Eastlakes takes its name from the extensive lake system on its southeast and its location in the Eastern Suburbs. The area was once known as Botany Swamps. This was Sydney's third source of water when water was pumped from here to a reservoir in Paddington from 1859. The lakes were partly reclaimed from the swamp to create the Lakes Golf Course and Sydney Airport extensions. Part of the suburb is on the former site of the Rosebery Racecourse, which was redeveloped in the 1960s into a residential and commercial area. Part of the racecourse area is now the site of a park with a memorial to local soldiers who trained on that site during both world wars.
Demographics
According to 2016 census, The most common ancestries in Eastlakes were Australian 10.5%, Chinese 9.8%, English 9.0%, Greek 7.2% and Bangladeshi 5.2%. 60.2% of people were not born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were Bangladesh 6.8%, China 5.1%, Indonesia 4.5%, Iraq 2.6% and Greece 2.6%. 33.1% of people spoke only English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Bengali 8.6%, Greek 7.1%, Indonesian 4.9%, Mandarin 4.6% and Turkish 3.7%. The most common responses for religion were Catholic 23.8%, Islam 17.6%, No Religion 15.7% and Eastern Orthodox 10.8%.
Schools
Eastlakes Public School began as an infants school in 1938 and was located in a church hall in O'Connor Street. It moved to Florence Avenue in 1944. When Rosebery Racecourse was demolished and the land developed as a residential area, enrolments at the school naturally increased and there was a need for a primary school, so Eastlakes included a primary school from 1979.
Churches
The area is served by three churches as of 2009. A LDS Church is located in Mascot Drive. St Stephen's Anglican Church is located in Harry Street. Horner Memorial Hall, King Street, is a chapel in the Federation Carpenter Gothic style, which is used by Beckenham Memorial Uniting Church after relocating from their church after June 2015.
Sport and recreation
This area is home to several parks and golf courses. The LakesGolf course and Eastlake Golf Course fall within the boundaries of the suburb of Eastlakes. Bonnie Doon Golf Course, Mutch Park and Astrolabe Park are located in the adjacent suburb of Pagewood.
