Cronulla, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
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
.
Cronulla is located on a peninsula
framed by Botany Bay
to the north, Bate Bay
to the east, Port Hacking
to the south, and Gunnamatta Bay
to the west. The neighbouring suburb of Woolooware
lies to the west of Cronulla, and Burraneer
lies to the south-west. The Kurnell peninsula
, the site of the first landfall on the eastern coastline made by Lt. (later Captain) James Cook
in 1770, is accessed by driving northeast out of Cronulla on Captain Cook Drive.
inhabitants, the Gweagal
, who were a clan of the Tharawal (or Dharawal) tribe of Indigenous Australians. They were the traditional custodians of the southern geographic areas of Sydney. The beaches were named by Surveyor Robert Dixon
who surveyed here in 1827-28 and by 1840, the main beach was still known as Karranulla.
Matthew Flinders
and George Bass
explored and mapped the coastline and Port Hacking estuary in 1796 and the southernmost point of Cronulla is named Bass and Flinders Point, in their honour. John Connell received a grant of 380 acres (1.5 km²) in 1835. Thomas Holt (1811-88) owned most of the land that stretched from Sutherland to Cronulla in the 1860s. Holt built Sutherland House on the foreshore of Gwawley Bay in 1818, on the eastern side of Sylvania. The Cronulla area was subdivided in 1895 and land was offered for sale at 10 pounds per acre. In 1899, the government named the area Gunnamatta, which means sandy hills. On the 26th February 1908 it was officially changed to Cronulla and Gunnamatta was used for the name of the bay, on the western side.
After the Illawarra railway line was built to Sutherland in 1885, the area became popular for picnics and swimming. Steam trams
operated between Cronulla and Sutherland from 1911. Many regulars rented beach houses at Cronulla every year for school holidays. The Oriental Hotel was built by Captain Spingall in 1888, on the present site of apartments behind the North Cronulla Hotel. The Cecil Hotel was located on the foreshore of South Cronulla and the Ritz Café was popular with holiday-makers. The Cecil Apartments were built on the former site of this hotel. The steam trams were replaced by the Cronulla branch of the Illawarra railway line when it opened in 1939.
The post office opened in January 1891, known as Cronulla Beach, but closed in 1893. It reopened in 1907 and the name was officially changed to Cronulla in 1929. The first public school opened in 1910. From the 1950s, many of the guest houses began being replaced by high rise flats. Even though it developed as a residential area, Cronulla remained popular with beachgoers and tourists. Several hotels, motels and serviced apartments operate today. The Cronulla Bicentennial Plaza opened in February 1989.
In 2005, the beachfront at Cronulla was the scene of widely-publicised mob disturbances and violent confrontations. These incidents continued over a number of days and also spread to other areas in Sydney. See 2005 Cronulla riots
.
Cronulla is a popular tourist attraction and attracts many beachgoers from all over Sydney. Cronulla Beach features a long stretch of sand that runs from Boat Harbour to North Cronulla, followed by rock pools and another sandy beach at South Cronulla. The beaches of Cronulla from north to south are: Boat Harbour, Wanda Beach
, Elouera Beach
, North Cronulla Beach
, Cronulla Beach
, Blackwoods Beach, Shelly Beach
and Oak Park. Local names also apply to various parts of the beach, such as The Alley, between Cronulla Beach and North Cronulla, The Wall, between North Cronulla and Elouera and Green Hills
, to the north of Wanda, Sandshoes, near the mouth of the Port Hacking
estuary, Voodoo Reef and The Point. The beaches are perfect recreational areas for swimming, surfing
, bodyboarding
, bodysurfing
and other water sports.
Shark Island
, just off Cronulla Beach, is a famous surfing
and bodyboarding
spot, and the site of the annual Shark Island Challenge
bodyboarding contest. Gunnamatta Bay provides protected swimming at the baths off Gunnamatta Park. Port Hacking is a popular location for such water sports as waterskiing and wakeboarding
.
Trains terminate at Cronulla railway station on the Cronulla branch of the Illawarra line, on the City Rail network. Cronulla Tunnel Gallery is just north of the station, linking Cronulla Street to Tonkin Street.
