Location: Where is Londonderry?
Londonderry, New South Wales Australia, is located in the northernmost part of the City of Penrith with the Driftway forming the boundary with the Hawkesbury City Council area. On its eastern side the Northern Road divides Londonderry from Berkshire Park while suburbs Cranebrook and Agnes Banks are its boundaries on its southern and western sides. Londonderry is a rural area with much of it still being crown land. Because of its closeness to Richmond and distance from Penrith, the suburb has always had stronger links with Richmond than with Penrith. Londonderry village in the centre of the suburb is a vital community connection point for local residents in the area. With its spacious environment this suburb hosts several state government agencies, some of national and international importance.
33 38′ S 150 44′ E
| Postcode: 2753 | Distance from Sydney: 60 km NW |
| Area: 35.43 km2 or 3,543 ha | Londonderry NSW on Google Maps |
Fire Services
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Londonderry Rural Fire Brigade: Londonderry Rural Fire Brigade currently protects 3,800 people living within its brigade boundaries (Londonderry and part of Cranebrook). In addition it provides primary support to Llandilo, Castlereagh and Berkshire Park Rural Fire Brigades, in all a total of 8,300 persons living within the northern part of Penrith Rural Fire District.
Schools
- Londonderry Public School: Londonderry Road, Londonderry, 2753.
Ph: (02) 4578 1900
Roads & Streets
- Carrington Road: Possibly named after Lord Carrington who was Governor of NSW from 1885 to 1890.
- Leitch Avenue: Named after D. Leitch who was Town Clerk of Castlereagh Council from 1927 to 1948. The Leitch family had a farm at Castlereagh.
- Nutt Road: Named after Robert Nutt, Mayor of Castlereagh 1946-1947. He lived at Londonderry and run the post office and store there.
Origin of the place name – Londonderry
In 1831 Thomas Kendall named his 30 acre grant Londonderry. The Kendall family were early settlers in the Castlereagh area and, it is quite possible, that Thomas was the same Thomas Kendall who worked as a convict labourer under William Cox, in the building of the road over the Blue Mountains in 1814. If this was the case, he was still working for Harriet Purcell at Castlereagh as a conditionally pardoned labourer in 1828. In 1829, this Thomas Kendall received a permit to depasture livestock, and shortly after received a land grant.
Historical Timeline
| 1831 | Thomas Kendall granted 30 acres which he named Londonderry | |
| 1934 | 19 February | Londonderry Road School opened at the back of Robert Nutt's store |
| 1937 | 24 August | Leslie Roberts gave 2 1/2 acres of land for the present primary school |
| 1964 | Londonderry Trotting and Racing Club refused to change the name of the racecourse from Richmond Racecourse | |
| 1969 | November | Richmond Racecourse proposed as the official name |
| 2000 | 25 March | Auction of land within Richmond Park estate |
Bibliography
For photos and more information on Londonderry, search Penrith City Library’s catalogue using an All Resources search.
Historical
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Murray, R. & White, K. Dharug to Dungaree: The History of Penrith and St Marys to 1860, Penrith City Council, Penrith 1988.
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Nepean District Historical Society, From Castlereagh to Claremont Meadows: Historical Places of Penrith City Council, Penrith, 1997.
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Parr, Lorna, A History of the Nepean and District Street Names, Nepean District Historical Society, Penrith, 1990.
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Parr, Lorna, Londonderry Public School 1934-1994, Londonderry, 1994.
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Parr, Lorna, Penrith Calendar, Nepean District Historical Society, 1987.
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Stacker, Lorraine Pictorial history: Penrith & St Marys, Kingsclear Books, 2002.
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Stevenson, Colin R., Place Names and their Origins within the City of Penrith, Penrith City Council, Penrith, 1985.