Padstow History
Revesby is named after the Lincolnshire, England estate of Sir Joseph Banks. Banks was the Botanist on Captain Cook’s exploration of Australia in 1770, and he is the person whom Bankstown (Banks’ town) was named after. The first grant was made to George Johnston Junior on 23 April 1804. Cattle was grazed in the area as early as the 1830s, however it was not until the early 1880s when speculation of a railway line linking St Peters to Liverpool running through the southern part of Bankstown, that the land grants were sub-divided luring many investors who thought they would strike it rich.
The Beaconsfield Estate was sold in 1881. This was west of the The River Road bordered by Bransgrove Road, Queen street and The River Road. Beaconsfield Street is the part of the subdivision that takes its name from the estate. Despite the optimism of railway connection to the city, the population was only a couple of dozen by the 1890s. Some progress soon followed, when the line was connected as far as Belmore in 1895, and the Revesby school was opened in 1896, and the community hall in 1901. In 1909 the railway was extended to Bankstown making the local area closer to the city.
During the 1910s a number of shops opened on the corners of Doyle Road and Beaconsfield Street and became the heart of Revesby as more people settled into the area. By the 1920s a railway was approved from Tempe to East Hills running through to the south of the Revesby settlement, finally opening in 1931. The mass settlement of Revesby was delayed owing to the Depression and War years of the 1930s and 1940s. However, soon after World War 2, returning soldiers and their families sought out the great building blocks Revesby offered to settle their families there.
During these years, the population rose steadily and many new schools opened; the Fire and Police stations in 1958 and 1964; Revesby Workers club opened in 1962; the swimming pool and YMCA in 1966 and 1971. Then during the 1980s and 1990s, the railway was extended to Glenfield (1987) and The River Road connected to the M5 (1992). By 1996 when Revesby School celebrated its centenary, Revesby was a completely different suburb transformed into a modern inner city location. In the past two decades new arrivals to Revesby discovered these large building blocks – many of the original Beaconsfield Estate, being the genuine 1/4 acre (more than 1000 square metres). They have built large homes, duplexes to accommodate two families and some rows of townhouses.
Revesby Today
The size of Revesby is approximately 6 square kilometres. It has 14 parks covering nearly 3% of the total area. The population of Revesby in 2006 was 12,278, and the predominant age group in Revesby is 10-19 years. Households in Revesby are primarily couples with children and are likely to be repaying between $800 – $1000 per month on mortgage repayments. In 2006, 65% of the homes in Revesby were owner-occupied. Currently the median sales price of houses in the area is $562,500.
One popular feature of Revesby is it being so central, with fantastic transport options. The main shopping centre boasts a Post Office, Woolworths, Franklins, TAB, major banks, chemists, butchers, a fruit and veg shop, seafood and take away shops, as well as several clothing, footwear, gift and homeware stores, newsagents, bakeries, a florist, doctors, dentists, pathology centres, optometrist, podiatrist, hairdressers and beauticians, a photo shop, a tobacconist, health and wellbeing centre, a watchmaker and jeweller, a travel agent, solicitors, dry cleaners, a pet shop, an aquarium store, a framing shop, a bottle shop, and several great cafes and restaurants, plus Revesby Workers Club. The Revesby area also boasts some great schools, several churches, plenty of local parks and Revesby train station.
If you would like to know more about the Revesby area ask us about The History of Revesby books by Andrew Molloy exclusively sold in our office here on the corner of Faraday and Howard Road.
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