Cronulla and National Park Ferry
Cruises runs passenger services around Port Hacking
and a regular route between Cronulla and Bundeena
, on the edge of the Royal National Park
. The Cronulla Ferry wharf sits on Gunnamatta Bay
, beside Tonkin Park.
Veolia Transport NSW
has several bus routes that stop at Cronulla Railway Station. These are the 969 Sutherland via Miranda
and North Caringbah
, 962 Bankstown via Sutherland
and Illawong
, 971 to Hursville
via Sylvania
, 988 to Miranda
via Wooloware
and 987 Kurnell
via North Cronulla.
Census
of Population, there were 16,502 people usually resident in Cronulla. 15.6% stated they were born overseas with the top countries of birth being United Kingdom 4.7%, New Zealand 2.2% and South Africa 0.5%. English was stated as the only language spoken at home by 83.1% of residents and the most common other languages spoken were Greek 1.0%, Italian 0.8% and Spanish 0.6%. The most common responses for religious affiliation were Catholic
29.3%, Anglican 25.3% and Uniting Church 4.1%.
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...
. Cronulla 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 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...
.
Cronulla is located on a peninsula
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
framed by Botany Bay
Botany Bay
Botany Bay is a bay in Sydney, New South Wales, a few kilometres south of the Sydney central business district. The Cooks River and the Georges River are the two major tributaries that flow into the bay...
to the north, Bate Bay
Bate Bay
Bate Bay is a bay in southern Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The bay is south of the Kurnell peninsula and its foreshore makes up the beaches of Cronulla....
to the east, Port Hacking
Port Hacking
Port Hacking is an Australian estuary, located in Southern Sydney, New South Wales and fed by the Hacking River and several smaller creeks, including Bundeena Creek and The Basin. It is a ria, a river basin which has become submerged by the sea...
to the south, and Gunnamatta Bay
Gunnamatta Bay
Gunnamatta Bay is a small bay in southern Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.Gunnamatta Bay is located off the Port Hacking estuary, in the Sutherland Shire...
to the west. The neighbouring suburb of Woolooware
Woolooware, New South Wales
Woolooware is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Woolooware is located south of the Sydney central business district in the Sutherland Shire. It shares the 2230 postcode with Cronulla....
lies to the west of Cronulla, and Burraneer
Burraneer, New South Wales
Burraneer is a small suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Burraneer is located 26 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Sutherland Shire....
lies to the south-west. The Kurnell peninsula
Cronulla sand dunes, Kurnell Peninsula
The Cronulla sand dunes are located on the Kurnell Peninsula in the local government area of Sutherland Shire, Sydney Australia.The Cronulla sand dunes are a protected area that became listed on the NSW State Heritage Register on 26 September 2003.-History:...
, the site of the first landfall on the eastern coastline made by Lt. (later Captain) James Cook
James Cook
Captain James Cook, FRS, RN was a British explorer, navigator and cartographer who ultimately rose to the rank of captain in the Royal Navy...
in 1770, is accessed by driving northeast out of Cronulla on Captain Cook Drive.
History
Cronulla is derived from kurranulla, meaning ‘‘place of the pink seashells’’ in the dialect of the area's 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....
inhabitants, the Gweagal
Gweagal
The Gweagal are a clan of the Tharawal tribe of Indigenous Australians, who are traditional custodians of the southern geographic areas of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
, who were a clan of the Tharawal (or Dharawal) tribe of Indigenous Australians. They were the traditional custodians of the southern geographic areas of Sydney. The beaches were named by Surveyor Robert Dixon
Robert Dixon (explorer)
Robert Dixon was an Australian surveyor and explorer, born in Darlington, England.-Arrival in Tasmania:Dixon arrived in Tasmania in May 1821 with his brother George...
who surveyed here in 1827-28 and by 1840, the main beach was still known as Karranulla.
