Coffs Harbour, New South Wales - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

History

By the early 1900s, the Coffs Harbour area had become an important timber production centre. Before the opening of the North Coast Railway Line, the only way to transport large items of heavy but low value, such as timber, was by coastal shipping. This meant sawmillers on the North Coast were dependent on jetties either in rivers or off beaches for exporting their timber. Timber tramways were constructed to connect the timber-getting areas, the sawmills and jetties built into the ocean at Coffs Harbour.

Name

Coffs Harbour owes its name to John Korff, who named the area Korff's Harbour when he was forced to take shelter from storm in the area in 1847. Its name was accidentally changed by the surveyor for the crown when he reserved land in the area during 1861.

Attractions

Coffs Harbour is the hub for a thriving banana industry. One of the biggest attractions is the Big Banana

Big Banana

The Big Banana is a tourist attraction in the city of Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia, featuring a large walk-through banana. Banana-related products are shown or sold, and the grounds of the building are a banana plantation, a souvenir shop and restaurant...

, the first of Australia's Big Things

Australia's Big Things

The Big Things of Australia are a loosely related set of large structures or sculptures. There are estimated to be over 150 such objects around the country, the first being the Big Scotsman in Medindie, Adelaide, which was built in 1963....

(it celebrated its 40th birthday in 2005), with the World's Largest Banana celebrating the region's best known export. There is also a popular underwater diving

Diving

Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...

spot on a small natural reef

Reef

In nautical terminology, a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water ....

.

The Coffs Harbour Jetty is an historically important timber wharf where coastal shipping once moved the timber from the hinterland. The jetty area is the subject of current planning by Council and consultants to develop a cultural precinct and rejuvenated residential area.

Nearby, the Solitary Islands Marine Park preserves a diverse underwater ecosystem that mirrors the terrestrial biodiversity, covering the southern limit of northern tropical species and the northern limits of the southern temperate species. Directly out to sea from Coffs Harbour adjacent to the human engineered breakwater

Breakwater (structure)

Breakwaters are structures constructed on coasts as part of coastal defence or to protect an anchorage from the effects of weather and longshore drift.-Purposes of breakwaters:...

is Muttonbird Island. The island is a nature reserve protecting a significant Wedge-tailed Shearwater

Wedge-tailed Shearwater

The Wedge-tailed Shearwater, Puffinus pacificus is a medium-large shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae. It is one of the shearwater species that is sometimes referred to as a Muttonbird, like the Sooty Shearwater of New Zealand and the Short-tailed Shearwater of Australia...

breeding site.

There are many national parks, reserves and marine parks surrounding the city, including:

Bellinger River National Park
Bellinger River National Park
Bellinger River National Park is a national park in New South Wales, Australia, about 410 km north of Sydney. The main feature of the park is the Bellinger River and the unspoilt forests on its upper reaches....

(west of Bellingen in the Bellinger headwaters)
Bindarri National Park
Bindarri National Park
Bindarri National Park is a national park in New South Wales, Australia, 431 km northeast of Sydney.-External Links:*...

(20 km west of the city, near Ulong and Dairyville)
Bongil Bongil National Park
Bongil Bongil National Park
Bongil Bongil National Park is a national park in New South Wales, Australia, 427 km northeast of Sydney....

(south of Sawtell)
Cascade National Park
Cascade National Park
Cascade is a national park in New South Wales, Australia, 431 km northeast of Sydney.Cascade National Park is a beautiful subtropical and warm temperate rainforest, including booyong, crab apple and coach wood trees, surrounding the village of Cascade....

(north of Dorrigo)
Coffs Coast Regional Park (beachside reserves and parks along the Coffs Coast)
Dorrigo National Park
Dorrigo National Park
Dorrigo National Park is a national park in New South Wales , 580 km north of Sydney on Dome Road off the Waterfall Way, 5 km east of the town of Dorrigo....

(just south of the Dorrigo township)
Hayden Dent Nature Reserve (northwest of Coffs Harbour)
Junuy Juluum National Park
Junuy Juluum National Park
Junuy Juluum is a national park in New South Wales, Australia, 424 km northeast of Sydney.-External links:*...

