Gerringong, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Gerringong is a town located about 10 minutes south of Kiama
in the Illawarra region of New South Wales
, Australia
in the Municipality of Kiama. At the 2006 census
, Gerringong had a population of 3,588 people.One theory says that the name derives from an Aboriginal word meaning "fearful place"
Supposedly great fear was caused to tribes there by the sight of Captain Cook's ship in full sail. There are other theories as to the meaning of the name.
In 1824, Governor Brisbane
reserved 600 acres (2.4 km²) for the present Gerringong township. In 1827 Michael Hindmarsh and his family were granted 640 acres (2.6 km²) and became the first settler in the Gerringong area. In 1829 Gerringong was incorporated into the postal
system. Alne Bank homestead was built in 1851 for the Hindmarshes, who still live there today and occasionally open it for inspection.
In 1854, a town plan for Gerringong was approved and the Governor proclaimed it a village. In 1872 the business area, Church of England
church and some houses were destroyed by a bush fire. In 1893 the South Coast railway line
was extended to Gerringong, leading to the end of shipping from the town. Telephone services were extended to Gerringong in 1913 and electricity in 1928.
In 1933 Sir Charles Kingsford Smith
undertook his historic flight from nearby Seven Mile Beach to New Zealand
. A memorial stone at Gerroa
marks the event.
In 1954 Gerringong Municipal District amalgamated with Kiama Municipal Council. The town water supply was connected in 1971, signalling an end to tanks attached to each house. This is highly controversial now that NSW is in deep drought (as of 2005) and water from the dam catchment areas is in scarce supply. Land along the coastal fringe tends to receive higher rainfall than the interior water catchment areas, which are often in rainshadow. In 2002, the town sewerage system was connected.
and Canberra
, others enjoy the seaside lifestyle but commute to work in Wollongong
or Nowra
and even Sydney
. The main local industries are agriculture (including dairying and vineyards), tourism and retail trade.
The town has a modern primary school, a town hall (built 1948), a large retirement village and a thriving tourist industry. Especially in the summer months, when visitors (mostly from Sydney
and Canberra
) flock to the pristine beaches, to enjoy swimming, surfing, fishing and relaxing in the restaurants and cafés plus hunting for treasures in the shops and boutiques. There are two vineyards producing award-winning wines, one with cellar-door sales.
Gerringong railway station
is served by a CityRail
diesel train, connecting with electric trains to Sydney
at Kiama. Local bus companies connect Gerringong to Kiama and Nowra on a daily basis, and interstate buses connect it with Sydney
and Melbourne
and all stops in between.
The Gerringong and District Historical Society runs the Heritage Museum, containing lots of fascinating items, scale models of buildings, a photographic record of motor racing on Seven Mile Beach in the 1920s, and a display on the local dairying industry. The Society has a facility to do genealogy computer searches of a full database of Pioneer Family descendants, and also Birth, Death and Marriage records relating to the Gerringong area.
The boundaries of the Gerringong District range from Mount Pleasant and Omega in the north, to Rose Valley, Willow Vale
and Foxground
in the west, and to Broughton Village, Toolijooa
, Harley Hill, Gerroa
and Seven Mile Beach
in the south. In the centre of the area lies the town of Gerringong itself, and the nearby area of Werri Beach.
Gerringong is known as "Where the Mountains Meet the Sea" due to an advertising campaign. A spur of Saddleback Mountain
reaches down to Mt Pleasant to the north of Gerringong township, ending the spectacular Illawarra escarpment, which starts north of Wollongong
. The area is famous for its picturesque coastline, incorporating rugged sea cliffs, pristine golden beaches surrounded by rolling hills and countryside, which stays velvety green year-round.
The Princes Highway
bypasses Gerringong township on its western edge, with two exits, one at Fern St and another at Belinda Street, 2 km further south. Gerringong and Werri Beach used to be two separate localities, but they have now grown together without any definitive boundary.