Matthew Flinders
Matthew Flinders
Captain Matthew Flinders RN was one of the most successful navigators and cartographers of his age. In a career that spanned just over twenty years, he sailed with Captain William Bligh, circumnavigated Australia and encouraged the use of that name for the continent, which had previously been...
and George Bass
George Bass
George Bass was a British naval surgeon and explorer of Australia.-Early years:He was born on 30 January 1771 at Aswarby, a hamlet near Sleaford, Lincolnshire, the son of a tenant farmer, George Bass, and a local beauty named Sarah Nee Newman. His father died in 1777 when Bass was 6...
explored and mapped the coastline and Port Hacking estuary in 1796 and the southernmost point of Cronulla is named Bass and Flinders Point, in their honour. John Connell received a grant of 380 acres (1.5 km²) in 1835. Thomas Holt (1811-88) owned most of the land that stretched from Sutherland to Cronulla in the 1860s. Holt built Sutherland House on the foreshore of Gwawley Bay in 1818, on the eastern side of Sylvania. The Cronulla area was subdivided in 1895 and land was offered for sale at 10 pounds per acre. In 1899, the government named the area Gunnamatta, which means sandy hills. On the 26th February 1908 it was officially changed to Cronulla and Gunnamatta was used for the name of the bay, on the western side.
After the Illawarra railway line was built to Sutherland in 1885, the area became popular for picnics and swimming. 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 from 1911. Many regulars rented beach houses at Cronulla every year for school holidays. The Oriental Hotel was built by Captain Spingall in 1888, on the present site of apartments behind the North Cronulla Hotel. The Cecil Hotel was located on the foreshore of South Cronulla and the Ritz Café was popular with holiday-makers. The Cecil Apartments were built on the former site of this hotel. The steam trams were replaced by the Cronulla branch of the Illawarra railway line when it opened in 1939.
The post office opened in January 1891, known as Cronulla Beach, but closed in 1893. It reopened in 1907 and the name was officially changed to Cronulla in 1929. The first public school opened in 1910. From the 1950s, many of the guest houses began being replaced by high rise flats. Even though it developed as a residential area, Cronulla remained popular with beachgoers and tourists. Several hotels, motels and serviced apartments operate today. The Cronulla Bicentennial Plaza opened in February 1989.
In 2005, the beachfront at Cronulla was the scene of widely-publicised mob disturbances and violent confrontations. These incidents continued over a number of days and also spread to other areas in Sydney. See 2005 Cronulla riots
2005 Cronulla riots
The 2005 Cronulla riots were a series of sectarian clashes and mob violence originating in Cronulla, New South Wales and spreading, over the next few nights, to additional Sydney suburbs....
.
Beaches
Wanda Beach
Wanda Beach or Wanda is the northernmost patrolled beach on Bate Bay in Cronulla, New South Wales, Australia. Green Hills or Green Hills Ridge is the name given to the sand hills, just north of Wanda. -History:...
, Elouera Beach
Elouera Beach
Elouera Beach or Elouera is a patrolled beach on Bate Bay, in Cronulla, New South Wales, Australia. The Wall is the local name given to the area between North Cronulla Beach and Eleoura.-Elouera Surf Lifesaving Club:...
, North Cronulla Beach
North Cronulla Beach
North Cronulla Beach or North Cronulla is a patrolled beach on Bate Bay, in Cronulla, New South Wales, Australia. The Wall is the local name given to the area between North Cronulla Beach and Eleoura...
, Cronulla Beach
Cronulla Beach
Cronulla Beach , is a patrolled beach on Bate Bay, in Cronulla, New South Wales, Australia. The Cronulla Pavilion and the Cronulla Lifesaving Club are two prominent buildings located close to the sand. Cronulla Park sits behind the beach. The Cronulla Rock Pools are between Cronulla Beach and North...
, Blackwoods Beach, Shelly Beach
Shelly Beach (Cronulla)
Shelly Beach is the southernmost beach in Cronulla, New South Wales, Australia. Shelly Park sits behind the beach. Shelly Pavilion is located between the beach and the park. There is also a Shelly Beach in the Manly area, near North Head.-History:...
and Oak Park. Local names also apply to various parts of the beach, such as The Alley, between Cronulla Beach and North Cronulla, The Wall, between North Cronulla and Elouera and Green Hills
Cronulla sand dunes, Kurnell Peninsula
The Cronulla sand dunes are located on the Kurnell Peninsula in the local government area of Sutherland Shire, Sydney Australia.The Cronulla sand dunes are a protected area that became listed on the NSW State Heritage Register on 26 September 2003.-History:...
