Albion Park, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Albion Park is a suburb in the City of Shellharbour
City of Shellharbour
City of Shellharbour is a Local Government Area located in the Illawarra region, on the east coast of Australia, about 100 km south of Sydney...

, which is in turn one of the three local government areas that comprise the Wollongong Metropolitan Area
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...

, New South Wales, Australia. Currently Albion Park has a population of approximately 11,261 and continues to expand by a rate of 12.5% per year.

The Illawarra escarpment
Illawarra escarpment
The Illawarra Escarpment is the fold created cliffs and plateau eroded outcrop mountain range west of the Illawarra coastal plain south of Sydney, Australia, enclosing the region known as the Illawarra which stretches from Stanwell Park in the north to Kiama, Gerringong and the Shoalhaven river in...

 is to the west, Dapto is to the north, Jamberoo is to the south and Shellharbour
Shellharbour, New South Wales
Shellharbour is a southern beachside suburb of Wollongong, located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. It also gives its name to the Local Government Area, City of Shellharbour....

 is to the east.

History

The area around Albion Park was cleared by cedar cutters, and they were quickly followed by graziers who recognised the potential of this well-watered area. The arrival of the 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...

 in 1887, and the completion of the road through Macquarie Pass
Macquarie Pass
Macquarie Pass is a 8 kilometre long section of the Illawarra Highway passing through Macquarie Pass National Park. It was opened in 1898.Macquarie Pass links the Southern Highland town of Robertson to the coastal town of Albion Park, descending the Illawarra Escarpment via a very narrow bitumen...

 to the Southern Highlands hastened the town’s growth.

Etymology

The term "Albion
Albion
Albion is the oldest known name of the island of Great Britain. Today, it is still sometimes used poetically to refer to the island or England in particular. It is also the basis of the Scottish Gaelic name for Scotland, Alba...

", is an ancient name of Great Britain. the name was given by the original land grant owner around 1815.

Trains

In order to avoid the highest parts of the ridge between Albion Park and Minnamurra, the railway
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...

 needed to keep closer to the shore of Lake Illawarra
Lake Illawarra
Lake Illawarra is a large coastal lagoon located in the city of Wollongong about 100 km south of Sydney, New South Wales.The lake receives runoff from the Illawarra escarpment through Macquarie Rivulet and Mullet Creek, and has a narrow tidal entrance to the sea at Windang...

. After the opening of Albion Park railway station two km to the east in 1887, a new town grew up next to it, now known as Albion Park Rail
Albion Park Rail, New South Wales
Albion Park Rail is a suburb of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia in the Local Government Area of Shellharbour. The South Coast railway line was opened to the railway station and Bombo in 1887. At the time the nearest town was Albion Park, several kilometres away...

.

Roads

The Illawarra Highway
Illawarra Highway
Illawarra Highway connects Wollongong to NSW Southern Highlands. It links Princes Highway and Hume Highway and signed as National Route 48.It is named after the geographical area it crosses, the Illawarra region...

 runs through Albion Park and joins 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 ....

 just north of the suburb. This road brings many people through the region. Albion Park is also the main link between Jamberoo Action Park and Sydney as the fastest way for people to get to Jamberoo coming from the north is to pass through Albion Park.

Education

There are currently 3 Primary Schools and 3 High Schools in Albion Park:

Recreation

Albion Park is home to the Shellharbour Regional Sporting Complex, which consists of two all-weather hockey fields, several football (rugby league) fields, a multi-purpose indoor basketball stadium, a turf cricket field, an athletics field, a BMX track, a remote control car racing track, and several tennis courts. A cycleway also courses it's way through the Sporting Complex and links it to a polo field and a complex of soccer fields. Albion Park is also home to a Shellharbour Council Swimming Pool, which is open during the summer months and now costs a fee of $1 entry, to a pool paid for by the members of the town.

Clubs and Pubs

Albion Park is home to three clubs where people to eat and drink including:

Sport

Albion Park is also home to various sporting teams such as:
  • Albion Park-Oak Flats Eagles
    Albion Park-Oak Flats Eagles
    The Albion Park-Oak Flats Eagles are an Australian rugby league football team based in Albion Park, a country town of the Illawarra region. The club are a part of Country Rugby League and have competed in both the Illawarra and South Coast competitions, where it competes today...

  • Albion Park Hockey Club
  • Albion Park Bowls and Recreation Club
  • Albion Park Cricket Club
  • Albion Park White Eagles
    Albion Park White Eagles
    Albion Park White Eagles is a mainly Serbian Australian-backed football club based in the suburb of Albion Park, a suburb of Wollongong, New South Wales.-History:...

  • Albion Park Crows Junior AFL Club

Museums

Albion Park has the Tongarra Museum, which showcases the history of the region, and the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society Museum located at the Illawarra Regional Airport.
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK