Sawtell, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Sawtell is a coastal suburb of Coffs Harbour in northern New South Wales
, Australia
.
of the Gumbaynggirr
clan. The Aboriginal name for the land where the town now stands was Bongil Bongil.
In 1863 a cutter carrying a load of cedar logs ran aground on what would become Sawtell Beach. A Coffs Harbour farmer named Walter Harvey assembled a team of workers to salvage the logs, and a small settlement developed near the site of the wreck.
Forty years later, the land around Sawtell Beach was purchased and subdivided by Oswald Sawtell for housing and farmland. A railway station, post office, school and hotel followed soon thereafter and by the 1930s Sawtell had become a thriving coastal village.
As of 2006, the population of Sawtell was 3,122.
, within kilometres of Toormina and Boambee, and 10 km south of Coffs Harbour. It is served by the North Coast railway line
with six XPT services daily, three heading north and three south. This station is an optional stop for all of them.
Coffs Harbour Airport
is located just to the north of Sawtell with the runway ending just to the north of the town. It is serviced daily by Virgin Australia, QantasLink
and Brindabella Airlines
.
Sawtell, Toormina and Boambee (all with postcode 2452) have a combined population of 17,231 people, 9.2% of whom are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders.
Sawtell also has a number of recreation sporting clubs, most notably, Sawtell Golf Club - on Bayldon Road, Sawtell Bowling Club - on Lyons Road, Sawtell Swimming Club - on Lyonsl Road, Sawtell Surf Lifesaving Club on Second Ave, and Sawtell Tennis Club on Lyons Road.
A number of annual events have been organised by the local chamber of commerce
.
The Chilli Festival involves local and national vendors serving assorted chilli-based dishes, including spicy desserts. Each year a chilli recipe book
is produced.
The New Year
's "Fun Day" involves family entertainment, including wood chopping, a fun run
, tug of war
competitions, and live entertainment.
The "Ben Woods Cricket Tournament", held between Sawtell and Coffs Harbour, takes places during the Christmas Period.
A surfing competition, held at Sawtell Beach, raises money for those living with spinal injuries. Surfers from all over NSW and Queensland come to compete in the event.
The main street of Sawtell has become increasingly well known for its restaurants and its heritage listed cinema.
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...
.
History
The original inhabitants of the land were AboriginesIndigenous 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....
of the Gumbaynggirr
Gumbaynggirr
Gumbaynggir are an Australian Aboriginal group of the Coffs Harbour, New South Wales area. The Gumbaynggirr lands cover an area of the Mid North Coast from the Nambucca River to as far north as the Clarence River , west to Armidale and eastward to the Pacific coast, making the Gumbaynggirr tribe...
clan. The Aboriginal name for the land where the town now stands was Bongil Bongil.
In 1863 a cutter carrying a load of cedar logs ran aground on what would become Sawtell Beach. A Coffs Harbour farmer named Walter Harvey assembled a team of workers to salvage the logs, and a small settlement developed near the site of the wreck.
Forty years later, the land around Sawtell Beach was purchased and subdivided by Oswald Sawtell for housing and farmland. A railway station, post office, school and hotel followed soon thereafter and by the 1930s Sawtell had become a thriving coastal village.
As of 2006, the population of Sawtell was 3,122.
Location
Sawtell is located on the north-eastern coast of New South WalesNew 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...
, within kilometres of Toormina and Boambee, and 10 km south of Coffs Harbour. It is served by the North Coast railway line
North Coast railway line, New South Wales
The North Coast Line is the primary rail route in the Mid North Coast and Northern Rivers regions of New South Wales, and forms a major part of the Sydney-Brisbane rail corridor....
with six XPT services daily, three heading north and three south. This station is an optional stop for all of them.
Coffs Harbour Airport
Coffs Harbour Airport
-Statistics:The airport currently handles over 26,000 aircraft movements per annum, 5,000 of which are for passenger aircraft.-Operations:-Incidents and accidents:...
is located just to the north of Sawtell with the runway ending just to the north of the town. It is serviced daily by Virgin Australia, QantasLink
QantasLink
QantasLink is a regional brand of Australian airline Qantas and is an affiliate member of the Oneworld airline alliance. It is a major competitor to Regional Express Airlines, Virgin Australia and Skywest Airlines. As of September 2010 QantasLink provides 1900 flights each week to 54 domestic and...
and Brindabella Airlines
Brindabella Airlines
Brindabella Airlines Pty Ltd is a regional airline based in Canberra, Australia. It is a Qantas affiliate airline operating a small regional network. Its main base is Canberra International Airport.- History :...
.
Demographics
Sawtell has a population of 3,122 people. Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people make up 7.2% of the population. 21 people are African.Sawtell, Toormina and Boambee (all with postcode 2452) have a combined population of 17,231 people, 9.2% of whom are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders.
Sports and Events
Sawtell has numerous sporting clubs and facilities. The Sawtell Panther Junior and Senior Rugby League clubs play out of Rex Hardaker Oval, Hogbin Drive, Toormina - along with Coffs Rugby, and the pigeon racing club. The Sawtell Scorpions are the local Football club, based at Toormina Oval, Toormina Road, Toormina. The Sawtell Saints are the Australian Rules Football club, based at Richardson Park, Hulberts Road, Sawtell - along with the Sawtell Cricket Club - who also play at Toormina Oval and Sawtell Oval, Bayldon Road, Sawtell.Sawtell also has a number of recreation sporting clubs, most notably, Sawtell Golf Club - on Bayldon Road, Sawtell Bowling Club - on Lyons Road, Sawtell Swimming Club - on Lyonsl Road, Sawtell Surf Lifesaving Club on Second Ave, and Sawtell Tennis Club on Lyons Road.
A number of annual events have been organised by the local chamber of commerce
Chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
.
The Chilli Festival involves local and national vendors serving assorted chilli-based dishes, including spicy desserts. Each year a chilli recipe book
Cookbook
A cookbook is a kitchen reference that typically contains a collection of recipes. Modern versions may also include colorful illustrations and advice on purchasing quality ingredients or making substitutions...
is produced.
The New Year
New Year
The New Year is the day that marks the time of the beginning of a new calendar year, and is the day on which the year count of the specific calendar used is incremented. For many cultures, the event is celebrated in some manner....
's "Fun Day" involves family entertainment, including wood chopping, a fun run
Fun run
A fun run is a friendly race that involves either road running or cross country running with participants taking part for their own enjoyment rather than competition. A fun run will usually be held to raise funds for a charity, with sponsors providing the revenue to cover organisational costs...
, tug of war
Tug of war
Tug of war, also known as tug o' war, tug war, rope war or rope pulling, is a sport that directly pits two teams against each other in a test of strength. The term may also be used as a metaphor to describe a demonstration of brute strength by two opposing groups, such as a rivalry between two...
competitions, and live entertainment.
The "Ben Woods Cricket Tournament", held between Sawtell and Coffs Harbour, takes places during the Christmas Period.
A surfing competition, held at Sawtell Beach, raises money for those living with spinal injuries. Surfers from all over NSW and Queensland come to compete in the event.
The main street of Sawtell has become increasingly well known for its restaurants and its heritage listed cinema.