You Are Here: Blacktown

Repeat Offenders editorial assistant, Chantelle Mackintosh, reflects on Blacktown, the years of change it has undergone, and what lies underneath its reputation.

Blacktown. Your typical suburban landscape. One major shopping centre, too many cafés to count, and school kids everywhere. Kids riding bikes, people walking dogs. 

The local government area of Blacktown spans beyond the suburban boundaries of Blacktown. From Eastern Creek to Bungarribee, from Glenwood to Marsden Park, Blacktown is massive. Our main road, Sunnyholt Road, stretches from the centre of Blacktown through Kings Langley to Parklea. It's safe to say no two areas of Blacktown are the same. 

And yet, I've noticed that people have varying reactions when I say, "I'm from Blacktown."

A face of disgust.

"Isn't that place rural?" 

"Oh, yeah, I went there once, years ago!"

Blacktown certainly has a few reputations, not many are good. But it's where I've lived all my life. I went to school here, I work here, I shop here, I hang out here. I love my not-so-little suburb. But let's explore a few of its notorious reputations while I convince you it's not as bad a place as you might think. 

Disgust.

This one I almost don't get but then I walk from the train station to the shopping centre. It's commonly known as one of the rougher parts of the area, yet it's one walk I've taken many times. I'm not saying this to sound tough or whatever; it's just a part of living in Blacktown. You walk past the local drunk, the homeless man, the woman singing "Barbie Girl" very badly, and the guy yelling about how the end of the world is near. It's all completely normal. Oh, and did I mention the stench of cigarette smoke that only seems to get stronger? But I've often walked through that area on my way to work, and nothing has happened. It's right across from the police station, so there's always a police presence. But that being said, I refuse to walk through there at night. It's just not worth it.

Sure, Blacktown has some downsides, but it's not all disgusting. Our pride and joy, the centre of Blacktown life, the Westpoint Shopping Centre, is only getting nicer (see the years of change section). And we have plenty of green space. You can get a nice walk through the back streets of suburbia without hitting any busy roads. 

Is Blacktown rural?

Where do I even begin with this one? No, I would not call Blacktown rural. Yes, it used to be rural, but didn't every suburb? It's called Blacktown City for a reason. It's massive! No, I don't know everyone in Blacktown. I don't even know my neighbours! 

Sure, there's quite a bit of green space around. Between Nurragingy Reserve, Bungarribee Park, Blacktown Showground, and Prospect Reservoir, Blacktown has more than its fair share. 

Nurragingy Reserve is one of our best green spaces, home to many playgrounds, ponds, wildlife, and a multicultural garden. But having a massive park doesn't make Blacktown rural; otherwise, we'd be calling New York City rural due to Central Park. 

Blacktown's greenery is only further enhanced by the recent addition of Bungarribee Park. Home to large play areas, Sydney's largest off-leash dog park, and walking tracks that blend rural and urban environments, Bungarribee Park is the perfect place to walk your dog!

While Blacktown Showground is smaller than Nurragingy and Bungarribee Park, it's still worth mentioning. The perfect catchup space is located close to the Westpoint Shopping Centre and the train station. With plenty of seating areas, it's perfect for birthday parties and picnics on a sunny day.

And would a rural town have such excellent public transport? We've got the train station and so many bus routes. Just in my lifetime, they built the Sunnyholt Road T-Way, which is amazing; I use it every day. With the metro on the outskirts of Blacktown, getting to the city is quicker and safer than ever. One of Blacktown's main roads, Sunnyholt Road, used to be only one lane in some places, but now it's between two to three lanes and still heavily backed up in traffic. 

And yes, I got those coveted ATAR bonus points for attending school in a socioeconomically disadvantaged area, but those are just numbers. Right?

I will admit that only recently has Blacktown strayed further and further from rural. People still own chickens in their backyards (one person even had a cow), but we're only an hour away from the CBD (less now with the NorthConnex tunnel).

Years of Change

It's easiest to track Blacktown's change through three factors: Westpoint, housing, and attractions.

Westpoint has changed substantially since I was a kid. Gone are most of the shops I remember, replaced with higher end shops. EB Games used to be front and centre, but now it's been shoved in a corner with half the space. Myer used to take up three floors at one end of the centre; now it's been kicked out and divided up between four other shops. Bras and Things became Dangerfield. Spotlight became Lincraft, which became TKMaxx. My favourite cafe became a Swarovski store. Still no Starbucks. Sure, I love TK Maxx, but I miss being able to find out where every store is. Now, I can never find anything because it's constantly moving and changing. 

Housing is another monster altogether. I will never be able to afford a house in Blacktown unless I win the lotto. My mum always says, "Blacktown used to be the place you come to buy a house," but now it feels like the place to sell a house. According to Domain, a three-bedroom house is now worth 900k (on average!) in Blacktown. My parents bought our original three-bedroom fibro house for 263K back in 2002, and that was considered to be on the higher end! Talk about a price hike. 

It hasn't helped that apartment buildings are popping up everywhere. Out the back window, I can see a lovely big tree and now two apartment buildings! Westpoint used to be the only taller building around, but we're slowly getting more and more apartment buildings. There are mixed reviews for this, as it's cheaper than buying a house, but it means more and more people are coming to Blacktown. School holidays mean the shopping centre is a mess. 

Blacktown doesn't have many tourist attractions. There used to be the Wonderland theme park in Eastern Creek, but it closed down two decades ago. Until 2019, when Sydney Zoo opened! Hooray! Tourists! For a zoo in the middle of suburbia, it's a perfect zoo. With a plethora of different animals and cafes, it feels like a real zoo! It's still insane to me five years later that I don't have to go all the way to Taronga to see a meerkat. Instead, there are a few dozen only a few streets away from my high school. Most importantly, Taylor Swift visited Sydney while she was on her Eras Tour. Is there any higher honour?

So Blacktown is constantly changing. Hopefully, now you'll think of Blacktown a bit better. It's not disgusting, rural, or static. It's dynamic and beautiful. By the time you visit, I'm sure we'll have changed even more.