Mount Druitt

Did you ever hear of a town named after a man who couldn’t pay his debts? Mount Druitt, a suburb of Sydney, carries the name of Major George Druitt. He was granted 2,000 acres in this area by Governor Macquarie. Unfortunately, he died on his grant in 1842, likely burdened by debt. Mount Druitt today is a blend of vibrant cultures and historical echoes. The train line arrived in 1881, and for a while, the Mount Druitt railway station even doubled as the post office! Imagine receiving your mail where you waited for the train. The arrival of electric trains in 1955 marked a modern era for Mount Druitt, a ceremony overseen by then Premier Joseph Cahill. Just twenty years later, Queen Elizabeth II inaugurated Mount Druitt Hospital in 1982. This 200-bed facility was a testament to the community’s persistent fundraising and advocacy. They felt underserved by existing hospitals in Blacktown and Nepean. Westfield Mount Druitt, a bustling shopping hub with over 200 stores, stands where the old railway station once existed. It sits at the intersection of Carlisle Avenue and Luxford Road, now major thoroughfares. But a piece of the past remains preserved in The Manse, a Georgian cottage likely built in the mid-1880s by John Harris. Originally part of Druitt’s land, it eventually became the headquarters of the Mount Druitt Historical Society. Mount Druitt’s demographics are as diverse as its history. The 2021 census paints a picture of a multicultural community. Australians, Filipinos, English, Pakistanis, and Indians make up the largest ancestry groups. Mount Druitt is also a place where languages like Urdu, Arabic, Tagalog, and Bengali mingle with English. The suburb has faced negative portrayals in the media, often linked to its relatively low property prices compared to the rest of Sydney. Yet, Mount Druitt is home to community initiatives like “The Shed,” which supports men’s mental health. This suburb is more than just headlines; it’s a community striving for positive change, embracing its past and building a brighter future.