Avoca Beach, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Avoca Beach is a coastal suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales
, Australia
, about 95 kilometres (59 mi) north of Sydney
. It is located within the City of Gosford local government area
.
17 kilometres (11 mi) east-southeast of the Gosford
central business district
, and about halfway between Newcastle
and Sydney
, being about 95 kilometres (59 mi) from each. It is bordered to the north by the Bulbararing Lagoon, to the west by Saltwater Creek and to the east by the ocean.
Aboriginal
people. "Avoca" is an Irish
name meaning "great estuary" or "where the river meets the sea", and is also the name of a town in County Wicklow
, Ireland
.
On 4 January 1830, 640 acres (259 ha) of land in the area were promised to Irish army officer John Moore. However, the official deed
s were not issued until 30 September 1839, due to the difficulty in surveying
the land. He built a house opposite Bulbararing Lake (now known as Avoca Lake) and planted vines, cereal
s and fruit trees. He left the area in 1857 for the Victorian goldfields. In the late 19th century, Tom Davis leased the area in order to exploit local timber, which was transported by tram to a mill at Terrigal
via what is now Tramway Road in North Avoca
.
Residential development in Avoca Beach began during the 20th century, and the area subsequently became a popular holiday retreat with wealthy residents of Sydney's North Shore
.
A rich history exists in the community groups in this small village with the Avoca Beach Rural Fire Brigade
operating since the 1940s, Avoca Beach Surf Life Saving Club (1929) and the 1st Avoca Beach Surf Cub Scouts being very active in the area.
In February 2010, following the proposal to scuttle
the frigate off the beach as a dive wreck in late March, a resident action group was formed to protest against this. The group claims that the wreck will negatively effect surf conditions, tides, and littoral sand drift, and is concerned over the thoroughness of inspection and removal of dangerous materials and chemicals from the former warship, with the chance that marine life and people could be poisoned. An appeal to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal
three days before the planned scuttling date of 27 March led to an postponment of the plan until the residents' claims were investigated. The decision from the Tribunal, in favor of the project going ahead after further cleanup work, was handed down on 15 September 2010, and despite further attempts to delay, Adelaide was scuttled on 13 April 2011.
2006 census, Avoca Beach had a population of 4,196 people. This was an increase of 106 people from the 2001 census.
Avoca Beach residents had a median age of 38, compared to the Central Coast average of 40. Median individual incomes in Avoca Beach were above average for the region — $515 per week compared with $407 per week. The 2006 Census reported 1,513 occupied private dwellings, of which 7.8% were non-permanent (caravans, cabins and houseboats), and the median monthly housing loan repayment of $1,720 was well above the regional average of $1,500. In the year to July 2007, Avoca Beach's median house price was $571,250 versus $350,000 for the Central Coast region. In 2008, Avoca Beach was listed as the fourth most expensive place to live in New South Wales, and the sixteenth most expensive in Australia, based on the sale of units
that year.
The population of Avoca Beach is predominantly Australian-born, with some 80.5% of its residents being born in Australia as at the 2006 census. The second most prevalent birthplace was the United Kingdom
at 7.36%, followed by New Zealand, South Africa and Germany. The most popular religious affiliations in descending order in the 2006 census were Roman Catholic
, Anglican
, no religion, Uniting
.
's catchment area.
, which was won in the 2007 Federal Election by Belinda Neal
of the Australian Labor Party
, who defeated Liberal
incumbent Jim Lloyd
on a 7.0% swing. Labor retained the seat in the 2010 Federal Election, and is now represented by Deborah O'Neill
.
While Avoca Beach's booth has previously been considered more favourable to the Liberals than the electorate as a whole, the swing to Labor of 6.78% at Avoca Beach in 2007 was consistent with the rest of the electorate.. On a two party preferred basis, there was an additional swing of 2.47% to Labor at the 2010 election.
In the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
, Avoca Beach is within the electorate of Terrigal
, currently held by Chris Hartcher
of the Liberal Party.
Polling place statistics are presented below from the Avoca Beach polling place in the 2007 federal and state elections as indicated.
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, about 95 kilometres (59 mi) north of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. It is located within the City of Gosford local government area
Local Government Areas of New South Wales
The local government areas of New South Wales, Australia have been subject to periodic bouts of restructuring and rationalisation by the State Government, involving voluntary and involuntary amalgamation of areas...
.
Geography
Avoca Beach is located on the Tasman SeaTasman Sea
The Tasman Sea is the large body of water between Australia and New Zealand, approximately across. It extends 2,800 km from north to south. It is a south-western segment of the South Pacific Ocean. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman, the first recorded European...
