The traditional land of the Dharug, Tharawal and Gundangara People, Luddenham is a small pocket of land laying on the border of the City of Penrith and City of Liverpool. If you don’t know this small sleepy town, get ready because this is set to become one of Sydney’s most bustling areas.
Luddenham is a town set to be completely transformed once the Western Sydney Airport opens its gates in 2026. When visiting Luddenham, we designed our visit to experience the rich history of the past, before catapulting ourselves into the future of what is to come for the local area.
Being one of the most intact nineteenth Century villages in the Western Sydney region, driving into Luddenham you cannot ignore the changing landscapes around. Start by passing by St James’ Anglican Church which sits proudly above a shallow valley, you are greeted with views stretching out towards the Blue Mountains. The church itself was opened in 1871. Continuing up the road you’re met with another Gothic Style church, Luddenham Uniting Church which was erected in 1886.
Your first stop after the historic Church’s should definitely be Luddenham Village Café located on The Northern Road.
Serving a whole range of baked goods, you’ll be spoilt for choice and choosing what to treat yourself with becomes the biggest battle. For us, we simply cannot go past the fresh homemade Cannoli available in Vanilla, Chocolate and Ricotta.
The Village Café is an institution of the area, with people travelling far and wide just to take home some of their amazing treats. After fuelling up, it’s time to experience and learn about the changing landscape and what the future holds for this unique location. Head back down The Northern Road and stop by The Western Sydney International Airport Experience Centre
Arriving at the experience centre you are met with an architecturally designed building that transports you five years into the future to a day where Western Sydney International Airport is up and running.
The experience centre is a community engagement and education hub that provides visitors with information about the new airport project. Utilising technology and digital engagement throughout you really start to understand how this massive project will begin to start shaping the surrounding area, and ultimately all of Western Sydney.
Based on the site of the future airport, the panoramic views of the construction site really give a greater understanding of the magnitude of the project. Exploring the centre you can learn not only about the immediate airport but also how the surrounding towns and landscapes will be transformed to accommodate the swelling population and visitors to the area. Looking through the glass windows you can see where the runway and terminals and the runway is being built.
The new airport is going to be a hub of Western Sydney – it’s one of the biggest projects undertaken in Sydney and it’s truly amazing to see how it is all coming together.