R&H Suburb Profile CABRAMATTA

Cabramatta is a suburb of Sydney, about 30km south-west of the CBD (50 mins by train), in the City of Fairfield local government area.

Since the 1980s Cabramatta has been a centre for the Vietnamese, specifically the Vietnamese-Chinese community. According to 2006 census data, Cabramatta had a population of 19,812. There were more residents born in Vietnam than in Australia and the number of people speaking Vietnamese at home was three times higher than the number speaking English only. Other commonly spoken languages included Cantonese, Khmer, Mandarin and Serbian.

The population demographics are reflected in the many Vietnamese-owned and Chinese-owned businesses. There are increasing numbers of Thai, Lao, Macedonian, Italian and Cambodian businesses.

Cabramatta is one of Sydney’s Asian food capitals and features one of Australia's largest multicultural restaurant and shopping precincts. Known as Sydney’s culinary United Nations, Cabramatta delivers an authentic slice of South-East Asian sights, tastes and exotic foods. In the arcades and alleys around Freedom Plaza, the lively hub in the centre of town, there are Vietnamese soup stands, butcher shops selling ‘wind-dried’ sausage and Thai herb emporiums. Greengrocers sell exotic fruits, vegetables, Asian herbs and spices and are happy to explain how to use them. The food markets have everything from glitzy Asian junk foods to traditional dishes. There are lots of speciality shops selling specialised products including fabric and jewellery.

Cabramatta railway station is a junction station on theCityRail network, where the South and Inner West lines merge.

There are several schools and major hospitals nearby.