St Marys is a fast-growing suburb in the west of Sydney’s central business district, about 45 kilometres from the city centre. A commercial and residential suburb, it falls in the local government area of the City of Penrith. The Great Western Highway passes through the suburb, making it a prominent commercial hub and ensuring connectivity with other suburbs and cities in Australia. The St Marys Railway Station is situated on the Western train line and divides the suburb of St Marys into two parts–north and south. The Southern part of St Marys is the main commercial and residential area. Find out more such interesting facts about St Marys in this article.
Also read, Things to Do in St Marys NSW
The area of St Marys was originally known as South Creek.
St Marys has a long and rich history as an industrial suburb. The Bennett Coach and Wagon, which was one of the first manufacturers in the region, manufactured and sold horse-drawn wagons. There is an exhibit at South Creek Park depicting their work.
The suburb of St Marys was named after the church of St Mary Magdalene, located at 299-311 Great Western Hwy. It was built in 1840 and was named and designed after the St Mary Magdalene's Church of Launceston. It’s one of the oldest churches in the region.
Gidley and Lethbridge streets of St Marys were named after the members of the family of Philip Gidley King, the third Governor of New South Wales.
The Great Western Highway was originally called the Great Western Road.
St Mary's first Post Office was opened in October 1840.
Mamre Homestead, a heritage-listed two-storey Georgian home, was built in 1830 for Samuel Marsden. Other historical landmarks include the Werrington House building constructed in 1829, Our Lady of the Rosary Church, Italianate house, Mimosa House, Bronte House and St Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church. St Marys railway station, originally a goods yard and railway signal box, was opened in May 1862.
According to the 2021 population census, 13,256 people lived in St Marys, of which over 50% were male. There were about 3,200 families in the neighbourhood living in around 5,600 buildings, including independent houses and apartments.
In terms of cultural diversity, the most common origins were Australian (23.5%), English (22%), Filipino, Irish and Scottish. As for the countries of birth, the most common were Australia (56.9%), the Philippines, New Zealand, India, England and Fiji.
About 25% of the town’s population was Catholic, as of 2021. Top spoken languages used by residents include English, Arabic, Hindi and Filipino.
In terms of transport, the city is well-connected via the M4 Motorway, the Great Western Highway and the western railway line.
Queen Street, which is famous as the 'main street' of the town, is a retail district and commercial hub containing various shopping centres, schools, a town square, restaurants, a swimming pool, community centres, parks and sports fields.
St Marys Village Shopping Centre is a major shopping centre and mall with shops like Woolworths, Target and other top retail stores, making it a one-stop destination for shopping in the suburb.
St Marys Hotel, which was opened in 1955, is located on Queen Street. The Wagon Wheel Hotel, which was established in 1859, is one of the oldest still-running hotels in the region.
Popular parks and recreation centres in St Marys include Don Bosco Youth Centre, Cook Park, Ripples Leisure Centre, South Creek Park, Go Bananas Family Entertainment Centre, St Marys Indoor Shooting Centre, Jack Jewry Reserve, Kokoda Park, National Indoor Sports/St Marys Indoor Sports and Recreation, Lang Park–WWII Munitions Factory Memorial Garden, Skypeak Adventures, Bennett Park, Victoria Park, Australia & Brisbane Street Reserve, Margaret Porter Reserve and St Marys Tennis Court Clubhouse.
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