Werri Lagoon, which (sometimes) empties to the sea at the northern end of Werri Beach, used to naturally exit near the Gerringong Surf Club at the south end... until human intervention occurred in the 1960s. Bridges Road used to be access to a bridge which provided access to Werri Beach. More often that not nowadays, the lagoon is isolated from the sea by a sandspit which has to be opened by mechanical means to allow it to drain after high rainfall or lengthy periods of closure, which results in stagnation
and pollution
. When extra high tides occur, the water still washes over Pacific Avenue at the south end, where the lagoon used to empty in the ocean. when it is opened by the council the locals surf and body board the standing wave that the outward rushing water produces.
Werri Lagoon is now part of the Kiama Coast Walk, which stretches from Loves Bay, north of Kiama, to Werri Lagoon. The walking track extends for six kilometres and took eleven years to prepare and construct. It opened in October, 2009.
Gerringong's Boatharbour, was extensively used for shipping timber and dairy produce in the 19th century. At one time a lengthy jetty existed, but it was destroyed in fierce storms in 1891. It was never rebuilt.
Gerringong's geology is basically basalt
, emplaced in the Permian period.
(Köppen climate classification
Cfb) typical of southern and central New South Wales with warm summers and mild winters. Rainfall is spread relatively evenly throughout the year with the wettest months being in autumn and the driest in spring.
currently Gareth Ward. The area is represented by the Federal Member for Gilmore
, currently Joanna Gash
.
Kiama, New South Wales
-Transport:The town is served by Kiama Station on the South Coast Line. It is served by road in the form of the Princes Highway and the Kiama Bypass.-Attractions:...
in the Illawarra 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...
in the Municipality of Kiama. At the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, Gerringong had a population of 3,588 people.One theory says that the name derives from an Aboriginal word meaning "fearful place"
Supposedly great fear was caused to tribes there by the sight of Captain Cook's ship in full sail. There are other theories as to the meaning of the name.
History
The first European settlers were red cedar cutters, who were first recorded as having visited and logged in the area in 1814. As in much of coastal New South Wales, the cleared land was used for dairy farming and cedar cutting died out, as the cedar trees disappeared. Dairy farming became the predominant primary industry, and remains so to this day. Gerringong had a small boat harbour used for the export of cedar and dairy produce.In 1824, Governor Brisbane
Thomas Brisbane
Major-General Sir Thomas Makdougall Brisbane, 1st Baronet GCH, GCB, FRS, FRSE was a British soldier, colonial Governor and astronomer.-Early life:...
reserved 600 acres (2.4 km²) for the present Gerringong township. In 1827 Michael Hindmarsh and his family were granted 640 acres (2.6 km²) and became the first settler in the Gerringong area. In 1829 Gerringong was incorporated into the postal
Mail
Mail, or post, is a system for transporting letters and other tangible objects: written documents, typically enclosed in envelopes, and also small packages are delivered to destinations around the world. Anything sent through the postal system is called mail or post.In principle, a postal service...
system. Alne Bank homestead was built in 1851 for the Hindmarshes, who still live there today and occasionally open it for inspection.
In 1854, a town plan for Gerringong was approved and the Governor proclaimed it a village. In 1872 the business area, Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
church and some houses were destroyed by a bush fire. In 1893 the South Coast railway 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...
was extended to Gerringong, leading to the end of shipping from the town. Telephone services were extended to Gerringong in 1913 and electricity in 1928.
In 1933 Sir Charles Kingsford Smith
Charles Kingsford Smith
Sir Charles Edward Kingsford Smith MC, AFC , often called by his nickname Smithy, was an early Australian aviator. In 1928, he earned global fame when he made the first trans-Pacific flight from the United States to Australia...
undertook his historic flight from nearby Seven Mile Beach to New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. A memorial stone at Gerroa
Gerroa, New South Wales
Gerroa is a coastal town in the Municipality of Kiama, in the Illawarra Region of New South Wales, Australia. It is located 133 kilometres south of Sydney. Nearby towns are Gerringong, Kiama and Berry....
marks the event.
In 1954 Gerringong Municipal District amalgamated with Kiama Municipal Council. The town water supply was connected in 1971, signalling an end to tanks attached to each house. This is highly controversial now that NSW is in deep drought (as of 2005) and water from the dam catchment areas is in scarce supply. Land along the coastal fringe tends to receive higher rainfall than the interior water catchment areas, which are often in rainshadow. In 2002, the town sewerage system was connected.