17 kilometres (11 mi) east-southeast of the Gosford
Gosford, New South Wales
Gosford is a city located on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia, approximately 76 km north of the Sydney central business district...
central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
, and about halfway between Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
and Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, being about 95 kilometres (59 mi) from each. It is bordered to the north by the Bulbararing Lagoon, to the west by Saltwater Creek and to the east by the ocean.
History
The area was originally inhabited by the AwabakalAwabakal
Awabakal or Awabagal may refer to:*Awabakal people*Awabakal language...
Aboriginal
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
people. "Avoca" is an Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
name meaning "great estuary" or "where the river meets the sea", and is also the name of a town in County Wicklow
County Wicklow
County Wicklow is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wicklow, which derives from the Old Norse name Víkingalág or Wykynlo. Wicklow County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
On 4 January 1830, 640 acres (259 ha) of land in the area were promised to Irish army officer John Moore. However, the official deed
Deed
A deed is any legal instrument in writing which passes, or affirms or confirms something which passes, an interest, right, or property and that is signed, attested, delivered, and in some jurisdictions sealed...
s were not issued until 30 September 1839, due to the difficulty in surveying
Surveying
See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...
the land. He built a house opposite Bulbararing Lake (now known as Avoca Lake) and planted vines, cereal
Cereal
Cereals are grasses cultivated for the edible components of their grain , composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran...
s and fruit trees. He left the area in 1857 for the Victorian goldfields. In the late 19th century, Tom Davis leased the area in order to exploit local timber, which was transported by tram to a mill at Terrigal
Terrigal, New South Wales
Terrigal is a major coastal suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, located east of Gosford on the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the City of Gosford local government area....
via what is now Tramway Road in North Avoca
North Avoca, New South Wales
North Avoca is a south-eastern suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, located between Avoca Beach and Terrigal on the Tasman Sea coast. It is part of the City of Gosford local government area....
.
Residential development in Avoca Beach began during the 20th century, and the area subsequently became a popular holiday retreat with wealthy residents of Sydney's North Shore
North Shore (Sydney)
The North Shore is an informal term used to describe the primarily residential area of northern metropolitan Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The term usually refers to the suburbs located on the north shore of Sydney Harbour between Middle Harbour and the Lane Cove River, up to...
.
A rich history exists in the community groups in this small village with the Avoca Beach Rural Fire Brigade
Avoca Beach Rural Fire Brigade
The Avoca Beach Volunteer Rural Fire Brigade, located on the corner of Avoca Drive and The Round Drive, has been servicing the community of Avoca Beach and those around it for many years...
operating since the 1940s, Avoca Beach Surf Life Saving Club (1929) and the 1st Avoca Beach Surf Cub Scouts being very active in the area.
In February 2010, following the proposal to scuttle
Scuttle
Scuttle may refer to:*Scuttling, the deliberate sinking of one's own ship*Coal scuttle, a bucket-like container for coal*Shaving scuttle, a teapot-like container for hot water*Scuttle, a fictional character in Disney's The Little Mermaid...
the frigate off the beach as a dive wreck in late March, a resident action group was formed to protest against this. The group claims that the wreck will negatively effect surf conditions, tides, and littoral sand drift, and is concerned over the thoroughness of inspection and removal of dangerous materials and chemicals from the former warship, with the chance that marine life and people could be poisoned. An appeal to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal
Administrative Appeals Tribunal
The Administrative Appeals Tribunal is an Australian tribunal which provides for quasi-judicial review of administrative decisions by the Australian federal government. It is not a court and not part of the Australian court hierarchy, however its decisions are subject to review by the Federal...
three days before the planned scuttling date of 27 March led to an postponment of the plan until the residents' claims were investigated. The decision from the Tribunal, in favor of the project going ahead after further cleanup work, was handed down on 15 September 2010, and despite further attempts to delay, Adelaide was scuttled on 13 April 2011.
Demographics
At the ABSAustralian Bureau of Statistics
The Australian Bureau of Statistics is Australia's national statistical agency. It was created as the Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics on 8 December 1905, when the Census and Statistics Act 1905 was given Royal assent. It had its beginnings in section 51 of the Constitution of Australia...
2006 census, Avoca Beach had a population of 4,196 people. This was an increase of 106 people from the 2001 census.
Avoca Beach residents had a median age of 38, compared to the Central Coast average of 40. Median individual incomes in Avoca Beach were above average for the region — $515 per week compared with $407 per week. The 2006 Census reported 1,513 occupied private dwellings, of which 7.8% were non-permanent (caravans, cabins and houseboats), and the median monthly housing loan repayment of $1,720 was well above the regional average of $1,500. In the year to July 2007, Avoca Beach's median house price was $571,250 versus $350,000 for the Central Coast region. In 2008, Avoca Beach was listed as the fourth most expensive place to live in New South Wales, and the sixteenth most expensive in Australia, based on the sale of units
Unit (housing)
A unit is a measure of housing equivalent to the living quarters of one household.In common speech in Australia and New Zealand, the word "unit", when referring to housing, usually means either: an apartment, ;or a villa unit or home unit, where a group of dwellings...
that year.
The population of Avoca Beach is predominantly Australian-born, with some 80.5% of its residents being born in Australia as at the 2006 census. The second most prevalent birthplace was the United Kingdom
Anglo-Celtic Australian
Anglo-Celtic Australian are citizens of Australia with British and/or Irish ancestral origins.-Demography:From the beginning of the colonial era until the mid-20th century, the vast majority of settlers were British or Irish...
at 7.36%, followed by New Zealand, South Africa and Germany. The most popular religious affiliations in descending order in the 2006 census were Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church in Australia
The Catholic Church in Australia is part of the worldwide Catholic Church under the spiritual and administrative leadership of the Pope.Australia is a majority Christian but pluralistic society with no established religion. There are approximately 5.1 million Australian Catholics . Catholicism...
, Anglican
Anglican Church of Australia
The Anglican Church of Australia is a member church of the Anglican Communion. It was previously officially known as the Church of England in Australia and Tasmania...
, no religion, Uniting
Uniting Church in Australia
The Uniting Church in Australia was formed on 22 June 1977 when many congregations of the Methodist Church of Australasia, the Presbyterian Church of Australia and the Congregational Union of Australia came together under the Basis of Union....
.
Clubs
- Avoca Beach Surf Life Saving Club http://www.avocabeachslsc.asn.au/
- Avoca Beach Rugby Club http://www.avocasharks.rugbynet.com.au/
- Avoca Sharks Football Club http://www.avocafc.com/
- 1st Avoca Beach Surf Scouts http://www.avocascouts.com/
- Avoca Boardriders Club http://avocaboardriders.com/
- South Central Coast Bodyboarders Club http://www.sccbclub.com/
- Avoca Beach Rural Fire BrigadeAvoca Beach Rural Fire BrigadeThe Avoca Beach Volunteer Rural Fire Brigade, located on the corner of Avoca Drive and The Round Drive, has been servicing the community of Avoca Beach and those around it for many years...
http://avocafire.info
Education
Avoca Beach has a state primary school, which first opened in 1935. The suburb is within Kincumber High SchoolKincumber High School
Kincumber High School is a medium sized co-educational public high school in the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia. It has a student population of over 1200 students. The school was founded in 1990....
's catchment area.
Politics
At federal level, Avoca Beach is within the Division of RobertsonDivision of Robertson
The Division of Robertson is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of New South Wales. The Division is located on the Central Coast, immediately north of the Hawkesbury River. It encompasses the towns of Woy Woy, Gosford and Terrigal....
, which was won in the 2007 Federal Election by Belinda Neal
Belinda Neal
Belinda Jane Neal , a former Australian federal politician, was a Member of the House of Representatives representing the electorate of Robertson between 2007 and 2010; and representing the state of New South Wales in the Senate from 1994 to 1998, both of behalf of the Australian Labor...
of the Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
, who defeated Liberal
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
incumbent Jim Lloyd
Jim Lloyd
James Eric Lloyd JP , Australian politician, was a Liberal Party of Australia member of the Australian House of Representatives from the March 1996 election until the November 2007 election, representing the Division of Robertson in New South Wales.Born in Sydney, New South Wales, Lloyd was...
on a 7.0% swing. Labor retained the seat in the 2010 Federal Election, and is now represented by Deborah O'Neill
Deborah O'Neill
Deborah Mary O'Neill , an Australian federal politician, is a member of the Australian House of Representatives representing the seat of Robertson, New South Wales for the Australian Labor Party, elected at the 2010 federal election....
.
While Avoca Beach's booth has previously been considered more favourable to the Liberals than the electorate as a whole, the swing to Labor of 6.78% at Avoca Beach in 2007 was consistent with the rest of the electorate.. On a two party preferred basis, there was an additional swing of 2.47% to Labor at the 2010 election.
In the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
, Avoca Beach is within the electorate of Terrigal
Electoral district of Terrigal
Terrigal is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It was contested for the first time at the 2007 election and was won by the former member for Gosford, Chris Hartcher of the Liberal Party of Australia. Hartcher was re-elected at the 2011...
, currently held by Chris Hartcher
Chris Hartcher
Christopher "Chris" Peter Hartcher MP , an Australian politician, is the New South Wales Minister for Resources and Energy, Special Minister of State and Minister for the Central Coast in the O'Farrell-Stoner Liberal/National coalitition government...
of the Liberal Party.
Polling place statistics are presented below from the Avoca Beach polling place in the 2007 federal and state elections as indicated.
External links
- DCP 159 - Character Statement for Avoca (Gosford City Council)
- Artificial Reef Dive (NSW Dept of Lands)