(north of Dorrigo)
Moonee Beach Nature Reserve (Moonee Beach-Emerald Beach)
Nymboi-Binderay National Park
Nymboi-Binderay National Park
Nymboi-Binderay is a national park in New South Wales, Australia, 444 km north of Sydney. It is located north of the town of Dorrigo.This park surrounds the granite gorges and banks of the rugged Nymboida River. The Nymboida rapids are used by white water rafters. The park also contains...

(north of Dorrigo, east of Glenreigh, on the Nymboida River)
Solitary Islands Marine Park (in the Tasman Sea from Coffs Harbour to Wooli)
South Solitary Island (18 km NE from Coffs Harbour in the Marine Park)
Ulidarra National Park
Ulidarra National Park
Ulidarra is a national park in New South Wales, Australia, 442 km northeast of Sydney....

(Bruxner Park and Mount Coramba area)
Yuraygir National Park
Yuraygir National Park
Yuraygir is a national park in New South Wales, Australia, 482 km northeast of Sydney....

(stretching from Yamba to Red Rock and west along the Coast Range)

The town's water supply comes from the nearby Orara River

Orara River

The Orara River is a significant tributary of the Clarence River, located in northern New South Wales, Australia.The river begins in the hills behind the city of Coffs Harbour and runs in a general north-westerly direction for approximately 100 kilometres to the Clarence River at Eatonsville,...

at Cochranes Pool and the city hosts the Coffs Harbour Regional Botanic Garden.

Education

Coffs Harbour is home to the Coffs Harbour Education Campus (CHEC), a unique concept which is a partnership between the Southern Cross University

Southern Cross University

Southern Cross University is a university based on the North and Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia. It is a regional University with more than 14,000 students. The University's primary campus is in Lismore, with other campuses located at Coffs Harbour and Tweed Heads.The University is...

, TAFE and the Coffs Harbour Senior College

Coffs Harbour Senior College

Coffs Harbour Senior College is an Australian school in Coffs Harbour, New South Wales. Located several kilometers south of Coffs Harbour on Hogbin Drive, it is in an area which is becoming the centre of population distribution for the greater Coffs Harbour area. The college is a partner with TAFE...

.
Other universities include the University of New South Wales Rural Clinical School located on the Coffs Harbour Health Campus.
Local state and private high schools include Coffs Harbour, Woolgoolga

Woolgoolga High School

Woolgoolga High School is a comprehensive, co-educational school in Woolgoolga, New South Wales, Australia. It is located within the North Coast region. Woolgoolga High School was constructed in 1981 as a replacement for Woolgoolga Central School, which has since become Woolgoolga Primary School.-...

, Orara

Orara High School

Orara High School, is a secondary school located in Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia. On 12 November 1969, approval was given for a new high school to be built on Joyce street. In August 1970, positions at the new school were advertised. In 1972, Orara High opened at its present Joyce...

, Toormina, John Paul College

John Paul College (New South Wales)

John Paul College is a private secondary school located in Coffs Harbour, New South Wales. The college has strong Catholic roots, being named after the late Pope John Paul the Second....

, Coffs Harbour Christian Community, Bishop Druitt College

Bishop Druitt College

Bishop Druitt College, or BDC, is a private Anglican school located in southwest Coffs Harbour. It consists of a primary, middle school and senior school section .-Background:...

and the Coffs Harbour Senior College.

Libraries and Cultural Facilities

Libraries

Coffs Harbour City Library and Information Service – with branches at Coffs Harbour, Toormina and Woolgoolga
Coffs Harbour Education Campus Library
Family History Library – Rose Avenue

Museums

Coffs Harbour Regional Museum

Galleries

Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery
Bunker Cartoon Gallery

Theatres

Jetty Memorial Theatre

Churches

Life House Orlando Street
Presbyterian Church High Street
Baptist Church Cnr High & Cura
Bible Church
Uniting Church Vernon Street
Church of Christ
Seventh Day Adventist
Abundant Life

Bypass

Although the Pacific Highway

Pacific Highway (Australia)

The Pacific Highway is a major transport route along part of the east coast of Australia and is part of Australia's national route 1.It is 960 km long and links Sydney, the capital of New South Wales, to Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, along the coast, via Gosford, Newcastle, Taree, Port...

cuts through the centre of the city, much attention has recently been focused on obtaining state government commitment to determining the routes of proposed highway deviations at a number of places including Bonville, the North Boambee Valley to the west of Coffs Harbour and north of Arrawarra to Wells Crossing.

