Silverwater is an industrial suburb of 2.7 km² on the southern bank of the Parramatta River, 20 km west of the Sydney CBD, in the City of Parramatta LGA. It developed as a medium and heavy industrial area through the 20th century — thanks to easy road access on Parramatta Road and the A6 and river access — and has since been redeveloped into a premier light industrial and commercial district with only small pockets of residential housing. The suburb is dominated physically and statistically by the Silverwater Correctional Complex, opened in 1970, which occupies a large section of the suburb along the river and includes the heritage-listed Newington House and chapel. The 2021 census counted 3,600 residents — a figure heavily skewed male (64.4%) by the correctional centre population, with Korean-born residents the largest overseas group.
At a Glance
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Region | Western Sydney |
| Council (LGA) | City of Parramatta |
| Postcode | 2128 |
| Distance to Sydney CBD | Silverwater is about 20 km west of the Sydney CBD. By car the M4 Western Motorway provides a direct free-flow run of roughly 25–35 minutes… |
| Median house price | ~$1.82M (OnTheHouse automated valuation median for houses, retrieved 2026) (mid-2026) |
| Median unit price | ~$760K |
Transport
No trains run through Silverwater; the closest railway stations are Auburn, on the T2/T3 lines just south of the M4, a short bus or car trip away. Buses connect Silverwater to Parramatta, Strathfield, Auburn, Ryde and Sydney Olympic Park, and the M4 Western Motorway runs along the suburb's southern border with entry and exit ramps at Silverwater Road. The Silverwater Bridge (built 1970) carries traffic across the Parramatta River to Ermington and Rydalmere to the north.
Schools
No school is physically located within Silverwater — the suburb is almost entirely industrial and its census population is inflated by the correctional complex, so school-age residents are few. The closest public primary schools sit in immediately adjacent suburbs: Newington Public School (K–6, in Newington to the east) and Ermington Public School (in Ermington across the Silverwater Bridge to the north) (Newington PS; NSW Department of Education). Secondary students travel to government high schools in adjacent Auburn or further into the Parramatta area (NSW school finder).
Shopping & Amenities
Silverwater's commercial life is its industrial estate: many small to medium enterprises run warehouse-plus-showroom operations from the suburb's industrial units, alongside large companies that have operated there for over 50 years, and cafes and small restaurants are scattered through the estates. The Silverwater Correctional Complex — including the heritage-listed Silverwater Prison Complex Conservation Area centred on Holker Street — is the suburb's defining institution. The Red Yard commercial and restaurant complex sits just south of Silverwater across the M4, and everyday retail shopping is found at Newington Marketplace in the adjacent suburb of Newington.
Parks & Outdoors
Silverwater's open space is its Parramatta River frontage: former industrial riverfront land has been progressively redeveloped as waterfront parkland. Silverwater Park, managed by the City of Parramatta, offers a large grassed riverbank area, playground, picnic facilities and views along the river to the Silverwater Bridge (City of Parramatta; ParraParents). The Korean War 'Chanka' memorial stands on the suburb's riverbank as a local landmark.
Property Market
The median house price in Silverwater was around ~$1.82M (OnTheHouse automated valuation median for houses, retrieved 2026) (mid-2026). See our full Sydney property price map for how the suburb compares across the city. Silverwater is overwhelmingly non-residential, and mainstream trackers publish suburb profiles with thin or no residential sales data. OnTheHouse publishes AVM-based medians of about $1.82M for houses and $760K for units, but actual house sales in the suburb's small residential pockets (older houses and newer unit blocks around Vore Street, Beaconsfield Street and the Day Street North riverfront) number only a handful a year, so treat any median as indicative rather than robust. No reliable suburb-level rental median is published for Silverwater's minimal residential rental pool; a Domain-checked 2-bedroom apartment on Day Street North was listed around $600–650/week in 2025–26.
New Developments
Development in Silverwater is overwhelmingly industrial and commercial: 20th-century medium/heavy industrial estates have been redeveloped into modern light industrial parks, offices and warehouse-showroom complexes suited to SMEs, while former industrial land along the Parramatta River has been converted to waterfront parkland and commercial offices. Major public capital sits in corrections infrastructure — the Silverwater Correctional Complex, including its heritage-listed Newington House precinct, remains the suburb's largest land use. Residential development is limited to small infill apartment blocks such as the Day Street North riverfront units.
Jobs & Local Economy
Silverwater's employment base is industrial, logistics and commercial: the suburb hosts many small and medium enterprises using combined warehouse and showroom facilities, plus large companies with long-standing operations, in sectors such as transport, distribution and light manufacturing. The Silverwater Correctional Complex is a major state-government employer in the suburb, with correctional officers, health and administrative staff on site. Construction, retail and hospitality round out local jobs, and the suburb's position on the M4/A6 corridor makes it a hub for Sydney-wide distribution workforces.
Nearby Suburbs
Ermington, Rydalmere, Newington, Lidcombe, Auburn, Clyde, Rosehill
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:
Corrections are welcome — if something here is out of date or wrong, tell us and we will fix it.
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