Woolgoolga, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Woolgoolga is a town on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales
, Australia
. It is on the Pacific Highway
, approximately 550 km north of Sydney
and 400 km south of Brisbane
. The closest city to Woolgoolga is Coffs Harbour, which lies 25.8 km to the south. Woolgoolga has two beaches on the Pacific Ocean
. The area has long been a centre of banana growing
in New South Wales, but this industry has declined in the face of competition from Queensland
and overseas. Timbergetting and sawmilling was established in 1883. A Government Jetty was constructed in 1892 upon which tramways were laid. These led to saw mills in the town which in turn were connected by light railway to the Jesse Simpson Range forest areas. The jetty was demolished over a prolonged period from 1952 to 1956.
at home, 423 persons practice Sikhism, and 221 persons (5.1%) were born in India.
tribe. It is believed that the name of the town derives from the word "Weelgoolga", which was used by the local Aborigines to describe the area, and the lilly-pilly
trees that grew there. The name "Woogoolga" was gazetted in 1888, and changed to the current name of Woolgoolga in 1966.
Woolgoolga was an early centre of Sikh
migration to Australia
. Sikhs had migrated to New South Wales and Queensland prior to the imposition of the prohibition of non-European migration under the White Australia Policy
in 1901 and many of them then led a marginalised life on the north coast of New South Wales and in southeastern Queensland. Some Sikhs began to settle in Woolgoolga during World War II
, because war-time labour shortages led to a relaxation of the previous prohibition of non-European labour in the banana industry. After the war they were able to acquire leasehold and freehold banana plantations. Woolgoolga has the largest regional Sikh/Punjabi population in Australia, and they are now said to own 90% of the banana farms.
Woolgoolga's coastal location and temperate
climate make it a popular tourist destination. The town is bisected by the Pacific Highway
and many travellers break their journey in Woolgoolga.
The Sydney 2000 Olympics
torch relay
passed through Woolgoolga, as did the 2006 Commonwealth Games
Queen's Baton Relay
.
In 2011, the area hosted Rally Australia
, the 10th round of the World Rally Championship. It hosted stages 22 and 25 at Plum Pudding.
s (temples):
), to celebrate the culture of the local Sikh
community.
The festival was originally run by the Woolgoolga Chamber of Commerce. This occurred in the initial two years of 2007 and 2008, however the festival became incorporated into its own identity for 2009. The event still uses the name and backing of the Chamber of Commerce but now partially pays for the event itself, including through the introduction of a two dollar entry fee in 2009 (Star FM 105.5 interview 09/04/2009).
The Seaview Tavern (Cnr of Clarence and River Streets), also known as The Foutain on the Mountain, is the only pub. There is usually live music on Friday and Saturday nights and a function room upstairs where larger gigs take place.
Bluebottles (corner of Beach Street and Lake Road) is one of the many cafes. It serves as a more upmarket establishment for lunch and dinner. Thursday night is jazz night with live jazz music played throughout the evening.
Other cafes are Bonettos, Possums and The Beachouse.
Restaurants include Mick Hundal's Spice Rack, Aloy Dee Thai, Peking Palace and Golden Chinese.
There are two pizza restaurants in Woolgoolga: Woolgoolga Pizza Place and Eagle Boys Pizza.
The town has three schools:
Museums
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 on 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...
, approximately 550 km north 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 400 km south of Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
. The closest city to Woolgoolga is Coffs Harbour, which lies 25.8 km to the south. Woolgoolga has two beaches on the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. The area has long been a centre of banana growing
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
in New South Wales, but this industry has declined in the face of competition from Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
and overseas. Timbergetting and sawmilling was established in 1883. A Government Jetty was constructed in 1892 upon which tramways were laid. These led to saw mills in the town which in turn were connected by light railway to the Jesse Simpson Range forest areas. The jetty was demolished over a prolonged period from 1952 to 1956.
Demographics
Woolgoolga had a population of 4,356 persons in 2006, including 159 indigenous persons and 4197 Australian-born persons. The median age of all persons in 47 years. Notably, from the Census data, 421 persons (9.7%) speak PunjabiPunjabi language
Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language...
at home, 423 persons practice Sikhism, and 221 persons (5.1%) were born in India.
