View source for Panania

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Use Australian English|date=October 2013}}
{{Infobox Australian place
| type      = suburb
| name      = Panania
| city      = Sydney
| state     = nsw
| image     = Panania.JPG 
| caption   = Shops and post office in Panania {{circa}} 2007
| alternative_location_map = Australia NSW metro Sydney
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in metropolitan [[Sydney]]
| coordinates         ={{coord|33|57|29|S|151|0|7|E|display=title}}
| local_map = yes
| zoom      = 12
| lga       = [[City of Canterbury-Bankstown]]
| postcode  = 2213
| pop       = 13,507
| pop_year  = {{CensusAU|2021}}
| pop_footnotes = <ref name=census/>
| elevation = 23
| area      = 
| est       = 
| stategov  = [[Electoral district of East Hills|East Hills]]
| fedgov    = [[Division of Banks|Banks]] 
| near-nw   = [[Milperra, New South Wales|Milperra]]
| near-n    = [[Milperra, New South Wales|Milperra]]
| near-ne   = [[Revesby, New South Wales|Revesby]]
| near-w    = [[Voyager Point, New South Wales|Voyager Point]]
| near-e    = [[Revesby, New South Wales|Revesby]]
| near-sw   = [[East Hills, New South Wales|East Hills]]
| near-s    = [[Picnic Point, New South Wales|Picnic Point]]
| near-se   = [[Revesby Heights, New South Wales|Revesby Heights]]
| dist1     = 23
| dir1      = south-west
| location1 = [[Sydney central business district|Sydney CBD]]
}}

'''Panania''' ({{IPAc-en|p|ə|n|eɪ|n|i|ə}}) is a suburb in [[South-western Sydney]] in the state of [[New South Wales]], Australia. It is part of the [[Local government in Australia|local government area]] of [[City of Canterbury-Bankstown]] and is located 23 kilometres inner south-west of the [[Sydney central business district]]. The [[postcode]] is 2213, which it shares with adjacent suburbs [[East Hills, New South Wales|East Hills]] and [[Picnic Point, New South Wales|Picnic Point]].

Panania is bounded on the north by the [[M5 South Western Motorway]] and the suburb of [[Milperra, New South Wales|Milperra]]. [[Picnic Point, New South Wales|Picnic Point]], to the south, features parklands along the [[Georges River]]. [[East Hills, New South Wales|East Hills]] is the suburb to the west and [[Revesby, New South Wales|Revesby]] is located to the east.

==History==
[[File:Cityofbankstown0020.JPG|thumb|left|War memorial]]
The name ''Panania'' was on the original list of stations proposed for the [[East Hills railway line|Tempe-East Hills railway line]] in 1929.<ref>{{cite news|title=Tempe-East Hills line. Railway stations named|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=21 November 1929}}</ref> Prior to this, Panania was part of what was generally known as the East Hills district. Panania is an [[Indigenous Australian|Aboriginal]] word meaning ''sun rising in the east and shining on the hills''.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Davies|first1=Jacqueline|last2=Mulholland|first2=Dorothy|last3=Pipe|first3=Nora|title=West of the River Road|year=1979|publisher=Towrang Publications|location=Picnic Point, New South Wales|page=20|isbn=0-9594561-0-4}}</ref> An alternative theory is that the name may be a derivation of "[[Pannonia]]", which was an ancient province of the [[Roman Empire]] southeast of the [[Danube River]]. During the construction of the railway line the name Nioka was used for the station which is an Aboriginal word meaning ''the green hill''. Other names suggested for suburb were Linden Park and Elmswood.<ref>{{cite book|last=Pollon|first=Frances|title=The Book of Sydney Suburbs|year=1990|publisher=Angus & Robertson|location=North Ryde, New South Wales|isbn=0-207-14495-8|pages=200}}</ref>

The arrival of the railway in 1931 stimulated the development of the East Hills district. Prior to this, the district was rural. There was a soldiers' settlement at Milperra which consisted mostly of poultry and horticultural enterprises.<ref>{{cite news|title=Bankstown-East Hills railway|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article16876482|access-date=9 November 2011|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=23 November 1920}}</ref> The only public transportation was a bus service to [[Bankstown railway station]] on the [[Bankstown railway line|Bankstown line]] from various locations throughout the district, which posed a great inconvenience to people who needed to visit the Sydney CBD for work.<ref>{{cite news|title=Tempe to East Hills. Proposed new railway|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article16131663|access-date=9 November 2011|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=15 July 1924}}</ref>

Development began apace after [[World War II]]. The [[Australian Legion of Ex-Servicemen and Women]] sponsored the mass production of housing at Panania beginning from 1946 with the construction of 34 houses.<ref>{{cite news|title=34 Homes for Ex-Servicemen|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article29764210|access-date=10 November 2011|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=21 August 1946}}</ref>

St Christopher's Catholic Church on Tower Street was originally the Panania Star cinema. Panania North Public School, a short two block walk on the northern side of the railway line, became a demonstration school in the late 1970s so that trainee teachers from the newly established [[Milperra College of Advanced Education]] could observe teachers at work.

