Claymore, New South Wales

Claymore Sydney, New South Wales
Claymore shopping centre
Coordinates	34°02′40″S 150°48′35″E / 34.0444°S 150.8096°E / -34.0444; 150.8096Coordinates: 34°02′40″S 150°48′35″E / 34.0444°S 150.8096°E / -34.0444; 150.8096
Population	3,308 (2011 census)[1]
Established	1978
Postcode(s)	2559
Location	54 km (34 mi) SW of Sydney
LGA(s)	City of Campbelltown
State electorate(s)	Campbelltown
Federal Division(s)	Werriwa
Suburbs around Claymore: Eagle Vale Eagle Vale Woodbine Blairmount Claymore Woodbine Blairmount Campbelltown Woodbine

Claymore is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Claymore is located 54 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Campbelltown and is part of the Macarthur region. The majority of housing in Claymore is owned by Housing NSW. The streets are named after Australian artists.

History

The area now known as Claymore was originally home to the Tharawal people. British settlers began moving into the area in the early 19th century, establishing farms and orchards. By the 1970s, the expansion of Sydney was great enough for developers to look at the area around Campbelltown. The Housing Commission of New South Wales undertook a large public housing development in the Claymore area. Originally the suburb was to be called Badgally after a local homestead, but the council backed off over concerns that the "Bad" part of the name could give the area a "bad" name. They chose Claymore after another local property, although that was also contentious since the name had very little history in the area. The first residents moved in during 1978.^[2]

Demographics

According to the 2011 census, Claymore had a population of 3,308 people, mostly young people with low incomes. The median age is 20, compared to the national median of 37, with 39.6% of the population aged 14 or under. The median household income is $588 per week, less than half of the national average median of $1,234. 62.2% of residents were Australian-born with the other top countries of birth being New Zealand 6.7%, Samoa 5.7%, Cook Islands 1.3%, England 1.2% and Tonga 0.9%. There is a low rate of home ownership in Claymore with 93.9% of houses being rented, compared to the national average of 29.6%.^[1]

In September 2012, an episode of the ABC program Four Corners entitled "Growing up poor" examined the lives of children in poor families in Claymore.^[3] It stated that the suburb had the youngest population in Australia. A report "Down and under" in the Al Jazeera 101 East series in February 2013 also pointed to the links between poverty and hopelessness, family tensions and violence and lack of opportunities for Claymore's children, where more than half the families have only one parent.^[4]

In the 2015 Dropping Off The Edge report, Claymore was listed as one of the most socially disadvantaged areas in New South Wales.^[5]

Services

Claymore has a WorkVentures Connect Centre and the Kalon House of Welcome is managed by the Catholic church.

References