Gosford is the city and administrative centre of the Central Coast Council local government area in the heart of the Central Coast region, about north of Sydney and about south of

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 ...

. The city centre is situated at the northern extremity of

Brisbane Water Brisbane Water is a wave-dominated barrier estuary located in the Central Coast region, north of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Brisbane Water has its origin at the confluence of the Narara and Coorumbine Creeks, to the south–east of G ...

, an extensive northern branch of the

Hawkesbury River The Hawkesbury River, or Hawkesbury-Nepean River, is a river located northwest of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The Hawkesbury River and its associated main tributary, the Nepean River, almost encircle the metropolitan region of Sydney ...

estuary and

Broken Bay Broken Bay, a semi-mature tide-dominated drowned valley estuary, is a large inlet of the Tasman Sea located about north of Sydney central business district on the coast of New South Wales, Australia; being one of the bodies of water that sepa ...

. The suburb is the

administrative centre An administrative center is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune is located. In countries with French as administrative language (such as Belgium, Lu ...

and

Central Business District A central business district (CBD) is the commercial and business centre of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides with the " city ...

of the Central Coast region, which is the third largest urban area in New South Wales after Sydney and Newcastle. Following its formation from the combination of the previous

Gosford City Council The City of Gosford is a former local government area located on the Central Coast region, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The incorporation of Gosford dates back to 1886 when the Town of Gosford was proclaimed as the ''Borough of G ...

and

Wyong Shire Council Wyong Shire was a local government area located in the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. The incorporation of the Wyong area dates back to 7 March 1906 when the entire area of the Brisbane Water Police District outside of the ...

s, Gosford has been earmarked as a vital CBD spine under the NSW Metropolitan Strategy. The population of the Gosford area was 169,053 in 2016.

History

SLNSW 796353 Looking south Mann St Gosford

Until white settlement, the area around Gosford was inhabited by the

Guringai Kuringgai (also spelled Ku-ring-gai, Kuring-gai, Guringai, Kuriggai) (,) is an ethnonym referring to (a) an hypothesis regarding an aggregation of Indigenous Australian peoples occupying the territory between the southern borders of the Gamila ...

peoples, who were principally coastal-dwellers, and the

Darkinjung people The Darkinjung (not to be confused with the Darkinyung people further inland) are the Local Aboriginal Land Council in the Central Coast, New South Wales, area of Australia and a major landowner on the Central Coast, participating in formal jo ...

that inhabited the

hinterland Hinterland is a German word meaning "the land behind" (a city, a port, or similar). Its use in English was first documented by the geographer George Chisholm in his ''Handbook of Commercial Geography'' (1888). Originally the term was associate ...

. Along with the other land around the Hawkesbury River estuary, the

district was explored during the early stages of the settlement of New South Wales. Gosford Henry Kendall Cottage 001

Gosford itself was explored by

State Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political r ...

Arthur Phillip Admiral Arthur Phillip (11 October 1738 – 31 August 1814) was a British Royal Navy officer who served as the first governor of the Colony of New South Wales. Phillip was educated at Greenwich Hospital School from June 1751 until ...

between 1788 and 1789. The area was difficult to access and settlement began around 1823. By the late 19th century the agriculture in the region was diversifying, with market gardens and citrus orchards occupying the rich soil left after the timber harvest. As late as 1850, the road between Hawkesbury (near Pittwater) and Brisbane Water was a cart wheel track. Typical of early Colonial settlement, convicts lived and worked in the Gosford area. In 1825, Gosford's population reached 100, of whom 50% were convicts. East Gosford was the first centre of settlement. Gosford was named in 1839 after

Archibald Acheson, 2nd Earl of Gosford Archibald Acheson, 2nd Earl of Gosford, (1 August 1776 – 27 March 1849), styled The Honourable Archibald Acheson from 1790 to 1806 and Lord Acheson from 1806 to 1807, was a British politician who served as Lieutenant-Governor of Lower Canada a ...

– a friend of the then Governor of New South Wales

George Gipps Sir George Gipps (23 December 1790 – 28 February 1847) was the Governor of the British colony of New South Wales for eight years, between 1838 and 1846. His governorship oversaw a tumultuous period where the rights to land were bitterly conte ...

. Acheson's title derives its name from Gosford, a townland (sub-division) of

Markethill Markethill () is a village in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It is beside Gosford Forest Park. It had a population of 1,647 people in the 2011 Census. This article contains quotations from this source, which is available under th Open Governm ...

