Palm Beach is a

suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area. They are oftentimes where most of a metropolitan areas jobs are located with some being predominantly residential. They can either be denser or less densely populated ...

in the

Northern Beaches The Northern Beaches is a region within Northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia, near the Pacific coast. This area extends south to the entrance of Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour), west to Middle Harbour and north to the ...

region of

Greater Sydney Greater Sydney is the most populous metropolitan area in Australia and Oceania. Located in the state of New South Wales, it encompasses the City of Sydney (the state capital), its neighbouring local government areas and surrounding regions. I ...

, in the state of

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

. Palm Beach is located 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 ...

, 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 federated state, state, province, division (politica ...

Northern Beaches Council The Northern Beaches Council is a local government areas of New South Wales, local government area located in the Northern Beaches region of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The council was formed on 12 May 2016 after the a ...

. Palm Beach sits on a

peninsula A peninsula is a landform that extends from a mainland and is only connected to land on one side. Peninsulas exist on each continent. The largest peninsula in the world is the Arabian Peninsula. Etymology The word ''peninsula'' derives , . T ...

at the end of Barrenjoey Road near

Pittwater Pittwater is a semi-mature tide dominated Ria, drowned valley estuary, located about north of the Sydney central business district, New South Wales, Australia; being one of the bodies of water that separate greater Metropolitan Sydney from th ...

and is the northernmost beach in the Greater Sydney Metropolitan area. Sydway street directory, 11th Edition 2006, Maps 159-160 The population of Palm Beach was 1,593 as at the . Palm Beach is sometimes colloquially referred to as 'Palmy'; it is used for exterior filming of the soap opera ''

Home and Away ''Home and Away'' (''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 trip to Kangaroo Point, N ...

'', as the

fictional town This is a list of fictional settlements, including fictional towns, villages, and cities, organized by each city's medium. This list should include only well-referenced, notable examples of fictional towns, cities, settlements and villages that a ...

Summer Bay Summer Bay is the fictional coastal town featured in the Australian soap opera, ''Home and Away'', located in rural coastal New South Wales. Palm Beach, the northernmost beach in Sydney, is used for the show's exterior scenes to depict the B ...

. It is also the subject of the 2018 film 'Palm Beach'. Despite the hefty property prices it remains a haven for a variety of artists. Writing celebrating this beach is featured in "Guide to Sydney Beaches"

Meuse Press ''Meuse Press'' s an Australian Press, publishing a range of "poetry outreach" projects in a number of media ranging from a literary magazine to poetry published on the surface of a river. It was founded by Bill Farrow and Les Wicks. It is mostly ...

. Palm Beach housing ranges from cottages to grand estates, owned by some of the country's most affluent people. Many affluent and famous people can also be found holidaying at Palm Beach in summer. According to the Australian Taxation Office statistics for the financial year of 2016–2017, Palm Beach and the post code of 2108 was the wealthiest suburb in Australia, with an average taxable income of $230,000.

Geography

Palm Beach is bounded by

Broken Bay Broken Bay, a semi-mature tide-dominated ria, drowned valley estuary, is a large inlet of the Tasman Sea located about north of Sydney on the Central Coast (New South Wales), Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia; being one of the bodies ...

to the north, the

Tasman Sea The Tasman Sea is a marginal sea of the South Pacific Ocean, situated between Australia and New Zealand. It measures about across and about from north to south. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman, who in 1642 wa ...

(within the

South Pacific Ocean South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...

) to the east, Whale Beach,

Avalon Avalon () is an island featured in the Arthurian legend. It first appeared in Geoffrey of Monmouth's 1136 ''Historia Regum Britanniae'' as a place of magic where King Arthur's sword Excalibur was made and later where Arthur was taken to recove ...

and Clareville to the south, and Pittwater to the west. Barrenjoey Headland, which is in the north of the suburb, is part of

Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park is a national park on the northern side of Sydney in New South Wales, Australia. The park is north of the Sydney central business district and generally comprises the land east of the Highway 1 (New South Wales ...

. The headland at the northernmost point rises quite sharply from the beach to over

above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level ...

, and features an operational lighthouse. The narrow sandy isthmus or

tombolo A tombolo is a sandy or shingle isthmus. It is a deposition landform by which an island becomes attached to the mainland by a narrow piece of land such as a spit or bar. Once attached, the island is then known as a tied island. The word ''t ...

linking the south side of the headland to the rest of Palm Beach had extensive fencing and shrub planting undertaken during the 1980s to combat sand erosion.

