Perez Hilton and Carlingford, New South Wales: Difference between pages

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rv - there is a mention of the lawsuit already in the criticisms section. pls read BEFORE you edit.
 
Commerce: rm excessive detail
 
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{{Infobox Australian Place | type = suburb
'''Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr.''' (born [[March 23]], [[1978]] in [[Miami, Florida]]) is a Cuban-American celebrity gossip columnist/blogger known by the [[nom de plume]] '''Perez Hilton''', based in [[Los Angeles]], [[California]]. His blog - formerly [http://pagesixsixsix.com Page SixSixSix]- but now ''[[Perezhilton.com]]'' has become extremely popular since its inception.[http://www.alexa.com/data/details/traffic_details?site0=perezhilton.com&site1=&site2=&site3=&site4=&y=r&z=1&h=300&w=500&range=6m&size=Medium&url=http://perezhilton.com]
| name = Carlingford
| city = Sydney
| state = nsw
| image = Carlingford_carlovillage.jpg
| caption = Carlingford Village Shopping Centre
| lga = [[Baulkham Hills Shire]]<br>[[Hornsby Shire]]<br>[[City of Parramatta]]
| parish = [[Field of Mars Parish, Cumberland|Field of Mars]]
| postcode = 2118
| pop = 19,678 (2001 census)
| area = 7.9&nbsp;km²
| est =
| propval =
| stategov = [[Electoral district of Baulkham Hills|Baulkham Hills]]<br>[[Electoral district of Castle Hill|Castle Hill]]<br>[[Electoral district of Epping|Epping]]<br>[[Electoral district of Parramatta|Parramatta]]
| fedgov = [[Division of Bennelong|Bennelong]]<br>[[Division of Berowra|Berowra]]<br>[[Division of Parramatta|Parramatta]]
| dist1 =
| location1= Hills District
| near-nw =
| near-n = [[Beecroft, New South Wales|Beecroft]]
| near-ne =
| near-w =
| near-e = [[Epping, New South Wales|Epping]]
| near-sw =
| near-s = [[North Parramatta, New South Wales|North Parramatta]]
| near-se =
}}
'''Carlingford''' (Postcode 2118, S33.777 E151.048) is a [[suburb]] located approximately 22&nbsp;km north-west of central [[Sydney]], [[Australia]], covering an area of 7.9 square kilometres on the south-eastern outskirts of the [[Hills District]]. It is one of the busier suburbs within the Hills with many businesses available in the large town centre. To the east lies [[Epping, New South Wales|Epping]]; to the north lie [[Beecroft, New South Wales|Beecroft]], [[North Rocks, New South Wales|North Rocks]] and [[West Pennant Hills, New South Wales|West Pennant Hills]]; to the west [[North Parramatta, New South Wales|North Parramatta]] and to the south [[Oatlands, New South Wales|Oatlands]] and [[Telopea, New South Wales|Telopea]].
 
==History and urban character==
==Beginnings in blogging==
{{unreferencedsect}}
Hilton's professional occupations before blogging included some acting work [http://imdb.com/name/nm0491768/], a stint as a publicist [http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-perez20nov20,1,6137678.story?coll=la-headlines-entnews&track=crosspromo], and a writer for gay magazines. He started blogging "because it seemed easy" [http://www.papermag.com/?section=article&parid=1337], and was a "perfect combination" of all the things he loves, which include celebrities, gossip and fame.
Originally, the area of Carlingford was called [[Mobbs Hill, New South Wales|Mobbs Hill]], named after the ex-convict settler William Mobbs, who is credited for bringing [[orange (fruit)|orange]]s to Australia. Carlingford received its current name after a vote in 1886 by the residents. The name was suggested by Frederick Cox after he heard one of his employees describe similarities between Mobbs Hill and the town of [[Carlingford, County Louth|Carlingford]], located in the east of [[Ireland]]. Carlingford was also probably named in honour of [[Chichester Parkinson-Fortescue, 1st Baron Carlingford|The Lord Carlingford]].
 
