Rooty Hill, NSW

Rooty Hill (postcode 2766) is a suburb of Sydney, NSW. Located 42 kilometres west of the Sydney CBD, in the local government area of the City of Blacktown, it is part of the Greater Western Sydney region.

Rooty Hill Source: SBS Filipino / A. Violata

The most common ancestries in Rooty Hill were Filipino 18.8%, Australian 16.1%, English 13.4%, Indian 4.2% and Irish 3.4%. Related to this, Philippines is the top country where the first-generation migrant residents were born with 16.7%; followed by Fiji 3.4%, India 2.4%, New Zealand 2.4% and England 1.5%. Needles to say, next to English, Filipino (Tagalog) is the most widely spoken language in the suburb with 10.6 of its population speaking it.

As a lot of Filipino-Australians live here, we asked Josephine Tolentino who had been living here for 13 years already and a new owner of a grocery shop about what she thinks of the area.

Politically,  in the state division, the suburb is part of the Mount Druitt electorate and in the federal division, it is part of Chifley.

The 6.3 square kilometre suburb is widely known for its two world-class establishments: Blacktown International Sportspark Sydney and Rooty Hill RSL.

Blacktown International Sportspark Sydney (www.blacktownsportspark.com.au)  is a world-class multi-sports venue that includes two cricket grounds, which also has been used for Australian rules football, an athletics track and field, three baseball diamonds, two soccer fields, four softball diamonds, and park land.  It was first used as the venue for the softball and baseball games in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Blacktown International Sports Park Source: SBS Filipino / A. Violata

Source: SBS Filipino

Source: SBS Filipino

Rooty Hill RSL, "is now the largest RSL Club in Australia and a club that ranks in the top 10 of all registered clubs of any format", according to its website rootyhillrsl.com.au

The entertainment club has a bowling alley, health fitness and aquatic centre, function rooms, corporate facilities, and its property owns the Novotel Sydney Rooty Hill, the biggest hotel in the area.  One of its nine-man directors is a Filipino-Australian, Col (Ret) Chris Pilao, who is the first - and until now - Filipino-Australian director of an RSL around Australia.

Rooty Hill RSL Source: SBS Filipino / A. Violata

Novotel in Rooty Hill Source: SBS Filipino / A. Violata

Land marks

The main commercial area of Rooty Hill is primarily on Rooty Hill Road North and Rooty Hill Road South, immediately surrounding the railway station. This area includes:

Rooty Hill train station Source: SBS Filipino

Rooty Hill shops Source: SBS Filipino / A. Violata

Rooty Hill shops Source: SBS Filipino / A. Violata

Pioneer Memorial Church Source: SBS Filipino / A. Violata

Rooty Hill School of Art Source: SBS Filipino / A. Violata

Watts Cottage Source: SBS Filipino / A. Violata

Helen Beck Field Source: SBS Filipino / A. Violata

Filipino-owned establishments

As the suburb with the most numbers of Filipinos as its residents, Rooty Hill is home to several Filipino-owned establishments which are supported by the wider communities. These include Kamayan Rooty Hill Asian Food Market, which is also popular as a provider of lechon; Cucina de  Manila eatery and  Melchrishel Bakery is a sought-after bread shop. Rooty Hill is also the birthplace of Jas My Waffles & Coffee (www.jasmywaffles.com.au), owned by a Filipino-Australian entrepreneur couple, Jas and Gil De Leon.

Cucina de Manila in Rooty Hill Source: SBS Filipino

Here is the link on the interview with the owner of Cucina de Manila, Chef Josephine Briner-Castillo.

http://www.sbs.com.au/yourlanguage/filipino/en/content/her-name-chef-josephine

Sherbrooke Asian Mart Source: SBS Filipino / A. Violata