Sydney/Hills District

Hills and Hawkesbury is the largely residential area to the north west of the CBD and north of Macquarie Park. It includes the Hills District area around Castle Hill and Baulkham Hills and the semi-rural areas around Dural and Galston.

Understand
The Hills District has been gradually developing from a more-or-less rural area to a part of suburban Sydney over the past 30 years, so you will encounter elements of both lifestyles here. Travellers may be more interested in the rural qualities and, especially, the nearby National and Regional Parks. However, it can be very convenient indeed to have access to the 'creature comforts' of civilization that are right next door in a modern city of more than 4 million people. Once the main vegetable growing region for Sydney, The Hills District continues to be the centre for plant nurseries, both large and small. You can still find vegetables and flowers for sale alongside the road in many places. Lots of people drive out to the northwest on weekends, visiting antique shops and art galleries and checking out the local markets. Increasing numbers of private schools, alternative centres, churches, etc. have re-located here. Traffic is therefore steadily increasing, but most of the area still has a rural feel, especially at its outer edges. In short, you can enjoy the bush and still have wireless internet and a good cappuccino!

Get in
Outer areas such as the Hills District are less well serviced. The most convenient railway station is in Pennant Hills, however, in general, it's much more convenient to have your own car for travelling around the area.

By car
The area is connected to Sydney City by the Warringah Freeway, Gore Hill Freeway, Lane Cove Tunnel and Hills Motorway. Travel outside of peak hour if possible, as the roads get congested during the commute hours into Sydney.

By metro
There is a chain of new metro stations running from the city right through this area, including Cherrybrook, Castle Hill, Bella Vista and Rouse Hill.

By bus
Hillsbus services the area. Castle Hill (location of a future metro station) can be considered the main hub, with buses from the Sydney City centre (610 610x 612 612x 619 etc) which run frequently at around every 10 minutes in peak periods. There are also connections from Castle Hill Parramatta, Seven Hills, Pennant Hills and others.

The rural area to the north of Castle Hill does have some limited public transport, but you will likely find it challenging to get to the smaller rural settlements by bus.

History
West of Parramatta out to the Nepean and Hawkesbury was the site of some of Sydney's most important colonial development. The earliest colonialists built their first roads and railways here, away from the barren ground of Sydney Town to the fertile plains to the west. Those free settlers and ticket-of-leave convicts made their fortunes here, building estates and mansions to emulate the landed gentry of England - a place that they still considered themselves very much a part of. This is where the convicts of the Irish rebellion tried to overthrow the government and were slaughtered. This is where the Aboriginal people saw their hunting grounds taken from them, and mounted some resistance with their spears against the British guns.

However, much of what was here is lost underneath the Sydney suburban sprawl. Some of Australia's most significant history is open to be visited. Convict built roads can be walked, and colonial mansions and properties remain. Much is under the shopping malls carparks - only found in history books.

Shopping centres
There are several large shopping centres in the area.



Connect
Most of the Hills district is well covered by 5G, but some areas to the far north side of the Hills district is sometimes patchy.

Go next

 * Cattai National Park - First Fleet surgeon Thomas Arndell's 1821 Cattai Farm and surrounds has grassy picnic areas, barbecues and shelter sheds beside the Hawkesbury River, and car-based camping is available year round (bookings essential). Tel: . Lots of walking tracks and the ruins of a windmill thought to be the oldest industrial building in NSW. About 30-40 minutes drive from the area, north of Windsor.
 * Marramarra National Park - Well worth a visit, only about a 15-minute drive north of Dural, at the junction of Hawkesbury River and Berowra Creek. Canoeing, camping, bushwalking, picnicking or birdwatching. Tel:.
 * Scheyville National Park - near Windsor, is about a 30 minute drive. Conserves endangered ecological communities and species of the Cumberland Plain and Hawkesbury River catchment. Some colonial remnants and relics from old farms. Tel:.