The City of Penrith is exactly that – a city. Bustling roads, increasing population, and a plethora of urban amenities have banished the days of traveling milkmen, kids playing in the street, and leaving the front door unlocked.
But some residents still remember those times, and they speak of them with a fondness that I’m not convinced young adults could mimic. Two of those people include married couple Alison and Russell, who grew up in Penrith.
“I was born in Belmore Street near the station, and Russell was born on Cox Avenue on the other side of the railway line,” Alison recounted.
“We used to play on the road and all the kids would come to my place because my mum was Aunty Moony and they would come to her for everything.
“We used to get our veggies from people who would come along with their horse and cart, and the baker would also come along and all the kids would go out on the road and he’d give us some fresh bread. It was fun.”

Russell was born in 1927 and Alison followed in 1931. The pair used to go on picnics and attend dances together.
“We used to have lovely gatherings in High Street,” Alison remembered.
“If there were any celebrations to be had, they would close High Street between Woodriff and Station Street, and we’d have all the festivities there.
“We used to have floats, and we’d get dressed up and get on the back of the trucks and parade down the street.”
The couple believe Penrith’s sense of community has shifted.

“Everybody knew one another,” Alison said.
“If anybody needed any help, any of the neighbours would be on your doorstep. I know our doorstep was worn out.”
And when it came to swimming lessons, there was no Ripples Leisure Centre.
“I’d walk to the Nepean River from the convent school I went to on Evan Street,” Alison explained.
“It was a long way, but we used to walk down there and have our swimming lessons and then walk back. That was at the Weir.”
89-year-old Sue also grew up in Penrith, running around the same streets as Alison and Russell and swimming at the Weir.
“I hardly know anybody anymore,” Sue mentioned.

“When Warragamba was built, we had such an influx of people and everything changed.”
Sue doesn’t feel like she can judge whether yesterday’s Penrith is better than today’s. However, Scottish-born Mary expressed concerns for the city’s direction.
“It’s getting far too built up and they’re taking all the good stuff away,” said Mary, who moved to Penrith in 1964.
“The little quiet country town is gone.”
South Penrith resident Christine remembers all the shops being on High Street.
“Westfield wasn’t there. There was a beautiful Bunya Pine on one spot where the new part of Westfield is, and they chopped it down. Everybody was sad about that,” Christine said.
Christine moved to Australia from Germany in 1967 for love and said the landscape has changed immensely.
“There weren’t cafes like there are now,” Christine pointed out.
“Not everybody went for morning coffee, that’s a new habit.”

Another new habit is children playing games and watching videos on touch screen tablets.
“Children today don’t play outside,” said 91-year-old Claire.
The Emu Plains resident moved to St Marys from Orange in 1961 to give her two sons a better chance at a good education.
“They went to South St Marys School, which opened when we first arrived, and then they went to St Marys High School,” Claire recounted.
“My youngest one used to ride his bike to school, and they could both ride around and I didn’t really worry about them. It was sort of countrified.”
The boost in population is the major change that stands out to Claire.
“Penrith used to be country, and it’s not like that anymore. It’s a city and you’ve got high-rises,” she stated.
“Fortunately, we don’t have high-rises on the other side of the river, but what they’re doing there is pulling down lovely homes and putting duplexes in.”
It sounds like countrified Penrith was the place to be. I wonder if it’s possible to rekindle that sense of community and safety in today’s City of Penrith…

Ally Hall
Ally Hall joined the Weekender in 2024, and focuses on entertainment and community stories. She's a graduate of the University of South Australia and has previously worked as a Video Journalist with Southern Cross Austereo and as a News Reader with Australian Radio Network.