The Site
The site for the new museum and precinct is located toward the northern edge of Parramatta’s CBD on the southern riverbank of the Parramatta River.
Parramatta is located approximately 20km north-west of Sydney CBD. The city has a young and vibrant population and is known for its diverse multicultural population – over 145 languages are spoken and over half of residents speak a language other than English as their first language. The city is the economic capital of Greater Western Sydney and an important hub for medical, legal, financial, education and professional services and is currently experiencing rapid growth. Today, over 245,000 people live in the City of Parramatta and this is expected to increase to 400,000 by 2027.
The site is located on the traditional lands of the Burramattagal, a clan of the Darug who first settled along the upper reaches of the Parramatta River over 60,000 years ago. The word ‘Parramatta’ is thought to be Darug in origin: an approximation of Burramatta – the word for ‘place where the eels lie down [to breed]’ (within the Parramatta River).