, to the north of Wanda, Sandshoes, near the mouth of the Port Hacking
Port Hacking
Port Hacking is an Australian estuary, located in Southern Sydney, New South Wales and fed by the Hacking River and several smaller creeks, including Bundeena Creek and The Basin. It is a ria, a river basin which has become submerged by the sea...
estuary, Voodoo Reef and The Point. The beaches are perfect recreational areas for swimming, surfing
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
, bodyboarding
Bodyboarding
Bodyboarding is a surface water sport . The average board consists of a small, rectangular piece of hydrodynamic foam, sometimes containing a ridged spine called a 'stringer'...
, bodysurfing
Bodysurfing
Bodysurfing is the art and sport of riding a wave without the assistance of any buoyant device such as a surfboard or bodyboard. Bodysurfers typically equip themselves only with a pair of specialized swimfins that stay on during turbulent conditions and optimize propulsion.-Technique:To get on the...
and other water sports.
Shark Island
Shark Island, Cronulla Beach
Shark Island is a dangerous reef break about 100 metres off Cronulla, New South Wales, Australia. It comprises a rock ledge that is fully exposed at low tide....
, just off Cronulla Beach, is a famous surfing
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
and bodyboarding
Bodyboarding
Bodyboarding is a surface water sport . The average board consists of a small, rectangular piece of hydrodynamic foam, sometimes containing a ridged spine called a 'stringer'...
spot, and the site of the annual Shark Island Challenge
Shark Island Challenge
The Shark Island Challenge , held near Cronulla, New South Wales, Australia, is the most celebrated World Tour event in bodyboarding since the elimination of the Teahupoo Challenge from the world bodyboarding tour.- History :...
bodyboarding contest. Gunnamatta Bay provides protected swimming at the baths off Gunnamatta Park. Port Hacking is a popular location for such water sports as waterskiing and wakeboarding
Wakeboarding
Wakeboarding is a surface water sport which involves riding a wakeboard over the surface of a body of water. It was developed from a combination of water skiing, snow boarding and surfing techniques....
.
Parks
- Bass & Flinders Point is the southernmost part of Cronulla and features a monument to explorers George BassGeorge BassGeorge Bass was a British naval surgeon and explorer of Australia.-Early years:He was born on 30 January 1771 at Aswarby, a hamlet near Sleaford, Lincolnshire, the son of a tenant farmer, George Bass, and a local beauty named Sarah Nee Newman. His father died in 1777 when Bass was 6...
and Matthew FlindersMatthew FlindersCaptain Matthew Flinders RN was one of the most successful navigators and cartographers of his age. In a career that spanned just over twenty years, he sailed with Captain William Bligh, circumnavigated Australia and encouraged the use of that name for the continent, which had previously been...
, who explored the Port HackingPort HackingPort Hacking is an Australian estuary, located in Southern Sydney, New South Wales and fed by the Hacking River and several smaller creeks, including Bundeena Creek and The Basin. It is a ria, a river basin which has become submerged by the sea...
estuary. - Darook Park, Gunnamatta Park and Tonkin Park are all located on Gunnamatta Bay.
- Cronulla Park is located behind the beach at South Cronulla.
- Dunningham Park sits behind the beach at North Cronulla, shaded by large Norfolk Island Pines. It features a children's playground, picnic tables and a kiosk.
- Monro Park, featuring the Cronulla War Memorial, is located opposite Cronulla railway station.
- Cronulla Recreational Reserve is located beside the car park at Wanda Beach, popular for sport and recreational activities such as flying kites.
- Shelly Park sits behind Shelley Beach.
Commercial area
The main shopping strip runs along Cronulla Street, which has been partly converted into a pedestrian mall known as Cronulla Plaza. It also extends along the Kingsway, Gerrale Street and other surrounding streets. Cronulla has developed a café culture, with some cafés and restaurants located along the North Cronulla foreshore and Cronulla Plaza. Tourists can choose from a number of hotels, motels and serviced apartments. Cronulla has many attractions including an independent cinema, nightclubs, pubs and bars. Northies is a well-known pub, near North Cronulla Beach.Transport
Cronulla and National Park Ferry
Cronulla and National Park Ferry
Cronulla and National Park Ferry Cruises provides regular ferry services between Cronulla and Bundeena, in southern Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The company also operates scenic cruises around Port Hacking....
