Gymea, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Gymea is a suburb
in southern
Sydney
, in the state of New South Wales
, Australia
. Gymea is located 26 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district
in the local government area of the Sutherland Shire
. The postcode is 2227, which it shares with adjacent suburb Gymea Bay
.
, Doryanthes excelsa is a 6m tall perennial that is prevalent in the area. It was named by the local Eora
people and became the inspiration for the suburb's name, by government surveyor W.A.B. Geaves in 1855. The Gymea Lily has been adopted as a symbol of the area and features on the crest of many local organisations. Development in the area has eradicated most of the lillies but many can still be found, a few kilometres south, in the Royal National Park.
By the 1920s, steam trams
operated between Cronulla and Sutherland, via Gymea. The railway station on the line to Cronulla opened in 1939.
branch of the Illawarra railway line, part of the City Rail network, which provides regular rail services to the city. Gymea railway station is on Gymea Bay Road, in the middle of the main shopping area. Adjacent stations are Kirrawee and Miranda. Private buses, principally operated by Veolia NSW also service the local area and provide school student transport.
; and the Sydney Montessori School for pre-primary, primary and secondary students. Many children in Gymea attend schools in Gymea Bay
, especially Gymea Bay Public School(the largest primary school in the Sutherland Shire), and Kirrawee
. Gymea is also home to a campus of the Sydney Institute of TAFE.
, which features art galleries, art studios, a theatrette, gardens, meeting rooms, gallery shop and cafe. A number of special events are held at the gallery throughout the year.
, rugby league
, swimming
(Gymea Bay Amateur Swimming Club), football (Gymea United FC, which is currently the largest club in the Oceania region), and netball
clubs.
Census
of Population, there were 6,708 people usually resident in Gymea. 16.9% stated they were born overseas with the top countries of birth being United Kingdom 4.1%, New Zealand 2.1% and South Africa 0.9%. English was stated as the only language spoken at home by 77.8% of residents and the most common other languages spoken were Greek 1.6%, Italian 1.5% and Cantonese 1.3%. The most common responses for religious affiliation were Catholic
32.0%, Anglican 28.0% and Uniting Church 5.0%.
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
in southern
Southern Sydney
This article refers to an area the same as a combination of St George and SutherlandSouthern Sydney is a general term which is used to describe the southern metropolitan area of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia....
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...
, in the state 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...
. Gymea is located 26 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district
Sydney central business district
The Sydney central business district is the main commercial centre of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It extends southwards for about 3 kilometres from Sydney Cove, the point of first European settlement. Its north–south axis runs from Circular Quay in the north to Central railway station in...
in the local government area of the Sutherland Shire
Sutherland Shire
The Sutherland Shire is a Local Government Area in the Southern Sydney region of Sydney, Australia. Geographically, it is the area to the south of Botany Bay and the Georges River...
. The postcode is 2227, which it shares with adjacent suburb Gymea Bay
Gymea Bay, New South Wales
Gymea Bay is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Gymea Bay is located 27 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Sutherland Shire...
.
History
The Gymea LilyGymea Lily
The Gymea Lily is a flowering plant indigenous to the coastal areas of New South Wales near Sydney.The plant has sword-like leaves more than a meter long...
, Doryanthes excelsa is a 6m tall perennial that is prevalent in the area. It was named by the local Eora
Eora
The Eora are the Aboriginal people of the Sydney area, south to the Georges River, north to the Hawkesbury River, and west to Parramatta. The indigenous people used this word to describe where they came from to the British. "Eora" was then used by the British to refer to those Aboriginal people...
people and became the inspiration for the suburb's name, by government surveyor W.A.B. Geaves in 1855. The Gymea Lily has been adopted as a symbol of the area and features on the crest of many local organisations. Development in the area has eradicated most of the lillies but many can still be found, a few kilometres south, in the Royal National Park.
By the 1920s, steam trams
Trams in Sydney
The Sydney tramway network once served Sydney, the capital city of New South Wales, Australia. In its heyday, it was the largest in Australia, the second largest in the Commonwealth , and one of the largest in the world. It was extremely intensively worked, with about 1,600 cars in service at any...
operated between Cronulla and Sutherland, via Gymea. The railway station on the line to Cronulla opened in 1939.