County Armagh County Armagh (, named after its county town, Armagh) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland and one of the traditional thirty-two counties of Ireland. Adjoined to the southern shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of and ha ...

in Northern Ireland. In 1887, the rail link to Sydney was completed, requiring a bridge over the Hawkesbury River and a tunnel through the sandstone ridge west of

Woy Woy Woy Woy is a coastal town in the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, located on the southern reaches of Brisbane Water north of Sydney. It is a population centre within the local government area. Woy Woy is located in the nor ...

. The introduction of this transport link and then the Pacific Highway in 1930 accelerated the development of the region. Gosford became a town in 1885 and was declared a municipality in 1886. Rumbalara Reserve - panoramio (6)

Mann Street, the spine of the Gosford CBD has been the subject of much debate, with urban planners having ambitions to make Gosford a small smart regional city with various plans for a performing arts center, greater choice in cafes and restaurants, new library, high speed rail linkage to Sydney and Newcastle, better pedestrian access from the Gosford Hospital, education and research precinct over the railway lines to Mann Street and a new Central Coast University promised at State and Federal elections. Availability of affordable car parking around Gosford Railway station is an ongoing concern for rail commuters and visitors to Gosford CBD.

Demographics

At the , there were 3,499 people in Gosford. 59.6% of people were born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were India 4.5%, and England 2.9%. 65.2% of people spoke only English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Mandarin at 3.7%. The most common responses for religion were No Religion 33.9% and Catholic 18.2%. The Gosford Statistical Area, which incorporates the whole of Gosford's city and suburbs, includes

Terrigal Terrigal is a coastal town in the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia, located east of Gosford on the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the local government area. History Terrigal was first settled in 1826 by European Settler John Gray, ...

, Erina,

Kariong Kariong () is a locality of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia west of Gosford along the Central Coast Highway. It is part of the local government area. History Kariong's first British settler was W.H. Parry in 1901. Th ...

Kincumber Kincumber is a south-eastern suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, nested between the Kincumba Mountain Reserve and the Kincumber Broadwater and located north of Sydney via the Sydney-Newcastle Freeway (F3). It is ...

, Wyoming and

Avoca Beach Avoca Beach is a coastal suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, about north of Sydney. Avoca Beach is primarily a residential suburb, Avoca Beach is also a popular tourist destination. Avoca Beach is known for its su ...

, and at the 2021 census had a population of 178,427.

Geography

Climate

Gosford has a humid subtropical climate ( Köppen climate classification: Cfa) with warm summers and mild winters. In summer, temperatures average about 27–28 °C in the day with high humidity and about 17–18 °C at night. Winters are mild with cool overnight temperatures and mild to occasionally warm daytime temperatures with lower humidity. Records range from a maximum of on 18 January 2013, to a low of on 16 July 1970. Average rainfall is 1333 mm, much of which falls in the late summer and autumn. Rainfall is less common in late winter and early spring because of the

foehn effect A Foehn or Föhn (, , ), is a type of dry, relatively warm, downslope wind that occurs in the lee (downwind side) of a mountain range. It is a rain shadow wind that results from the subsequent adiabatic warming of air that has dropped most of i ...

, as the city is located on the leeward side of the

Great Dividing Range The Great Dividing Range, also known as the East Australian Cordillera or the Eastern Highlands, is a cordillera system in eastern Australia consisting of an expansive collection of mountain ranges, plateaus and rolling hills, that runs roug ...

Central business district

Gosford proper is located in a valley with President's Hill on the city's western border, Rumbalara Reserve on its eastern border, and Brisbane Water to the city's south. Mann Street, Gosford's main street and part of the Pacific Highway, runs north-south and contains the frontage for much of the commercial district. In the centre of Gosford is a shopping and community precinct, including Kibble Park, William Street Mall, Gosford City Library, the Imperial Shopping Centre and a full range of shops, cafes, banks and services. A renewed period of optimism has followed demolition of several derelict buildings and several infrastructure investment projects including the full fibre optic telecommunications rollout of the National Broadband Network in 2012 in the city's CBD as well as the so-called Kibbleplex project, announced in 2013 that plans to house the new regional library, tertiary teaching rooms and associated organisations.

Economy and infrastructure

Gosford is situated along an identified business growth corridor between Erina, the

West Gosford West Gosford is a suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. It is part of the local government area. West Gosford is home to the Henry Kendall cottage and was home to the Gosford Classic Car Museum prior to its 2019 cl ...

light industrial zone and Somersby. Connectivity of main roads and rail travel times between Sydney, the Central Coast, Lake Macquarie and the city of Newcastle are key issues for corporate business relocation to the region. Aged and personal care and retail are major employers in Gosford. As an entertainment hub, Mann Street enjoys relatively good public transport links and is one of the Central Coast's most popular spots for pubs and clubs and in close proximity to cultural and sporting events. Yacht and other boat building has been undertaken by East Coast Yachts since 1964 in West Gosford.

