Baulkham Hills, New South Wales

History

The land that is now called Baulkham Hills was originally home to the Bidjigal people, who are believed to be a clan of the Darug people, who occupied all the land to the immediate west of Sydney. The best-known Aboriginal person from that time is Pemulwuy, a Bidjigal leader who led the Indigenous resistance movement against the British forces, including sacking farms in Castle Hill, before his eventual capture and execution by the British militia.

The Bidjigal people are today commemorated by Bidjigal Reserve which straddles the suburbs of Castle Hill, Baulkham Hills, North Rocks, and West Pennant Hills.

The first European settler in the Baulkham Hills Shire was William Joyce. In 1794 he was given a grant of 30 acres (121,000 m²) in what became Baulkham Hills. The name Baulkham Hills was given to the area by Andrew McDougall, a settler from Buckholm Hills, County of Roxburgh, Scotland. The name, which reminded McDougall of his homeland, was officially recognised in 1802. Baulkham Hills Post Office opened on 1 April 1856.

Demographics

According to the 2011 census of Population, there were 33,945 residents in Baulkham Hills. 65.5% of residents were born in Australia. The most common other countries of birth were China 4.0%, India 3.3% and England 3.3%. 69.4% of residents spoke only English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Mandarin 4.2%, Cantonese 3.8% and Korean 2.4%. The most common responses for religious affiliation were Catholic 30.8%, Anglican 18.8% and No Religion 16.0%.

Transport

Baulkham Hills is primarily accessible by road. At the intersection known as Baulkham Hills Junction several major roads meet including: Seven Hills Road, Old Northern Road and Windsor Road. The fastest route from the Sydney CBD is via the M2 Hills Motorway, exiting at Windsor Road.

Baulkham Hills is serviced by the Hillsbus bus company, which provides services to the nearby commercial centres of Castle Hill, Parramatta and frequent services to the Sydney CBD. Hillsbus provides services to the City via routes 610/610X, 614X and 615X. The 610/610X service can also be caught in the westbound direction, which services Kellyville and Rouse Hill. Services are also provided to St. Leonards, Milsons Point and North Sydney, through the route 612X. 612X, in the westbound direction, provides a service to Kellyville Ridge and Stanhope Gardens.

Route M61 services Baulkham Hills, providing a high frequency service to Castle Hill and the Sydney CBD. Route M60 provides a high-frequency service to the areas around Parramatta, Pennant Hills and Hornsby.

There is no railway station at Baulkham Hills. In the past, there was the Rogans Hill line, connecting the suburb to Parramatta. Railway Street near Baulkham Hills Junction is a reminder of this. It was closed down in 1930 due to traffic problems on Windsor Road and large financial losses. Land owned by the rail authority was sold to the Hills Bowling Club in the mid-1970s to build their two front bowling greens. Works have begun on the North West Rail Link which will have stations in the adjoining suburbs of Castle Hill, Bella Vista and Kellyville. The Baulkham Hills station will be at the site of the former Baulkham Hills Council offices. The project is expected to be completed by 2019.

Commercial area

Stockland Baulkham Hills is a shopping centre, located on the intersection of Windsor Road and Old Northern Road. It features supermarkets operated by Coles, a Woolworths, and Aldi plus 70 specialty shops. A redevelopment was completed in 2008 to significantly expand the floor space of the centre.

In the northern part of the suburb, there is another shopping centre called Norwest Marketown, together with many other businesses. The Norwest Business Park located nearby is partially in Baulkham Hills and mostly in Bella Vista.

Hospital

The Hills Private Hospital on Windsor Road (near the corner of Merindah Road) was redeveloped into a rehabilitation and mental health hospital, after the previous hospital's owners, Healthscope, moved its operations to the nearby Norwest Business Park. The hospital includes a 92 bed rehabilitation unit and a 19 bed mental health unit, providing both inpatient and day program services.

Parks and reserves

Baulkham Hills features a number of parks and reserves, such as the Bidjigal Reserve (previously known as Excelsior Reserve), with native fauna such as koala, swamp wallaby, echidna, and eastern water dragon. Smaller reserves include the Sophia Doyle reserve and the Crestwood Reserve, which are habitat to brushtail and ringtail possums and a wide range of birds and lizards.

The Baulkham Hills Shire Bushland Conservation Committee is a voluntary committee of Council that assists with the management of the Shire's bushland.

Schools

Baulkham Hills High School also has an Army Cadet Unit, which is open only to students at Baulkham Hills High School.

Places of worship

Baulkham Hills has some 15 places of worship belonging to various Christian denominations including:

A Baha'i Spiritual Assembly is also located in the suburb.

Culture

Baulkham Hills has a public library. It does not have a theatre or a cinema; although these are found in the adjacent suburb of Castle Hill where many residents make use of them.

Events

The annual Orange Blossom Festival is held in Baulkham Hills Shire each September. The HYPE Festival is held every April during National Youth Week and again in September during the Orange Blossom festival and attracts large crowds of youths each year. It has featured high-profile Australian music acts such as Gerling, Something With Numbers, Parkway Drive, and The Getaway Plan

Notable residents