==Commercial area==
Panania has a shopping area adjacent to Panania railway station. It runs along Weston Street, Anderson Avenue and Tower Street. Anderson Avenue features several local government facilities including a senior citizens centre and a public library. Panania Hotel is located on the northern side of Panania railway station.

The active Business Chamber is a significant strength of Panania.<ref>"Panania Issues Paper – Town Centre Improvement Program", Bankstown Council December 2010</ref>

{{mapbox raw data|data= {{City of Canterbury-Bankstown suburb map|suburb=yes}} |text=Panania within the City of Canterbury-Bankstown}}

==Transport==
[[File:North Panania at night 2003.jpg|thumb|right|View north from the railway station, Panania Hotel at top right]]
[[Panania railway station]] is on the [[East Hills railway line]]. Parts of Panania are serviced by buses operated by [[U-Go Mobility]], generally following the routes established by [[McVicar's Bus Services]].

The East Hills railway line, which originally terminated one stop away at [[East Hills railway station|East Hills]] divided the suburb into two distinct precincts. During the 1980s, the railway line was extended with a rail bridge over the [[Georges River]] to [[Campbelltown railway station|Campbelltown]].

==Demographics==
Panania had a population of 13,507 people at the {{CensusAU|2021}}.<ref name=census>{{Census 2021 AUS|id=SAL13155|name=Panania (State Suburb)|accessdate=4 October 2024|quick=on}}</ref> 49.0% of the population was male; 51.0% was female. 65.6% were born in Australia. 1.3% of the population were indigenous Australians.

===Employment===
At the 2021 census, 95.4% of Panania's population were employed.

===Religious affiliation===
At the {{CensusAU|2021}}, the most common religious affiliations were: Catholic (26.4%), No Religion (21.8%), Anglican (10.4%), Eastern Orthodox (8.5%) and Islam (8.1%).<ref name=census/>

==Churches==
[[File:Cityofbankstown0023.JPG|thumb|right|St Christopher's Catholic Church in 2008]]
Panania features notable buildings such as Holy Trinity [[Anglican]] Church<ref>{{cite web|title=Panania Anglican Church|url=http://www.panania.anglican.asn.au/|publisher=Panania Anglican Church|access-date=9 November 2011}}</ref> and St Christopher's [[Roman Catholic|Catholic]] Church. St Christopher's is housed in the building formerly known as the Panania Star Cinema. The Panania Star Cinema was built in 1952 in the [[Art Deco]] style, and was the twin of the Padstow Star Cinema in nearby Padstow.<ref>{{cite web|last=Simiana|first=Joe|title=History of the Panania Star Cinema|url=http://joesimiana.wordpress.com/2010/06/04/history-of-the-panania-star-cinema/|work=Joe Simiana's Technical Hints and History|date=4 June 2010 |access-date=9 November 2011}}</ref> The building retains a number of original features, including a decorative ceiling. After a grant from the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney]] and many donations from parishioners, the building underwent renovations costing $165,000 which were completed early in 2006.

[[The Salvation Army]] also has a [[Corps]] in Panania. The old building was recently refurbished.

Panania Uniting Church,<ref>{{cite web|title=Panania Uniting Church|url=http://panania.unitingchurch.org.au//|publisher=Panania Uniting Church|access-date=16 June 2013}}</ref> was established in the early 1950s and moved to its current location at 206 Marco Ave, Panania in 1967.

==Schools==
*[https://easthillsg-h.schools.nsw.gov.au/ East Hills Girls Technology High School] 
*[[East Hills Boys High School]] (est. 1955)
*Panania Public School
*Panania North Public School
*Tower Street Public School
*St Christopher's Catholic School

==Houses==
Panania is mostly a residential suburb, which was developed after [[World War II]] and originally contained many modest freestanding bungalows built from [[asbestos]] cement sheeting (commonly known as [[fibro]]). Today, many of these houses have been rebuilt as larger residences or two-storey duplex houses.

==Notable residents==
[[File:Bryan Brown (3962012675).jpg|thumb|upright|right|Bryan Brown was born in Panania]]
* [[Paul Abrahams (musician)|Paul Abrahams]], bass player for [[The Reels]]
* Actor [[Bryan Brown]]
* [[Col Joye]], singer-songwriter 
* [[Paul Makin]], journalist
* [[Ron Raper]], rugby league player 
* [[Andrew Tierney|Andrew]] and [[Michael Tierney (musician)|Michael Tierney]] from [[Human Nature (band)|Human Nature]]
* [[Steve Waugh]] and [[Mark Waugh]], former Australian cricketers

==Politics==
Panania is in the [[Division of Banks|Banks federal electorate]] and the [[Electoral district of East Hills|East Hills state electorate]].

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{commons category|Panania, New South Wales }}

{{City of Canterbury-Bankstown topics|state=collapsed}}

[[Category:Suburbs of Sydney]]
[[Category:City of Canterbury-Bankstown]]