Cruises runs passenger services around Port Hacking
Port Hacking
Port Hacking is an Australian estuary, located in Southern Sydney, New South Wales and fed by the Hacking River and several smaller creeks, including Bundeena Creek and The Basin. It is a ria, a river basin which has become submerged by the sea...
and a regular route between Cronulla and Bundeena
Bundeena, New South Wales
Bundeena is a village on the outskirts of southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Bundeena is located 29km south of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the Sutherland Shire....
, on the edge of the Royal National Park
Royal National Park
Royal National Park is a national park in New South Wales, Australia, 29 km south of Sydney CBD.Founded by Sir John Robertson, Acting Premier of New South Wales, and formally proclaimed on 26 April 1879, it is the world's second oldest purposed national park, the first usage of the term...
. The Cronulla Ferry wharf sits on Gunnamatta Bay
Gunnamatta Bay
Gunnamatta Bay is a small bay in southern Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.Gunnamatta Bay is located off the Port Hacking estuary, in the Sutherland Shire...
, beside Tonkin Park.
Veolia Transport NSW
Veolia Transport NSW
Veolia Transport NSW is a division of the global Veolia company that operates the Metro Light Rail, the Metro Monorail and commuter bus services in the southern suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.-Metro Transport:...
has several bus routes that stop at Cronulla Railway Station. These are the 969 Sutherland via Miranda
Miranda, New South Wales
Miranda is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Miranda is located 24 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district, in the Sutherland Shire....
and North Caringbah
Caringbah, New South Wales
Caringbah is a suburb, in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Caringbah is located 24 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of Sutherland Shire...
, 962 Bankstown via Sutherland
Sutherland, New South Wales
Sutherland is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Sutherland is located 26 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the Sutherland Shire....
and Illawong
Illawong, New South Wales
Illawong is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Illawong is located 27 kilometres south-west of the Sydney Central Business District, in the local government area of the Sutherland Shire in the area commonly called Menai...
, 971 to Hursville
Hurstville, New South Wales
Hurstville is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Hurstville is located 16 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and is part of the St George area. Hurstville is the administrative centre of the local government area of the City of...
via Sylvania
Sylvania, New South Wales
Sylvania is a suburb, in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Sylvania is located 22 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district in the Sutherland Shire....
, 988 to Miranda
Miranda, New South Wales
Miranda is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Miranda is located 24 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district, in the Sutherland Shire....
via Wooloware
Woolooware, New South Wales
Woolooware is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Woolooware is located south of the Sydney central business district in the Sutherland Shire. It shares the 2230 postcode with Cronulla....
and 987 Kurnell
Kurnell, New South Wales
Kurnell is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Kurnell is located south of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Sutherland Shire....
via North Cronulla.
Sport
- The local National Rugby LeagueNational Rugby LeagueThe National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
football club is the Cronulla-Sutherland SharksCronulla SharksThe Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are Australian professional Rugby league team based in Cronulla, in the Sutherland Shire, Southern Sydney, New South Wales...
. The Cronulla-Sutherland League's Club and home ground, Endeavour FieldToyota Park (Cronulla)Endeavour Field, currently known as Toyota Stadium due to sponsorship rights, is a rugby league stadium in the suburb of Woolooware, New South Wales, Australia. It is the home ground for the Cronulla Sharks rugby league team, which represents the Cronulla and Sutherland Shire area...
, are located on Captain Cook Drive at WooloowareWoolooware, New South WalesWoolooware is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Woolooware is located south of the Sydney central business district in the Sutherland Shire. It shares the 2230 postcode with Cronulla....
. - Surf lifesaving clubs are located along the beach at Wanda, Elouera, North Cronulla and South Cronulla.
- Many soccer clubs are located in the Cronulla district, the most prominent being Cronulla SeagullsCronulla SeagullsCronulla Seagulls Football Club is an amateur not-for-profit Australian football club based in Woolooware, New South Wales.-History:In 1959 Cronulla resident Gordon Gillham decided to try and start a soccer club in his local area...
and the Cronulla RSL clubs. - Surfing plays a major role in Cronulla. Famous professional surfer and 1999 world champion Mark OcchilupoMark OcchilupoMarco Jay Luciano "Mark" Occhilupo is an Australian surfer and winner of the 1999 World surfing champion title.Occhilupo, also known as Occy, began his professional career in the World Championship Tour at the age of 17....
