Barden Ridge, New South Wales

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Barden Ridge is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located 31km south-west of the Sydney central business district in the Sutherland Shire. The postcode is 2234. Barden Ridge is colloquially known to locals as 'The Ridge'.

1 Location
2 History
3 Transport
4 Politics
5 Social Demographics
6 External links

Barden Ridge is located on the Woronora River, which flows north into the Georges River. 'The Needles', is a body of water (fjord) on the Woronora River, on one of the original roads west from Helensburgh. On the northern side of the fjord lies the fresh water source of the Woronora River, whilst on the other side is salt water. The water, between two steep hills, remains so cold that even during summer it has been known to have caused heart attacks. While car access has been generally blocked, pedestrian access is still available. This area is also popular for recreational activities such as hiking and mountain biking.

Barden Ridge was named after Alfred Barden, whose pioneering family is associated with the Bangor area prior to the 1850s. In early times Barden Ridge had been used to identify the geographical location and Lucas Heights was given to the suburb that developed here.

The residential area of Lucas Heights was renamed Barden Ridge in 1996, to disassociate it from the area containing the nuclear reactor and the waste management centre.

The nearest train station is at Sutherland on the City Rail Illawarra line and South Coast lines. Veolia Transport, formerly known as Connex Southtrans operates the local bus service.

In 2005, the Bangor Bypass was completed. It takes motorists directly from Sutherland to Barden Ridge, instead of passing through Menai and Bangor. A new section of the Bypass is being planned that will pass by Barden Ridge.

Barden Ridge comes under the Federal seat of Hughes, which is currently held by Liberal MP Danna Vale. In State Government, it comes under the seat of Menai, which is currently held by ALP MP Alison Megarrity. In Local Government, Barden Ridge falls under E Ward, which has three representatives. These are Deputy Mayor Melanie Gibbons and Steve Simpson, both of the Liberal Party, and Ken McDonell of the ALP.

Barden Ridge has shifted from a remote bushland area, when known as Lucas Heights, to an expanding suburb that now contains all the necessary amenities that have established a strong community. Barden Ridge has two schools: Lucas Heights Community School and Sutherland Shire Christian School.

Coordinates: -34.032° 151.010°