Ulladulla, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Ulladulla is a coastal town in New South Wales
, Australia
in the City of Shoalhaven local government area. It is on the Princes Highway
, about half way between the larger towns of Batemans Bay
to the south and Nowra
to the north and approximately 179 km south of Sydney
. The Ulladulla area is a seven-kilometre stretch of continuous urban residential development from the southern edge of Ulladulla, through the town of Mollymook
, to Narrawallee in the north, terminating at the Narrawallee estuary.
The name Ulladulla is an Aboriginal word meaning "safe harbour". Alternate spellings as Woolladoorh or Ngulla-dulla have been recorded.
The underdeveloped beaches along this stretch are mainly populated by Sydneysiders and Canberrans during holiday periods, although Canberrans largely holiday further south, to Kioloa
and Batemans Bay. The area is largely unknown to Victorian holiday makers, who usually frequent more southerly destinations such as Eden
and Merimbula
.
Ulladulla is surrounded by the adjoining towns of Milton
and Burrill Lake
as well as Mollymook
and Narrawallee. The extended area from Burrill Lake to Milton is referred to as the Milton–Ulladulla area. There are two high schools and three primary schools in the district.
In recent years tourism has brought significant growth to the town including plans for larger shopping and recreation areas, such as the Dunn and Lewis memorial foundation centre being built.
Close landmarks include Pigeon House Mountain
and "The Castle", both named due to the unique shapes of the mountain. Pigeon House was sighted by Captain James Cook upon his journey along the eastern shores of Australia. Pigeon House has recently been renamed "Didhol" out of respect to the elders of the Yuin
nation, the Aboriginal elders past and present who originated from the area Ulladulla was built upon. The traditional name of the peak, Didhol, means Woman's Breast, owing to the mountain's clear resemblance of a woman's breast.
and is characteristically mild without extreme high or low temperatures. Climatic data has been recorded at Ulladulla by the Bureau of Meteorology
since 1989. The mean annual daily maximum temperature is 20.6 °C and the mean annual daily minimum temperature is 13.0 °C. The hottest month is February with a mean maximum temperature of 24.3 °C. The coolest month is July with a mean minimum temperature of 8.8 °C. Mean temperatures are based upon data from 1991 to 2010. Ulladulla has a mean annual rainfall of 1009.6 mm. The wettest month is February with 112.6 mm and the driest is August with 23.6 mm.
.
A wooden jetty was built in 1859 so as to retain the services of the Illawarra Steam Navigation Company
; the company had informed the farmers that would not call again at Ulladulla unless better mooring facilities were provided. After seven years the jetty was replaced by a stone pier built by the government on the natural reef. The company built a store on the harbour foreshores for the receiving of produce for shipment to and from Sydney. There was a weekly cargo service to Ulladulla until the mid 1950s.
In 1873, a lighthouse
was constructed on the harbour breakwater, and it was known at the time as the Ulladulla Lighthouse. In was relocated in 1889 to Warden Head, south of the harbour, where it is still active.
During the mid 1890s, a 4 ft (1220 mm) gauge tramway was laid out to the end of the main stone wharf. Manpower and horses were used to move the low wagons. During the period 1910-11, a double line of track was laid to the end of the pier. Public Works Department records disclose maintenance of track and repair of wagons at least to 1947-48. Almost all trace of the line had gone by 1991.
The harbour is the home port of the largest commercial fishing fleet on the South Coast
of New South Wales.
, Italy, and now continued by the area's descendants of the original Italian
fishing community.
The most significant element of the festival is the actual Blessing of the Fleet ceremony held at Ulladulla harbour on Easter Sunday. The festivities conclude with fireworks display, over Ulladulla harbour on Easter Sunday and the Harbour Markets on Easter Monday.
Although the accompanying celebration was cancelled due to a sharp rise in the public liability premium in 2004 and 2005, the ceremony returned in 2008.