Localities

The suburb of Palm Beach also contains the following localities: Barrenjoey, Sand Point, Careel Bay, Paradise Beach, and North Avalon.

Reserves and bushland

Along the cliffs and sanddunes there is much remnant bushland vegetation, located in reserves and national parks, with Barrenjoey headland being part of

. These reserves often contain endangered ecological communities, such as ''Littoral Rainforest'', and '' Pittwater spotted gum forest''. See, for example, the articles, McKay Reserve, and Barrenjoey.

Landmarks

Landmarks include the Barrenjoey Lighthouse, Palm Beach-Boanbong Water Reservoir, Palm Beach-McKay Water Reservoir, Palm Beach-Squaters Lodge, Blueberry Ash, and Iluka Resort Apartments. The long east-facing

eponym An eponym is a noun after which or for which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. Adjectives derived from the word ''eponym'' include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Eponyms are commonly used for time periods, places, innovati ...

ous beach curves in a gentle arc between the prominent high, lighthouse capped, Barrenjoey Head to the sandstone rocks of Little Head in the south, beach linking Barrenjoey to the mainland. North Palm Beach extends south from Barrenjoey, with the northern backed by a wide densely vegetated foredune. The southern Palm Beach section includes the southern of beach, which curves to the southeast in the southern Kiddies Corner. It receives increasing protection from Little Head with waves decreasing in height down the beach. Rips usually extend all the way to the head, though usually smaller in size, with a weak permanent rip against the southern rocks.

History

Palm Beach Public Swimming Pool April 2021

Origin of the name

The southern end of the Palm Beach is marked as Cabbage Tree Boat Harbour on a map of 1832. Palm Beach was later named after the Cabbage Tree palms ''Livistona australis'' that were near Cabbage Tree Boat Harbour. The plant's species name gave origin to Livistona Lane, off Palm Beach Road.

European settlement

Governor Philip explored the area in 1788, and named the headland 'Barrenjuee', which was an indigenous word apparently meaning 'young kangaroo'. In 1816, Palm Beach, Barrenjoey and most of Whale Beach () was granted to James Napper. During the 19th century, a few Europeans and Chinese lived at Snapperman Beach catching and drying fish. The Southern end of the ocean beach is marked as Cabbage Tree Boat Harbour on a map of 1832. Palm Beach was later named after the Cabbage Tree palms ''Livistona australis''. In 1900 all land, except Barrenjoey Headland, which had been purchased by the government in 1881, was divided into 18 large blocks, listed as good grazing land, and offered for sale. None sold. In 1912, the land was offered again in smaller residential blocks, offering fishing, sailing, golf and rowing. Most houses were built from local sandstone, other materials were shipped in. Some were guest houses but most were second homes for those who could afford them. Palm Beach wharf was the terminus reached by boat from Newport or Bayview. Hordern and Wiltshire Parks and Mackay Reserve were donated by RJ Hordern, who lived at Kalua, opposite the beach. Since

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

the area has become more residential but still remains a secluded peninsula at the northern point of Pittwater.

Timeline of history

* Aboriginal inhabitants in area – Garigal clan of Guringai speaking people. Lands extended from Broken Bay to Port Jackson and to Lane Cove. * 1770 – Captain Cook names Broken Bay. * 1788–1789 – Area explored by Governor

Arthur Phillip Arthur Phillip (11 October 1738 – 31 August 1814) was a British Royal Navy officer who served as the first Governor of New South Wales, governor of the Colony of New South Wales. Phillip was educated at Royal Hospital School, Gree ...

and Captain

John Hunter John Hunter may refer to: Politics *John Hunter (British politician) (1724–1802), British Member of Parliament for Leominster * John Hunter (Canadian politician) (1909–1993), Canadian Liberal MP for Parkdale, 1949–1957 *Sir John Hunter ( ...

