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Avalon Beach is a northern beachside
suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separate ...
of
Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is 37 kilometres north of the
Sydney central business district The Sydney central business district (CBD) is the historical and main Central business district, commercial centre of Sydney. The CBD is Sydney's city centre, or Sydney City, and the two terms are used interchangeably. Colloquially, the CBD or c ...
, in the
local government area A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a State (administrative division), state, province, divi ...
of Northern Beaches Council, in the Northern Beaches region. The area was previously called Avalon, with the name Avalon Beach being assigned during a change in boundaries and names in the Pittwater region in 2012.


History

The Pittwater and Northern Beaches area was formerly inhabited by the Garigal or Caregal people in a region known as Guringai country.


European settlement

Avalon was named after the mythical Avalon, a legendary island in Celtic languages mythology. According to legends, Avalon was an earthly paradise and the final resting place of
King Arthur King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as a ...
.''The Book of Sydney Suburbs'', Compiled by Frances Pollon, Angus & Robertson Publishers, 1990, Published in Australia , page 13 The first land grant in the area was to John Farrell in 1827. In 1833 a land grant was made to Australia's first Catholic priest, John Joseph Therry, by
Governor Bourke Governor Bourke may refer to: * Martin Bourke (born 1947), Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands from 1993 to 1996 *Sir Richard Bourke (1777–1855), 8th Governor of New South Wales *Richard Southwell Bourke, 6th Earl of Mayo Richard Southwe ...
. A further grant of 280 acres made in 1837 meant that Therry's holdings covered most of the peninsula from Newport to Whale Beach. He built a church in this area but his plans for a settlement never eventuated. Therry fought hard for the recognition of the Catholic Church in the colony. After he died, the land was left to the Jesuit order and was then sold to help finance the rebuilding of St. Mary's Cathedral in Sydney. In the 1920s, the area was still known as 'Priest's Flat'. Arthur J Small handled a subdivision in 1921 and chose the name Avalon. Lots were sold for £100 each and included two year's free membership in the local golf club. Significant housing developments took place during the 1920s. The architect
Alexander Stewart Jolly Alexander Stewart Jolly (1887–1957) was a Sydney-based architect, published poet and children's author in the early 20th century. His buildings are primarily in Sydney's northern suburbs and the north coast of New South Wales. His architectura ...
designed a number of houses that were built in the Avalon area in that period. ''Loggan Rock'' was a flamboyant log cabin combined with a stone tower; the combination of logs and rocks gave rise to the name. The house is heritage-listed. ''Careel House'' is a bungalow made of stone that was quarried in the area. Nowadays it is on the
Whale Beach Whale Beach is a northern beachside suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Whale Beach is located 40 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district, in the Local government in Australia, local government area of ...
side of the boundary. It is also heritage-listed. ''Hy Brasil'', located near
Clareville Clareville is a suburb in northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Clareville is 36 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Northern Beaches Council. Clareville is p ...
, was built in 1936, but was originally known as ''The Gem''. Later it was bought by Ted Herman, son of the painter Sali Herman, who changed the name, using the name of a mythical island west of Ireland. It is heritage-listed. A sandstone cottage known as ''Wickham'', designed by Walter Burley Griffin, was unfortunately demolished with council approval in 1994. Another significant development was the creation of Ruskin Rowe in 1950. This street was designed as an estate by the architect Harry Ruskin Rowe, son of the architect Thomas Rowe. Rowe created covenants to preserve the character of the estate, but they have been ignored to an extent over the years. Nevertheless, the estate is heritage-listed because of its historic significance, as well as its scientific significance in preserving the bushland environment of the area.


Early subdivision plans

File:Avalon Beach Estate Plateau Rd, Park Reserve, 1921-1926.jpg, Avalon Beach Estate Plateau Rd, Park Reserve, 1921–1926 File:Avalon Beach Central Estate, Avalon Pde, Barrenjoey Rd, 1921-1926.jpg, Avalon Beach Central Estate, Avalon Pde, Barrenjoey Rd, 1921–1926 File:Avalon Beach Estates, Central Rd, Plateau Rd, 1921-1926.jpg, Avalon Beach Estates, Central Rd, Plateau Rd, 1921–1926 File:Avalon Sanctuary Estate, Park Ave, 1921-1926.jpg, Avalon Sanctuary Estate, Park Ave, 1921–1926


Heritage listings

Avalon Beach has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: * 32 Plateau Road: Walter Burley Griffin Lodge * 111 Whale Beach Road: Loggan Rock


Demographics

According to the
2016 census Sixteen or 16 may refer to: *16 (number), the natural number following 15 and preceding 17 *one of the years 16 BC, AD 16, 1916, 2016 Films * ''Pathinaaru'' or ''Sixteen'', a 2010 Tamil film * ''Sixteen'' (1943 film), a 1943 Argentine film dir ...
of population, there were 9,905 residents in Avalon Beach. 73.3% of people were born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were England 9.6%, New Zealand 2.0% and United States of America 1.1%. 90.2% of people only spoke English at home. The most common responses for religious affiliation were No Religion 43.0%, Catholic 19.4% and
Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...
18.6%.