The area was settled in the mid-[[1800]]s and, at the time, was an [[agriculture|agricultural]] area on the outskirts of Sydney. Like much of the Hills District, Carlingford was a significant orange-growing area for the city. [[Pennant Hills Road]], then a major arterial road from Parramatta to the northern suburbs, was a major route of transportation for agricultural produce from the area. When the train line which terminates at [[Carlingford railway station, Sydney|Carlingford Railway Station]] was completed in 1896, it, too, became a major route for the area. Carlingford Produce, a gardening and agricultural-materials seller located next to the train station, is located in the former train workshops. This store, much like James Ruse Agricultural High School (see below) remain as testaments to the agricultural history of the suburb.
Within the first six months of his endeavor, the website was named "Hollywood's Most-Hated Website" by ''[[The Insider (TV series)|The Insider]]'', which catalyzed his initial rise in popularity. As of December 1st 2006, PerezHilton.com was serving over 3 million unique visitors daily.[http://hoodlumhosting.com]
 
In April [[1923]] the [[Wesley Mission|Wesley Central Mission]] established the Dalmar Children's Homes on fifteen acres of land near Marsden Road in the eastern end of the suburb. The property eventually had many cottages, together with a hospital, an orchard and vegetable gardens. The land is now the site of the Alan Walker Retirement Village.
Hilton has also garnered attention from lawyers representing those about whom he writes. For example, he was named as a defendant in a lawsuit filed by attorneys for [[Colin Farrell]] after Hilton posted a link to Farrell's sex tape on his site.<ref>A copy of the filing, available at http://www.thesmokinggun.com/graphics/art3/0719051colin1.gif, lists defendant 'DOES 1-20', which was later amended to include not only Mario Lavandeira (Perez Hilton) but his web host, http://hoodlumhosting.com, as well.{{citation needed}}</ref>
 
As Sydney rapidly expanded, following [[World War II]], Carlingford underwent rapid [[urbanisation]] starting in the late [[1960]]s. The presence of James Ruse Agricultural High School, established in [[1959]], is a testament to the agricultural history of Carlingford as well as the rapid pace of urbanisation; which soon made the school, and its large farm, somewhat of an anomaly amongst the 1970s- and 1980s-style houses which dominate the suburb. More recently, in the [[1990]]s, the government policy of [[urban consolidation]] has seen the development of high-density units and [[apartment block]]s around the town centre and the train station. There have also been redevelopments of older houses into medium-density [[Rowhouse|townhouse]]s, and [[Semi-detached|duplex housing]].
Lavandeira told [[Star Magazine|the Star]] that when he claimed that [[Clay Aiken]] was gay and had hired escorts, he was bombarded with death threats by Aiken's fans who also posted much of his personal information online [http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1150753810907&call_pageid=968867495754&col=969483191630].
 
In 1961, the [[HMS K13|K13]] memorial was unveiled, and stands as a prominent feature in Carlingford, passed by thousands of motorists along [[Pennant Hills Road]] each day.
==Content==
On his website Hilton posts gossip items about a variety of celebrities. His posts are usually delivered with a sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek or sometimes even cruel slant. Often he posts tabloid photographs over which he adds his own crude captions or "doodles" for comedic effect. The most frequent additions are white dots drawn on celebrities' faces to resemble drugs or semen.
 
==Population statistics==
Hilton's angle on celebrity gossip includes an unashamed desire to mingle with and be a part of celebrity culture, and as such he often describes celebrity awards shows, clubs, and private events he has attended, and posts photographs of himself with the celebrities he writes about. Among others, he purports to have befriended [[Paris Hilton]], originator of his namesake and frequent subject of his posts.
[[Australian Bureau of Statistics]] data from the 2001 [[census]] records the population of Carlingford as 19,678 residents, with a gender mix of 49% males and 51% females in line with the rest of the Australian population. (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2002)
 
==CriticismCommerce==
[[Image:Carlingford carlocourt.jpg|thumb|300px|Carlingford Court Shopping Centre.]]
Carlingford has two [[shopping centre]]s - Carlingford Court, which underwent major reconstruction in the late [[1990]]s, and Carlingford Village. Carlingford Court is a typical suburban shopping centre, and is home to major businesses such as Target and Fitness First. Carlingford Village is a smaller shopping complex, which has many Asian food outlets and tends to appeal more to the Chinese community. {{fact}}
 
