Johnson also cultivated land around his cottage in Bridge St Sydney and at another location called the Brickfield near Central Station.

Men and women who were drafted had to report for duty at a drill hall located on Canterbury Road Belmore.

In that same year thousands of Australian troops travelled along the goods line to Darling Harbour, ready to embark for the Middle East.

In 1942 a command bunker (Sydney Air Defence Headquarters) of semi underground construction was established on the corner of Edgar and Marion Street Bankstown.

The primary use of the Sydney Air Defence Headquarters was the location, tracking and interception of all planes in the eastern area of the South West Pacific.

In 1942, Belmore House, the current sight of today's Roselands Shopping Centre was used by the Australian Army for the training of troops.

Known as the 118 General Hospital it consisted of 490 timber barracks-type buildings, which could house a total of 4,250 beds and accommodate up to 1,250 patients and 3,500 staff.

[1]: 94 Within the same year 16 US fighter planes that were based at Bankstown airport flew over Canterbury racecourse at low altitude during a race meet.

The Canterbury-Bankstown region is characterised by high-density housing towards the east and larger family homes towards the west with large natural parklands toward the south, such as those around Salt Pan Creek.

Young families and couples are opting to live in the Canterbury-Bankstown region as a cheaper alternative to living in Sydney's Inner West[citation needed], while at the same time residents of the region are suffering heavily from mortgage repossession which is forcing poorer families to move into Sydney's Outer Western Suburbs.

There is a significant Chinese, Indian, Korean, Fijian, Vietnamese, Lebanese, Greek, Italian, Yugoslav and African population.

Notable former residents include the former Prime Minister John Howard[3] and Paul Keating[4] and Olympian Ian Thorpe.

[8] The federal divisions of Barton, Banks, Blaxland, Grayndler and Watson are located within part or all of the region of Canterbury-Bankstown.

The state electoral districts of Bankstown, Canterbury, East Hills and Lakemba are located within part or all of the region.

The Canterbury–Bankstown region also has a variety of Vietnamese, Lebanese, Greek, Italian, Spanish, African and Australian restaurants, delicatessens, sweet shops, grocery and fresh food markets.