the suburb.
References
{{reflist}}
{{Coord|-33.85832|150.85537|format=dms|type:city_region:AU-NSW|display=title}}
{{Sydney Fairfield suburbs}}