South Durras, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
South Durras is a small village
on the South Coast
of New South Wales
, Australia
. South Durras is located approximately 280 kilometres south of Sydney
and 15 kilometres north of Batemans Bay, in the local government area of Eurobodalla Shire
. The village is surrounded by the Murramarang National Park
.
people whose land covered much of the South Coast
of New South Wales. Just north of South Durras in the Murramarang Aboriginal Area is what is believed to be the largest midden
on the South Coast. While there was some initial hostility between the Yuin and the white settlers, introduced diseases such as smallpox
killed off around 95% of the tribe, leaving them in no state to fight for their land.
The first land grant in the area was made to John Whitehead McNee in 1840 and the name Durras was in use at that time to describe the area. For the next ninety years or so, the area was primarily used for timber cutting with a mill in operation at Wasp Head but the mill's closure in 1929 caused a reappraisal of the area's potential. The land south of Durras Creek was subdivided in 1937 to form the village of Durras which didn't become known as South Durras until the establishment of another settlement north of Durras Lake. In the 1940s and 50s, a school, post office and store were established in the town with electricity introduced in 1960.
s can occur between November and March, with rainfall maximums in summer.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
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
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...
. South Durras is located approximately 280 kilometres 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...
and 15 kilometres north of Batemans Bay, in the local government area of Eurobodalla Shire
Eurobodalla Shire
Eurobodalla Shire is a Local Government Area in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in a largely mountainous coastal region on the South Coast of New South Wales. It is on the Pacific Ocean, the Princes Highway and the Kings Highway....
. The village is surrounded by the Murramarang National Park
Murramarang National Park
Murramarang is a national park in New South Wales, Australia, 206 km southwest of Sydney. It follows the coastline from Long Beach north to Merry Beach near Ulladulla. It is surrounded by three state forests, Kioloa, South Brooman, and Benandarrah....
.
History
Prior to white settlement, South Durras was home to the YuinYuin
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 :...
people whose land covered much of 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. Just north of South Durras in the Murramarang Aboriginal Area is what is believed to be the largest midden
Midden
A midden, is an old dump for domestic waste which may consist of animal bone, human excrement, botanical material, vermin, shells, sherds, lithics , and other artifacts and ecofacts associated with past human occupation...
on the South Coast. While there was some initial hostility between the Yuin and the white settlers, introduced diseases such as smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
killed off around 95% of the tribe, leaving them in no state to fight for their land.
The first land grant in the area was made to John Whitehead McNee in 1840 and the name Durras was in use at that time to describe the area. For the next ninety years or so, the area was primarily used for timber cutting with a mill in operation at Wasp Head but the mill's closure in 1929 caused a reappraisal of the area's potential. The land south of Durras Creek was subdivided in 1937 to form the village of Durras which didn't become known as South Durras until the establishment of another settlement north of Durras Lake. In the 1940s and 50s, a school, post office and store were established in the town with electricity introduced in 1960.
Attractions
- Murramarang National ParkMurramarang National ParkMurramarang is a national park in New South Wales, Australia, 206 km southwest of Sydney. It follows the coastline from Long Beach north to Merry Beach near Ulladulla. It is surrounded by three state forests, Kioloa, South Brooman, and Benandarrah....
is adjacent to South Durras. - The beach at South Durras features tidal rock pools. Kangaroos graze close to the beach. Wildlife is plentiful, including parrots and goannaGoannaGoanna is the name used to refer to any number of Australian monitor lizards of the genus Varanus, as well as to certain species from Southeast Asia.There are around 30 species of goanna, 25 of which are found in Australia...
s. - A campground is located just in the bush behind the beach.
Population
South Durras has a population of about 330 permanent residents, while in the summer months the population swells to almost 1000.Radio stations
- East Coast Radio 2EC 105.9 FM (commercial)
- POWERFM NSW South Coast 104.3 FM (commercial)
- Eurobodalla Community Radio 107.5 FM
- ABC South-East 103.5 FM
- Radio NationalRadio NationalABC 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...
105.1 FM - ABC Classic FMABC Classic FMABC Classic FM is a classical music radio station available in Australia, and internationally online. It is operated by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation . It was established in 1976 as "ABC-FM", and later for a short time was known as "ABC Fine Music" , before adopting its current name...
101.9 FM - Triple JTriple Jtriple 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...
98.9 FM (from the adjacent Illawarra region). A local service from Mount Wandera is planned, subject to the clearance of local analogue television stations.
Climate
The climate of South Durras is moderated by the sea, with warm summers and mild sunny winters. Nights can be cold in winter. ThunderstormThunderstorm
A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm, a lightning storm, thundershower or simply a storm is a form of weather characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere known as thunder. The meteorologically assigned cloud type associated with the...
s can occur between November and March, with rainfall maximums in summer.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean daily maximum temperature (°C) | 23.9 | 24.1 | 23.3 | 21.6 | 19.1 | 16.8 | 16.1 | 17.1 | 18.6 | 20.1 | 21.4 | 22.8 | 20.4 | |
| Mean daily minimum temperature (°C) | 16.0 | 16.3 | 15.1 | 12.3 | 9.4 | 7.2 | 5.9 | 6.5 | 8.4 | 10.7 | 12.8 | 14.7 | 11.3 | |
| Mean total rainfall (mm) | 97.3 | 93.6 | 108.9 | 89.1 | 85.9 | 86.5 | 55.9 | 54.3 | 61.6 | 77.3 | 76.1 | 74.2 | 960.6 | |
| Mean number of rain days | 10.8 | 9.9 | 10.3 | 8.8 | 8.0 | 7.7 | 6.9 | 7.1 | 8.5 | 10.1 | 10.5 | 10.7 | 109.4 | |
| Source: Bureau of Meteorology Records For Moruya Heads, 20km South of Bateman's Bay | ||||||||||||||
Sources
- South Coast Secrets - Batemans Bay
- Protected areas of New South Wales (Australia)
- NPWS page
- 2002 NPWS Plan of Management
- The Heritage of Australia, Macmillan Company, 1981, pp. 2/148, 2/164.
- Guide to New South Wales National Parks, National Parks and Wildlife Service of New South Wales, 2002, p. 45