Location: Where is Jordan Springs?
Jordan Springs, New South Wales Australia, is located approximately 47 km west of Sydney. It is bordered by the suburbs of Cranebrook to the west, Llandilo to the north and Werrington Downs to the south.
Jordan Springs, one of Penrith’s newest suburbs, was registered as a suburb in August 2011.
Settled in the early 1800s, the area, which was originally known as Jordan Hill, was mainly used for farming. In 1941 700 acres of land was resumed by the Commonwealth Government to create the St Marys Defence Site. An additional 500 acres of land was taken in 1955. A factory was built in the area for the production and housing of munitions, and was in operation until 1993, when ADI Ltd sought to redevelop the site for housing. In 2004 the Commonwealth Government sold the land to Lend Lease to make way for 4,800 houses.
To the east of Jordan Springs is the Wianamatta Regional Park. The 900 hectare park is home to some of the last remaining Cumberland Plain Woodland, which has been listed as a critically endangered ecological community under the Threatened Species Conservation Act. The park is also home to a population of kangaroos and emus.
33 43 32 , 150 43 45
| Postcode: 2747 | Population: 5,156 (2016 census) | Distance from Sydney: 47.14km |
| Area: 10 km2 or 968 ha | Density: 6.28 people per ha | Jordan Springs NSW on Google Maps |
Government Electorates
Local Government: Jordan Springs is located in South Ward of the Penrith Local Government area.
State Government: Jordan Springs is located in the State Government Electorate of Londonderry.
Federal Government: Jordan Springs is located in the Federal Government Electorate of Lindsay.
Aboriginal Districts: Jordan Springs is located in the Deerubbin Local Aboriginal Land Council Area.
Parish: Londonderry
County: Cumberland
Jordan Springs town centre. photo by Urban Land Housing
Historical profile
In 1805 Captain John Houston was granted 500 acres of land in what is now Jordan Springs. A land swap around 1820 saw William Faithful take ownership. Faithful had previously purchased 700 acres from Richard Brooks in 1818. Other land owners in the area were Henry Bedford and James Tobias Ryan, a butcher, sportsman and local politician. Ryan’s family had lived on the Faithful estate from 1826.
The area to the west of the original Brooks grant had been the site of the Castlereagh Common. The common was Crown land that was used by local farmers for grazing as well as by small settlers.
Origin of the place name
The name “Jordan” has historical ties to the site. Jordan Hill is mentioned in the Nepean Electoral Roll for 1869-1870 as being the property of William Faithful.
The word “Springs” was chosen to represent the bodies of water that are located in the development that are used as a storm water management function.
Historical Timeline
| 1805 | Land granted to Captain John Houston | |
| 1818 | William Faithful purchases 700 acres from Richard Brooks | |
| 1820 | William Faithful exchanges his land at Liberty Plains for John Houston’s 500 acres | |
| 1826 | Toby Ryan’s family rent land from Faithful | |
| 1941 | Commonwealth Government resumes 700 acres of land to create the St Marys defence site. A further 500 acres is taken in 1955 | |
| 1993 | ADI Ltd seeks to rezone the St Marys defence site for housing | |
| 2004 | The Commonwealth Government sells the ADI site to Lend Lease | |
| 2011 | Jordan Springs is designated a suburb |
Bibliography
For photos and more information on Jordan Springs, search Penrith City Library’s catalogue using an All Resources search.
Historical
Casey and Lowe pty Ltd, Archaeological Assessment Western precinct St Marys development, 2008
Geographic Names Board, http://www.gnb.nsw.gov.au/, accessed 7 November 2018
Ryan, James Tobias, Reminiscences of Australia, 1894