Unanderra, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Unanderra is a suburb of Wollongong
in New South Wales
, Australia
. It is located approximately 10 km south-west of the Wollongong CBD. It is bordered to the west by Farmborough, Cordeaux Heights
and Farmborough Heights
in the Mount Kembla
foothills, the north by Figtree
, the east by Berkeley
and Flagstaff Hill, site of the Nan Tien Temple
, and the south by Kembla Grange.
Unanderra is both a residential suburb, mostly to the west of the Princes Highway
and industrial, to the east. Along the highway is a strip of commercial ventures such as a Woolworth's
and several specialty stores.
Two distinctive and beautiful buildings in Unanderra are the Catholic Church and the Syrian Orthodox Church. The Immaculate Conception Catholic Church was opened in 1954 and subsequently extended in 1997 and is located at 48 Princes Highway, Unanderra. Saint Thomas Syrian Orthodox Church in Central Road, Unanderra, was opened in 2007.
Unanderra has several local attractions, including a Kebab shop, an old school building in the Woolworth's carpark, several historic houses, a community centre mural depicting the suburb's history and it is the beginning of the branch off the Unanderra - Moss Vale railway line. The community centre is housed in the former Central Illawarra Municipal Council Chambers, opened in 1901. This operated until the merging of the North Illawarra and Central Illawarra chambers to create the City of Greater Wollongong in 1947. The Unanderra Branch Library opened in 1955 within the centre and was enlarged in 1960.
The suburb lies on the Illawarra
coastal plain, with its west border in the lower foothills of Mount Kembla
. From the highway it is possible to see Mount Kembla and it has a distinctly different shape compared to other views of it.
From the late 19th Century Unanderra served as a gateway, via the Unanderra - Moss Vale railway line, to the Sydney Municipal markets for produce (apples, beans, peas, milk) from the surrounding area as well as South Kembla, Cordeaux Valley and as far away as Goondarrin.
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 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 is located approximately 10 km south-west of the Wollongong CBD. It is bordered to the west by Farmborough, Cordeaux Heights
Cordeaux Heights, New South Wales
Cordeaux Heights is a suburb in the city of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. It is situated on the eastern foothills of Mount Kembla as is its southern neighbour Farmborough Heights. Its northern boundary of housing is along Cordeaux Road which goes to Mount Kembla Village...
and Farmborough Heights
Farmborough Heights, New South Wales
Farmborough Heights is a southern, medium-high wealth suburb in the city of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. It is situated to the west of Unanderra in the foothills of Mount Kembla. The suburb mainly consists of separate residential dwellings, but also has a general store and a take away....
in the Mount Kembla
Mount Kembla
Mount Kembla is a mountain in New South Wales, Australia, as well a semi-rural township of Wollongong, which gets its name from the mountain.Kembla is an Aboriginal word meaning "plenty of game"....
foothills, the north by Figtree
Figtree, New South Wales
Figtree is an inner western suburb of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. It is southwest of West Wollongong and connected to Wollongong by the Princes Highway and The Avenue....
, the east by Berkeley
Berkeley, New South Wales
Berkeley is a suburb of Wollongong, New South Wales. The suburb is located in Wollongong's southern suburbs, on the northern shore of Lake Illawarra....
and Flagstaff Hill, site of the Nan Tien Temple
Nan Tien Temple
Nan Tien Temple is a Buddhist temple complex located in the industrial suburb of Berkeley, on the southern outskirts of the Australian city of Wollongong, approximately 80 km south of Sydney...
, and the south by Kembla Grange.
Unanderra is both a residential suburb, mostly to the west of 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 ....
and industrial, to the east. Along the highway is a strip of commercial ventures such as a Woolworth's
Woolworths Limited
Woolworths Limited is a major Australian company with extensive retail interest throughout Australia and New Zealand. It is the:* largest retail company in Australia and New Zealand by market capitalisation and sales...
and several specialty stores.
Two distinctive and beautiful buildings in Unanderra are the Catholic Church and the Syrian Orthodox Church. The Immaculate Conception Catholic Church was opened in 1954 and subsequently extended in 1997 and is located at 48 Princes Highway, Unanderra. Saint Thomas Syrian Orthodox Church in Central Road, Unanderra, was opened in 2007.
Unanderra has several local attractions, including a Kebab shop, an old school building in the Woolworth's carpark, several historic houses, a community centre mural depicting the suburb's history and it is the beginning of the branch off the Unanderra - Moss Vale railway line. The community centre is housed in the former Central Illawarra Municipal Council Chambers, opened in 1901. This operated until the merging of the North Illawarra and Central Illawarra chambers to create the City of Greater Wollongong in 1947. The Unanderra Branch Library opened in 1955 within the centre and was enlarged in 1960.
The suburb lies on 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...
coastal plain, with its west border in the lower foothills of Mount Kembla
Mount Kembla
Mount Kembla is a mountain in New South Wales, Australia, as well a semi-rural township of Wollongong, which gets its name from the mountain.Kembla is an Aboriginal word meaning "plenty of game"....
. From the highway it is possible to see Mount Kembla and it has a distinctly different shape compared to other views of it.
History
At the time of its founding it was known as Charcoal or Charcoal Creek, the name of a prominent waterway through the area.From the late 19th Century Unanderra served as a gateway, via the Unanderra - Moss Vale railway line, to the Sydney Municipal markets for produce (apples, beans, peas, milk) from the surrounding area as well as South Kembla, Cordeaux Valley and as far away as Goondarrin.