The name Panania was on the original list of stations proposed for the Tempe-East Hills railway line in 1929. Prior to this, Panania was part of what was generally known as the East Hills district. Panania is an Aboriginal word meaning sun rising in the east and shining on the hills. An alternative theory is that the name may be a derivation of "Pannonia", which was an ancient province of the Roman Empire southeast of the Danube River. During the construction of the railway line the name Nioka was used for the station which is an Aboriginal word meaning the green hill. Other names suggested for suburb were Linden Park and Elmswood. The arrival of the railway in 1931 stimulated the development of the East Hills district. Prior to this, the district was rural. There was a soldiers' settlement at Milperra which consisted mostly of poultry and horticultural enterprises. The only public transportation was a bus service to Bankstown railway station on the Bankstown line from various locations throughout the district, which posed a great inconvenience to people who needed to visit the Sydney CBD for work. Development began apace after World War II. The Australian Legion of Ex-Servicemen and Women sponsored the mass production of housing at Panania beginning from 1946 with the construction of 34 houses. St Christopher's Catholic Church on Tower Street was originally the Panania Star cinema. Panania North Public School, a short two block walk on the northern side of the railway line, became a demonstration school in the late 1970s so that trainee teachers from the newly-established Milperra College of Advanced Education could observe teachers at work.
Commercial area
Panania has a shopping area adjacent to Panania railway station. It runs along Weston Street, Anderson Avenue and Tower Street. Anderson Avenue features several local government facilities including a senior citizens centre and a public library. Panania Hotel is located on the northern side of Panania railway station. The active Business Chamber is a significant strength of Panania.
Panania had a population of 11,489 people at the. 48.6% of the population was male; 51.4% was female. 72.8% were born in Australia. 1.4% of the population were indigenous Australians.
Employment
At the 2006 census, 45.6% of Panania's population were employed.
Religious affiliation
At the, the most common religious affiliations were: Catholic, Anglican, No Religion, Eastern Orthodox, and Islam.
Churches
Panania features notable buildings such as Holy Trinity Anglican Church and St Christopher's Catholic Church. St Christopher's is housed in the building formerly known as the Panania Star Cinema. The Panania Star Cinema was built in 1952 in the Art Deco style, and was the twin of the Padstow Star Cinema in nearby Padstow. The building retains a number of original features, including a decorative ceiling. After a grant from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney and many donations from parishioners, the building underwent renovations costing $165,000 which were completed early in 2006. The Salvation Army also has a Corps in Panania. The old building was recently refurbished. Panania Uniting Church, was established in the early 1950s and moved to its current location at 206 Marco Ave, Panania in 1967.
Panania is mostly a residential suburb, which was developed after World War II and originally contained many modest freestanding bungalows built from asbestos cement sheeting. Today, many of these houses have been rebuilt as larger residences or two-storey duplex houses.
Panania is in the Banks electorate for federal politics the local member is David Coleman. For state politics Wendy Lindsay is the member for East Hills.