South Coast Line terminates at Bomaderry railway station
, situated approximately 60 km to the north of Ulladulla. There are two daily bus services which stop at Ulladulla and Milton, heading towards Sydney. Premier Motor Service travels to Nowra, Wollongong and Sydney, while Priors Scenic Express travels to Nowra (and Bomaderry), then Bowral, Mittagong and Greater Sydney (Campbelltown, Liverpool and Parramatta)http://www.priorsbus.com.au. Premier Motor Service also travels south to Bega and Melbourne via the Princes Highway.
" made popular by Lucky Starr.
The town gained its first traffic light in the 1990s; one of its most notable landmarks is the Marlin Hotel with its big fluorescent marlin
on the roof, which can be viewed from the sea.
Satirists John Doyle
and Greig Pickhaver
used a fictionalised version of Ulladulla as the setting for the popular radio comedy monologue "This is the South Coast News". Performed by journalist Paul Murphy
, it was a regular segment for several years in the late 1980s and early 1990s in the weekly radio comedy This Sporting Life
and the scripts were later published in book form by the ABC
The motto of Ulladulla, painted on the municipal sign at the entrance of town is: "Ulladulla, where every day is a weekend!"
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...
in the City of Shoalhaven local government area. It is on the Princes Highway
Princes Highway
The Princes Highway extends from Sydney to Port Augusta via the coast through the states of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, a distance of 1941 km or 1898 km via the former alignments of the highway ....
, about half way between the larger towns of Batemans Bay
Batemans Bay, New South Wales
- Media :Radio Stations*East Coast Radio 2EC *Power FM NSW South Coast - POWER FM from Nowra can also be received in parts of Batemans Bay on FM 94.9....
to the south and Nowra
Nowra, New South Wales
Nowra is a city in the South Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. Located SSW and approximately by road south of the state capital of Sydney, it has an estimated population together with its twin-town of Bomaderry of 34,479. It is also the seat and commercial centre of the City of Shoalhaven...
to the north and approximately 179 km south 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...
. The Ulladulla area is a seven-kilometre stretch of continuous urban residential development from the southern edge of Ulladulla, through the town of Mollymook
Mollymook, New South Wales
Mollymook is located on the South Coast of New South Wales, Australia and is part of the Milton–Ulladulla area, which is approximately 3 hours drive south of Sydney. At the 2006 census, Mollymook had a population of 1,054 people. It forms part of a seven kilometre stretch of unbroken urban...
, to Narrawallee in the north, terminating at the Narrawallee estuary.
The name Ulladulla is an Aboriginal word meaning "safe harbour". Alternate spellings as Woolladoorh or Ngulla-dulla have been recorded.
The underdeveloped beaches along this stretch are mainly populated by Sydneysiders and Canberrans during holiday periods, although Canberrans largely holiday further south, to Kioloa
Kioloa, New South Wales
Kioloa is a small hamlet located on the South Coast of New South Wales, Australia. It is pronounced by locals as 'Ky-ola'. At the 2006 census, Kioloa had a population of 196 people....
and Batemans Bay. The area is largely unknown to Victorian holiday makers, who usually frequent more southerly destinations such as Eden
Eden, New South Wales
Eden is a coastal town in the South Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. The town, south of the state capital Sydney near the border with Victoria, is located between Nullica Bay to the south and Calle Calle Bay, the northern reach of Twofold Bay, and built on undulating land adjacent to a...
and Merimbula
Merimbula, New South Wales
Merimbula is a coastal town on the Far South Coast or Sapphire Coast of New South Wales, Australia. At the 2006 census, the population within a 10km radius of the Merimbula Post Office was over 8,775, Merimbula has a town population of 3,851 people...
.
Ulladulla is surrounded by the adjoining towns of Milton
Milton, New South Wales
Milton is a town in the City of Shoalhaven on the South Coast of New South Wales, Australia, not far from Ulladulla. It was founded in the middle of the 19th century...
and Burrill Lake
Burrill Lake, New South Wales
Burrill Lake is a small village in the Shoalhaven area of New South Wales, Australia. A sea side suburb the housing area based around the lake area. Winding streets with park area and many holiday homes, this is a picturesque area to holiday and live....
as well as Mollymook
Mollymook, New South Wales
Mollymook is located on the South Coast of New South Wales, Australia and is part of the Milton–Ulladulla area, which is approximately 3 hours drive south of Sydney. At the 2006 census, Mollymook had a population of 1,054 people. It forms part of a seven kilometre stretch of unbroken urban...
and Narrawallee. The extended area from Burrill Lake to Milton is referred to as the Milton–Ulladulla area. There are two high schools and three primary schools in the district.
