Russell Vale is a small suburb of

Wollongong Wollongong ( ), colloquially referred to as The Gong, is a city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. The name is believed to originate from the Dharawal language, meaning either 'five islands/clouds', 'ground near wa ...

in the

Illawarra The Illawarra is a coastal region in the Australian state of New South Wales, nestled between the mountains and the sea. It is situated immediately south of Sydney and north of the South Coast region. It encompasses the two cities of Wollongo ...

region of

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.

Geography

Russell Vale straddles the Princes Highway.

History

Russell Vale was the home and estate of surveyor

Francis Peter MacCabe Francis Peter MacCabe (1817 – 27 June 1897) was a surveyor in the colony of New South Wales (later a state of Australia) in the 19th century. He surveyed and mapped the lower reaches of the Murrumbidgee, Darling and Murray Rivers in New South ...

, who died in 1897. The name Russell was the maiden name of his mother (Margaret née Russell). The estate was originally . In April 1904, 116 lots were subdivided and sold. In November 1904, a further 96 lots were subdivided and sold. The house at Russell Vale was demolished in 1966.

Sporting amenities

Russell Vale is the home of the Russell Vale Golf Course, opened in 1986. It also contains the soccer field of Cawley Park, the homeground of the Russell Vale Soccer Club.

Demographics

At the , Russell Vale had a population of 1,547, an increase of 314 or 25% from the population of 1,233 at the . Median family incomes in Russell Vale were slightly below average for the Wollongong LGA at $1,728 per week, compared with $1,710 per week respectively. Despite this, median rents were $30 per week greater in Russell Vale at $350 than in the rest of the Wollongong LGA, although median monthly mortgage repayments were the same at $1950.

Mining

Russell Vale Colliery is an underground coal mine under the Woronora Plateau in the Sydney Drinking Water Catchment Area to the west of Russell Vale. The mine has been in operation since the 1880s using various underground mining methods to mine different coal seams. More recently, the mine has come under attack from local residents, as subsidence and cracking attributed to the mine's activities have been observed in the catchment area

Gallery

File:Russell Vale 1.jpg, Sign for Russell Vale, coming from

Woonona Woonona () is a northern suburb of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia, south of Sydney. It is served by Woonona Station on the South Coast (Illawarra) Line, and by the Princes Highway. The suburb has a strip of commerce along the highway ...

on the Princes Highway File:Russell Vale 2.jpg File:Russell Vale 5.jpg

References

{{Coord, -34.358, 150.901, format=dms, type:city_region:AU-NSW, display=title Suburbs of Wollongong