The Carlingford town centre, located on [[Pennant Hills Road]], also comprises a number of street shops. The centre recently underwent minor redevelopment, including the relocation of Target to the old second floor [[Myer]] store which closed on the March 31, 2006.
Although Hilton claims his background in journalism adds credibility to his posts,{{citation needed}} detractors have accused him of disinformation. For instance, Hilton posted the song "Come on and Get it (Up in 'Dem Guts)" on his website, claiming it was a new single to be released by singer [[Fiona Apple]], when in fact it was a comedic song Apple had contributed to the television show ''[[Dog Bites Man]]''.{{citation needed}}
 
There are also several shopping strips elsewhere in Carlingford - near Carlingford station, including the only [[pub]] in Carlingford (Carlingford Bowling Club).
Openly gay himself, Hilton's usage of homophobic slurs for a comedic effect -- scrawling 'fag' or drawing white semen marks on the faces of celebrities in photographs, for example -- is seen by some as equivalent to homophobia. Others deride him for calling some celebrities "fat," when he himself is fat.
 
==Politics==
Other readers claim that his coverage of [[Paris Hilton]] and her friends and family is biased. Perez Hilton has been accused of ignoring stories or rumors that casts the heiress in a bad light. Many bloggers have noted instances when Paris Hilton or her friends have commented about a socialite or actress and these comments have appeared in the blog verbatim as truth within hours.{{citation needed}}
Carlingford falls under the jurisdiction of several Local Government Areas: the [[City of Parramatta]] in the south, [[Hornsby Shire]] in the north-east, and [[Baulkham Hills Shire]] in the north-west. Similarly it falls under several [[Australia|Commonwealth]] ([[Division of Berowra|Berowra]], [[Division of Bennelong|Bennelong]], [[Division of Mitchell|Mitchell]], [[Division of Parramatta|Parramatta]]) and [[New South Wales|State]] ([[Electoral district of Epping|Epping]], [[Electoral district of Baulkham Hills|Baulkham Hills]], [[Electoral district of Parramatta|Parramatta]], [[Electoral district of The Hills|The Hills]]) electoral divisions/districts.
 
The population of Carlingford, as with the rest of northern Sydney is relatively affluent. [[Baulkham Hills Shire]] and [[Hornsby Shire]] councils generally have a majority of conservative councillors. Most of the electoral divisions that Carlingford lies within have historically been held by the [[Liberal Party of Australia]]. The exception is Parramatta City Council, and the electoral division and district of Parramatta which include sections of southern Sydney and tend to be marginal seats.
Some bloggers, journalists, news agencies and photographers have claimed that Hilton illegally posts photographs and exclusive content from other sites. Hilton has admitted to using copyrighted photographs without permission, asking "how is that different from any other blog?"<ref>http://www.tmz.com/2006/10/26/perez-to-photog-you-dont-know-sh/</ref> On November 30, 2006, celebrity photo agency [[X17]] filed a [[lawsuit]] against Hilton in [[federal court]], seeking over $ 7.5 million in damages for [[copyright infringement]].[http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20061130006074&newsLang=en]
 
The Commonwealth Electoral Divisions of [[Division of Berowra|Berowra]], currently held by The Hon. The [[Attorney-General]] [[Philip Ruddock]] MP, and [[Division of Mitchell|Mitchell]], currently held by The Hon. [[Alan Cadman]] MP; are safe [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal]] seats. The Commonwealth Electoral Division of [[Division of Bennelong|Bennelong]], currently held by The Hon. The [[Prime Minister]] [[John Winston Howard|John Howard]] MP is a marginal [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal]] seat. The Commonwealth Electoral Division of Parramatta, currently held by Ms [[Julie Owens]] MP, is an [[Australian Labor Party|ALP]] seat by a narrow margin; regained from the previous Liberal member [[Ross Cameron]] in the [[Australian legislative election, 2004|2004 election]].
==Controversy: "outing" of celebrities==
 