History
Permanent European settlement occurred in the 1870s. Prior to this, the area was inhabited by the Gumbaingirr AboriginalIndigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
tribe. It is believed that the name of the town derives from the word "Weelgoolga", which was used by the local Aborigines to describe the area, and the lilly-pilly
Lillipilli
Lillipilli or Lilly Pilly may refer to:Places:* Lilli Pilli, New South WalesPlants:* Syzygium smithii * Syzygium luehmannii * Syzygium * Waterhousea floribunda...
trees that grew there. The name "Woogoolga" was gazetted in 1888, and changed to the current name of Woolgoolga in 1966.
Woolgoolga was an early centre of Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
migration to Australia
Sikhism in Australia
Sikhism is a small but growing minority religion in Australia, that can trace its origins in the nation to the 1830s. The Sikhs form one of the largest subgroups of Indian Australians with 26,500 adherents according to the 2006 census, having grown from 17,000 in 2001 and 12,000 in 1996...
. Sikhs had migrated to New South Wales and Queensland prior to the imposition of the prohibition of non-European migration under the White Australia Policy
White Australia policy
The White Australia policy comprises various historical policies that intentionally restricted "non-white" immigration to Australia. From origins at Federation in 1901, the polices were progressively dismantled between 1949-1973....
in 1901 and many of them then led a marginalised life on the north coast of New South Wales and in southeastern Queensland. Some Sikhs began to settle in Woolgoolga during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, because war-time labour shortages led to a relaxation of the previous prohibition of non-European labour in the banana industry. After the war they were able to acquire leasehold and freehold banana plantations. Woolgoolga has the largest regional Sikh/Punjabi population in Australia, and they are now said to own 90% of the banana farms.
Tourism
Temperate
In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally relatively moderate, rather than extreme hot or cold...
climate make it a popular tourist destination. The town is bisected by 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...
and many travellers break their journey in Woolgoolga.
The Sydney 2000 Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
torch relay
Olympic Flame
The Olympic Flame or Olympic Torch is a symbol of the Olympic Games. Commemorating the theft of fire from the Greek god Zeus by Prometheus, its origins lie in ancient Greece, where a fire was kept burning throughout the celebration of the ancient Olympics. The fire was reintroduced at the 1928...
passed through Woolgoolga, as did the 2006 Commonwealth Games
2006 Commonwealth Games
The 2006 Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia between 15 March and 26 March 2006. It was the largest sporting event to be staged in Melbourne, eclipsing the 1956 Summer Olympics in terms of the number of teams competing, athletes competing, and events being held.The site...
Queen's Baton Relay
Queen's Baton Relay
The Queen's Baton Relay, similar to the Olympic Torch Relay, is a relay around the world held prior to the beginning of the Commonwealth Games. The Baton carries a message from the Head of the Commonwealth, currently Queen Elizabeth II. The Relay traditionally begins at Buckingham Palace in London...
.
In 2011, the area hosted Rally Australia
2011 Rally Australia
The 2011 Rally Australia was the 21st Rally Australia and the tenth round of the 2011 World Rally Championship season. The rally took place over 8–11 September, and was based in Coffs Harbour, a coastal city in the New South Wales state of Australia. The rally was also the fifth round of the...
, the 10th round of the World Rally Championship. It hosted stages 22 and 25 at Plum Pudding.
Temples
Woolgoolga has two GurdwaraGurdwara
A Gurdwara , meaning the Gateway to the Guru, is the place of worship for Sikhs, the followers of Sikhism. A Gurdwara can be identified from a distance by tall flagpoles bearing the Nishan Sahib ....
s (temples):
- The Sikh Temple Woolgoolga (the first purpose built Gurdwara in Australia)
- The Guru Nanak Gurdwara ('The Temple on the Hill')
Curryfest
Curryfest is the largest single gathering for the Woolgoolga community with over 10,000 people expected to attend the April 2011 event. Curryfest was inaugurated in 2006 (with the help of local celebrity Jack ThompsonJack 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...
), to celebrate the culture of the local Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
community.
The festival was originally run by the Woolgoolga Chamber of Commerce. This occurred in the initial two years of 2007 and 2008, however the festival became incorporated into its own identity for 2009. The event still uses the name and backing of the Chamber of Commerce but now partially pays for the event itself, including through the introduction of a two dollar entry fee in 2009 (Star FM 105.5 interview 09/04/2009).
Food and wine
Woolgoolga has a pub and a number of cafes and restaurants.The Seaview Tavern (Cnr of Clarence and River Streets), also known as The Foutain on the Mountain, is the only pub. There is usually live music on Friday and Saturday nights and a function room upstairs where larger gigs take place.
