Harris Park is located 19 km west of Sydney’s central business district, in the City of Parramatta. It is part of Greater Western Sydney. Harris Park is home to a large Indian and Hindu population. They are the largest religious and ethnic groups.
Harris Park had 5,799 inhabitants at the 2016 census. Harris Park was home to 46.4% of the males and 53.6% of the females. Only 18.9% were born in Australia. India, China, Lebanon, Philippines, 2.9%, Afghanistan, 1.9%, and China were the top other countries of origin. Indian, English, Chinese, Australian, and Lebanese were the most commonly reported ancestries.
Harris Park is a popular spot for families and couples, but it also attracts a lot of students because of its proximity to the University of Western Sydney campus.
Harris Park is bordered to the north by Parramatta and Rosehill to the east, and to the south by Granville and Parramatta.
James Ruse was the first convict granted land in the colony by Governor Arthur Phillip, who made this decision in this area in 1791. Experiment Farm was Australia’s first privately owned farm. It was here that the first wheat was sown in Australia. John Harris, a surgeon who had received land grants in the region in 1793 and 1805 in the same area, purchased the farm and built a cottage there in c1795 and Harris Park is named after him. The cottage is heritage listed and is open to the public.
Hambledon Cottage was built by Macarthur in the 1820s to house Penelope Lucas, his governess. Henry Kitchen designed the main wing and it was used until 1883 for vice-regal guests. It is heritage-listed.
Arthur Latimer McCredie was an architect and alderman of Parramatta Council in the 1880s. He built Kenilworth in Allen Street. It was a two-story Victorian Italianate building and served as his residence for the majority of his remaining years. Although his will forbade him from transferring the property to Catholics it was purchased by the Sisters of Mercy upon his death. They ran the Convent of Mercy there from 1927 to 1998. The Australian International Performing Arts High school was established. It was transformed into Holy Spirit Seminary in 2013, the Catholic Diocese’s seminary. Kenilworth has been heritage-listed.
Harris Park is known as the city’s Little India. It’s just south of Parramatta. It’s a short walk from Parramatta’s shopping and dining options and the train station, if you want to travel to the Sydney CBD to work.
Harris Park’s town centre has been recently upgraded with stunning public art and more greenery. This area is home to many locals, which contributes to the unique blend of Indian-Arabic cultures.
Wigram Street is the main street through Harris Park. It’s full of Indian businesses from shops to salons to grocery stores. It also has one of the largest concentrations of Indian restaurants in Sydney.
It has a village feel. It’s quiet and friendly, with trees lined streets except for Wigram Street. The majority of homes are 3- to 4-story brick apartments, but some streets have single-family homes with small, neat yards. Property investors have found this suburb to be a great option after being priced out of other areas.
Harris Park, NSW also has a small shopping center on Marion Street. It is close to Parramatta’s main commercial area. The Harris Park railway station can be found on the North Shore & Western Lines of Sydney Trains.
For a fun day with your kids, head to the James Ruse Reserve Water Playground at the border of Parramatta & Harris Park. The playground is very popular in the summer heat. The two incredible skate parks offer a variety of activities for children. They can climb a spider web, scale grassy knolls and enjoy the swing sets.