Como, New South Wales

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Como is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located 27km south of the Sydney central business district in the Sutherland Shire. The postcode is 2226.

Located on the southern banks of the Georges River it is also bounded to the west by the Woronora River. The shoreline features Bonnet Bay, Scylla Bay and Carina Bay.

Como railway station is the first station on the CityRail Illawarra line after crossing the Georges River from Oatley in the St George area.

Como is most notable for the old Como Hotel, which suffered a large fire in November 1996 and was subsequently rebuilt. It is easy to watch the local Rugby League football from this pub. Como is also home to the successful Como Jannali Rugby League Football Club. Many top players began their football here.

The suburb also features two public schools (Como West Public School and Como Primary School), a small shopping centre that includes a garage owned and operated by the Bargwanna Family, the Como School of Arts, Cafe de Como and the Como Marina on the Georges River. Como is also home to many parks, including Scylla Bay Oval and the Como Pleasure Grounds.

History

Como takes its name from Lake Como, at the foot of the Bernese Alps in Italy. The Italian influence is also reflected in some of the street names such as Genoa, Verona and Cremona.

James Murphy owned land in this area and is thought to have named Como. He managed the affairs of Thomas Holt (1711-88), who owned most of the land that stretched from Sutherland to Cronulla. Murphy built Como House which burnt down in 1969 and developed the Como Pleasure Grounds, commonly known by locals today as 'The Point'. After Murphy died, his estate provided scholarships for young men in agricultural science at St John's College Sydney and the Hawkesbury Agricultural College.

When the railway line was being built, the whole area was originally known as Woronora and the first school opened in 1881. The Como railway station opened in December 1885 and Como became a weekend resort. The natural beauty made it popular with holiday makers and honeymooners. The post office opened on 16th May 1883. In 1972, a new railway bridge was opened to remove the single track bottleneck that reduced service numbers on the busy line. A new railway station was also built a kilometre further south. The original railway bridge has since been converted into a pedestrian bridge for walkers and bike riders to cross the Georges River.

During the 1994 Sydney Bushfires, Como was severely effected, with upwards of 70 houses burnt down. Como West Public School was also damaged by the fires and a new school was built on the original land.

Sydney suburbs near Como
(Sutherland Shire)
Peakhurst Heights Oatley Oyster Bay
Illawong Como Kareela
Bonnet Bay Jannali Kirrawee

External links

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Sydney suburbs near Como (Sutherland Shire)
Peakhurst Heights	Oatley	Oyster Bay
Illawong	Como	Kareela
Bonnet Bay	Jannali	Kirrawee