('Occy') grew up surfing in Cronulla. Many surfboard shapers hand craft their surfboards in Cronulla and the Sutherland Shire. - The "Cronulla International Cycling Grand Prix" has been held in Cronulla since 2006. In 2009 it was also the Australian National Criterium ChampionshipsAustralian National Criterium ChampionshipsThe Australian National Criterium Championships cover several different categories of Australian road bicycle racing events, normally held annually. The elite event is held in the December the preceding year, for example the 2009 championships were held on 14 December 2008, and the 2008...
.
Events
- Cronulla Spring Festival is held every year on the second weekend of September. It includes free entertainment, food and many variety stalls.
- Opera On the Beach is an event commonly held at Cronulla as part of the nation's Australia DayAustralia DayAustralia Day is the official national day of Australia...
celebrations.
Popular culture
- Puberty BluesPuberty BluesPuberty Blues is a 1981 Australian film directed by Bruce Beresford. The film is based on the 1979 novel Puberty Blues, by Gabrielle Carey and Kathy Lette, which is a proto-feminist teen novel about two 13 year-old girls from the Sutherland Shire in Sydney, Australia...
is a book and movie about the surfing culture in the Sutherland Shire. - An episode of the popular science-fiction TV series FarscapeFarscapeFarscape is an Australian-American science fiction television series filmed in Australia and produced originally for the Nine Network. The series was conceived by Rockne S. O'Bannon and produced by Jim Henson Productions and Hallmark Entertainment...
was filmed in Cronulla. - The Australia's Next Top ModelAustralia's Next Top ModelAustralia's Next Top Model is an Australian reality television series, based on a franchise that was created by Tyra Banks with America's Next Top Model...
(Cycle 4) house was situated on Gunnamatta Bay.
Demographics
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 16,502 people usually resident in Cronulla. 15.6% stated they were born overseas with the top countries of birth being United Kingdom 4.7%, New Zealand 2.2% and South Africa 0.5%. English was stated as the only language spoken at home by 83.1% of residents and the most common other languages spoken were Greek 1.0%, Italian 0.8% and Spanish 0.6%. 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...
29.3%, Anglican 25.3% and Uniting Church 4.1%.
Socioeconomics
The Australian Bureau of statistics found that 23.5% of residents were employed in professional positions, 41% were employed in technical and trade or administrative positions. The average individual income was $687, and mean family income was $1,698 according to the 2006 Australian Census. Unemployment amongst people under 29 is above the state average in 2006 ABS Census data.Notable residents
- Luke BainesLuke BainesLuke Baines is an Australian actor and singer, perhaps best known for playing Cameron on the Australian television series, Home & Away on Channel 7.- Early life :...
, actor, singer and model. - Nathan Beves, model, runner-up of the fourth season of The MoleThe Mole (Australia season 4)The fourth season of the Australian version of The Mole, subtitled The Mole in Paradise, took place mostly in New Caledonia and was hosted by Grant Bowler.-Show Details:...
. - Lara BingleLara BingleLara Bingle is an Australian fashion model who is best known for appearing in the 2006 Tourism Australia advertising campaign So where the bloody hell are you? She is also known for being the former fiancee of Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke and girlfriend of AFL footballer Brendon...
, model, former partner of cricketer Michael ClarkeMichael Clarke (cricketer)Michael John Clarke is an Australian cricketer. He was appointed captain of the Test and ODI teams on 30 March 2011. Nicknamed 'Pup', he is a right-handed batsman, and occasional left-arm orthodox spin bowler...
. - Matt Corby, runner-up of Australian Idol 2007Australian Idol (season 5)The fifth season of Australian Idol premiered on 5 August 2007 on Network Ten. It concluded on 25 November.-Format Changes:The series was again hosted by Andrew G and James Mathison with Ian "Dicko" Dickson returning to the show as one of the judges, along with Mark Holden, Marcia Hines and Kyle...
. - Brendan CowellBrendan CowellBrendan Cowell is an Australian actor, screenwriter and director. Cowell was born in Sydney. He stumbled upon acting by accident while waiting for his sister to come out of a rehearsal; he was then cast in a commercial at age 8...