In recent years tourism has brought significant growth to the town including plans for larger shopping and recreation areas, such as the Dunn and Lewis memorial foundation centre being built.
Close landmarks include Pigeon House Mountain
Pigeon House Mountain
Pigeon House Mountain is a mountain named by Captain James Cook during his voyage of discovery along Australia's eastern coast in 1770. The prominent remnant of a two tier sandstone structure, the summit rises to 720 m above sea level. Located on the South Coast region of New South Wales within the...
and "The Castle", both named due to the unique shapes of the mountain. Pigeon House was sighted by Captain James Cook upon his journey along the eastern shores of Australia. Pigeon House has recently been renamed "Didhol" out of respect to the elders of the Yuin
Yuin
Yuin people are those Australian Aborigines from the South Coast of New South wales who are considered to be the traditional owners of the land and water from Merimbula to Port Jackson.- Country :...
nation, the Aboriginal elders past and present who originated from the area Ulladulla was built upon. The traditional name of the peak, Didhol, means Woman's Breast, owing to the mountain's clear resemblance of a woman's breast.
Climate
Along with the rest of the NSW South Coast, Ulladulla is located within a temperate climate zone and experiences warm summers and cool winters. The climate is influenced by the warm waters of the adjacent 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...
and is characteristically mild without extreme high or low temperatures. Climatic data has been recorded at Ulladulla by the Bureau of Meteorology
Bureau of Meteorology
The Bureau of Meteorology is an Executive Agency of the Australian Government responsible for providing weather services to Australia and surrounding areas. It was established in 1906 under the Meteorology Act, and brought together the state meteorological services that existed before then...
since 1989. The mean annual daily maximum temperature is 20.6 °C and the mean annual daily minimum temperature is 13.0 °C. The hottest month is February with a mean maximum temperature of 24.3 °C. The coolest month is July with a mean minimum temperature of 8.8 °C. Mean temperatures are based upon data from 1991 to 2010. Ulladulla has a mean annual rainfall of 1009.6 mm. The wettest month is February with 112.6 mm and the driest is August with 23.6 mm.
Ulladulla Harbour
Ulladulla Harbour is a minor port administered by Land and Property Management AuthorityLand and Property Management Authority
The News South Wales Land and Property Information, a division of the Department of Finance and Services in the Government of New South Wales, is responsible for land titles, property information, valuation, surveying, and mappping and spatial information in New South Wales.The division is led by...
.
A wooden jetty was built in 1859 so as to retain the services of the Illawarra Steam Navigation Company
Illawarra Steam Navigation Company
The Illawarra Steam Navigation Company was a shipping company that serviced the south coast of New South Wales, Australia from 1858 to the early 1950s...
; the company had informed the farmers that would not call again at Ulladulla unless better mooring facilities were provided. After seven years the jetty was replaced by a stone pier built by the government on the natural reef. The company built a store on the harbour foreshores for the receiving of produce for shipment to and from Sydney. There was a weekly cargo service to Ulladulla until the mid 1950s.
In 1873, a lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
was constructed on the harbour breakwater, and it was known at the time as the Ulladulla Lighthouse. In was relocated in 1889 to Warden Head, south of the harbour, where it is still active.
During the mid 1890s, a 4 ft (1220 mm) gauge tramway was laid out to the end of the main stone wharf. Manpower and horses were used to move the low wagons. During the period 1910-11, a double line of track was laid to the end of the pier. Public Works Department records disclose maintenance of track and repair of wagons at least to 1947-48. Almost all trace of the line had gone by 1991.
