New South Wales, Australia

Penrith is a city on the western fringe of the Sydney metropolitan area, in east central New South Wales, Australia. Penrith is approximately 54 kilometres by road west of Sydney, 30 metres above sea level and is located at latitude 33 45'01"S and longitude 150 41'39"E. The local government boundaries of the City of Penrith cover an area of some 407 square kilometres on the Nepean River flats of the Cumberland Plain. The Blue Mountains rise at the western border of the City area.

Much of the City of Penrith lies in a low rainfall area, where an average of 786mm per annum is found. The climate of Penrith is usually more extreme than the nearby temperate climate of Sydney - the flat country of the plains being exposed to frosts in winter and severe heat in summer. The average temperature range for Penrith is a mild 11° Celsius minimum to a 24° Celsius maximum. For current weather conditions click here.

Preliminary figures for the population of Penrith City at the last Census in 2001 was 172,397. From 1996 to 2001 there has been a 5.7% increase (9275 people) in the Penrith LGA population. Furthermore, from 1991 to 2001 there has been a 15% growth rate. This makes Penrith one of the three largest local government areas in Western Sydney and the sixth largest population of any local government area in New South Wales. The City of Penrith has a young population. At the last census in 1996, the 0-4 year old age group was the largest within the population. The next largest age group was the 5-9 year olds and the 25-29 year olds. The population of Penrith is primarily in residential estates spreading north and south from the Great Western Highway, the M4 Freeway and the railway. In fact, 90% of Penrith residents reside in urban areas of the LGA.

The highway and M4 Freeway cross the area from east to west. There are two large areas to the north and south of the residential areas, mostly used for agricultural purposes. The Penrith Local Government Area has two Central Business Districts at Penrith and St.Marys.

Penrith is both an agricultural centre (including dairying, poultry-farming, fruits, vegetables, beef and turf farming) as well as a focal point for manufacturing industries. Its industries include the treatment of non-metalliferous mine and quarry products, saki production, the manufacture of aluminium foil, concrete and building materials, plastics, textiles, pharmaceutical, engineering and electrical products. Service industries include those of transport, storage, commerce and education. The recent redevelopment of the Penrith Plaza as a regional shopping centre, the expansion of the Nepean Hospital and the creation of the University of Western Sydney, Penrith Campus at Kingswood have further diversified the city's economic base. Recent decentralization of regional government offices, such as the Australian Taxation Office, has added new impetus to Penrith’s prestige as a business centre. The continued development of the huge Panther’s Club (i.e.Penrith Rugby Leagues Club), the multi-faceted entertainment and resort centre near the banks of the Nepean River, has helped initiate a boom in tourism to the area. Cultural centres such as the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre, Penrith Regional Gallery and The Lewers Bequest and and the Railway St Theatre Company ('Q' Theatre) provide additional depth to the City's cultural life, complementing more commercial tourist sites such as the Museum of Fire and the natural beauty of the surrounding Nepean-Hawkesbury River, Penrith Lakes and the Blue Mountains.

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Penrith City Council Library Service
Links last checked: 9 August 2005
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Revised: 9 August 2005