Parramatta

Parramatta (/ˌpærəˈmætə/; Dharuk: Burramatta) is a suburb and major commercial centre in Greater Western Sydney. Parramatta is located approximately 24 kilometres (15 mi) west of the Sydney CBD, on the banks of the Parramatta River. It is commonly regarded as the secondary central business district of metropolitan Sydney.

Parramatta is the municipal seat of the local government area of the City of Parramatta and is often regarded as one of the primary centres of the Greater Sydney metropolitan region, along with the Sydney CBD, Penrith, Campbelltown, and Liverpool. Parramatta also has a long history as a second administrative centre in the Sydney metropolitan region, playing host to a number of government departments, as well as state and federal courts. It is often colloquially referred to as "Parra".

Parramatta, which was founded as a British settlement in 1788, the same year as Sydney, is the oldest inland European settlement in Australia and serves as the economic centre of Greater Western Sydney. Since 2000, state government agencies such as the New South Wales Police Force and Sydney Water have relocated to Parramatta from Central Sydney. The 151st meridian east runs directly through the suburb.