The City of Penrith is a local government area in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The seat of the city is located in Penrith, located about 50 kilometres (31 mi) west of Sydney's central business district. It occupies part of the traditional lands of the Darug people. First incorporated as a municipality on 12 May 1871, on 1 January 1949, the municipalities of Penrith, St Marys and Castlereagh and part of the Nepean Shire amalgamated to form a new Municipality of Penrith. Penrith was declared a City on 21 October 1959, and expanded westwards to include Emu Plains and Emu Heights, formerly part of the City of Blue Mountains, on 25 October 1963. As of the 2021 census the City of Penrith had an estimated population of 217,664.[1]
The Municipality of Penrith was incorporated on 12 May 1871 under the Municipalities Act 1858 (NSW). On 3 March 1890, St Marys was separately incorporated, and on 26 July 1893 and 9 September 1895, Mulgoa and Castlereagh followed respectively. In 1913, Mulgoa became the "A" Riding of the neighbouring Nepean Shire.[3]
On 1 January 1949, under the Local Government (Areas) Act 1948, the Municipalities of Penrith, St Marys and Castlereagh and A Riding of the Nepean Shire amalgamated to form a new Municipality of Penrith. It was declared a City on 21 October 1959, and expanded westwards to include Emu Plains and Emu Heights, formerly part of the City of Blue Mountains, on 25 October 1963.[3]
Demographicsedit
At the 2021 census, there were 217,644 people in the Penrith local government area, of these 49.4% were male and 50.6% were female. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 5% of the population; notably above the national average of 3.4%. The median age of people in the City of Penrith was 35 years; notably below the national median of 39 years. Children aged 0 – 14 years made up 21.2% of the population and people aged 65 years and over made up 12.9% of the population. Of people in the area aged 15 years and over, 45.5% were married and 12.3% were either divorced or separated.[4]
Population growth in the City of Penrith between the 2001 Census and the 2006 census was 0.15% and in the subsequent five years to the 2011 census, population growth was 3.68%. When compared with total population growth of Australia for the same periods, being 5.78% and 8.32% respectively, population growth in the Penrith local government area was significantly lower than the national average.[5] The median weekly income for residents within the City of Penrith was on with par with the national average.[4]
At the 2021 census, the proportion of residents in the Penrith local government area who stated their ancestry as Australian or Anglo-Saxon exceeded 63.5% of all residents (national average was 58.4%). In excess of 28.7% of all residents in the City of Penrith area nominated a religious affiliation with Christianity at the 2021 census, which was fairly higher than the national average of 20%. Meanwhile, as at the Census date, compared to the national average, households in the Penrith local government area had a marginally lower than average proportion (23.9%) where two or more languages are spoken (national average was 24.8%); and a higher proportion (74.2%) where English only was spoken at home (national average was 72%).[4]
Selected historical census data for Penrith local government area
Ward One (9, Penrith) Ward Two (9, St Marys) Ward Three (3, Nepean) Ward Four (3, Castlereagh)
1950–1959
12 (3 per ward)
Ward One Ward Two Ward Three Ward Four
1959–1963
13 (3 per ward: 12 Aldermen, 1 Mayor)
Direct triennial election
1963–1968
13 (4 per ward: 12 Aldermen, 1 Mayor)
North Ward South Ward East Ward
1968–1987
12 (4 per ward)
Annual election by Aldermen/Councillors
1987–date
15 (5 per ward)
Current composition and election methodedit
Penrith City Council is composed of fifteen councillors elected proportionally as three separate wards, each electing five councillors. All councillors are elected for a fixed four-year term of office. The mayor is elected by the councillors at the first meeting of the council for a two-year term, while the deputy mayor is elected for a single-year term only. The most recent election was held on 4 December 2021. The current council is as follows:[8][9][10]
The City of Penrith is served by a weekly newspaper, The Western Weekender, which was founded in 1991. It produces a print edition each Friday as well as a digital news service. The newspaper is independently owned.
Sister citiesedit
Since it signed its first agreement with Fujieda, Japan in 1984, Penrith City has gradually expanded its sister cities and international links programme. Presently Penrith has links with:
^ abCity Council, Penrith. "History made as new Council appoints Mayor, Deputy Mayor| Penrith City Council". Retrieved 14 January 2022.
^ ab"History of Local Government development in the Penrith and Surrounding Districts". Penrith City Council. 25 May 2009. Archived from the original on 22 June 2014. Retrieved 12 November 2009.
