South Creek (New South Wales)

The South Creek or Wianamatta[1] is a creek that is part of the Hawkesbury-Nepean catchment, located on the Cumberland Plain in Greater Western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

For other uses, see South Creek.

South
Viewed from Luddenham Road, Orchard Hills, 2013.
EtymologyAboriginal Dharug: 'mother place'[1]
Native nameWianamatta (Dharuk)[1]
Location
CountryAustralia
StateNew South Wales
RegionSydney basin (IBRA), Greater Western Sydney
Local government areasCamden, Liverpool, Penrith, Blacktown, Hawkesbury
Physical characteristics
Sourceformer Oran Park Raceway
 • locationOran Park
 • coordinates34°01′12″S 150°46′34″E
 • elevation97 m (318 ft)
Mouthconfluence with the Hawkesbury River
 • location
near Windsor
 • coordinates
33°35′56″S 150°50′00″E
 • elevation
2 m (6 ft 7 in)
Length70 km (43 mi)
Basin features
River systemHawkesbury-Nepean catchment
Tributaries 
 • leftBadgerys Creek, Ropes Creek
 • rightKemps Creek, Eastern Creek
[2]

Course and features

The creek rises in Sydney's south western suburbs below the former Oran Park Raceway about 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) north-east of Narellan and 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) west of Minto. In its upper catchment, the creek forms the boundary between the suburbs of Oran Park and Catherine Field. The creek flows generally north, joined by seventeen tributaries including Badgerys Creek, Kemps Creek, Ropes Creek and Eastern Creek, until reaching its confluence with the Hawkesbury River, near Windsor. The creek descends 94 metres (308 ft) over its 70 kilometres (43 mi) course.[2]

From source to mouth, the creek flows through or forms the boundary of the suburbs of Bringelly, Rossmore, Badgerys Creek, Kemps Creek, Claremont Meadows, Orchard Hills, Werrington, St Marys, Werrington County, Dunheved, Llandilo, Shanes Park, Berkshire Park, Windsor Downs, Riverstone, Vineyard, Mulgrave, Windsor, McGraths Hill and Pitt Town Bottoms.[2]

Tributaries

The South Creek or Wianamatta is joined by Lowes Creek and Rileys Creek at Bringelly; by Thompsons Creek at Rossmore; by Badgerys Creek and by Kemps Creek at the suburb of Badgerys Creek; by Cosgrove Creek at Luddenham; by Blaxland Creek at Orchard Hills; by Byrnes Creek at St Marys; by Claremont Creek at Werrington; by Werrington Creek at Werrington County; by three unnamed creeks at Llandilo, Marsden Park, and Riverstone; by Ropes Creek at Shanes Park; by Eastern Creek at Vineyard; by McGraths Hill Wetlands and by McKenzies Creek at McGraths Hill.

See also: Werrington Lakes

Etymology

Wianamatta is an Aboriginal word of the Dharug language, meaning 'mother place'.[1] Evidence of early Aboriginal people has been found in several locations within the Blacktown Local government area. Shell middens from the Darug people have been found near the sewage treatment plant on Breakfast Creek and South Creek.[3]

South Creek was dual-named as Wianamatta on 28 March 2003 by the Geographical Names Board of New South Wales (GNB).[1][4][5]

It was dual-named after a submission that the name be changed. However, a lengthy investigation followed, and after consultation with local Aboriginal Land Councils it was decided after extensive workshops carried by the GNB, that instead, a dual-naming proposal should be pursued instead. Following that decision, the GNB carried out an extensive consultation throughout the entire state of NSW, contacting all Aboriginal land councils on record as well as placing entries in every prominent and regional newspaper explaining the proposal and inviting comments.[6]

History

After James Ruse sold his Experiment Farm at Parramatta, in January 1794 he obtained a grant of land at the junction of the Hawkesbury and South Creek (which for a time was known as Ruse's Creek).[7][8]

A township of South Creek used to exist near St Marys.[9] The name only existed for a few years in the early settlement of New South Wales and now it is part of St Marys/Dunheved. One of its pioneer settlers was Thomas Jamison (1753–1811) who arrived with the First Fleet and became Surgeon-General of New South Wales in 1801. Jamisontown in the Penrith area is also named after him.[10]

See also

References
  1. "Wianamatta". Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
  2. "Map of South Creek, NSW". Bonzle Digital Atlas of Australia. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
  3. "History of Wetlands and Waterways". Environment: water & catchments. City of Blacktown. 2013. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
  4. "South Creek". Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
  5. "Minutes of the Development Committee Meeting" (PDF). Camden Council. 28 April 2003. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
  6. "Geographical Names Board Report" (PDF). NSW Department of Lands. Government of New South Wales. 2007. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
  7. Place Names of the District by James Jervis (a lecture delivered before the Parramatta and District Historical Society on 7 September 1920), Cumberland Argus and Fruitgrowers Advocate (Parramatta), 22 September 1920, page 4.
  8. B. H. Fletcher. "Ruse, James (1759–1837)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
  9. St Marys and District Historical Society (2009), The early history of the South Creek – St Marys area, St Marys and District Historical Society, retrieved 1 March 2017
  10. Vivienne Parsons. "Jamison, Thomas (c. 1753-1811)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Retrieved 31 March 2021.

33°48′55″S 150°46′04″E

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