The State Electoral Districts of [[Electoral district of Baulkham Hills|Baulkham Hills]], currently held by Mr Wayne Merton MLA; Epping, currently held by Shadow [[Attorney-General]] Andrew Tink MLA; and [[Electoral district of The Hills|The Hills]], currently held by Shadow Environment Minister Mr Michael Richardson MLA; are safe [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal]] seats. The [[Electoral district of Parramatta|State Electoral District of Parramatta]], currently held by Ms Tanya Gadiel MLA, is a safe [[Australian Labor Party|ALP]] seat.
When questioned on [[Midweek Politics]] about whether or not reporting on celebrities' sexual orientation incites [[homophobia]] by making it news, he indicated that he simply did not believe so. Hilton went on to say that coming out in Hollywood is not necessarily a bad thing, he used [[Ellen DeGeneres]], and [[Rosie O'Donnell]] as examples, "I know there is some controversy about outing people, but I also believe the only way we're gonna have change is with visibility... if I have to drag some people screaming out of the closet, then I will. I think that lot of celebrities have an archaic fear that being gay will hurt their career but look at Rosie. Look at Ellen." [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14065223/from/ET/]
 
==Transport==
In [[July]] [[2006]] [[Lance Bass]] officially came out as gay, and Hilton received heavy criticism for having been partially responsible for the outing. "It upsets me that people think what I'm doing is a bad thing," Perez told [[Access Hollywood]]. "I don't think it's a bad thing. If you know something to be a fact, why not report it? Why is that still taboo?" In addition, he claimed that Lance Bass was already "outed," but he simply reported on a new relationship of his.
[[Image:Carlingford railway station.jpg|thumb|300px|The end of the line at Carlingford railway station. Also visible, to the left, is Carlingford Produce.]]
[[Image:Carlingford cumbohwy.jpg|thumb|300px|Cumberland Highway, Carlingford]]
 
As with much of Sydney, Carlingford has relatively limited public transport access, which is reflected in the low public transport patronage by commuters. In the 2001 census, 6% of commuters travelled to work via trains while 2% used buses.
Other celebrities whom Hilton frequently claims are [[gay]], [[bisexual]], or [[lesbian]] include [[Matt Dallas]], [[Clay Aiken]], [[Anderson Cooper]], [[Jeremy Piven]], [[Jake Gyllenhaal]], [[Queen Latifah]], [[Wentworth Miller]], [[Salma Hayek]], [[Jodie Foster]], [[Star Jones]]' husband [[Al Reynolds]], and [[Sean Hayes]]. On November 2, 2006, another celebrity often ridiculed by Hilton for remaining closeted, [[Neil Patrick Harris]], revealed that he is gay.
 
There are a number of bus services which pass through Carlingford. Harris Park Transport, a now defunct bus company, used to operate routes 623, 624, 625, 628, and 629 which pass through the suburb. The 630 was operated by Red Arrow, a joint-venture of Harris Park Transport and [[Westbus]]. As of February 2005, these former Harris Park services (with the exception of route 630) are operated by [[Sydney Buses]] ([[State Transit Authority of New South Wales]]). Previously routes 513 and 521 were the only Sydney Buses services through Carlingford. The former 621 and 622 Citybus Direct (owned by Harris Park Transport) routes from Carlingford to the city proved to be uneconomical and were eliminated.
==Television appearances==
Hilton can also be seen in media outside ''PerezHilton.com'', such as on [[VH1]] and [[E!]] and MSNBC's [[Scarborough Country]]. He is also developing his own reality show, which he considers "a hybrid" of [[The Real World]], [[The Surreal Life]], and [[Punk'd]][http://www.andpop.com/article/6262]. It is unclear, though, where, when or if this show will air. Lavandeira has also recently begun producing [[podcasts]]. He appeared on the [[Howard Stern]] Show on June 27, 2006 and [[Tom Green Live]] on September 14, 2006. He recently appeared on MTV Canada in September 2006. Many of these appearances can be seen at PerezHilton.com's video collection at [http://perezhilton.com/clips].
 
