Cooranbong ( ;) is a town in a
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 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 ...
,
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 ...
in
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 ...
, west of the town of
Morisset off the
Sydney-Newcastle Freeway. Cooranbong is surrounded by the
Watagans National Park
Watagans is a national park located in New South Wales, Australia, north of Sydney.
This park has some fine rainforest scenery.
File:Watagans park sign.JPG
File:Watagans trees.JPG
See also
* Protected areas of New South Wales
The Pro ...
.
The town's name is derived from the
Aboriginal word "Kour-an-bong", meaning "rocky bottom creek" or "water over rocks".
History
![Watagan Mountains](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Watagan_Mountains.jpg)
The Aboriginal people, in this area, 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 ...
, were the first people of this land.
Prior to settlement and development of the area now known as Cooranbong, lived people who identify as part of the Awabakal group. It is unknown as to how long the people lived collectively as a single group and the nature of their interactions through peace and conflict with other people not of their own kin.
The first modern settler was Lieutenant Percy Simpson, who received a land grant from the government and was assigned six convicts who cleared the land, grazed cattle and built a homestead near
Dora Creek
Dora River is a watercourse that is located in the Upper Central Coast/ Lower Hunter regions of New South Wales, Australia.
Course and features
Dora Creek River rises below Watagan Mountains west of Martinsville, and flows generally southeas ...
. Although Simpson only stayed there for two years, one of his convicts, Moses Carroll, became a
stockman in the area, eventually becoming the area's police constable. The
Robertson Land Act
The Crown Lands Acts 1861 (NSW) (or Robertson Land Acts) were introduced by the New South Wales Premier, John Robertson, in 1861 to reform land holdings in New South Wales and in particular to break the Squattocracy's domination of land tenure. ...
of 1861 allowed the town to grow, encouraging the construction of a Catholic church and later, a school, police station and courthouse (1873), a post office (1881) and an Anglican church. Timber cutting was the primary economic activity, during the 1880s the population reached 700.
![Cooranbong Factory](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5e/Cooranbong_Factory.jpg)
When the
railway
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
was built from
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 ...
to
Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to:
*Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England
*Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England
*Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area in Australia, named after Newcastle ...
in the 1880s, the line passed around 5 km east of the town centre. The
station and associated settlement were originally labelled as Cooranbong but later became known as
Morisset. This was devastating to the local economy in conjunction with the significant economic depression occurring in the colony. Consequently, the population declined to 206 people by 1891. This
economic depression
An economic depression is a period of carried long-term economical downturn that is result of lowered economic activity in one major or more national economies. Economic depression maybe related to one specific country were there is some economic ...
continued until the
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is an Adventist Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week in the Christian (Gregorian) and the Hebrew calendar, as the Sabbath, and ...
bought on the northern bank of
Dora Creek
Dora River is a watercourse that is located in the Upper Central Coast/ Lower Hunter regions of New South Wales, Australia.
Course and features
Dora Creek River rises below Watagan Mountains west of Martinsville, and flows generally southeas ...
where they built
Avondale School for Christian Workers (1897) and
Sanitarium Health Food Company
The Sanitarium Health and Wellbeing Company is the trading name of two sister food companies (Australian Health and Nutrition Association Ltd and New Zealand Health Association Ltd). Both are wholly owned by the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
F ...
(1909).
Present day
The Avondale Estate is a
Seventh-day Adventist
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is an Adventism, Adventist Protestantism, Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the Names of the days of the week#Numbered days of the week, seventh day of the ...
owned estate opposite the Cooranbong shops. The estate is home to
Avondale University, a Seventh-day Adventist tertiary education institution, the
Sanitarium Health and Wellbeing Company
The Sanitarium Health and Wellbeing Company is the trading name of two sister food companies (Australian Health and Nutrition Association Ltd and New Zealand Health Association Ltd). Both are wholly owned by the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
F ...
, Avondale College Church, Avondale Memorial Church, a disused dairy farm and Avondale Retirement Village. A number of Avondale University students and staff also live on the estate in off-campus housing.
There is also St Patrick's & St Brigid's Catholic Church, a small church built in 1906 to replace the original 1861 structure. The oldest headstone in its cemetery dates to 1862.
South Sea Islands Museum
![Polynesian War Canoe](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a1/Polynesian_War_Canoe.jpg)
The
South Sea Islands Museum
In 1964 the South Sea Islands Museum was founded in Cooranbong, in New South Wales, Australia, to display artifacts collected by Seventh-day Adventist missionaries, who entered Australia in 1885 and expanded into New Zealand, Papua New Guin ...
is located at 27 Avondale Road in a historic house adjacent to the
Sunnyside Historical Home built and occupied by Ellen G. White. The museum contains a collection of historic South Sea Island artefacts gathered by Seventh-day Adventist missionaries during their work on
Pitcairn Islands
The Pitcairn Islands (; Pitkern: '), officially the Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands, is a group of four volcanic islands in the southern Pacific Ocean that form the sole British Overseas Territory in the Pacific Ocean. The four isl ...
,
Cook Islands
)
, image_map = Cook Islands on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg
, capital = Avarua
, coordinates =
, largest_city = Avarua
, official_languages =
, lan ...
,
Samoa
Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands (Manono Island, Manono an ...
,
Tonga
Tonga (, ; ), officially the Kingdom of Tonga ( to, Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesian country and archipelago. The country has 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in ...
,
Fiji
Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...
, the New Hebrides (now
Vanuatu
Vanuatu ( or ; ), officially the Republic of Vanuatu (french: link=no, République de Vanuatu; bi, Ripablik blong Vanuatu), is an island country located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is east of no ...
