Mascot, New South Wales

Mascot Sydney, New South Wales
Shopping strip, Botany Road
Coordinates	33°55′45″S 151°11′17″E / 33.92910°S 151.18793°E / -33.92910; 151.18793Coordinates: 33°55′45″S 151°11′17″E / 33.92910°S 151.18793°E / -33.92910; 151.18793
Population	10,179 (2011 census)
• Density	925.8/km2 (2,398/sq mi)
Established	1911
Postcode(s)	2020
Area	9.2 km2 (3.6 sq mi)
Location	7 km (4 mi) from Sydney CBD
LGA(s)	Bayside Council
State electorate(s)	Heffron
Federal Division(s)	Kingsford Smith
Suburbs around Mascot: Alexandria Arncliffe Rosebery St Peters Mascot Eastlakes Tempe Pagewood Botany

Mascot is a suburb in south-eastern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Mascot is located 7 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and is one of the administrative centres of the Bayside Council. Mascot is on the north-west side of Botany Bay and contains Sydney Airport.

The first land grants in the area were made in 1835, with market gardening being the main land use. Subdivision followed the construction of Botany Road in 1875 and a municipality known as North Botany was formed in 1888. A racecourse operated in this area in 1904 on land that was formerly owned by the Australian Golf Club. The race course was known as Ascot, named after its famous counterpart in England. Residents wanted the area to have an individual identity and a referendum was held in 1911 to choose between Ascot, and Booralee. An objection from the postal authorities to the use of 'Ascot' led the council to alter the name to Mascot.

In 1920, Mascot was chosen as the site of a public airfield. Nigel Love was leasing 200 acres (0.81 km²) from the Kensington Race club and in 1921 the Commonwealth Government purchased 161 acres (0.65 km²) for this purpose. The first regular flights began in 1924. Cooks River was diverted away from the area in 1947-52 to provide more land for the airport.

Mascot has a mixture of residential, commercial and industrial areas. The main shopping centre is located on Botany Road. The area around Mascot railway station is being redeveloped to contain high-density commercial and residential developments. The Police Headquarters for the local Botany Bay Area Command is on Botany Road and Mascot Ambulance Station is situated directly opposite. Mascot Fire Station is located in Coward Street, beside the City of Botany Bay Council Chambers.

Sydney Airport, Sydney's principal airport, takes up a large part of the suburb. The head office of Qantas is the Qantas Centre at 203 Coward Street in Mascot. The regional airline Eastern Australia Airlines has its head office on the grounds of Sydney Airport in Mascot. The airline Impulse Airlines, when it existed, had its head office in the airport property.