Traditional Owners

The original inhabitants of the Cumberland Council area were the Dharug Aboriginal people.

Settlement history

European settlement dates from the 1790s when expansion from Parramatta stimulated growth in the northern suburbs. Land was used mainly for small scale farming and sheep and cattle grazing. Population was minimal until the 1850s and 1860s. Growth took place during the late 1870s and 1880s, aided by the opening of railway lines and the establishment of many industries. The population continued to grow in the early 1900s. The most significant residential development occurred in the post-war years, particularly during the 1950s and 1960s, aided by immigration and industrial growth. Gradual growth took place from the 1990s, with the population of the Council area rising from about 153,000 in 1991 to about 215,000 in 2016. Most of the growth in the last twenty five years has been from urban consolidation (medium and high density housing) in the established areas, but more recently has also been from redevelopment of previous industrial land in the suburbs of Pemulwuy and Regents Park.

Land use

The Cumberland Council area is predominantly residential, with substantial industrial areas, and some commercial, institutional and recreational areas. The Council area encompasses a total land area of about 70 square kilometres.

Transport

The Cumberland Council area is served by the Western Motorway, the Cumberland Highway, the Great Western Highway and the Bankstown, Cumberland and Western railway lines.

Major features

• Major features of the Council area include Carnarvon Golf Club,
• Cumberland Country Golf Club,
• Rosnay Golf Club (Auburn Public Golf Course),
• Woodville Golf Course,
• Auburn Central Shopping Centre,
• Auburn Arcade Shopping Centre,
• Primewest Auburn Megamall,
• The Merrylands CBD,
• Stockland Merrylands Shopping Centre,
• Wentworthville Mall,
• Wentworthville Shopping Plaza,
• part of Granville Town Centre,
• TAFE NSW South Western Sydney Institute (Granville and Lidcombe Colleges),
• The University of Sydney (Cumberland Campus),
• Auburn Athletics Track,
• Melita Stadium,
• Auburn Botanic Gardens,
• Campbell Hill Pioneer Reserve,
• Central Gardens,
• Granville Park,
• Holroyd Gardens,
• Merrylands Park,
• Wyatt Park and Rookwood Necropolis (Cemetery).

Included areas