While the name will be considered ‘underwhelming’ by many, it was selected after an extensive community consultation.
The Aerotropolis will be built on the doorstep of the Western Sydney International Airport. It will grow into Sydney’s third city, to take its place alongside the other great city centres of Sydney and Parramatta.
The name was selected after the community was asked to have a say, with a panel settling on the final decision to honor John Bradfield’s enduring city-shaping impact on Sydney, including his major contribution the Sydney Harbor Bridge.
Other possible names included Bradman, Brabham, Thorpe and Benaud or an indigenous name.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said Bradfield would define Australia’s first ‘22nd Century City’, which will be a key driver of economic growth and deliver up to 200,000 jobs across the Western Parkland City.
“Bradfield was a renowned engineer who designed and oversaw the construction of both the Sydney Harbor Bridge and Sydney’s original railway network,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“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.
“This area will be transformed into a thriving city centre, home to advanced manufacturing, research, science and education and we want Bradfield to be as iconic as the existing major city centres of Sydney and Parramatta.
“What are paddocks now will be a thriving, bustling city centre offering the best job opportunities anywhere in Australia.”
Minister for Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said the area to be named Bradfield is more than 100ha and sits north of the existing suburb of Bringelly. It is at the heart of the Western Sydney Aerotropolis and will eventually lend its name to surrounding areas.
“The number of suggestions the community put forward to ‘Name the Place’ was overwhelming and we are thrilled with the level of participation and interest this project attracted,” Mr Ayres said.
“We thank everyone for having their say and want to assure the community the remaining suggestions will be considered as names for streets, parks and other landmarks in the new city centre.
“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.”
John Bradfield’s Grandson Jim Bradfield has welcomed the announcement.
"It is a great honor 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.”
The name Bradfield was a popular community suggestion in the ‘Name the Place’ process and will now be put to the Geographical Names Board of NSW.
The NSW Government has 18 Foundation Partner commitments, including with Suez, Siemens, Hitachi, Sydney Water and Northrup Grumman, and continues to formalise relationships with a number of other partners, including FedEx, Romar Engineering and Quickstep in the creation of the innovative ecosystem at the Aerotropolis.
