Carlingford is a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales (NSW) that is 22 kilometres away from the Sydney CBD. According to the 2016 census, Carlingford’s population is 24,394. Its total land area is 7.9 km2 that spans three council areas that include, the Hills District, North Sydney and Parramatta, where Carlingford officially falls. The suburbs neighbouring Carlingford are North Rocks, West Pennant Hills, Beecroft, North Parramatta, Epping, Oatlands, Dundas Valley and Eastwood.
History of Carlingford
At the arrival of the First Fleet at Port Jackson in 1788, the inhabitants of Carlingford were the Wallumedegal or Wallumattagai people, who lived in the area bounded by the Parramatta River and Lane Cove River.
The first land grants in Carlingford happened in the 1790s, which included those to Cox, Mobss and Arndell. In 1800, around 100 Aboriginal people were living around Cox’s Brush Farm; however, Aboriginal people began moving to new areas, and therefore their numbers living in Carlingford dropped considerably in 1872.
The suburb was officially named Carlingford in 1883 as it was described to be similar to Carlingford, County Louth in Ireland. Alternatively, it is believed that the suburb was named in honour of Lord Carlingford, who was the British Undersecretary of State for the Colonies for 1847-1860.
Facilities Around Carlingford
Carlingford is considered as one of the most diverse suburbs in Sydney. This suburb offers a number of amenities, including shopping and dining areas. One of the most popular is Carlingford Court, which is a shopping centre complete with major department stores (Target) and supermarkets (Woolworths and Coles), a fitness centre and medical centre.
In Pennant Hills Road, multiple shops are also found, which include several Chinese restaurants and groceries.
There are also many schools in Carlingford; some are Carlingford West Public School, Cumberland High School, James Ruse Agricultural High School, Murray Farm Public School and Roselea Public School.
Carlingford is a drive-heavy suburb, which means that going from point A to point B is typically done by residents through private vehicles. However, there are also bus services and Metro connections available for commuters.
Famous Destinations Around Carlingford
Yarralumla Wildlife Sanctuary
While Carlingford is abundant in retail offerings, there are also several nature spots in the suburb such as the Yarralumla Wildlife Sanctuary. The sanctuary features a walking path (a great way to introduce kids to bushwalking) that leads to the gorgeous Balaka Falls along Hunts Creek.