Emu Plains, NSW 2750

Historic riverside suburb on the western bank of the Nepean River at the foot of the Blue Mountains, about 58 km west of the Sydney CBD in the City of Penrith LGA, Greater Western Sydney. It is one of the region's oldest European settlements: a government farm worked by convicts was established in 1813, Governor Macquarie coined the name Emu Plains in 1814, and William Cox began building the road over the Blue Mountains from here in July 1814. Emu Plains keeps its 19th-century landmarks — the 1868 two-storey railway station, the 1833 Arms of Australia Inn (now a local history museum) and St Paul's Anglican Church (1848) — alongside modern family suburb life, with the Lewers' former riverside estate now housing the Penrith Regional Gallery. At the 2021 census there were 8,126 residents, 81.3% born in Australia. It is a house-dominated family suburb — about 84.5% of dwellings are separate houses — and agents describe buyers as families wanting river frontage, mountain views and a direct rail line without giving up the services of nearby Penrith (Andrea Monti suburb data, Jul 2026; StMate).

At a Glance

Transport

Emu Plains railway station, on the Main Western line, is the terminus of Sydney Trains' T1 suburban services — the last station on the suburban line, with Lapstone to the west part of the Intercity (Blue Mountains) network — and many express services run from Emu Plains to the city. The heritage-listed station, opened on 18 August 1868, is one of Australia's oldest and is a rare two-storey brick-and-sandstone building with the station master's residence upstairs. Blue Mountains Transit (CDC NSW) bus services also connect the suburb, and Emu Plains is reached from Penrith across the Nepean River via the Great Western Highway, with the M4 Western Motorway providing access from further east.

Schools

Emu Plains Public School — NSW government primary school. Nepean Creative and Performing Arts High School — NSW government comprehensive high school (Year 7–12) with a strong creative and performing arts focus, on the Great Western Highway in Emu Plains. Our Lady of the Way — Catholic primary school in Emu Plains, with church and school buildings dating from about 1860. Penola Catholic College — Catholic co-educational secondary college in Emu Plains.

Shopping & Amenities

Lennox Village Shopping Centre (corner of the Great Western Highway and Pyramid Street) is the suburb's main commercial centre, anchored by Woolworths and Aldi, with cafes and casual dining including Nourishmint Cafe (Tripadvisor). Penrith Regional Gallery & The Lewers Bequest at 86 River Road — the former home and studios of artists Gerald and Margo Lewers, donated to Penrith City Council in 1980 and opened as a gallery in 1981 — brings exhibitions, riverside gardens and a cafe to the suburb. The 1833 Arms of Australia Inn operates as a historical museum run by the Nepean District Historical Society, and the original sandstone Gothic post office still stands at the corner of Russell Street and the Great Western Highway. Penrith CBD across the Victoria Bridge is a short drive via the Great Western Highway.

Parks & Outdoors

Regatta Park (7 River Road) on the Nepean River is the suburb's centrepiece after a major Penrith City Council transformation: a fully-fenced adventure playspace, a 112-metre pavilion with water play equipment and sandpit, kayak launch areas, over-water viewing platforms, a junior cricket oval, picnic and BBQ areas, outdoor fitness equipment and a 90-space car park. A lower section of Penrith's 8 km Great River Walk runs along River Road beside the Penrith Regional Gallery heading south to the M4 bridge — reopened by Council following repair of 2022 flood damage. The Lewers gallery's riverside gardens add further green space, and the Blue Mountains foothills rise on the suburb's western edge.

Property Market

The median house price in Emu Plains was around ~$1.05M median sold price over the 12 months to mid-2026 (realestate.com.au: $1,050,000 on 97 sales, +11%; CoreLogic via YIP: $1,050,000 on 106 sales, +10.5%); the 2025 NSW Valuer General-based median was $1,151,210, up 9.6% (inthesuburbs) (mid-2026). See our full Sydney property price map for how the suburb compares across the city. Houses dominate the market — roughly 84.5% of dwellings are separate houses and current listings are about 87% houses, 8% townhouses and 5% land (Andrea Monti, Jul 2026; StMate). Emu Plains is physically constrained by the Nepean River and the mountain foothills, which supports prices on limited land supply (StMate). Sold prices span from an ~$823K entry point to an ~$1.59M premium (StMate). Trackers diverge because house 'values' run ahead of 12-month sold-price medians (~$1.03–1.05m), so quote a range rather than a single figure.

New Developments

Regatta Park's transformation — delivered under Penrith City Council's 'Revitalise Penrith' program, with the 112-metre water-play pavilion (kiosk operational from 2025), adventure playspace, kayak access and associated road changes along River Road — is the suburb's headline project, and Council's Our River Master Plan update will guide the next phase of Nepean River precinct revitalisation. On the employment side, brand-new serviced industrial lots (2,270–6,440 sqm, from $3.295M, over 40% committed) are being sold at 158–164 Old Bathurst Road. Residential land is largely built out: bounded by the river and the foothills, new housing supply is limited to infill (StMate).

Jobs & Local Economy

Local employment is anchored by retail and services at Lennox Village, and the suburb's industrial area hosts a Holcim concrete plant that services the western suburbs region including Penrith. The leading local industries are construction (13.5%), healthcare and social assistance (13.0%) and education and training (11.4%) (Andrea Monti suburb data, Jul 2026). The station's direct rail service also makes Parramatta and the Sydney CBD commutable — Emu Plains is the terminus for T1 Western line suburban trains with many express services to the city.

Nearby Suburbs

Leonay, Emu Heights, Penrith (across the Nepean River via Victoria Bridge), Jamisontown (across the river), Glenbrook, Regentville, Castlereagh

Sources & method

Researched 4 September 2026 from named public sources — census and government records, transport authorities, council and planning documents — plus published sales data. Where sources disagree on a figure, the guide says so rather than picking one.

Sources cited in this guide:

• Wikipedia — Emu Plains
• NSW Government

Corrections are welcome — if something here is out of date or wrong, tell us and we will fix it.

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