Current bus lines operated by Sydney Buses include:
== Notes ==
* 513 [[West Ryde, New South Wales|West Ryde]] to Carlingford
<div class="references-small"> <references /> </div>
* 521 [[Parramatta]] to [[Eastwood, New South Wales|Eastwood]]
* 623 [[Beecroft, New South Wales|Beecroft]] to [[Parramatta]]
* 624 [[Parramatta]] to [[Epping, New South Wales|Epping]] via [[Pennant Hills Road]], Carlingford
* 628 [[Epping, New South Wales|Epping]] to Carlingford
* 629 [[Epping, New South Wales|Epping]] to [[North Rocks, New South Wales|North Rocks]]
 
Current bus lines operated by Hillsbus include:
* 610 [[Castle Hill, New South Wales|Castle Hill]] to City via Oakes Road M2 Bus Station
* 611 [[Blacktown, New South Wales|Blacktown]] to [[Macquarie Centre]] via Oakes Road M2 Bus Station
* 625 [[Parramatta]] to [[Pennant Hills, New South Wales|Pennant Hills]] via [[Pennant Hills Road]], Carlingford
* 627 [[Parramatta]] to [[Cherrybrook, New South Wales|Cherrybrook]] via [[Pennant Hills Road]], Carlingford
* 630 [[Blacktown, New South Wales|Blacktown]] to [[Macquarie Park, New South Wales|Macquarie Park]] (in conjunction with Westbus)
=== Railways ===
 
[[CityRail]] provides an infrequent train service at [[Carlingford railway station, Sydney|Carlingford Station]], which is the terminus of the [[Carlingford railway line, Sydney|Carlingford Line]]. The Carlingford Line is a mostly single-track line. There is currently only one service in the early morning which connects to the city directly, at other times a train-change at [[Clyde, New South Wales|Clyde]], is necessary to reach other stations, and consequently the service has a low patronage. As part of the [[CityRail Clearways Project]], a passing loop has been promised to the Carlingford Line with two services per hour all day to become effective in [[2010]].
 
=== Roads ===
Carlingford suffers from major traffic congestion during morning and afternoon peaks. Because of the limited public transport most residents travel to work by cars. In the 2001 census, 60% stated their main method of getting to work was driving their own vehicle. The Cumberland Highway, a major north-south route through greater Sydney, intersects Carlingford in the form of Pennant Hills Road. As well, many motorists commuting from the Hills District and the growing north-west areas of Sydney travel through Carlingford to the city.
 
The [[M2 Hills Motorway (Sydney)|M2 Hills Motorway]], part of the Sydney orbital road, runs through northern Carlingford providing a route to the city and [[North Sydney]]. Since the [[Westlink M7|Westlink M7 Motorway]] was finished, completing the Sydney Orbital, it has replaced the Cumberland Highway as the north-south national highway. This has, however, not relieved much of the traffic congestion on [[Pennant Hills Road]] (south of the M2 Hills Motorway), and has increased traffic congestion on the M2 Hills Motorway {{Fact|date=April 2007}}.
 
The area of Carlingford to the east of Pennant Hills Road and North of Carlingford Road, was built mostly in the years, post WWII. There is an area of streets named after famous North African battle fields.
 
==Sport==
Carlingford has many sporting clubs participating in many different sports, and at many locations around the Hills District including:
*[http://carlingfordbaseball.com.au/ Carlingford Baseball]
*[http://www.isport.com.au/netball/hills/hgchome.cl?PT=&C=CAR Carlingford Netball]
*Carlingford Redbacks Soccer
*Carlingford Cricket
*[[North Rocks Soccer Football Club|North Rocks Soccer Club]], which is actually in Carlingford, rather than in [[North Rocks, New South Wales|North Rocks]].
 
==Schools==
Carlingford is the ___location of a large number of [[public school|public]] and [[private school]]s. Indeed some residents have chosen to move to Carlingford because of the reputation of the schools there and in nearby suburbs.
 
