The name Glenfield was given to the area by a surgeon after a small village near Leicester in England, even though the suburb is not actually located on the original area so named. Because of the proximity to the Glenfield station the suburb was established under this name in 1881 and the suburb as it now stands is sited 40km south west of Sydney. The history of the area is mainly agriculturally based and many of the roads started out as laneways between farm paddocks. The first school was previously based in a tent beside the railway station but 30 years later was moved to its present site.
Besides the Glenwood Public School, there are three schools that cater for the needs of children with behavioural needs, plus the Glenwood Agricultural High School which originally only admitted male students but nowadays has female students as well. This high school was established to prepare students for farming practices which in the early years was largely male orientated. Early establishments were a Presbyterian Church, a Masonic Lodge and a Post Office which began mail services in 1899. In 1911 Glenfield was just a small village with 170 residents, increasing to 1500 in 1971 and up to 6800 according to the 2006 census. Much of the real estate around Ingleburn that was marketed became housing estates established by developers, and consisted of a mix of individual houses and duplexes.
Vista and Panorama
The two main estates, Vista and Panorama included swimming pools, tennis courts, and barbecues for the sole use of the residents of the estates. Security measures for the estates were also provided, and community events put in place to encourage a close knit community within these estates. Glenwood has a shopping centre, which like many other areas, has been affected by the global financial situation leading to some of the businesses facing closure in 2009. Residents and a local member at this time were all upset at the thought of losing a favourite meeting place in this part of their local real estate near Macquarie Fields. Sadly this is happening in many places and only time will tell when the situation will change.
As well as its own local railway station, there is bus transport servicing the area in Sydney for those who need it. The Glenfield Railway station also has a free car park with several stories that provides 700 available spaces for commuters. For those who like to dine out or grab a quick bite in Sydney, there are a number of cafes, restaurants and takeaway shops to choose from. If you are the active type there are also a number of parks that cater for games of cricket, soccer, rugby and baseball, as well as tennis courts, so there is literally something for everyone.