Modern Gerringong
The population of Gerringong and the area is around 4,000 people and growing. Many are retirees from SydneySydney
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...
and Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
, others enjoy the seaside lifestyle but commute to work in Wollongong
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...
or 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...
and even 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 main local industries are agriculture (including dairying and vineyards), tourism and retail trade.
The town has a modern primary school, a town hall (built 1948), a large retirement village and a thriving tourist industry. Especially in the summer months, when visitors (mostly from 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...
and Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
) flock to the pristine beaches, to enjoy swimming, surfing, fishing and relaxing in the restaurants and cafés plus hunting for treasures in the shops and boutiques. There are two vineyards producing award-winning wines, one with cellar-door sales.
Gerringong railway station
Gerringong railway station, New South Wales
Gerringong Railway Station is a side platformed regional railway station in the town of Gerringong, which is located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. Managed by Railcorp and run by its subsidiary CityRail, the station is located on the intercity South Coast Line...
is served by a 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...
diesel train, connecting with electric trains to 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...
at Kiama. Local bus companies connect Gerringong to Kiama and Nowra on a daily basis, and interstate buses connect it with 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...
and Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
and all stops in between.
The Gerringong and District Historical Society runs the Heritage Museum, containing lots of fascinating items, scale models of buildings, a photographic record of motor racing on Seven Mile Beach in the 1920s, and a display on the local dairying industry. The Society has a facility to do genealogy computer searches of a full database of Pioneer Family descendants, and also Birth, Death and Marriage records relating to the Gerringong area.
Geography
Willow Vale, New South Wales (Kiama)
Willow Vale is a small town in New South Wales, Australia, in the Municipality of Kiama. It is made up of residences, dairy farms, and more recently the Crooked River Winery....
and Foxground
Foxground, New South Wales
Foxground is a locality in the Municipality of Kiama, in the Illawarra Region of New South Wales, Australia. It is located two kilometres from the Princes Highway, 10 kilometres south west of Kiama. Broughton Creek flows through the valley....
in the west, and to Broughton Village, Toolijooa
Toolijooa, New South Wales
-Adjacent stations:* Previous - Gerringong* Next - Berry- Town :Toolijooa is one of the last villages in the Illawarra.It is right next to Gerroa and has many farms.- External links :*...
, Harley Hill, Gerroa
Gerroa, New South Wales
Gerroa is a coastal town in the Municipality of Kiama, in the Illawarra Region of New South Wales, Australia. It is located 133 kilometres south of Sydney. Nearby towns are Gerringong, Kiama and Berry....
and Seven Mile Beach
Seven Mile Beach, New South Wales
thumb|300px|Seven Mile Beach at sunsetSeven Mile Beach is a long beach with strong historical reference just south of Gerringong in the Shoalhaven area of New South Wales, Australia....
in the south. In the centre of the area lies the town of Gerringong itself, and the nearby area of Werri Beach.
Gerringong is known as "Where the Mountains Meet the Sea" due to an advertising campaign. A spur of Saddleback Mountain
Saddleback Mountain (New South Wales)
Saddleback Mountain is a mountain in New South Wales, Australia which rises to about 600 metres above sea level and has spectacular views of Noorinan Mountain, 662 metres above sea level, and Barren Grounds Plateau to the west and south to Coolangatta Mountain and Pigeon House Mountain to...
reaches down to Mt Pleasant to the north of Gerringong township, ending the spectacular Illawarra escarpment, which starts north of Wollongong
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...
. The area is famous for its picturesque coastline, incorporating rugged sea cliffs, pristine golden beaches surrounded by rolling hills and countryside, which stays velvety green year-round.
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 ....
bypasses Gerringong township on its western edge, with two exits, one at Fern St and another at Belinda Street, 2 km further south. Gerringong and Werri Beach used to be two separate localities, but they have now grown together without any definitive boundary.
