Parramatta’s top celebs, sports stars, Olympians, musicians and movie stars
Parramatta has a swag of television and movie stars, celebrities, sporting champions, Olympians and musicians that have lived, grown up or had a connection with the area. Here are our top picks.
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PARRAMATTA is brimming with celebrities that once called the western Sydney suburb home.
Some were here a long time, others only stayed a short time but have left a lasting impression. Others still live here. Regardless, their contribution to Sydney’s west lives on and helps pave the way for future generations to achieve greatness.
Each day we will be releasing our top picks for the most famous faces that have grown up, gone to school or lived in the Parramatta area, share your thoughts on who you think should be on the list.
20. Geoff Brown
The tennis player went to Parramatta Marist High School in the late 1930s and was a runner up in the 1946 Wimbledon Championships singles final, losing in five sets to Yvon Petra. He was an Australian Davis Cup tennis player and Wimbledon finalist in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles. He attended Parramatta Marist High School in the late 1930s and was runner up in the 1946 Wimbledon Championships singles final, losing in five sets to Yvon Petra. That same year he reached the doubles final playing with Dinny Pails. He returned to Wimbledon in 1950 and was the bridesmaid again in the doubles with Bill Sidwell. He was named among the top 25 serves in men’s tennis history by the Bleacher Report. “Brown managed to use his right-hand to launch a rocket, an often unreturnable serve,” it said.
19. Susie Youssef
The comedian, writer and actor is proud of growing up in Sydney’s west. “I’m one of you. I know it’s hard to tell, but I went to school here in Parramatta, so I feel very much at home. I can’t wait for my midnight kebab,” she said at this year’s Tropfest, held in Parramatta Park. After graduating from Our Lady Mercy of College, Parramatta, she’s gone on to appear in television shows Rosehaven, No Activity, Squinters and Whose Line is it Anyway? Australia. Her comedy writing started while still at the local school.
18. Brad McGee
He is one of Australia’s most decorated cyclists including being inducted into the Sports Australia Hall of Fame last year. He’s won Olympic gold on the track and four Grand Tour stage wins on the roads. He is a Parramatta Cycling Club lifelong member, starting in the sport in 1986 as a 10-year-old. He was the first to wear the leader’s jersey of all three Grand Tours — Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a Espana. His Olympic gold medal was in 2004 for the team pursuit and he won silver in the 4000m pursuit at the same event. “The team pursuit gold medal … we had been trying to win that thing for a long time,” he said. He retired in 2008 and is now coaching the next generation of cyclists. “I deliberately stop myself from saying things like, ‘when I was a boy’, ‘in my day’ or ‘when I did it’,” he said.
17. Nathan Cayless
He’s captained more games than any other NRL player. The former Parramatta Eels stalwart is now coaching the Wentworthville Magpies, a feeder club to his beloved blue and gold. It’s a return to his junior club which was also shared with Parramatta Marists. The long-time Eels captain also led his New Zealand national team to World Cup glory in 2008. The former Parramatta Marist High School student ended his 80-game drought in his final game of his career, touching down. “Never take short cuts,” is what the bulldozing prop has lived by since his junior years. Former teammate Nathan Hindmarsh said Cayless would go down in history at the club. “I think he’ll go down with the names of Kenny and Price … Sterling,” Hindmarsh said.
16. Chris Bath
She was born and raised in Auburn and South Wentworthville and is a Holroyd High School alumni. She was a trainee manager at Kmart Merrylands before going on to study communications at university. She is now one of the most recognisable faces in the media are a long stint as a Channel 7 newsreader and one of the faces of Sunrise. She’s currently hosting Evenings on ABC Radio Sydney. “I was a feisty teenager who really gave mum a tough time,” she told the Sydney Morning Herald. “I met Peter Bowers while I was working in a restaurant. It was a sliding doors moment. He is the reason I pursued journalism.”
Be sure to check out the rest of the list, which will be published over the next four days, ending with our number one most famous face on Sunday.