Bellambi, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Bellambi is a suburb of Wollongong
in the Illawarra
region of New South Wales
, Australia
. It has a station
(opened 1889) on the CityRail
South Coast line
.
Bellambi is situated directly north of Corrimal
and east of Russell Vale
. It has a beach, Bellambi Beach, on the Wollongong to Thirroul Bike Track
.
Bellambi lies on the flat northern Illawarra coastal plain, with views of the escarpment
to the west, one of note being Broker's Nose
, 440 metres high. To the east is Bellambi Beach and a creek inlet in a reserve, and to the south of the inlet is Bellambi Harbour and Bellambi Point.
The original jetty was constructed in 1858. On the 28th of August, 1862, a telegraph line was constructed between Wollongong and Bellambi. In 1863 a second jetty was built at the harbour. In 1887 a new jetty was constructed at Bellambi Bay. In 1927 the Bellambi Mines Rescue Station was established. The public school was opened in 1957. In 1965 the rock pool was under construction.
At Bellambi Point is Bellambi Lagoon Reserve, a protected reserve area in which are the lagoon and small islands of that name, mostly forested in swamp oaks (casuarina
), coastal sclerophyll
and saltmarsh. A small hill rises to about ten metres and has recently been fenced off due to erosion. This was a site of sand mining for some time. The site contains dune and wetland vegetation communities, a number of rare plant species and is an important habitat with more than 50 bird species using the site including a pair of White Breasted Sea Eagles. There is also significant Indigenous heritage in the area with numerous middens on the site. There has been an active Bushcare group at the site since 2003.
Wollongong, New South Wales
Wollongong is a seaside city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. It lies on the narrow coastal strip between the Illawarra Escarpment and the Pacific Ocean, 82 kilometres south of Sydney...
in the Illawarra
Illawarra
Illawarra is a region in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is a coastal region situated immediately south of Sydney and north of the Shoalhaven or South Coast region. It encompasses the cities of Wollongong, Shellharbour, Shoalhaven and the town of Kiama. The central region contains Lake...
region of New South Wales
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...
. It has a station
Bellambi railway station, New South Wales
-Transport links:Premier Illawarra runs one route via Bellambi railway station:*7 - Wollongong Loop.-Neighbouring Stations:...
(opened 1889) on the CityRail
CityRail
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
South Coast railway line, New South Wales
The South Coast Line is in the intercity region of Sydney's CityRail services. It serves the coastal region to the south of the Sydney metropolitan area including the Illawarra region, most notably the regional city of Wollongong, and extended services reach as far as Nowra in Shoalhaven.- Line...
.
Bellambi is situated directly north of Corrimal
Corrimal, New South Wales
Corrimal is a northern suburb of the city of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. Corrimal's CBD is situated on the Princes Highway, and several streets adjacent to it. The main shopping centres are Stockland Corrimal and Corrimal Park Mall next to the park on the highway. Outside this centre is...
and east of Russell Vale
Russell Vale
Russell Vale is a small suburb of Wollongong in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. It straddles the Princes Highway. The suburb is suggested to have been named after the son of Francis Peter MacCabe, Russell, who died from an accident, but is more widely thought that Russell Vale...
. It has a beach, Bellambi Beach, on the Wollongong to Thirroul Bike Track
Wollongong to Thirroul Bike Track
The Wollongong to Thirroul Bike Track is a walking, jogging and bicycle track running from Wollongong City to Thirroul, a northern suburb of Wollongong, in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia....
.
Bellambi lies on the flat northern Illawarra coastal plain, with views of the escarpment
Illawarra escarpment
The Illawarra Escarpment is the fold created cliffs and plateau eroded outcrop mountain range west of the Illawarra coastal plain south of Sydney, Australia, enclosing the region known as the Illawarra which stretches from Stanwell Park in the north to Kiama, Gerringong and the Shoalhaven river in...
to the west, one of note being Broker's Nose
Broker's Nose
Brokers Nose or Mount Corrimal is the name of an outcrop of the Illawarra Escarpment west of Corrimal, New South Wales. Its summit is 440 metres above sea level and there is a television transmission tower atop it...
, 440 metres high. To the east is Bellambi Beach and a creek inlet in a reserve, and to the south of the inlet is Bellambi Harbour and Bellambi Point.
The original jetty was constructed in 1858. On the 28th of August, 1862, a telegraph line was constructed between Wollongong and Bellambi. In 1863 a second jetty was built at the harbour. In 1887 a new jetty was constructed at Bellambi Bay. In 1927 the Bellambi Mines Rescue Station was established. The public school was opened in 1957. In 1965 the rock pool was under construction.
At Bellambi Point is Bellambi Lagoon Reserve, a protected reserve area in which are the lagoon and small islands of that name, mostly forested in swamp oaks (casuarina
Casuarina
Casuarina is a genus of 17 species in the family Casuarinaceae, native to Australasia, southeast Asia, and islands of the western Pacific Ocean. It was once treated as the sole genus in the family, but has been split into three genera .They are evergreen shrubs and trees growing to 35 m tall...
), coastal sclerophyll
Eucalypt
Eucalypts are woody plants belonging to three closely related genera:Eucalyptus, Corymbia and Angophora.In 1995 new evidence, largely genetic, indicated that some prominent Eucalyptus species were actually more closely related to Angophora than to the other eucalypts; they were split off into the...
and saltmarsh. A small hill rises to about ten metres and has recently been fenced off due to erosion. This was a site of sand mining for some time. The site contains dune and wetland vegetation communities, a number of rare plant species and is an important habitat with more than 50 bird species using the site including a pair of White Breasted Sea Eagles. There is also significant Indigenous heritage in the area with numerous middens on the site. There has been an active Bushcare group at the site since 2003.