Bluebottles (corner of Beach Street and Lake Road) is one of the many cafes. It serves as a more upmarket establishment for lunch and dinner. Thursday night is jazz night with live jazz music played throughout the evening.
Other cafes are Bonettos, Possums and The Beachouse.
Restaurants include Mick Hundal's Spice Rack, Aloy Dee Thai, Peking Palace and Golden Chinese.
There are two pizza restaurants in Woolgoolga: Woolgoolga Pizza Place and Eagle Boys Pizza.
Sporting clubs
- Woolgoolga White Pointers, a Rugby UnionRugby unionRugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
club whose home ground is Centennial Oval. - Woolgoolga Seahorses (The Mighty Seahorses), a Rugby LeagueRugby leagueRugby 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...
club whose home ground is situated at the local high school's fields. They play in Group 2 Rugby LeagueGroup 2 Rugby LeagueGroup 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:...
. - Woolgoolga United Football Club, a Soccer club situated at High Street. They have the most players in the Mid North Coast region.
- Woolgoolga Australian Football Club (The Blues), an Australian Rules Football club who team up with the Grafton Tigers to contest the North Coast AFL competition. The junior competition sides have changed their name to Northern Beaches. The Northern Beaches play a Centennial Oval while the Blues play a minority of their games in Woolgoolga, the majority are played at Ellem Oval in Grafton.
- Woolgoolga District Netball Association, formed in 2006 for ages 5+. WDNA has a local competition as well as representative participation in the Netball NSW State Age Championships. The clubhouse and courts are located on the corner of Nightingale and Scarborough Streets.
- WASP (Woolgoolga Area Surfing Posse), a local boardriders club that holds annual competitions around the area.
- Woolgoolga Surf Life Saving Club, as the name states, a Surf Lifesaving club that has been around since the 1930s, which patrols Woolgoolga Beach. It caters from ages 5–14 in NippersNippersNippers in surf lifesaving are young Surf Lifesavers aged between 5 and 14 years old. Unlike senior Surf Lifesavers, the majority of them do not patrol the beaches. The focus for Nippers tends to be on fun, and surf awareness....
, and can take part in carnivals held around the area. Ages 15+ can patrol the main beach, if they have a Surf Rescue Certificate or Bronze MedallionBronze Medallion (New Zealand and Australia)In New Zealand and Australia one must gain a Bronze Medallion in order to become a qualified Surf Lifesaver.-Testing & Exams:The qualifying test to become a Surf Lifesaver includes both theoretical and practical components.-Theoretical:This includes...
. - Northern Beaches Hockey Club, a HockeyHockeyHockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
club that plays in Coffs Harbour near the BCU International StadiumBCU International StadiumBCU International Stadium is an Australian stadium located in the coastal city of Coffs Harbour, New South Wales....
.
Notable current and former residents
- Air MarshalAir MarshalAir marshal is a three-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Sir Charles ReadCharles Read (RAAF officer)Air Marshal Sir Charles Frederick Read KBE, CB, DFC, AFC is a retired senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force . He served as Chief of the Air Staff from 1972 to 1975. Born in Sydney, Read joined the RAAF in 1937, and began his career flying biplane fighters. As a Beaufighter pilot, he...
, former RAAFRoyal Australian Air ForceThe Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
Chief of the Air Staff.
- Actor Jack ThompsonJack 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...
. Thompson has played a vital role in the organisation and running of community events both in Woolgoolga and surrounding regions.http://www.nma.gov.au/shared/libraries/attachments/review/review_submissions/mr_thompson/files/271/Mr_Thompson.pdf
- Emma MoffattEmma MoffattEmma 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....
, two-time women's triathlon world champion, attended Woolgoolga High School
Education
- Woolgoolga High School (opened 1981) is a public high school.
- Woolgoolga Primary School (opened 1884) is a public primary school.
- St Francis Xavier Primary School (opened 1994) is a Catholic primary school.
Library and cultural facilities
Library- Coffs Harbour City Library and Information Service - Woolgoolga branch
Museums
- Woolgoolga RSL Sub-branch Museum
Local media
Newspapers- The Advertiser - weekly community newspaper dedicated to Woolgoolga and the Northern Beaches.
- The Coffs Coast Advocate
Bus and coaches
- Ryans Bus Service runs between Coffs Harbour and Grafton.
- Watsons Woolgoolga Coaches
- Greyhound Australia