* 1788 –

(1738–1814) 2 March 1788, named "Barrenjuee" (Little Kangaroo or Wallaby). Barrenjoey has had at least 9 different names. * 1806 – A sole ship wreck survivor is rescued by Aboriginals in Broken Bay. * 1816 Land grant to Surgeon James Napper RN by Governor Macquarie (1761–1824) – Headland to Whale Beach, 8/- pa. * 1804 – Pat Flynn had a large garden below Observation Pt (facing Pittwater south of golf course) to supply passing ships. * 1825 – John Howard, an

emancipist An emancipist was a convict sentenced and transported under the convict system to Australia, who had been given a conditional or absolute pardon. The term was also used to refer to those convicts whose sentences had expired, and might sometimes ...

who arrived on the first fleet in 1788 lives at Barrenjoey in a cottage with two other fishermen. * 1843 – Customs Station set up under John B Howard. Near ranger's cottage. Constructed Smugglers Track. Smuggling of rum, brandy, tobacco. Today drugs & narcotics. * 1840 – Albert Black (1840–1890) becomes customs officer and adopted grandson of merchant

Simeon Lord Simeon Lord ( – 29 January 1840) was a pioneer merchant and a magistrate in Australia. He became a prominent trader in Sydney, buying and selling ship cargoes. Despite being an emancipist Lord was made a magistrate by Governor Lachlan Macqua ...

famous in early Sydney. * 1842 – Four Convicts build a Customs house at Barrenjoey and build a track to the headland. * 1855 – A navigation light is established on the headland. * 1863 – A Chinese fishing settlement is established at Snappermans Beach. * 1881 – Government repurchased headland for £1250 from the Wentworth family. * 1881 – A stone lighthouse and three cottages are built according to the designs of Colonial Architect James Barnet. * 1893 – A school is established at Palm Beach. * 1911 – Palm Beach is subdivided and an extension to Customs house is built. * 1912 – Telephone is connected to Palm Beach. * 1916–1919 The oldest bungalows were built at Palm Beach during this period. * 1921 –

Palm Beach Surf Life Saving Club The Palm Beach Surf Life Saving Club is an Australian Surf Life Saving Club. The Club offers a range of activities and encourages members to continually develop and update their lifesaving skills. It is located at the southern end of Palm Beach, N ...

is established. * 1976 – Barrenjoey

customs house A custom house or customs house was traditionally a building housing the offices for a jurisdictional government whose officials oversaw the functions associated with importing and exporting goods into and out of a country, such as collecting ...

burnt down. * 1978 –

Mel Gibson Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson (born January 3, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. The recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Mel Gibson, multiple accolades, he is known for directing historical films as well for his act ...

stars in the movie ''Tim'' which was filmed mostly at one of the Broken Bay customs houses * 1988–present – Palm Beach is the location of exterior scenes for Summer Bay, the fictional coastal town featured in the long-running soap opera ''

''. * 2004–2005 – Construction of a Museum and a Public Toilet next to the lighthouse. * 2013 – A fire engulfs the Barrenjoey headland 28 September 2013, threatening to destroy the heritage listed headland. It is contained by local firefighters and no damage to infrastructure was sustained. The bush has slowly recovered. Many historic images of Pittwater and Palm Beach may be found a
Pittwater online news: Historic Record of Pittwater
* 2024 - Palm Beach Headland becomes the first Urban Night Sky Place in Australia, spanning 62 hectares of headland.

Heritage listings

Palm Beach has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: * Barrenjoey Headland:

Barrenjoey Head Lighthouse The Barrenjoey Head Lighthouse is a heritage register, heritage-listed lighthouse at Barrenjoey Headland in the Sydney suburb of Palm Beach, New South Wales, Palm Beach, New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by James Barnet, the New Sout ...

Commercial area

Facilities in Palm Beach include a milk bar, a large RSL, hairdresser, beautician, preschool, and a number of cafes, restaurants, and bed and breakfast establishments.

Schools

The nearest primary school and high school for people residing in Palm Beach are the Avalon Public School – which is a co-educational primary school catering for students K–6 and Barrenjoey High School – which is a co-educational high school catering for students 7–12. Both are state-funded, public schools.List of NSW Public Schools: A-Z List 2015
/ref> There is also Maria Regina – which is a co-educational Catholic primary school catering for students K–6.

Transport

''Palm Beach Seaplanes'' operate

seaplane A seaplane is a powered fixed-wing aircraft capable of takeoff, taking off and water landing, landing (alighting) on water.Gunston, "The Cambridge Aerospace Dictionary", 2009. Seaplanes are usually divided into two categories based on their tech ...

services from Palm Beach to Rose Bay in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs, Cottage Point and

Berowra Waters Berowra Waters is an outer suburb of Northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Berowra is located 40 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Hornsby Shire. Berowra Waters is nor ...

