Bidwill was dominated by the development of public housing in the 1960s and 1970s. In recent times, Bidwill has been associated with social and economic problems. These have resulted in an increase of crime and such trouble as riots.[3][4]
Over the years Bidwill has become a community where more than 90 per cent are living on Centrelink payments. For many of its residents, what started as a short stay in public housing has turned into years and generations of unemployment and welfare reliance. It is renowned for drug use, violence, mental illness and poverty.[5]
Commercial areas
Bidwill is primarily a residential suburb with extremely limited commercial activity. It is quite close to the suburbs of Mount Druitt and St Marys, which have larger shopping centres, banking facilities and railway stations.
Limited commercial facilities such as supermarkets and Filling stations are available at Emerton and Plumpton rather than in Bidwill itself. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, there used to be a service station on Carlisle avenue. It was located in front of where a small supermarket complex existed at Bidwill in the 1980s and 1990s, but failed due to competition from larger facilities nearby.
[6] There have been ongoing attempts to reopen the shopping complex.
Transport
On the day of the 2021 Census, the methods of travel to work for employed people were car (either as driver or as passenger) 61.9% and public transport 5.6%.[1]
Public transport through this area is provided by Busways.
By road Bidwill is adjacent to the Westlink M7 motorway which can provide very easy access to the Great Western Highway and the M4 Motorway, providing road access to the western sections of the city and eastward to the Sydney CBD.
This suburb is linked by several private bus companies to the train stations located at Mount Druitt and St Marys.
Cycleways running through Bidwill run from Poppondetta Park to Mt Druitt and the M7 cycleway, which in turn connects to the cycleways on the M4 and M2 motorways.[7]
Education
Bidwill Primary School[8] and the Bidwill campus[9] of Chifley College share a campus with a pre-school. Combined, these separate organisations provide care and education from pre-school (3 years) to Year 12 (17–18 years).
Upon completing year 10 at the Bidwill campus, students continuing public education can either move on to Chifley College Senior Campus located in Mount Druitt, or continue their final years at Bidwill Campus.
In 2021 in Bidwill 62.2% of people were attending an educational institution. Of these, 26.9% were in primary school, 20.9% in secondary school and 9.0% in a tertiary or technical institution.[1]
Population
According to the 2021 census of population, there were 4,280 people in Bidwill.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 15.3% of the population.
62.6% of people were born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were New Zealand 3.2% and Samoa 2.6%.
62.9% of people only spoke English at home. Other languages are:
Samoan 4.9%
Arabic 3.3%
Tongan 2.5%
Tagalog 1.0%
Hindi 0.9%
The most common responses for religion were No Religion 30.2%, Catholic 19.9% and Anglican 9.3%.[10]
Housing
Housing is very heavily dominated by public housing built throughout the 1960s and 1970s, with large numbers of freestanding fibro houses and extensive terrace-style complexes. The houses are gradually transferring to private ownership and as this continues these government-built premises are being replaced with privately built, modern homes, similar to those being built in other areas of Sydney.
For federal elections, Bidwill is in the safe Laborelectoral division of Chifley. This seat is currently held by Ed Husic, of the Australian Labor Party. The seat has been held continuously by the Labor Party since it was proclaimed in 1984.