), the
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and north-west of Vanuatu. It has a land area of , and a population of approx. 700,000. Its capita ...
,
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...
,
New Caledonia
)
, anthem = ""
, image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg
, map_alt = Location of New Caledonia
, map_caption = Location of New Caledonia
, mapsize = 290px
, subdivision_type = Sovereign st ...
and
Kiribati
Kiribati (), officially the Republic of Kiribati ( gil, ibaberikiKiribati),[Kiribati]
''The Wor ...
. Its centerpiece is an enormous war canoe.
['']Sydney Morning Herald
''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily compact newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and owned by Nine. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper i ...
'' (8 February 2004)
"Cooranbong"
Retrieved 2 April 2016. The records of the missionaries' work in Australia and in the South Sea Island region dating from the 1880s are held in the Adventist Heritage Centre at Cooranbong. According to the
Australian Department of the Environment and Heritage, "these rich and diverse records of provenance add to the significance of items in the museum."
Sunnyside Historic Home
This historic home was constructed by
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is an Adventist Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week in the Christian (Gregorian) and the Hebrew calendar, as the Sabbath, and ...
co-founder
Ellen G. White
Ellen Gould White (née Harmon; November 26, 1827 – July 16, 1915) was an American woman author and co-founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Along with other Adventist leaders such as Joseph Bates and her husband James White, she wa ...
and served as her home base for six years while she lived in Australia (1895–1900). It originally sat on 40 acres of land Mrs White bought from the church for $1,350 in an effort to provide needed funds for the school development. The home was where she wrote significant portions of her most popular books, including the
Desire of Ages, a work on the life of Christ. Ellen White was instrumental in founding Avondale College, and the home sits near the campus. It was bought by the Australasian (now South Pacific) Division in 1960, and they restored Sunnyside. The home is available for tours.
Education
*Cooranbong Public School (P-6, public)
*
Avondale School (P-12, private Christian)
*
Avondale College
Avondale College is a state coeducational secondary school located in the central Auckland, New Zealand, suburb of Avondale. With a roll of students from Years 9–13 (ages 12–18), it is the third largest secondary school in New Zealand.
...
(University level degrees, private Christian)
Demographics
According to the
2016 census of Population, there were 5,449 people in Cooranbong.
* The median age of Cooranbong residents was 43 years, compared with 38 years as the News South Wales median.
* 77.7% of people were born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were New Zealand 4.6% and England 2.5%.
* 88.3% of people spoke only English at home.
* The most common responses for religion were Seventh-day Adventist 30.8%, No Religion 19.1%, Anglican 13.7% and Catholic 10.8%.
* The median weekly household income was $1,232.
[
]
Notable residents
* Lindy Chamberlain
Alice Lynne "Lindy" Chamberlain-Creighton (née Murchison; born 4 March 1948) is a New Zealand–born Australian woman who was wrongfully convicted in one of Australia's most publicised murder trials. Accused of killing her nine-week-old daught ...
(born 1948), known for her famous trial, being erroneously accused of killing her nine-week-old daughter, Azaria
Azaria ( he, עֲזַרְיָה), or Azarya is a moshav in central Israel. Located in the Shephelah around five kilometres south-east of Ramle, it falls under the jurisdiction of Gezer Regional Council. In it had a population of .
Etymology ...
, while camping at Ayers Rock
Uluru (; pjt, Uluṟu ), also known as Ayers Rock ( ) and officially gazetted as UluruAyers Rock, is a large sandstone formation in the centre of Australia. It is in the southern part of the Northern Territory, southwest of Alice Springs.
...
in 1980.
* Michael Chamberlain
Michael Leigh Chamberlain (27 February 1944 – 9 January 2017) was a New Zealand-Australian writer, teacher and pastor falsely implicated in the August 1980 death of his missing daughter Azaria, which was later demonstrated to be the result ...
(1944–2017), ex-husband of Lindy, erroneously accused of being accessory in the death of Azaria
Azaria ( he, עֲזַרְיָה), or Azarya is a moshav in central Israel. Located in the Shephelah around five kilometres south-east of Ramle, it falls under the jurisdiction of Gezer Regional Council. In it had a population of .
Etymology ...
, pastor, teacher, writer.
* Elsa Klensch
Elsa Klensch ( Aeschbacher; 21 February 1930 – 4 March 2022) was an Australian-American journalist, novelist, and television personality, often working in the world of fashion.
She was the producer and host of '' Style with Elsa Klensch'', CN ...
(1930–2022) fashion journalist and television presenter ( Style with Elsa Klensch) born in Cooranbong.
References
Further reading
* ''Cooranbong, First Town in Lake Macquarie, 1826–1996: A History Including Martinsville and Dora Creek
Dora River is a watercourse that is located in the Upper Central Coast/ Lower Hunter regions of New South Wales, Australia.
Course and features
Dora Creek River rises below Watagan Mountains west of Martinsville, and flows generally southeas ...
'' by Michael Chamberlain
Michael Leigh Chamberlain (27 February 1944 – 9 January 2017) was a New Zealand-Australian writer, teacher and pastor falsely implicated in the August 1980 death of his missing daughter Azaria, which was later demonstrated to be the result ...
description
.
External links
History of Cooranbong
Avondale College
Avondale Memorial Seventh-day Adventist Church
Avondale School (K-12)
{{authority control
Suburbs of Lake Macquarie
Towns in the Hunter Region
1826 establishments in Australia
Towns in New South Wales