^ ab"Penrith City Council Election Night Results East Ward". Local Government Elections 2021. Australian Election Company. 17 December 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
^ ab"Penrith City Council Election Night Results North Ward". Local Government Elections 2021. Australian Election Company. 17 December 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
^ ab"Penrith City Council Election Night Results South Ward". Local Government Elections 2021. Australian Election Company. 17 December 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
^"Penrith Mayor Tricia Hitchen revealed her priorities as history is made". The Daily Telegraph. News Corp. 18 January 2022. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
^ abcGeorgopoulos, Marissa (28 September 2016). "Councillors John Thain and Tricia Hitchen to lead as mayor and deputy mayor". Penrith Press. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
^Feszczuk, Emily (27 June 2022). "Council bombshell: Jonathan Pullen quits Labor". The Western Weekender. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
^Higgins, Alena (24 September 2019). "Karen McKeown to take over as Penrith's Deputy Mayor". The Western Weekender. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
^Dodds, Troy (20 July 2023). "Veteran Penrith City Councillor Jim Aitken formally resigns". The Western Weekender. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
^"First Meeting of United Penrith Council". Nepean Times. Vol. 66, no. 4681. New South Wales, Australia. 23 December 1948. p. 1. Retrieved 2 June 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Ald. Chapman, Mayor of Penrith". Nepean Times. Vol. 67, no. 4729. New South Wales, Australia. 8 December 1949. p. 1. Retrieved 2 June 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Ald. B. Fowler Elected Mayor of Penrith". Nepean Times. Vol. 72, no. 5081. New South Wales, Australia. 13 December 1956. p. 1. Retrieved 2 June 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Ald. L. Spies Now Mayor of Penrith". Nepean Times. Vol. 75, no. 3891. New South Wales, Australia. 12 December 1957. p. 1. Retrieved 2 June 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Re-elected: Ald. Spies as Mayor, Ald. Thomas Deputy Mayor of Penrith". Nepean Times. Vol. 76, no. 3942. New South Wales, Australia. 18 December 1958. p. 1. Retrieved 2 June 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
^"The Mayor". Nepean Times. Vol. 77, no. 3991. New South Wales, Australia. 10 December 1959. p. 1. Retrieved 2 June 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Penrith Plan: May How Remove All Uncertainty in Minds of Public of Penrith: The Mayor". Nepean Times. Vol. 78, no. 4004. New South Wales, Australia. 24 March 1960. p. 1. Retrieved 2 June 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Citizens Mourn Mayor: Many Tributes". Nepean Times. Vol. 79, no. 4032. New South Wales, Australia. 27 April 1961. p. 1. Retrieved 2 June 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Mayor's Successor". Nepean Times. Vol. 79, no. 4032. New South Wales, Australia. 27 April 1961. p. 1. Retrieved 2 June 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Mayor Quick off the Mark Starting Duties". Nepean Times. Vol. 79, no. 4038. New South Wales, Australia. 8 June 1961. p. 1. Retrieved 2 June 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Congratulations for New Mayor". Nepean Times. Vol. 79, no. 4038. New South Wales, Australia. 8 June 1961. p. 1. Retrieved 2 June 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
^ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzaaabac"Mayors – Penrith City Council". Local government history. Penrith City Council. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
^"Cammack, Eileen (1914 – 2000)". The Australian Women's Register. 2005. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
^"KING, Brian – Member of the Order of Australia". It's an Honour database. Australian Government. 9 June 1986. Retrieved 2 June 2018. For service to local government and to the community.
^Bradbury, David (25 May 2010). "Constituency Statements – Lindsay Electorate: Mr Kevin Dwyer OAM" (Hansard). ParlInfo. Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
^"Sheehy, Patrick Francis – Member of the Order of Australia". It's an Honour database. Australian Government. 13 June 2005. Retrieved 1 June 2018. For service to local government through the Penrith City Council, and to the community of Western Sydney, particularly in the areas of education and health services.
^"Aitken, James Ashley – Medal of the Order of Australia". It's an Honour database. Australian Government. 8 June 1998. Retrieved 1 June 2018. For service to the community of the Penrith District, Particularly Through Youth Welfare and Service Organisations and to Local Government.
^"Crameri, Kevin Douglas – Medal of the Order of Australia". It's an Honour database. Australian Government. 7 June 1999. Retrieved 1 June 2018. For Service to Local Government and to the Community of Penrith.
^"Crameri, Kevin Douglas – Centenary Medal". It's an Honour database. Australian Government. 1 January 2001. Retrieved 1 June 2018. For community service through the rural fire brigade, Red Cross and NSW Police Citizens' Boys Club.
^Cheng, Kevin (24 September 2013). "Councillor Ross Fowler elected as Penrith Mayor". Penrith Press. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
^"Fowler, Ross Bernard – Medal of the Order of Australia". It's an Honour database. Australian Government. 26 January 2008. Retrieved 1 June 2018. For service to local government, and to the community of Penrith through a range of service and disabled care organisations.
^Dodds, Troy (24 September 2018). "Fowler elected new Penrith Mayor". The Western Weekender. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
^"History made as new Council appoints Mayor, Deputy Mayor". www.penrithcity.nsw.gov.au. City of Penrith. 13 January 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2023.