Newspapers

The Coffs Coast Advocate – Daily newspaper, printed Monday to Saturday. Wednesday and Saturday editions delivered free to all homes, other days available by subscription. An online index of articles between 1993–2004 and selected articles dating back to 1900 is maintained by the Coffs Harbour City Library, thought only articles relating to Coffs Harbour and its people are indexed.
Coffs Coast Independent – Weekly full colour newspaper delivered free each Thursday to all homes in the Coffs Harbour district.

Commercial

2CS FM 106.3 – Converted from AM 639. Macquarie Southern Cross Radio network shows from Hobart, Gold Coast and Albury; the rest of the time it is an "Adult Hits" station.
Star FM 105.1/105.5 – Hot AC station that is networked. Commenced in 1997 as a third commercial license for the Coffs Coast.
2HC 639 AM – Music, news, talk format. Part of the Broadcast Operations Group's Super Network continuously relaying programs from 2SM
2SM
2SM is an Australian radio station, licensed to and serving Sydney, New South Wales, broadcasting on 1269 kilohertz on the AM band. It is owned and operated by Broadcast Operations Group...

in Sydney except for the Steve Price Morning Show from between 9 am and 11 am which comes from 2UE
2UE
2UE is a commercial radio station in Sydney, Australia owned by Fairfax Media. It is Sydney's and Australia's oldest commercial radio station, first broadcasting on 26 January 1925 on 1025 kHz AM before moving to 950 kHz in 1935 when virtually all Australian radio stations were assigned new...

. The station was purchased by Bill Caralis in 2005.

Government

Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...

91.5 FM
Radio National
Radio National
ABC Radio National is an Australia-wide non-commercial radio network run by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.Radio National broadcasts national programming in areas that include news and current affairs, the arts, social issues, science, drama and comedy...

99.5 FM
Classic FM 97.9 FM
ABC Coffs Coast
ABC Coffs Coast
ABC Coffs Coast is an ABC Local Radio station based in Coffs Harbour and broadcasting to the Coffs Coast region in New South Wales, Australia....

Bus

Busways, Sawtell Coaches, and Ryans Bus Service all run service throughout Coffs Harbour and the surrounding areas. The various coach services which run along the east coast also stop at Coffs Harbour.

Ryans Bus Service runs frequent buses to the northern suburbs of Coffs Harbour and some less frequent services to Grafton.

Train

Coffs Harbour is serviced by Countrylink

CountryLink

CountryLink is the operator of passenger rail services in country New South Wales, Australia and into Queensland and Victoria. It is an operating brand of the Rail Corporation New South Wales, a government-owned entity...

Railway Services. Three northbound and three southbound XPT trains stop at Coffs Harbour Railway Station

Coffs Harbour railway station, New South Wales

Coffs Harbour Railway Station is the railway station serving the city of Coffs Harbour in New South Wales, Australia. It lies on the North Coast Line between Sydney and Brisbane. The station opened on 30 August 1915. The station is located in Angus Place in the east of the city near the coastline...

each day.

Air travel

Coffs Harbour Airport

-Statistics:The airport currently handles over 26,000 aircraft movements per annum, 5,000 of which are for passenger aircraft.-Operations:-Incidents and accidents:...

is regularly serviced by Qantas, Virgin Australia, and Brindabella Airlines

Brindabella Airlines

Brindabella Airlines Pty Ltd is a regional airline based in Canberra, Australia. It is a Qantas affiliate airline operating a small regional network. Its main base is Canberra International Airport.- History :...

. The passenger terminal is accessible via Hogbin Drive.

