Our City

1802

John Hillas, a free settler, was granted 100 acres of land (Stanhope) on March 31^.

1804

John Hillas was granted 150 acres of land on August 11, 1804, on Windsor Road and named it "Stanhope Farm" and established an inn, the "Stanhope Arms".

1820s

Daniel Brien built a farm house "Exeter Farm". Ferdinand Meurant is also granted land here and name's his property 'Frontignac'.

1846

John Foreman Staff acquired 70 acres of land (at Parklea) and passed it on to his son, James Samuel Staff who became legal owner in 1853.

1853

James Samuel Staff built a homestead on his land and named the farm "Norfolk Vale".

1856

Pearce family owned "Stanhope Farm".

1882

James Samuel Staff sold "Norfolk Vale" to David Robert Howard, an orchardist.

1888

James Cocks, an orchardist, bought "Norfolk Vale" and renamed it "Sorrento".

1918

Parklea Public School was built on the corner of Lalor and Sunnyholt Roads (relocated on Glenwood Park Drive in 1996).

1928

Jack Peel bought "Stanhope Farm" and called it "Stanhope Park Dairy".

1933

Population at the census for Parklea and nearby area was 187. There were 42 occupied dwellings.

1941

Alfred William Casmir von Sanden acquired Sorrento and renamed it "Glenwood Park".

1949

Emile Marcel Nydegger bought "Glenwood Park", operating it as a dairy.

1972

Prime Minister Billy McMahon opened New South Wales Federation Soccer Academy in Parklea on February 26.

1973

Housing Commission resumed Stanhope Park Dairy.

Emanuel Baptist Church built in August.

1974

Housing Commission of New South Wales resumed Glenwood Park house.

1976

Population at the census was 1,117. There were 336 dwellings.

1981

At the census, there were 1,528 people in the Kellyville-Parklea area.

Parklea Gardens Caravan Park opened in October.

1983

Parklea Prison opened in November (officially opened on September 5,1984). The first prisoners admitted on November 7.

1984

Parklea Prison awarded with the Sir John Sulman Medal for architecture.

1986

The population of Kellyville-Parklea was approximately 1,400.

Valentine Sports Park opened.

1987

Parklea prisoners rioted on December 13.

Parklea Markets opened illegally on January 26 and closed after four weekends.

1988

Parklea Markets won Metal Building News Merit Award for its creative use of steel construction techniques.

1989

Parklea Markets begin operating in August (officially opened in August 1990).

The Land and Environment Court approved the Meriton Apartments' Sundowner Village at Sunnyholt Road on June 28.

1990

A second riot at Parklea prison occurred on September 23 over new rules concerning the personal property of prisoners.

1991

Population of Kellyville-Parklea was 1,003.

1992

Parklea prison was reclassified for maximum security to medium security.

1994

The Glenwood Estate opened in June (formally recognised as a suburb in 1996).

The work started on Sikh temple on Meurants Lane, Glenwood.

1995

Stanhope Gardens Estate opened in1995 (officially recognised as a suburb in 1996).

Glenwood Park House damaged by fire.

1996

Population at the census for Kellyville-Parklea was 1,109.

Acacia Gardens formally recognised as a suburb.

1997

The owners gifted "Exeter Farm" to the Department of Planning and Urban Affairs.

The Sikh temple in Glenwood officially opened.

1998

New South Wales Softball made their headquarters at Stanhope Park Softball and Sports Centre.

1999

Stanhope Gardens won a Royal Australian Planning Institute Award for Excellence in Plan Making - Urban Planning.

Holy Cross Public School opened in Glenwood on March 31.

Blacktown City Council approved plans for Glenwood Park house to use as medical centre and chemist.

2000

The New South Wales branch of the Leprosy Mission made Acacia Gardens their administrative headquarters in June.

Glenwood Village Shopping Centre opened on September 10.

Busways started its service to Stanhope Gardens and Glenwood in May.

2001

Population of Acacia Gardens 1,778.

Population of Glenwood 9,467.

Population of Parklea 1,289.

Population of Stanhope Gardens 2,761.

2002

Kellyville Ridge became a suburb.

Quakers Hill East Public School opened in Acacia Gardens in January and formally opened on September 1 (School was originally opened in May 1969 on Lalor Road, Quakers Hill).

The Minister for Planning officially opened Newbury estate.

2003

Blacktown Leisure Centre Stanhope opened.

Stanhope Village Shopping Centre opened on November 24.

Caddies Creek Public School at Glenwood Park officially opened on September 22.

Glenwood Neighbourhood Centre officially opened on November 23.

Australian Sikh Association Library and Punjabi School officially opened in April in Glenwood Sikh Temple.

2004

Kellyville Ridge Public School opened in January (officially opened in November).

2005

John XXIII Catholic Primary School officially opened in February in Stanhope Gardens.

Glenwood High School opened on January 31.

Parklea Correctional Centre's new Chapel officially opened.

2006

Australia's first Compulsory Drug Treatment Correctional Centre opened within Parklea Correctional Complex.

Population of Acacia Gardens-Parklea is 5,575.

Population of Glenwood 14,065.

Population of Stanhope Gardens 5,082.

Frank and Clare de Masi opened Stanhope Garden's first post office.

A golden 8m high dome now caps the Glenwood Gurdwara Sikh Temple.

2007

First marriage celebrated at John XXIII Parish Church.

2008

Tenders called for the expansion to the Blacktown Leisure Centre Stanhope. The extension is to include a new branch of the Blacktown City Libraries, to be known as the Dennis Johnson branch library.

Plans to privatise Parklea Correctional Facility are announced.

2009

Dennis Johnson Branch Library and extensions to the Blacktown Leisure Centre officially opened.

2010

First man made pond at The Ponds (The Dragonfly) completed.

New buildings at Holy Cross Primary officially opened.

Restoration of Exeter Farm completed. The building dates from the 1860s.

Final section of Stanhope Parkway linking Hambledon Road, Schofields with Stanhope Gardens is completed.
Development of a motel, exhibition centre and growers' market is proposed for the Parklea markets site.

2011

Waite Reserve in Acacia Gardens is redeveloped.