townhouses. The median age of people in the suburb was slightly older (42) than the rest of Sydney and a higher percentage of people owned their homes outright (34.7%) than those paying them off (31.4%). Median loan repayments ($2,700 per month) were much higher than the national figure ($1,8635). Croydon still retains many of the characteristics of the broader Inner West region of Sydney, including a high proportion of residents born overseas. 31.3% of people were born in Australia. The most common other countries of birth were China (excludes SARs and Taiwan) 16.5%, Italy 6.4%, Lebanon 4.3%, and Vietnam 3.4%. The most common ancestries were Chinese 23.2%, Australian 17.5%, English 17.3%, Italian 9.8% and Irish 8.8%. 51.1% of people spoke only English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Mandarin 11.9%, Cantonese 6.0%, Italian 4.7%, Arabic 4.0% and Greek 3.0%. The most common responses for religion were No religion 36.6%, Catholic 28.2%, Anglican 5.9%, Not stated 5.6% and Orthodox 5.0%. Notable residents Notable former and current residents of Croydon include: Eleanor Dark AO (1901-1985) - One of Australia's most significant novelists Joseph Abbott (1843–1903)wool-broker and politician Augustus Alt (1731–1815)first surveyor-general of NSW Bert Appleroth (1886–1952)founder of Aeroplane Jelly Francis Birtles (1881–1941)explorer and author Margaret Chandler (1934–1963)an infamous murder victim Freda Du Faur (1882–1935) mountaineer Michael Fitzpatrick (1816–1881)public servant, land agent and politician Walter Wilson Froggatt (1858–1937)entomologist, founder of the Naturalists' Society of New South Wales and author Anthony Hordern (1819–1876)shopping magnate, built and lived at Shubra Hall, now part of the Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney Ern Malley (1918–1943)a fictitious poet, purportedly lived in Dalmar St, Croydon Arthur Murchan Archibald Prize-winning artist Sarah Nelsonfirst settler in the Burwood Council area Sir Bertram Stevens (1889–1973)premier of NSW from 1932 to 1939 Frederick Wills (1870–1955)artist, photographer and motion picture pioneer Crossing Guard, operates the Henessy Street pedestrian crossing between Croydon Station and the Henessy street shops. Mark Drury - Councilor for the Ashfield-Djarrawunang ward of the Inner West Council Politics At the federal level, Croydon is partly in the Division of Reid (north of the Hume Highway) and partly in the Division of Watson (south of the Hume Highway). Croydon was moved into Reid at the redistribution in 2016. Due to successive redistributions in 2009 and 2016 that moved the electorate eastward, Reid is a marginal electorate, largely inheriting the Inner West territory of the old Division of Lowe and retaining only