, actor, appeared on Love My WayLove My WayLove My Way was a Logie Award winning and critically acclaimed Australian television drama series. It won the AFI award for Best Television Drama Series for each of its three seasons ....
. - Daniel MacPhersonDaniel MacPhersonDaniel Donald MacPherson is an Australian actor and television presenter, best known for his roles as; Joel Samuels on Neighbours, PC Cameron Tait on British police drama The Bill, and Detective Senior Constable Simon Joyner in City Homicide...
, Australian actor, TV presenter, notable for being in City HomicideCity HomicideCity Homicide was an Australian television drama series that aired on the Seven Network between 27 August 2007 – 30 March 2011. The series was set on the Homicide floor of a metropolitan police headquarters in Melbourne...
. - Chris McCormack, ironman, triathlete.
- Toni PearenToni PearenToni Pearen is an Australian actress, singer, songwriter and TV presenter born in Cronulla, Sydney on 5 June 1972. She initially became recognisable through her role on soap opera E Street from 1989 until 1992. She had a pop music career in the early 1990s which included the release of an album and...
, TV presenter, actress. - Myles PollardMyles PollardMyles Pollard is an Australian actor known for his role as Nick Ryan on the TV series McLeod's Daughters.-Biography:...
, actor, appeared on McLeod's DaughtersMcLeod's DaughtersMcLeod's Daughters is a Logie award-winning Australian drama series that aired on the Nine Network from 2001 to 2009. It tells the story of two sisters, Claire and Tess McLeod, who are reunited after they inherit the family farm...
. - Ricky PontingRicky PontingRicky Thomas Ponting , nicknamed Punter, is an Australian cricketer, a former captain of the Australian cricket team between 2004 and 2011 in Test cricket and 2002 and 2011 in One Day International cricket. He is a specialist right-handed batsman, slips and close catching fielder, as well as a very...
, former captain of the Australian national cricket team. - Jason StevensJason StevensJason Anthony Stevens is a former professional rugby league footballer who represented his country and state. He primarily played at prop...
, former Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks player. - Cheyenne TozziCheyenne TozziCheyenne Tozzi is an Australian model and aspiring singer, perhaps best known as the face of Mambo Goddess Australia and as the shared face of the Just Jeans denim empire. She is the younger sister of model, actress and singer Tahyna Tozzi and the daughter of Yvonee Tozzi, a retired model...
and her model/actress sister Tahyna TozziTahyna TozziTahyna Valentina Tozzi is an Australian model, singer and actress, perhaps best known for her role as Perri on Australian television series Blue Water High on free to air channel ABC.- Early life :...
. - Sharni VinsonSharni Vinson-External links:...
, actress, appeared on Home and AwayHome and AwayHome and Away is an Australian soap opera that has been produced in Sydney since July 1987 and is airing on the Seven Network since 17 January 1988. It is the second-longest-running drama and most popular soap opera on Australian television...
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Schools
Cronulla is home to a number of primary and secondary schools: Cronulla High School, De La Salle College, Our Lady of Mercy College, Cronulla Public School, South Cronulla Public School, St Francis De Sales, Burraneer Bay Public School, St Aloysius Catholic Primary School.Churches
St Andrews Anglican Church, St Aloysius Catholic Church, Cronulla Baptist Church, Cronulla Uniting Church, Presbyterian War Memorial Church.See also
- Electoral district of CronullaElectoral district of CronullaCronulla is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Mark Speakman of the Liberal Party of Australia.-Members for Cronulla:-Election results:...
, a seat in the New South Wales Legislative AssemblyNew South Wales Legislative AssemblyThe Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney... - Cronulla railway station
- 2005 Cronulla riots2005 Cronulla riotsThe 2005 Cronulla riots were a series of sectarian clashes and mob violence originating in Cronulla, New South Wales and spreading, over the next few nights, to additional Sydney suburbs....
- Wanda Sand dunesCronulla sand dunes, Kurnell PeninsulaThe Cronulla sand dunes are located on the Kurnell Peninsula in the local government area of Sutherland Shire, Sydney Australia.The Cronulla sand dunes are a protected area that became listed on the NSW State Heritage Register on 26 September 2003.-History:...