The harbour is the home port of the largest commercial fishing fleet on the South Coast
South Coast, New South Wales
The South Coast refers to the narrow coastal belt from Sydney in the north to the border with Victoria in the south in the south-eastern part of the State of New South Wales, Australia. It is bordered to the west by the coastal escarpment of the Southern Tablelands, which is largely covered by a...
of New South Wales.
Blessing of the Fleet Festival
The Blessing of the Fleet festival is held annually at Easter since 1956. This is a centuries old tradition which originated in SicilySicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, Italy, and now continued by the area's descendants of the original Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
fishing community.
The most significant element of the festival is the actual Blessing of the Fleet ceremony held at Ulladulla harbour on Easter Sunday. The festivities conclude with fireworks display, over Ulladulla harbour on Easter Sunday and the Harbour Markets on Easter Monday.
Although the accompanying celebration was cancelled due to a sharp rise in the public liability premium in 2004 and 2005, the ceremony returned in 2008.
Public transport
The CityRailCityRail
CityRail is an operating brand of RailCorp, a corporation owned by the state government of New South Wales, Australia. It is responsible for providing commuter rail services, and some coach services, in and around Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong, the three largest cities of New South Wales. It is...
South Coast Line terminates at Bomaderry railway station
Bomaderry (Nowra) railway station, New South Wales
-Transport links:Nowra Coaches:*724 - to Shoalhaven University.*732 - to Basin View.*733 - to Wreck Bay.Culburra Coaches:*729 - to Orient Point.Kennedys Bus Service:*728 - to Greenwell Point.*809/10 - to Moss Vale....
, situated approximately 60 km to the north of Ulladulla. There are two daily bus services which stop at Ulladulla and Milton, heading towards Sydney. Premier Motor Service travels to Nowra, Wollongong and Sydney, while Priors Scenic Express travels to Nowra (and Bomaderry), then Bowral, Mittagong and Greater Sydney (Campbelltown, Liverpool and Parramatta)http://www.priorsbus.com.au. Premier Motor Service also travels south to Bega and Melbourne via the Princes Highway.
Trivia
Ulladulla is mentioned in the lyric of the Australian version of "I've Been EverywhereI've Been Everywhere
The song "I've Been Everywhere" was written by Geoff Mack in 1959 and made popular by the singer Lucky Starr in 1962.The song listed Australian towns...
" made popular by Lucky Starr.
The town gained its first traffic light in the 1990s; one of its most notable landmarks is the Marlin Hotel with its big fluorescent marlin
Marlin
Marlin, family Istiophoridae, are fish with an elongated body, a spear-like snout or bill, and a long rigid dorsal fin, which extends forward to form a crest. Its common name is thought to derive from its resemblance to a sailor's marlinspike...
on the roof, which can be viewed from the sea.
Satirists John Doyle
John Doyle (comedian)
John Partick Doyle AM is an award-winning Australian actor, writer, radio presenter and comedian.-Early life:Doyle was born in Lithgow, New South Wales in 1953 into a music-loving, Catholic household with three sisters and a brother. His mother was a business woman and father a railway fettler...
and Greig Pickhaver
Greig Pickhaver
alt=Greig Pickhaver|thumb|In May 2010Greig Pickhaver AM is an actor, comedian and writer, who forms one half of the Australian sports comedy duo Roy and HG...
used a fictionalised version of Ulladulla as the setting for the popular radio comedy monologue "This is the South Coast News". Performed by journalist Paul Murphy
Paul Murphy
Paul Murphy may refer to:* Paul Murphy , Australian political journalist.* Paul Murphy , award-winning Australian cinematographer* Paul Murphy , American jazz drummer...
, it was a regular segment for several years in the late 1980s and early 1990s in the weekly radio comedy This Sporting Life
This Sporting Life (radio program)
This Sporting Life was a culturally iconic Triple J radio comedy programme, created by award-winning actor-writer-comedians John Doyle and Greig Pickhaver, who performed as their characters Roy and HG. Broadcast from 1986 to 2008, it was one of the longest-running, most popular and most successful...
and the scripts were later published in book form by the ABC
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
The motto of Ulladulla, painted on the municipal sign at the entrance of town is: "Ulladulla, where every day is a weekend!"