Powered by .id (informed decisions) for Georges River Council
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LEARN MORE ABOUT .idGeorges River Council is a predominantly residential local government area in southern Sydney, and is named after the river which bounds the southern part of the municipality. Hurstville City Centre is the major commercial centre for the region and is a located approximately 15 kilometres south of the Sydney GPO. The Council area features industrial areas in Peakhurst, Mortdale, Kingsgrove and Carlton, while in recent years industrial areas around the Hurstville City Centre and Kogarah Town Centre been converting to higher-value residential and commercial uses. Commercial activity tends to be concentrated around railway nodes, with the major centre at Hurstville, as well as other large centres including Kogarah Town Centre. Continued residential development around the Hurstville City Centre will reinforce its position as the main retail and commercial area for the region.
Population was minimal until the 1840s which was spurred by improved access (via the construction of a permanent trafficable crossing of the Cooks River), the clearing of land and the establishment of market gardens, orchards and vineyards. Growth took place in the 1880s and 1890s, aided by the opening of the Illawarra railway line in 1884. Rapid development occurred in the early 1900s, particularly during the 1920s and 1930s, spurred by the opening of the East Hills railway line. The most significant periods of residential development occurred during the immediate post-war years, accompanied by commercial growth in the Hurstville City Centre. The initial development which was focused around railway stations spread as car ownership increased and road infrastructure improved. By the mid 1960s, most of the Council area had been urbanised. By the 1980s, few areas remained available for greenfield residential development and greater rates of infill and redevelopment began. This is a process that has continued to the current time, with redevelopment of residential, commercial and industrial areas throughout the Council area and most significantly around major rail hubs on both the Illawarra and East Hills Lines. This has provided impetus for population growth in Georges River Council area over the last decade after relative stagnation or population decline since the mid 1970s.
Note: The migration flows depicted above are historical and do not represent future or forecast migration flows or subsequent council boundary changes. The arrows represent migration flows to the area as a whole and do not indicate an origin or destination for any specific localities within the area. Overseas flow shows overseas arrivals based on answers to the census question "where did the person usually live 5-years ago" and .id estimates of international out-migration.
*Please note, the 2021 Census was undertaken during the COVID-19 pandemic, at a time where border restrictions had largely halted overseas in-migration for the 15 months prior. 2016-2021 net overseas migration levels reflect this and therefore should not necessarily be considered indicative of longer-term trends.
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