New NSW city of Bradfield honours icon

A new ‘hi-tech’ city set to be built on the doorstep of the Western Sydney airport has been named Bradfield in honour of the engineer who ‘helped shape Sydney’.

John Bradfield.

A new “hi-tech” city set to be built on the doorstep of the Western Sydney airport has been named Bradfield in honour of the engineer who “helped shape Sydney”.

Named after John Bradfield, the chief proponent of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said she expected Bradfield to “define Australia’s first 22nd century city” and become Sydney’s third city.

“The name Bradfield is synonymous with delivering game-changing infrastructure and it sets the right tone for the area we have referred to as the ‘Aerotropolis Core’ until now,” she said.

“What are paddocks now will be a thriving, bustling city centre offering the best job opportunities anywhere in Australia.”

With Bradfield situated at “the heart” of the multi-billion dollar Western Sydney Aerotropolis, Ms Berejiklian said the city would be a key driver of economic growth and deliver 200,000 jobs across the Western City Parklands. The area is north of the suburb of Bringelly, about half an hour north of Campbelltown, and covers more than 100ha.

The name Bradfield was selected after community consultation, and a panel decided to honour the engineer who designed and oversaw the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney’s original railway network. The NSW government has already spent $298m acquiring property in Western Sydney for infrastructure projects like the M12, Outer Sydney Orbital and Sydney Metro, with the figure likely to soar to $422m in the next financial year.

The aerotropolis will be served by three new major rail lines, in addition to the M9 motorway.

John Bradfield’s grandson Jim Bradfield welcomed the announcement, saying he hoped his achievements would “help shape the future of our urban landscape” and inspire generations to come.

“It is a great honour that my grandfather’s name continues to be associated with major infrastructure developments in and around Sydney,” Mr Bradfield said. “We hope his achievements will inspire generations to come, and help shape the future of our urban landscape.

“I look forward to Bradfield being the first name that people think of when starting a new job, creating a new business, learning a new skill and investing in NSW,” Western Sydney Minister Stuart Ayres said.