Facilities

Gosford is home to: * Gosford Hospital – the largest public hospital on the NSW Central Coast * Laycock Street Community Theatre – the only professional, proscenium arch theatre venue on the Central Coast. Home of Gosford Musical Society who in fact provided financial support in the construction of the theater. * The Central Coast Conservatorium (in the original Gosford Courthouse) *

Central Coast Stadium Central Coast Stadium (known originally as Grahame Park), known commercially as Industree Group Stadium is a sports venue in Gosford, on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia. The stadium is home to the Central Coast Mariners asso ...

(formerly Bluetongue stadium) in Grahame Park, adjacent to the Central Coast Leagues Club. Originally built for the

Central Coast Bears The Central Coast Bears were a proposed rugby league club based on the Central Coast (New South Wales), Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia. They were trying to be included in an expanded National Rugby League competition. The propos ...

team in the

NRL The National Rugby League (NRL) is an Australasian rugby league club competition which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and New Zealand. The NRL formed in 1998 as a joint partnership ...

rugby league competition (to this day, the seats are arranged to say 'Go Bears'), since 2005 it is the home of the successful

Central Coast Mariners Central Coast Mariners Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in Gosford, on the Central Coast of New South Wales. It competes in the A-League Men, under licence from the Australian Professional Leagues (APL). The ...

A-League A-League Men (known as the Isuzu UTE A-League for sponsorship reasons) is the highest-level professional men's soccer league in Australia and New Zealand. At the top of the Australian league system, it is the country's premier men's competiti ...

soccer / association football team and was the home venue of the

Central Coast Rays Sydney is an Australian rugby union team that competes in the National Rugby Championship (NRC). Formerly known as Sydney Rays, the team is one of two sides from New South Wales in the competition; the other being the NSW Country Eagles. T ...

rugby union

Australian Rugby Championship The Australian Rugby Championship, often abbreviated to the ARC and also known as the Mazda Australian Rugby Championship for sponsorship purposes, is a now-defunct domestic professional men's rugby union football competition in Australia, whic ...

team. * Central Coast Leagues Club – is the largest community sporting and social club in the region * The Entertainment Grounds, formerly known as Gosford Racecourse * Gosford Showground, home to greyhound racing organised by Gosford Greyhounds. * The headquarters of the

Government of New South Wales The Government of New South Wales, also known as the NSW Government, is the Australian state democratic administrative authority of New South Wales. It is currently held by a coalition of the Liberal Party and the National Party. The Governme ...

workplace health and safety regulator, SafeWork NSW * Gavenlock Oval – Home ground of the Gosford City Dragons, a football club associated with Central Coast Football. * Gosford Regional Gallery and Gosford/Edogawa Commemorative Garden – The Commemorative Garden is a Japanese garden that was built as a gift to residents of Gosford City Council by the

Ward Ward may refer to: Division or unit * Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward * Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...

of Edogawa, Tokyo, Japan. They were opened in September 1994.

Media

Newspapers

Express Advocate: A News Corp publication suburban style newspaper in the ''News Local Group'' Gosford Community News has been published fortnightly by Ducks Crossing Publications since 2010.

Commercial radio networks

Radio stations available: *

Triple M Central Coast The Central Coast's 107.7 Triple M (call-sign: 2GGO) is a commercial radio station based in Gosford, New South Wales, Australia. The broadcast area is the NSW Central Coast, a region that extends from southern Lake Macquarie to the Hawkesbur ...

(formerly 2GO) – part of Southern Cross Austereo *

Hit101.3 Central Coast Hit101.3 (call sign: 2CFM) is an Australian radio station located on the New South Wales Central Coast, part of Southern Cross Austereo's Hit Network. Hit101.3 broadcasts from the Central Coast Radio Centre on Henry Parry Drive, in Gosford, alon ...

(formerly Sea FM) * ABC 92.5 * CoastFM 96.3 * StarFM 104.5 * EVT FM – Chinese radio network

Transport

Transport is serviced by

Red Bus Services Red Bus Services is an Australian bus company operating route bus services on the New South Wales Central Coast. History In 1923 Messrs. Barham & Wells started a bus service between The Entrance and Wyong in opposition to a ferry service. In ...