Commercial areas

Avalon Beach features an RSL club, a surf club, bowling and sailing clubs; a golf club, a supermarket, shops, offices, cafes and a cinema. Cuisines include French, Vietnamese, Italian, Mexican, American Diner, Japanese, Thai and other Asian. There is a book shop, hairdresser, artisan bakery, petrol station, Red Cross Shop, bottle shop, many real estate agents, hardware store, florists and many homewares and dress shops. It is unique in that this large commercial centre is separated from the beach only by the road, a fact which until recently was used to argue against commercialisation of the beach side buildings themselves as restaurants and cafes were already so close to the beach.


Sport and recreation

Avalon Beach is a
surfing Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suitabl ...
beach and has a 25-metre salt water rock pool at the south end. It is renowned for its rich orange-coloured sand (that indicate the presence of
iron oxide Iron oxides are chemical compounds composed of iron and oxygen. Several iron oxides are recognized. All are black magnetic solids. Often they are non-stoichiometric. Oxyhydroxides are a related class of compounds, perhaps the best known of whic ...
), which contrasts to the typical yellow coloured beaches in the eastern suburbs. Avalon Beach SLSC members patrol Avalon Beach. Several former surfing world champions are also past or current Avalon residents, including Ben Player. Avalon Soccer Club, established 1982, has over 80 teams and 1000 registered players. Avalon Junior Rugby League Club has contributed several players active in the Australian National Rugby League. Avalon also has a small nine-hole golf course. The former Pittwater Council created the Bangalley Headland Bicentennical Walk, which goes through part of the Careel Headland Reserve. The track starts at Whale Beach Road and goes to Marine Parade. The council also proposed a Plan of Management for the Bicentennial Walk in 2001, and adopted it in 2002. St Michaels Cave is an interesting coastal feature.


Schools

*
Barrenjoey High School Barrenjoey High School is a government-funded co-educational comprehensive secondary day school, located in Avalon Beach, a suburb in the Northern Beaches of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Established in 1968, the school catered fo ...
* Avalon Public School * Maria Regina Catholic Primary School * Montessori public school on the former grounds of Barrenjoey Highschool


Culture/politics

An episode of the American television show '' Baywatch'' was shot at Avalon Beach in the late 1990s. Producers of the show, seeking to relocate from their Californian base due to cost constraints, proposed a full relocation to Avalon and promised an upgrading of the SLSC in return, painting a huge sign saying "Avalon Beach" across the surf club. However, following complaints from residents (supported by former world surfing champion and local property owner Mark Warren), the series moved instead to Hawaii. The anti-''Baywatch'' supporters were led by former Pittwater mayor Alex McTaggart, who was subsequently elected to NSW State Parliament for two years. In 2011-13 there was a move by the Avalon Beach Surf Life Saving club officials, led by Christine Hopton, to replace the existing surf club. The development went ahead despite opposition from local residents in the land and environment court. Australian drama series ''
Blue Water High ''Blue Water High'' is an Australian television drama series, broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on ABC1 and on Austar/ Foxtel Nickelodeon channel in Australia and on various channels in many other countries. Each season follo ...
'' was set at Avalon Beach, and the series was filmed there.


Gallery

File:(1)Loggan Rock-1.jpg, ''Loggan Rock'', designed by
Alexander Stewart Jolly Alexander Stewart Jolly (1887–1957) was a Sydney-based architect, published poet and children's author in the early 20th century. His buildings are primarily in Sydney's northern suburbs and the north coast of New South Wales. His architectura ...
File:(1)Careel Head-2.jpg, Careel Head File:(1)Bangalley Head.jpg, Bangalley Head File:(1)St Marks Avalon.jpg, St Mark's Church File:(1)Baptist Church Avalon.jpg, Baptist Church File:(1)Whale Beach Road house-1.jpg, Home in Whale Beach Road designed to blend in with the bush File:Avalon township-1w.jpg, Avalon Beach town centre


Notable residents

* Yahoo Serious (1953-), actor and director *
Mandy Zieren Mandy Zieren (born 1978-10-09) is an Australian bodyboarder competing on the International Bodyboarding Association The International Bodyboarding Association (IBA) was the governing body for professional Bodyboarders and is dedicated to show ...
(1978-), competitive bodyboarder


References

{{Beaches of New South Wales Suburbs of Sydney Beaches of Sydney Surfing locations in New South Wales Northern Beaches Council