Sydney/Outer West
The Outer West is the huge western area of Sydney that includes the suburbs of Blacktown, Mt. Druitt, St. Mary's and Penrith.
Understand
Settlement began when the area was designated for Aboriginal people to live in. "The Blacks Town" become Blacktown today. This part of Sydney attracts a high amount of recent immigration, with 50% of residents born outside of Australia from various countries including India, the Philippines, China and Brazil.
The area is developing fast owing to reasonable transport connections and relatively affordable Sydney housing. Penrith and Blacktown have become the centres for Outer Western Sydney business and nightlife.
Get in
By car
Road access from Sydney to the Outer West is easiest via the M4 Western Motorway, and that continues up to the Blue Mountains to the west. Access from the north via the M2 Hills Motorway is an alternative, although toll charges apply. Access from the south via the Westlink M7 but tolls also apply.
By train
The area has good train connections. All trains stop at the major centres before proceeding either to Penrith or Richmond. There are Express services to some stations from Sydney Central station.
Frequent trains pass through 1 Blacktown Station, 2 Mount Druitt Station, 3 St Marys Station to 4 Penrith Station and beyond to the Blue Mountains.
By bus
The area has buses from Springwood to Penrith and Macquarie Park to Blacktown.
See
- 1 Featherdale Wildlife Park, 217-229 Kildare Road, Doonside (near Blacktown) (take bus 756 from Blacktown railway station), ☏ +61 2 9622 1644. 9AM-5PM. The park showcases Australia's wildlife and includes a koala sanctuary. You can also feed kangaroos, wallabies, emus, and other Australian wildlife. Adults: $29, children: $15.50.
- 2 South Creek Park, The Kingsway, Werrington. See some examples of Bennett's Wagons, built by a famous St Mary's wheelwright.
- 3 Knapsack Viaduct, Great Western Hwy, Glenbrook. A railway viaduct at Lapstone Hill built in 1867 by John Whitton (the 'Father' of the NSW railways). It is signposted from the Emu Plains exit of the motorway.
- 4 Sydney International Regatta Centre, Old Castlereagh Rd, Castlereagh, ☏ +61 2 4730 0000. Daily 6:30AM-7:30PM outside of event days. The regatta centre used for the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
- 5 Penrith Museum of Printing, Mulgoa Rd & Ransley St, Penrith, ☏ +61 415 625 573. Established in 2001, the museum is dedicated to the preservation of Australian letterpress printing machinery and equipment.
- 6 Museum of Fire, 1 Museum Dr, Penrith, ☏ +61 2 4731 3000. A firefighting museum containing preserved fire service vehicles and firefighting equipment. Adults $12, Concession $9, children $6.
- 7 Pinegrove Memorial Park, Kingston St, Minchinbury, ☏ +61 2 9625 8066. An independently owned cemetery. It also features the Heart of Angels, the largest dedicated children's memorial garden in the Southern Hemisphere. Another popular attraction in the cemetery is the grave site of murder victim Anita Cobby.
Do
- 1 Penrith Whitewater Stadium, McCarthy's Lane, Cranebrook (Drive or get a taxi from Penrith Station), ☏ +61 2 4730 4333. Penrith Whitewater Stadium was the competition venue for the canoe/kayak slalom events during the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. Located only an hour from Sydney, it is the only man-made whitewater course of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. Book whitewater rafting or whitewater kayaking. September to July.
- iFLY Downunder - Sydney (iFLY Downunder - Penrith), 123 Mulgoa Rd, Penrith (Make it to the M4 heading west towards Blue Mountains. Take the second Penrith exit (Mulgoa Road). Turn right onto Mulgoa Road. Travel 2 km down Mulgoa Road and turn left into Penrith Panthers. You can't miss the building - iFLY Downunder on the right of Panthers front entrance.), ☏ +61 1300 366 364, info.pen@ifly.com.au. M-F 9AM-9:30PM, Sa Su 7:30AM-9:30AM. Indoor skydiving. Prices vary - check website.
- 2 Penrith Beach (Pondi), Castlereagh Rd, Penrith. Western Sydney is far from the iconic beaches in the Eaatern Suburbs; therefore, the New South Wales government has provided an alternate closer to Penrith. No waves and easier parking. Facilities and cafes are somewhat limited. Free.
- 3 Penrith Stadium (BlueBet Stadium), Mulgoa Rd & Ransley St. A 22,500 capacity sporting venue mainly used as a home ground for the Penrith Panthers in National Rugby League and Penrith Nepean United in the NSW Premier League.
Buy
- The stations at Blacktown, Mount Druitt, Penrith all have large shopping malls right next to them.
- Thulli Dreaming, 3/11 Eddie Road, Minchinbury, ☏ +61 2 9675 5678, fax: +61 2 9675 6789, thullii@thullii.com.au. Thulli Dreaming is an indigenous-owned business providing catering and dance and music performances. They sell indigenous art in their shop.
Eat
- 1 The Blind Chef Cafe & Dessert Bar, 1/251 High Street, Penrith, ☏ +61247060591, contact@thebccafe.com.au. 6:00AM-3:30PM. Has not only gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options, but also Braille menus for blind visitors.
- 2 Five Guys, 123 Mulgoa Rd, Penrith, ☏ +61 2 8629 8855. Part of the American chain.
Drink
- 1 Panthers, 123 Mulgoa Rd, Penrith, toll-free: 1800 061 991. A hub for entertainment in the west, including dining, music, accommodation, sports bars, video games arcade, and slot machines (pokies). Panthers is also home to the Panthers Rugby League team. It has a variety of outdoor entertainments and fast food outlets.
Sleep
- 1 Mercure Penrith, Mulgoa Rd & Jamison Roads, Penrith, ☏ +61 2 4721 7700.
Connect
All 4G mobile phone networks in Sydney are available here. Telstra has 5G.
Stay safe
The area has the reputation of being one of the more dangerous in Sydney. Take particular care at nighttime when walking or taking the train.
Go next
- Blue Mountains by car or train. If you're coming from Sydney, you've already come a third of the way.
- Historical Richmond and Windsor in the City of Hawkesbury are to the north
- To the south is Southwestern Sydney
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