The Central Coast Highway cuts through Gosford's waterfront area, while its predecessor the, Pacific Highway, takes on several names through the CBD itself. Mann Street contains the main public transport links for Gosford, including

Gosford railway station Gosford railway station is located on the Main Northern line in New South Wales, Australia. It serves the Central Coast city of Gosford, opening on 15 August 1887. Between January 1960 and April 1982, Gosford was the northern extremity of the ...

, with trains twice an hour to Sydney

Central Station Central stations or central railway stations emerged in the second half of the nineteenth century as railway stations that had initially been built on the edge of city centres were enveloped by urban expansion and became an integral part of the ...

and to

Newcastle Interchange Newcastle Interchange is a transport interchange serving the city of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. It serves as the termini for NSW TrainLink's Central Coast & Newcastle Line and Hunter Line train services, Newcastle Light Rail servic ...

. There is also a terminal for several bus routes linking Gosford to the rest of the Central Coast outside of Gosford station.
Mezlernejo Gosford

Education

*Gosford Public School and Henry Kendall High School in Faunce Street *

Gosford High School , motto_translation = Judge me by what I do , location = Gosford, Central Coast, New South Wales , country = Australia , coordinates = , pushpin_map = Australia New South Wa ...

- the only academically selective high school on the Central Coast * St Philip's Christian College Gosford * St Joseph's Catholic College, East Gosford is an all girls Catholic school *

St Edward's College, East Gosford , motto_translation = Through Faith and Knowledge , established = , founder = Congregation of Christian Brothers , type = Independent secondary day school , denomination ...

- is an all boys Catholic school *

Hunter Institute of TAFE TAFE NSW is an Australian vocational education and training provider. Annually, the network trains over 500,000 students in campus, workplace, online, or distance education methods of education. It was established as an independent statutory bod ...

* University of Newcastle Central Coast Clinical School

Notable people

* Craig Anderson – pitcher for

Sydney Blue Sox The Sydney Blue Sox are a professional baseball team, and one of eight foundation teams in the re-formed Australian Baseball League (ABL). The team plays their home games at Blacktown International Sportspark (BISP), one of the two venues use ...

of the

Australian Baseball League The Australian Baseball League (ABL) is a professional baseball, professional baseball sports league, league in Australia. The league is governed by the Australian Baseball Federation (ABF). It uses the same name as a now-defunct competition h ...

Estelle Asmodelle Estelle Asmodelle, formerly known as Estelle Maria Croot, is a polymath. She is an Australian model, actress, belly dancer, musician, activist, abstract artist and physicist. She became Australia's first legally recognised transgender person ...

– former model, dancer, and activist. Currently, musician, abstract artist and academic. She is known as Australia's first legal transsexual * Cindy-Lu Bailey – deaf former Olympic athlete * Bradman Best – rugby League player for Newcastle Knights *

Charlotte Best Charlotte Elise Best (born 16 January 1994) is an Australian actress and model. She is best known for her role in the show ''Home and Away'' as the young girl in the Campbell family, Annie Campbell. Biography Best grew up in the suburb of P ...

– actress, known for her role as Annie Campbell on ''

Home and Away ''Home and Away'' (often abbreviated as ''H&A'') is an Australian television soap opera. It was created by Alan Bateman and commenced broadcast on the Seven Network on 17 January 1988. Bateman came up with the concept of the show during a tri ...

'' * Anthony Biddle – Paralympian tandem cyclist and athlete * Matt Burke – former rugby union player * Alan Davidson – former Australian cricketer *

Grant Denyer Grant Craig Denyer (born 12 September 1977) is an Australian television and radio presenter and motor racing driver, who has worked for several television networks, including Seven Network and Network 10, mostly serving as a presenter. In 2018 ...

– Australian television and radio presenter *

Bill Dunk William Edgar Dunk (born 10 December 1938)Billy Dunk
Player Profile at Australian ...

- Professional golfer *

Mark Edmondson Mark Edmondson (born 28 June 1954 in Gosford, New South Wales) is a retired Australian professional tennis player. Edmondson won the 1976 Australian Open while ranked 212th in the world, and remains the lowest-ranked winner of a Grand Slam ...

– former tennis professional and winner of the 1976 Australian Tennis Open * David Fairleigh – former Rugby League forward, current coach of the

* James Gleeson – one of Australia's earliest and most recognised surrealist painters, also a poet and art critic. His family lived in Narara and in the 1920s, Gosford and they owned the Gosford pub. The coolroom of the Gosford pub occasionally served as an impromptu city morgue * Des Hasler – former professional rugby league footballer, former coach of

Manly Warringah Sea Eagles The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Sydney's Northern Beaches. The team colours are maroon and white, while their namesake and logo is the sea eagle. They compete in Australia's premier rugb ...

