Penrith

Penrith is located in the Western Gateway to Sydney and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the City of Penrith. It lies east of the Nepean River. Penrith is a commercial centre, designated a regional city under the NSW Metropolitan Strategy. Penrith was named after the town of Penrith, England. However, Penrith comes from "Penrhyd" which is the Welsh language for "Chief Ford / Hill Ford". How it got the name is unclear. One theory is that in the early days, development in Penrith was entirely on one road, like the English Penrith, and someone familiar with both spotted the similarity and suggested the name. The earliest known written reference to the name Penrith dates back to 1819.

Also home to Penrith Lakes, a unique blend of lakes, parkland, wildlife habitat, history and culture, all located at the Western gateway to Sydney, Australia’s premier city.

Over the next few years the huge site – almost 2,000 hectares – will be completely remade into a vast system of river-front, lakes, parkland and wildlife havens. Penrith Lakes will become a major attraction for the people of Western Sydney and beyond, featuring unique flora and fauna, some of the earliest historical landmarks of European settlement in the Sydney region, bushwalking trails, cultural attractions and recreational facilities unparalleled anywhere else in Australia.

Penrith Lakes will be Western Sydney’s premier destination for boating, sailing, fishing and swimming. It will feature a sandy beach to rival Sydney’s famous Bondi in the east. And, when the Scheme is complete, Penrith Lakes will be home to thousands of families whose newly constructed homes will be surrounded by a pristine natural environment and unrivaled parkland, waterways and outdoor recreation facilities.

Getting around

Penrith Railway Station is a major railway station on the North Shore, Northern & Western Line of the Sydney Trains network. It has frequent services to and from the City and is also a stop on the intercity Blue Mountains Line.

Penrith railway station has its own bus interchange (as do several major railway stations in Sydney). Penrith is also served by Nightride Bus route 70.

Penrith can easily be accessed from St. Marys and Mt. Druitt via the Great Western Highway. Access from further east is best obtained by the M4 Western Motorway using either The Northern Road or Mulgoa Road exits. If travelling east from the Blue Mountains, access is best obtained by the Great Western Highway. Access from the south can be obtained by The Northern Road and Mulgoa Road, north from Castlereagh road or Richmond road, or from north and south via Westlink M7 and the M4 Western Motorway.

The NSW Government announced funding for the construction of the M9 in the 2014 state budget  to connect Camden, Penrith and Windsor. The proposed motorway will start from the M5 motorway and run west of the current M7 motorway.