Commercial area
Gymea is primarily a low density, residential suburb. Located close to Gymea railway station, the suburb's shopping strip is known as Gymea Shopping Village. Over the last decade it has become a popular shopping and 'café culture' district with many cafés, restaurants, boutiques and gourmet food shops opened along Gymea Bay Road.Transport
Gymea railway station is on the CronullaCronulla, New South Wales
Cronulla is a beachside suburb, in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Cronulla is located 26 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Sutherland Shire....
branch of the Illawarra railway line, part of the City Rail network, which provides regular rail services to the city. Gymea railway station is on Gymea Bay Road, in the middle of the main shopping area. Adjacent stations are Kirrawee and Miranda. Private buses, principally operated by Veolia NSW also service the local area and provide school student transport.
Education
The suburb has one public primary school, Gymea North Public School; a Catholic primary school, St Catherine Labouré Primary; a secondary school, Gymea Technology High SchoolGymea Technology High School
Gymea Technology High School is located on the Princes Highway in the suburb of Gymea, in the Sutherland Shire, Sydney, next to Gymea TAFE. It is a technology oriented, public and co-educational high school in New South Wales...
; and the Sydney Montessori School for pre-primary, primary and secondary students. Many children in Gymea attend schools in Gymea Bay
Gymea Bay, New South Wales
Gymea Bay is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Gymea Bay is located 27 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Sutherland Shire...
, especially Gymea Bay Public School(the largest primary school in the Sutherland Shire), and Kirrawee
Kirrawee, New South Wales
Kirrawee is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Kirrawee is located 25 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district in the Sutherland Shire. Kirrawee lies between Sutherland, to the west and Gymea and Grays Point, to the east...
. Gymea is also home to a campus of the Sydney Institute of TAFE.
Churches
- St Pauls and St Barnabas Anglican Church http://www.gymeaanglican.org.au/
- St Catherine Labouré Catholic Church
- St Stylianos Greek Orthodox Church (officially known as St Stylianos, Saints Peter and Paul, St Gregory of Palamas) http://www.saintstylianos.org.au/
- Gymea Baptist Church http://www.gymeabaptist.org.au/
- Gymea People's Church http://www.gpc.org.au/
Art
Gymea is home to the Hazelhurst Regional Gallery and Arts CentreHazelhurst Regional Gallery and Arts Centre
Hazelhurst Regional Gallery and Arts Centre is a complex in the suburb of Gymea, in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Hazelhurst features two Art Galleries, Theatrette, art studios, meeting rooms, gardens, gift shop and cafe. The facility also acts is available for hire as a function centre...
, which features art galleries, art studios, a theatrette, gardens, meeting rooms, gallery shop and cafe. A number of special events are held at the gallery throughout the year.
Sport
Like many suburbs in the Sutherland Shire, Gymea maintains an active culture of youth sport and has well-established cricketCricket
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...
, 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...
, swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
(Gymea Bay Amateur Swimming Club), football (Gymea United FC, which is currently the largest club in the Oceania region), and netball
Netball
Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
clubs.
Pop culture
Australian writer Scot McPhie named his collection of poetry published in 1999 'Gymea', after living near the suburb in the 1990s.Events
- The Gymea Village Fair is held every year in the last Sunday in October. The streets are closed for stalls, arts and crafts, rides and music.
- At Christmas every year, Gymea shops awnings are decorated with giant SantasSanta ClausSanta Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
. It is unknown if this is going to happen this year (2007) after last years accident. - The last Friday of every month is bargain day when you can grab a really good bargain.
Population
According to the 2006 Australian Bureau of StatisticsAustralian 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...
Census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of Population, there were 6,708 people usually resident in Gymea. 16.9% stated they were born overseas with the top countries of birth being United Kingdom 4.1%, New Zealand 2.1% and South Africa 0.9%. English was stated as the only language spoken at home by 77.8% of residents and the most common other languages spoken were Greek 1.6%, Italian 1.5% and Cantonese 1.3%. The most common responses for religious affiliation were Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
32.0%, Anglican 28.0% and Uniting Church 5.0%.