. Palm Beach Water Airport is located at the north end of Governor Phillip Drive and Golf Drive, just south of the headland. The Palm Beach

Ferry A ferry is a boat or ship that transports passengers, and occasionally vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A small passenger ferry with multiple stops, like those in Venice, Italy, is sometimes referred to as a water taxi or water bus ...

(operated by NRMA Marine) runs a service from a wharf in the town center to Ettalong Beach, Great Mackerel Beach, Currawong Beach, Coasters Retreat and The Basin. The Palm Beach Ferry which connects the suburb to the Central Coast provides an important tourist route for visitors to the suburb and commuter link to the Central Coast. Ettalong Beach is serviced by regular bus services (Busways) with connections to Woy Woy railway station, the

Umina Beach Umina Beach ( ) is a suburb within the local government area on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia. Umina Beach is situated north of Sydney and south of Newcastle. Umina Beach is locally known on the Central Coast as being on ' ...

retail center,

Gosford Gosford is a waterfront city at the northern end of Brisbane Water on the Central Coast in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The Gosford Waterfront is known for its boating and scenic views on the shores of Brisbane Water. Gosford is ...

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 (M1). It i ...

, and Erina Fair. The nearest railway station to Palm Beach is in

Woy Woy Woy Woy is a coastal town in the Central Coast region of the New South Wales state of Australia. The town is located on the southern reaches of Brisbane Water and near the mouth of Brisbane Water at the Pacific Ocean, it is a popular holiday de ...

. Palm Beach and Hawkesbury River Cruises runs a ferry service from Palm Beach wharf to Patonga.

Barrenjoey Road Barrenjoey Road is a main urban road along the northern coast of the Northern Beaches suburbs of Sydney, Australia. In 1978, the Barrenjoey Road area came to national attention due to the unsolved disappearance of Trudie Adams. Route Barrenjo ...

provides access by bus or car. Bus route 199 operated by

Keolis Downer Northern Beaches Keolis Downer Northern Beaches is a bus operator in Sydney, Australia. A subsidiary of Keolis Downer, it operates services in Sydney Metropolitan Bus Service Contracts, Sydney Bus Region 8 on the North Shore (Sydney), Lower North Shore and Nort ...

operates to Manly wharf.

Sport and recreation

Palm Beach has a number of parks, beaches, and sporting areas, including part of the

, and the beach which gives the area its name. Careel Bay Ovals Sporting Complex includes facilities for rugby league, soccer and tennis. Palm Beach has a golf club, sailing club, surf school and two

surf lifesaving Surf lifesaving is a multifaceted social movement that comprises key aspects of voluntary lifeguard services and competitive surf sport. Originating in early 20th century Australia, the movement has expanded globally to other countries, in ...

clubs. The North Palm Beach Surf Life Saving Club, is used as a set for television

soap opera A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...

'' and has 'Summer Bay Surf Club' painted on the beach side.

, founded in 1921 (at the south end of the beach), is patrolled by paid surf lifesavers on weekdays during summer and by volunteers from the Palm Beach SLSC on weekends. The Surf Club is one of the biggest in NSW, with members coming from all over Sydney. The beach also attracts rock climbers, due to there being two sandstone boulders with highly featured vertical and overhanging features allowing for bouldering.

Clubs

* Avalon Soccer Club * Avalon Rugby League Club * Cabbage Tree Club * Careel Bay Tennis Club * North Palm Beach Surf Life Saving Club * Pacific Club * Palm Beach Golf Club * Palm Beach Sailing Club *

In Popular Culture

Palm Beach (2019 Film)

Palm Beach (1980 Film)
* Palm Beach Road is referred to in the lyrics of the song "Deep Water" by Australian singer-songwriter

Richard Clapton Richard Clapton (born 18 May 1948) is an Australian singer-songwriter-guitarist and producer. His solo top 20 hits on the Kent Music Report Singles Chart are " Girls on the Avenue" (1975) and " I Am an Island" (1982). He reached the top& ...

. * The music video for

Train on a Track "Train on a Track" is a song by American singer Kelly Rowland. It was written by Rob Fusari, Sylvester Jordan Jr., Balewa Muhammad, and Tiaa Wells and recorded by Rowland for her solo debut album ''Simply Deep'' (2002), while production was helmed ...

Kelly Rowland Kelendria Trene Rowland (born February 11, 1981) is an American singer, actress, and television personality. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as a member of Destiny's Child, one of the world's List of best-selling girl groups, best-selling gir ...

was filmed here. * Palm Beach has been used as the location for the town of

in the TV series