Nicho Hynes Nicholas Hynes (born 18 June 1996) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the NRL. He previously played as a for the Melbourne Storm in the National Rugby League. Early li ...

- rugby league player for

Cronulla Sharks The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Cronulla, in the Sutherland Shire, Southern Sydney, New South Wales. They compete in the National Rugby League ( NRL), Australasia's premier rugby league ...

* Matt Ikuvalu - rugby league player for

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Cronulla, in the Sutherland Shire, Southern Sydney, New South Wales. They compete in the National Rugby League ( NRL), Australasia's premier rugby league ...

Allyson McConnell Allyson McConnell (née Meagher, November 1978 – September 2013) was an Australian resident in Millet, Alberta, Canada who, in 2010, killed her sons by drowning them in a bathtub. She was convicted of manslaughter and deported to Australia. An ap ...

– convicted killer who drowned her two children in

Alberta, Canada Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Terri ...

Julia Morris Julia Carolyn Margaret Morris (born 20 April 1968) is an Australian comedian, television presenter and actress who has worked extensively in Australian television and radio, touring the country with her solo comedy shows. She relocated to the Un ...

– actress and television host *

Matt Orford Matthew Orford (born 22 April 1978), also known by the nickname of "The Ox", is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s. He played for the Erina Eagles as a junior. A City New South Wales rep ...

– former

halfback * Chris Payne – footballer playing for the

North Queensland Fury Northern Fury Football Club was an Australian professional soccer club based in Townsville, Queensland. The club was founded in 2008 and competed in the A-League under the name North Queensland Fury. On 1 March 2011, the club was removed from th ...

in the

Ron Peno Ronald "Ron" Stephen Peno (born mid 1950s), who also performed as Ronnie Pop, is an Australian rock singer, he fronted Died Pretty, from 1984 to 2002, he was a member of early punk band the Hellcats (1976–77), and followed with the 31st (in ...

– Australian Punk & 1980's Rock musician; Lead Singer of

Died Pretty Died Pretty, sometimes The Died Pretty, is an Australian alternative rock band founded by mainstays Ron Peno (lead singer) and Brett Myers (lead guitarist and backing vocalist) in Sydney in 1983. The band was briefly called Final Solution. The ...

* Brad Porter – retired Football Midfielder *

Andrew Redmayne Andrew James Redmayne (born 13 January 1989) is an Australian professional soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for Sydney FC in the A-League and the Australia men's national team. Redmayne was born in Gosford and played youth football wit ...

– goalkeeper for

Sydney FC Sydney Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in Sydney, New South Wales. It competes in the country's premier men's competition, A-League Men, under licence from Australian Professional Leagues (APL). The club was foun ...

Sam Retford Sam Retford (born 22 June 1999) is an Australian-English actor, known for portraying the role of Cory Wilson on the Channel 4 drama ''Ackley Bridge''. As well as starring in various stage productions, he has also made appearances in television ...

– actor, known for his role as Cory Wilson on ''

Ackley Bridge ''Ackley Bridge'' is a British comedy-drama series set in a multicultural academy school of the same name. The series is filmed in Halifax, West Yorkshire and it began broadcasting on Channel 4 on 7 June 2017. In the fourth series, ''Ackley ...

'' *

Mark Skaife Mark Skaife (born 3 April 1967) is a retired Australian motor racing driver. Skaife is a five-time champion of the V8 Supercar Championship Series, including its predecessor, the Australian Touring Car Championship, as well as a six-time Bath ...

– 5-time Supercars champion and 6-time

Bathurst 1000 The Bathurst 1000 (formally known as the Repco Bathurst 1000) is a touring car race held annually on the Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia. It is currently run as part of the Supercars Championship, the most rec ...

winner * Matthew Zions – European PGA professional golfer (2003–present), 2011 Saint-Omer Open winner

Sister cities and twin towns

* Edogawa, Tokyo *

Nitra Nitra (; also known by other alternative names) is a city in western Slovakia, situated at the foot of Zobor Mountain in the valley of the river Nitra. It is located 95 km east of Bratislava. With a population of about 78,353, it is the fifth ...

References

External links

Gosford City Council official website

Central Coast Tourism official website
{{Authority control Cities in New South Wales Coastal cities in Australia Suburbs of the Central Coast (New South Wales)