Banksia, New South Wales

Banksia Sydney, New South Wales
St Savvas Of Kalymnos Orthodox Church (formerly the Banksia Free Church)
Population	3,231 (2011 census)
Established	1906
Postcode(s)	2216
Location	12 km (7 mi) south of Sydney CBD
LGA(s)	Bayside Council
State electorate(s)	Rockdale
Federal Division(s)	Barton
Suburbs around Banksia: Bardwell Valley Arncliffe Arncliffe Bexley Banksia Kyeemagh Rockdale Rockdale Brighton-Le-Sands

Banksia is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Banksia is located 12 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Bayside Council and is part of the St George area.

Banksia is named for Joseph Banks, a botanist on the Voyage of Discovery of James Cook which visited the nearby Botany Bay in 1770.

The suburb was part of land owned by Simeon Pearce (1821–86) and his brother James Pearce in the 1850s, which extended from Rockdale to Brighton-Le-Sands. Until the late nineteenth century, the area was heavily timbered but residential development began in the 1880s. One of the leading developers was Frederick Jamison Gibbes, a Member of Parliament, after whom Gibbes Street in the suburb is named. The area developed more rapidly after the railway station opened on 21 October 1906. Many names for the suburb were suggested but the final choice came from Charles Stead, father of novelist Christina Stead. The post office opened in August 1924.

Banksia is mainly residential with a few commercial developments. It features mostly low density houses and some medium density blocks of flats. Banksia shopping centre consists of a small group of shops on Railway Street beside Banksia railway station. It includes Banksia Bakery, a take-away shop, a convenience store, chemist, Australia Post and a number of hairdressers.

More shops and commercial developments are located on the Princes Highway. This commercial area extends to the adjacent suburbs of Arncliffe and Rockdale. Many of the commercial developments are part of an automotive precinct featuring car yards, auto accessory retailers, tyre shops and auto repairers, other businesses include hotels and various take away food shops.