Werri Lagoon, which (sometimes) empties to the sea at the northern end of Werri Beach, used to naturally exit near the Gerringong Surf Club at the south end... until human intervention occurred in the 1960s. Bridges Road used to be access to a bridge which provided access to Werri Beach. More often that not nowadays, the lagoon is isolated from the sea by a sandspit which has to be opened by mechanical means to allow it to drain after high rainfall or lengthy periods of closure, which results in stagnation
Water stagnation
Water stagnation occurs when water stops flowing. Stagnant water can be a major environmental hazard.-Dangers:Malaria and dengue are among the main dangers of stagnant water, which can become a breeding ground for the mosquitoes that transmit these diseases.Stagnant or Stailment water can be...
and pollution
Water pollution
Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies . Water pollution occurs when pollutants are discharged directly or indirectly into water bodies without adequate treatment to remove harmful compounds....
. When extra high tides occur, the water still washes over Pacific Avenue at the south end, where the lagoon used to empty in the ocean. when it is opened by the council the locals surf and body board the standing wave that the outward rushing water produces.
Werri Lagoon is now part of the Kiama Coast Walk, which stretches from Loves Bay, north of Kiama, to Werri Lagoon. The walking track extends for six kilometres and took eleven years to prepare and construct. It opened in October, 2009.
Gerringong's Boatharbour, was extensively used for shipping timber and dairy produce in the 19th century. At one time a lengthy jetty existed, but it was destroyed in fierce storms in 1891. It was never rebuilt.
Gerringong's geology is basically basalt
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
, emplaced in the Permian period.
Climate
Due to their close proximity, Gerringong has a climate similar to Kiama, which has an oceanic climateOceanic climate
An oceanic climate, also called marine west coast climate, maritime climate, Cascadian climate and British climate for Köppen climate classification Cfb and subtropical highland for Köppen Cfb or Cwb, is a type of climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes of some of the...
(Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Cfb) typical of southern and central New South Wales with warm summers and mild winters. Rainfall is spread relatively evenly throughout the year with the wettest months being in autumn and the driest in spring.
Politics
Gerringong is part of the Municipality of Kiama, Mayor Sandra McCarthy is a resident of Gerringong. Local residents are represented by the Member of NSW Parliament for KiamaElectoral district of Kiama
Kiama is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Gareth Ward of the Liberal Party of Australia. This electorate is named after the Municipality of Kiama in the Illawarra, which is at the centre...
currently Gareth Ward. The area is represented by the Federal Member for Gilmore
Division of Gilmore
The Division of Gilmore is an Australian Electoral Division in New South Wales. The division was created in 1984 and is named for Dame Mary Gilmore, the poet and author. It is located in the Shoalhaven the southern Illawarra regions, extending from Warilla in the north to Durras in the south, then...
, currently Joanna Gash
Joanna Gash
Joanna Gash , has been a Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives since March 1996, representing the Division of Gilmore on the southern coast of New South Wales.-Personal:...
.
Notable people
- Mick CroninMick Cronin (rugby league)Michael William "Mick" Cronin OAM is an Australian former rugby league footballer and coach. He was a goal-kicking centre for the Australian national team and a stalwart for the Parramatta Eels club. He played in 22 Tests and 11 World Cup matches between 1973 and 1982...
, rugby league player - Ashton SimsAshton SimsAshton Sims is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the North Queensland Cowboys of the National Rugby League . A Fiji international representative forward, he previously played for the St. George Illawarra Dragons and the Brisbane Broncos...
, rugby league player, played for the Gerringong Lions as a junior - Rod WishartRod WishartRod Wishart is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s. A New South Wales State of Origin and Australia international representative goal-kicking winger, he played club football with the Illawarra Steelers and the St...
, rugby league player - Sally FitzgibbonsSally FitzgibbonsSally Fitzgibbons is an Australian professional surfer on the Association of Surfing Professionals World Tour . She was born in Nowra, NSW Australia, on 12 December 1990.-Surfing career:...
, Pro Surfer - Jack DruceJack DruceJack Druce ' is an Australian standup comedian, and comedy writer-Comedy career:Jack Druce began his comedy career in the Melbourne Comedy Festival's Schools program Class Clowns in 2006...
, Comedian
External links
- Gerringong-Gerroa Community Web Site - lots of information, history, maps, photo galleries, tide chart, news, bus and train timetables, movies plus an extensive business directory with accommodation, restaurants etc.