Caves Beach is a locality on the

Swansea Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea ( cy, links=no, Dinas a Sir Abertawe). The city is the twenty-fifth largest in ...

peninsula between

Lake Macquarie The City of Lake Macquarie is a Local government in Australia, local government area in Greater Newcastle and part of the Hunter Region in New South Wales, Australia. It was proclaimed a city from 7 September 1984. The area is situated adjacent ...

and the

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Greater Newcastle Newcastle ( ; Awabakal language, Awabakal: ) is a metropolitan area and the second most populated city in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It includes the City of Newcastle, Newcastle and City of Lake Macquarie, Lake Macquarie Local gov ...

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. It is part of the

City of Lake Macquarie The City of Lake Macquarie is a local government area in Greater Newcastle and part of the Hunter Region in New South Wales, Australia. It was proclaimed a city from 7 September 1984. The area is situated adjacent to the city of Newcastle and is ...

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 ...

. The locality is named for the large number of caves on the nearby coastline. It has a surfing beach which is popular with the local surfers. It is highly popular for spearfishing, with the premier target species being the elusive red morwong. The traditional custodians of the land were the

Awabakal The Awabakal people , are those Aboriginal Australians who identify with or are descended from the Awabakal tribe and its clans, Indigenous to the coastal area of what is now known as the Hunter Region of New South Wales. Their traditional te ...

people. Local businesses include a resort, restaurants, convenient stores, IGA, Cafés, butchers, gelato store.

Geography

Caves Beach approximately covers 43 km2 (16.6 sq mi). The west side of the suburb is mainly all residential. To the east, there are more shops, cafes and restaurants. To the far east is the beach. To the north is Swansea Heads and Ham's Beach, named after a family living on a hill behind the Surf Lifesaving Club. The rocky section of Ham's is dubbed Frenchie's Beach by the locals. To the south is Pinny's Beach.

History

Aboriginal occupation

The Plains were covered with grass trees and the Awabakal people went there to collect the resin, used in spear-making. There were campsites at Ham's beach because of the good fishing and availability of a fine-grained quartzite for making stone implements.

Early European years

Originally, Caves Beach was known as The Plains. After the name was changed to Plains Beach and then Caves Beach. In 1960 it was named Mawson but the community objected and the name Caves Beach was restored in 1965.

19th century

The Swansea-Caves Beach Surf Life Saving Club was founded in 1929 by a group of men from Swansea wanting to establish a Surf Lifesaving Club between Swansea Heads and Pinny Beach. Early surveying for and Grantsoccurred in 1864 and early subdivisions in 1935. in the 1940s Mr. Mawson, initiated the development of Caves Beach. At one stage he involved a Japanese consortium in a mining venture called Silver Valley Minerals but it failed to develop. The breakwater at Spoon Rocks remains from this venture, constructed to load coal into ships. In 1958 plans were approved for a new hotel on Caves Beach Rd called The Mawson. The pub was famous and very popular throughout the 60s and 70s and attracted the attention of bands such as idnight Oil old Chiseland he Angelswho performed there. The hotel was beloved by the locals but The Mawsons eventually sold the hotel for a reported $1.2million and on 9 October 1981. In 2018 a restaurant called Mawson opened up, with the name being an obvious reminder of the old hotel. Swansea High School opened at Caves Beach in 1964 and Caves Beach Public School was opened in 1968 beside the high school.

Population

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 4,054 people in Caves Beach. * Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 2.6% of the population. * 86.5% of people were born in Australia. The next most common country of birth was England at 3.7%. * 94.5% of people only spoke English at home. * The most common responses for religion were No Religion 28.4%, Catholic 23.2% and Anglican 21.5%.

References

External links

History of Caves Beach
(Lake Macquarie City Library) {{City of Lake Macquarie suburbs Suburbs of Lake Macquarie Coastal towns in New South Wales