The Coffs Harbour Aero Club on Aviation Drive supports private pilots. Flying lessons and discovery flights, as well as airwork/charter flights are available from the club, which is also working closely with local high schools to provide flying training for students.

Flying lessons and discovery flights, as well as airwork/charter flights are available from Coffs Coast Aviation Centre, which is also working closely with local high schools to provide flying training for students.

Sport

The city has 4 clubs in the Country Rugby League of NSW's Group 2

Group 2 Rugby League

Group 2 is a rugby league competition on the north coast of New South Wales, run under the auspices of the Country Rugby League. The Group 2 area runs from Woolgoolga in the north to Port Macquarie in the south.-Teams:...

rugby league

Rugby league

Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...

competition; Coffs Harbour Comets, Sawtell Panthers, Woolgoolga Seahorses, and Orara Valley Axeman. All clubs offer entries in age groups ranging from under 7s to first grade. The Sawtell Panthers are the current champions in first grade and under 18s, and Woolgoolga Seahorses were runners up to the Port Macquarie Sharks in reserve grade.

There is a local Australian Rules football competition with 3 clubs in the city; Coffs Swans, North Coffs Kangaroos, Sawtell Saints.

There is also a men's and women's association football league

North Coast Football

North Coast Football is an association football competition on the north coast of New South Wales extending from Iluka in the north to Macksville in the south. The association was established in its current form in 2005, having previously been known as the separate entities of Holiday Coast Soccer...

, a rugby union club (Coffs Harlequins), junior and senior basketball competitions and the representative Coffs Suns, field hockey and netball competitions.

In 2001, Coffs Harbour hosted the Oceania region's qualification matches for the 2002 FIFA World Cup

2002 FIFA World Cup

The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...

. One these matches played at Coffs Harbour was the Australia 31-0 American Samoa

Australia 31-0 American Samoa

On April 11, 2001, the Australian and American Samoa national football teams faced each other in a qualifying match for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. The match was played at the International Sports Stadium in Coffs Harbour, Australia. Australia set a world record for the largest victory in an...

game, which set a new world record for international association football's biggest ever win.

Pacific Bay Resort hosted 'Camp Wallaby' throughout the 2000s, in which the ARU Wallabies called Coffs Harbour home.

The 2007 City vs Country Rugby League representative fixture was held in Coffs Harbour.
The city is home to the BCU International Stadium

BCU International Stadium

BCU International Stadium is an Australian stadium located in the coastal city of Coffs Harbour, New South Wales....

, which has hosted FIFA World Cup Qualifiers

2002 FIFA World Cup qualification (OFC)

Listed below are the dates and results for the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the Oceanian zone . For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification....

and a Women's 2008 Beijing Olympics Qualification fixtures for the Matildas in football as well as some NRL pre-season fixtures and domestic one day cricket

Cricket

Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...

matches. Coffs Harbour is also known for a great place to skydive due to the hinterland views where The Great Dividing Range meets the sea.

From 2011, Coffs Harbour will host the Australian round of the FIA World Rally Championship

World Rally Championship

The World Rally Championship is a rallying series organised by the FIA, culminating with a champion driver and manufacturer. The driver's world championship and manufacturer's world championship are separate championships, but based on the same point system. The series currently consists of 13...

with Rally Australia

Rally Australia

Rally Australia is an automobile rally event which was held in and around Perth, Western Australia from 1988 until 2006, when that state's tourism commission severed its collaboration with the event. The rally was part of the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship in 1988 and the World Rally Championship...

. The region has hosted international rallying through the 1970's through to the early 1980's. After that time, the events became part of the Australian Rally Championship

Australian Rally Championship

The Australian Rally Championship is a 6 Round National motorsport Championship run in forested countryside throughout Australia.-Current Competition:...

and NSW Rally Championships. In 2010, it was announced that Coffs Harbour will be the host city for 2011 Rally Australia, using roads from the neighbouring Bellingen

Bellingen, New South Wales

Bellingen is a small town on Waterfall Way on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia. It is approximately halfway between the major Australian cities of Sydney and Brisbane...

