Location: Where is Kingswood?
Kingswood, New South Wales, Australia is located on the eastern approach to Penrith on the Great Western Highway. It is bounded on its west by Parker Street, north by Richmond Road and the east by the University of Western Sydney. Caddens Road is its southern boundary. Kingswood is one of the oldest suburbs within the Penrith Local Government Area. It is an academically rich suburb with both a university, a TAFE, along with private and public schools within its boundaries. The Kingswood State Archives and the Penrith City Council Archives are a haven for researchers in Western Sydney. Nepean District Hospital, located in Kingswood, is a major focal point for many residents in the Penrith LGA.
33 44′ S 150 44′ E
| Postcode: 2747 | Distance from Sydney: 52 km |
| Area: 6.58 km2 or 658 ha | Kingswood NSW on Google Maps |
Cemeteries
- Penrith General Cemetery: This cemetery is north of the railway line at Kingswood. The cemetery occupies an entire block, bounded by Philip Street, Copeland Street, Cox Avenue and Richmond Road. The cemetery was opened in 1903 and was divided into denominational sections. The first recorded burial in 1910 was that of a child Doris Vivian aged 5 years in the Anglican section. Penrith General Cemetery is the major burial ground in the City of Penrith. Nepean Family History Society transcribed this cemetery in 1993. An updated edition is expected in 1998.
Schools & tertiary education
- Kingswood Public School: Second Avenue, Kingswood, 2747.
Ph: (02) 4736 4028. - Kingswood South Public School: Smith Street, Kingswood, 2747.
Ph: (02) 47336 2408. - Kingswood High School: Bringelly Road, Kingswood, 2747.
Ph: (02) 4736 1202. - St Joseph’s Primary School: Joseph Street, Kingswood, 2747.
Ph: (02) 4721 3182. - St Dominic’s Catholic College: 54 – 94 Gascoigne St, Kingswood, 2747.
Ph: (02) 4731 1933. -
TAFE NSW Nepean – Kingswood Campus: 12-44 O’Connell Street, Kingswood, 2747.
Ph: (02) 9208 9999. Nepean College is located on the two campuses of Penrith and Kingwood. Courses are geared to growth areas in the local economy such as tourism and hospitality, retailing, media, health, personal and community services, finance and business. -
Western Sydney University: Postal: University of Western Sydney Locked Bag 1797 Penrith South DC NSW 1797.
Ph: (02) 9852 5222. Kingswood: Entrance at the eastern end of Second Avenue, off Bringelly Road. It is approximately 10 minutes walk south-east from Kingswood Railway Station. UWS Nepean aims to provide educational facilities that respond to the needs and aspirations of the people of Western Sydney as well as to contribute generally to Australian intellectual life.
Historical profile/Origin of the place name
Named after Governor Philip Gidley King’s (1758-1808) family, who held grants of land in the northern part of this area. Kingswood was formerly known as “Cross Roads”, as it marked the intersection of the Great Western Highway with another great road from Richmond to the “Cowpastures” near Camden. The land, on which the greater part of Kingswood is built, forms a part of a grant of 470 acres, given to John Best in 1814. The area was once thickly timbered and remained almost untouched until the advent of the railway in 1862. A temporary platform was opened and then closed, when the line ran into Penrith in January, 1863. The inconvenience of this situation for local residents was remedied in March 1887 when a wooden platform and ticket office were constructed on the present site and given the name “Kingswood Siding”. The name was eventually shortened and came into general usage. The first extensive subdivision of land in the area took place in the 1880’s. Further development in the area was hastened by the Kingswood or ‘St. Stephen’s Estate’ being offered for sale in 1914.
Historical Timeline
| 1814 | John Best received 470 acres land grant | |
| 1815 | 10 June | Land grant to Samuel Foster of 300 acres later known as Lautly Farm |
| 1862 | 7 July | Railway line from St Marys (South Creek) to the Cross Roads (Kingswood) opened |
| 1863 | 18 January | Railway line from Cross Roads (Kingswood) to Penrith opened |
| 1885 | May | William Ireland unsuccessfully applied for post office at his general store on Great Western Highway |
| 1887 | 20 April | Mr Ireland appointed Receiving Office Keeper of mail. Office named Cross Roads West |
| 1887 | 4 August | Railway platform name changes from Cross Roads to Kingswood |
| 1891 | 28 May | Permission given to open a school at Kingswood. Sixty children enrolled |
| 1891 | 16 June | Kingswood Receiving Station is given the status of a Post Office |
| 1892 | September | Kingswood Public School opened with 57 pupils |
| 1898 | 27 February | St Phillip's Anglican Church opened |
| 1903 | September | New 15 acre cemetery in Cox Avenue was gazetted. Expected to be sufficient for 100 years |
| 1906 | 10 March | Henrietta Tolhurst appointed postmistress, a position she held for 34 years |
| 1911 | 2 December | Telephone service connected to Kingswood |
| 1914 | Penrith Brick Company opened in Copeland Street by Bert Jolley | |
| 1952 | May | Foundation stone laid for a new district hospital |
| 1956 | 12 May | Opening ceremony for the new Nepean District Hospital |
| 1960 | 12 June | St. Dominic's College officially opened |
| 1963 | 29 January | St. Joseph's School officially opened |
| 1989 | Western Sydney University opens | |
| 1993 | $92 million redevelopment and upgrade of Nepean District Hospita |
Population Historical Timeline
|
1981 |
1986 |
1991 |
1996 |
2001 |
|
1855 |
3005 |
3339 |
6790 |
870 |
Historic buildings & places
St Phillips Anglican Church: The church is located on the corner of Bringelly Road and Second Avenue Kingswood. It was built around 1898 and features a steep gabled roof and gabled porch.
Bibliography
For photos and more information on Kingswood, search Penrith City Library’s catalogue using an All Resources search.
Historical
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Don Godden and Associates, Penrith Cemeteries Study, Penrith City Council, November, 1989.
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From the Beginning…St Joseph’s Kingswood 1963-1993, Kingswood, St Joseph’s, 1993.
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Kingswood Public School: Centenary 1892-1992, Kingswood, Kingswood Public School, 1991.
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Murray, Robert and White, Kate Dharug & 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, 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.
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Stickley, Christine, The Old Charm of Penrith, 2nd ed., the author, St. Marys, 1984.