Named after the stunning views from its rolling hills, Castle Hill was initially the site of a government farm established by Governor Phillip in 1801, where over 700 convicts worked to supply agricultural produce for the colony.

It was also the location of NSW’s first organised uprising and military battle. In 1804 over 200 convicts from the farm rose up against the authorities of the colony with stolen rifles and makeshift weapons, culminating in what is known as the ‘Castle Hill Rebellion’ and the ‘Battle of Vinegar Hill’. They marched to Parramatta but were no match for the New South Wales Corps and today there is a memorial at Castlebrook Cemetery on Windsor Road to commemorate the battle.

Castle Hill was filled with large sprawling estates. The introduction of the railway in 1923 accelerated subdivision, but the growing popularity of cars saw the railway close in 1932.

Generous homes in garden settings or country retreats became a typical sight along Castle Hill’s main roads and the suburb remained semi-rural until major urban development began in the 1970s.

Today Castle Hill is a leafy residential suburb popular with families, characterised by its many parks, reserves and busy CBD

Castle Hill is home to the area’s largest shopping precinct. The Castle Towers Shopping Centre on Castle Street has 320 stores, including David Jones, Myer, K Mart, Target and specialty shops. The smaller Castle Mall Shopping Centre on Old Northern Road has over 60 stores, including a Franklins supermarket, Go-Lo and a range of women’s clothing stores.

Horse riding has traditionally been a popular activity in Castle Hill. There are also a number of gyms – the LivingWell Health Club on Victoria Avenue, C2K Fitness & Aquatic Centre on Castle Street, Fernwood Women’s Health Club on Carrington Street and ISIS Health Club on Hudson Avenue. For the adventurous, there is an indoor rock climbing centre on Hudson Avenue.

Castle Hill is 30km north-west of the CBD. Westbus, Glenorie and Busways private bus companies service the region. Pennant Hills is the closest railway station, with trains running to the city every 15 minutes in peak hour and 30 minutes during regular hours.

Real estate in Castle Hill varies from large palatial homes to generous family homes and contemporary apartments. Most dwellings were constructed after the 1970s.

Most restaurants are located in Castle Towers Shopping Centre and around Terminus Street and Old Northern Road. There is a good selection of Thai, Mediterranean, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, vegetarian, seafood and gourmet pizza, as well as an assortment of cafés.

There is definitely no shortage of schools in Castle Hill. The local state schools are Castle Hill High School on Castle Street, Castle Hill Public School on Les Shore Place and Oakhill Drive Public School on Oakhill Drive. There are also many religious schools in the area, including Castle Hill Adventist Primary School on Cecil Avenue, Gilroy College on Marie Street, while St Bernadette’s School, De La Salle College and St Gabriel’s School for Hearing Impaired Children are all on Old Northern Road. The Western Sydney Institute of TAFE Building Industry Skills Centre is on Showground Road.