, Clarence Valley and Nambucca

Nambucca

Nambucca Shire is a Local Government Area on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia. It is on the Pacific Highway and the North Coast railway line.In 2006, the Shire had a population density of...

Shires in addition to Coffs Harbour. 101 cars have been entered for this event, based at Coffs Harbour Airport.

Coffs Coast residents

Russell Crowe
Russell Crowe
Russell Ira Crowe is a New Zealander Australian actor , film producer and musician. He came to international attention for his role as Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 historical epic film Gladiator, directed by Ridley Scott, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor, a...

– Oscar winning actor
Andrew Farrar
Andrew Farrar
Andrew Farrar is an Australian former rugby league footballer and coach. He played for the Canterbury Bulldogs, Western Suburbs Magpies, Wigan Warriors and Illawarra Steelers. Farrar also played for New South Wales in the State of Origin on several occasions and played for Australia in the 1988...

– rugby league footballer and coach
Kevin Gordon
Kevin Gordon
Kevin Gordon is an Australian professional rugby league player for the Gold Coast Titans in the National Rugby League...

– rugby league footballer
Clint Greenshields
Clint Greenshields
Clint Greenshields is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Catalans Dragons of Super League, having previously played for the St George Illawarra Dragons of the National Rugby League...

– rugby league footballer
David Helfgott
David Helfgott
David Helfgott is an Australian concert pianist. He is as well known for having schizoaffective disorder as he is for his piano playing. Helfgott's life inspired the Oscar-winning film Shine, in which he was played by Geoffrey Rush....

– concert pianist
Tamara Jaber
Tamara Jaber
Tamara Jaber , is an Australian pop singer-songwriter who rose to fame as a member of pop group, Scandal'us. She is also a former member of pop duo Scarlett Belle.- Early life :...

– singer, of pop group Scandal'us
Scandal'us
Scandal'us were the winners of the Australian Popstars 2 in 2001 . They won an ARIA Award for the No. 1 debut single "Me Myself & I". Their second and final single, "Make Me Crazy", only reached No. 30. Their debut album, Startin' Somethin, debuted and peaked at No...
Deborah Knight
Deborah Knight
Deborah Knight, is an Australian journalist and news presenter.Knight is currently news presenter on Weekend Today and Monday & Friday news presenter on Today.-Career:...

– newsreader
Emma Moffatt
Emma Moffatt
Emma Moffatt is an Australian professional triathlete. She won a bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, and won the gold at the ITU Triathlon World Championships in 2009 and 2010. She was born in Moree, New South Wales....

– World Triathlete Champion and Beijing Olympic Bronze medallist
Sean Murray – actor, most famous for playing Timothy McGee
Timothy McGee
Timothy "Tim" McGee is a fictional character from the CBS television series NCIS. He is portrayed by Sean Murray. Timothy McGee is a special agent investigating crime in this police procedural show...

on American crime drama NCIS
NCIS (TV series)
NCIS, formerly known as NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, is an American police procedural drama television series revolving around a fictional team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which conducts criminal investigations involving the U.S...
George Negus
George Negus
George Edward Negus is an Australian author, journalist, and television presenter. He previously presented 6:30 with George Negus on Network Ten, until it was axed by the Network on 19 October 2011.-Education:...

– author, journalist, and television presenter
Jack Thompson
Jack Thompson (actor)
Jack Thompson, AM is an Australian actor and one of the major figures of Australian cinema. He was educated at University of Queensland, before embarking on his acting career. In 2002, he was made an honorary member of the Australian Cinematographers Society...

– AFI award
Australian Film Institute Awards
The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Award, known as the AACTA Award , is an accolade presented annually by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts . The awards recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry and television industry, including directors,...

winning actor

Annual events

National Touch League
National Touch League
The National Touch League is the peak domestic competition for the sport of Touch Football in Australia. The annual four day competition allows 13 regional permits from across Australia to compete in 12 Divisions including Opens, Mixed and Senior categories...

(March)
Coffs Coast International Buskers Festival (October)

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.