Pennant Hills

Pennant Hills is a suburb of Sydney, located 25 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of Hornsby Shire. Pennant Hills is in the Northern Suburbs region, but is also considered to be part of the Hills District.

The area was first explored by Governor Arthur Phillip shortly after 15 April 1788. It was noted that the party saw 'fine views of the mountains inland' (the Blue Mountains). The name Pennant Hills originally applied to the area now known as West Pennant Hills. However, when the northern railway line was built it passed through what is now Pennant Hills, so a suburb grew around the station and took on the name. The area around Thompsons Corner was renamed West Pennant Hills. Pennant Hills is hilly and the highest altitude is at Observatory Park on Pennant Hills Road, which was once the site of the old astronomical observatory.

Pennant Hills is one of the major commercial centres of Hornsby Shire, along with Epping, Carlingford and Hornsby. Several dozen shops are located north-west of the railway line, along with a library. Residential houses are found in all areas of Pennant Hills, with recent modern apartments and office towers found on Pennant Hills Road. A significant commercial and industrial area can be found along Pennant Hills Road. Pennant Hills is home to several entertainment venues including the Pennant Hills Hotel incorporating Patricks Nightclub.

Pennant Hills railway station is on the Northern railway line of the Sydney Trains network. Pennant Hills Road is also one of Sydney's major thoroughfares. Bus services by Shorelink and Hillsbus have their terminus in Pennant Hills and run to West Pennant Hills, Castle Hill and Cherrybrook.

Pennant Hills was established as a Catholic parish in 1928 and a number of Catholic churches have been built since then. The parish's current church, St. Agathas, was built in 1979. St Mark's Anglican Church, Pennant Hills Baptist Church and a Pennant Hills Uniting Church also serve the area. Pennant Hills has two public schools; Pennant Hills Public School and Pennant Hills High School, and two Catholic schools; Mount St Benedict College and St. Agatha's Catholic Primary School.

Pennant hills Park is popular with the locals, being home to rugby, cricket, and aussie rules fields, tennis courts, netball facilities, two hockey fields and an archery range. It is surrounded by beautiful bushland, with numerous walking tracks.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennant Hills