===Public primary schools===
*[http://www.carlingfor-p.schools.nsw.edu.au/home.html Carlingford Public School]
*[http://www.carlingfow-p.schools.nsw.edu.au/ Carlingford West Public School]
*[http://www.murrayfarm-p.schools.nsw.edu.au/ Murray Farm Public School]
*[http://www.roselea-p.schools.nsw.edu.au/ Roselea Public School]
 
===Catholic Systemic primary schools===
*[[St. Gerard Majella Catholic Primary School]]
 
===Public high schools===
*[http://www.carlingfor-h.schools.nsw.edu.au/public/index.html Carlingford High School].
*[[Cumberland High School (Carlingford)|Cumberland High School]]
*[[James Ruse Agricultural High School]] (selective)
 
==Churches==
[[Image:Carlingford ldstemple.jpg|thumb|150px|LDS Sydney Australia Temple, Carlingford]]
As with much of northern Sydney, Carlingford also has a comparatively large number of Christian churches of many denominations. These include:
* Carlingford [[Baptist Church]] [http://www.carlingford-baptist.org/]
* Carlingford [[Uniting Church]] [http://www.carlingforduca.org.au/]
* [[Catholic Parish of Epping and Carlingford|St. Gerard Majella Catholic Church]] [http://www.eppcarl.org.au/carlingford/carl_index.htm]
* St. Paul's [[Sydney Anglicans|Anglican Church]] [http://www.stpaulscarlingford.org.au/]
* [[Iglesia Ni Cristo]]
* [[Christian City Churches|Christian City Church]], Carlingford [http://www.ccccarlingford.org.au/about/]
* Parramatta City Presbyterian Church [http://www.homestead.com/nsw_act/ParramattaCityPresbyterian.html]
 
The Pacific headquarters and [[Sydney Australia Temple]] of [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] was constructed in Carlingford in [[1984]].
 
==Telecommunications==
The Carlingford telephone exchange is located at 413 North Rocks Rd. It serves telephony for Carlingford and nearby suburbs such as Dundas Valley, Telopea and North Rocks.
 
==Other infrastructure==
Carlingford is the site for the control room for the New South Wales electricity grid. A major electricity [[Electrical substation|substation]], operated by [[Integral Energy]], is next to the building housing the control room. The same site also houses one of the major communications relay towers in northern Sydney. This substation used to be connected to Carlingford Station via a siding. While most of the line has since disappeared, some of the remains of the line can be seen from Jenkins Road. An image of this line can be viewed [http://www.nswrail.net/locations/photo.php?name=NSW:Carlingford:8&line=NSW:carlingford:0 here], which is from a website dedicated to railways in New South Wales.
 
==References==
*Australian Bureau of Statistics (2002). [http://www.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/abs@census.nsf/4079a1bbd2a04b80ca256b9d00208f92/6f23e832c6e96cadca256bc00014643a!OpenDocument Basic community profile: Carlingford (SSC 11446)]. Retrieved 19 May 2005.
*Australian Electoral Commission [http://www.aec.gov.au/_content/who/profiles/B/Bennelong.htm Divisional Profile for Bennelong]. Retrieved 4 January 2006.
*Australian Electoral Commission [http://www.aec.gov.au/_content/who/profiles/B/Berowra.htm Divisional Profile for Berowra]. Retrieved 4 January 2006.
*Australian Electoral Commission [http://www.aec.gov.au/_content/who/profiles/M/Mitchell.htm Divisional Profile for Mitchell]. Retrieved 4 January 2006.
*Australian Electoral Commission [http://www.aec.gov.au/_content/who/profiles/P/Parramatta.htm Divisional Profile for Parramatta]. Retrieved 4 January 2006.
*Australian Electoral Commission [http://www.aec.gov.au/_content/How/newsfiles/124/index.htm#10 Definitions of 'marginal', 'fairly safe' and 'safe']. Retrieved 4 January 2006.
 
==External links==
*[http://www.perezhiltoncarlingfordcourt.com PerezHilton.comCarlingford Court homepage]
{{Mapit-AUS-suburbscale|long=151.048|lat=-33.777}}
*[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0491768/ Mario Lavandeira] on the [[Internet Movie Database]]
 
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