NSWFarming
Bankstown
A Georges River farming district that found a new centre at the railway.
1790sGeorges River settlement founded
WHAT STARTED IT
Bass and Flinders’ exploration of the Georges River in 1795 led Governor Hunter to open a settlement on its banks, named Bankstown after the botanist Joseph Banks.
WHAT SUSTAINED IT
Residents petitioned for local government, and the Municipal District of Bankstown was proclaimed in September 1895. The railway from Belmore reached a new terminus at Chapel Road in April 1909, part of a long-planned link between the suburban lines and the main southern line.
TURNING POINTS
1790sGovernor Hunter establishes a settlement on the Georges River called Bankstown.
1895The Municipal District of Bankstown is proclaimed on 9 September.
1909The Belmore–Bankstown railway opens to traffic on 14 April and is officially opened a week later.
1940sUnited States Army Air Force units at Bankstown Aerodrome lead locals to call the district ‘Yankstown’.
WHAT IT DOES NOW
The administrative centre of the City of Canterbury-Bankstown, with about 35,000 residents and a highly diverse population. Its Second World War aerodrome briefly earned it the nickname ‘Yankstown’.