Curl Curl, New South Wales

Curl Curl is a suburb of northern Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia, north-east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Northern Beaches Council. It is part of the Northern Beaches region.

Location

Curl Curl Lagoon and Greendale Creek, separate Curl Curl from North Curl Curl. Neighbouring suburbs include Freshwater (boundary along Brighton Street), Brookvale (boundary along Harbord Road), and North Curl Curl (boundary along John Fisher Park) Wingala is an adjacent locality. Curl Curl Beach runs along the eastern border and extends to North Curl Curl Beach.

Beach

The stretch of beach at Curl Curl is divided into North and South Curl Curl beaches. Curl Curl is known for some of the best surfing on the Northern Beaches.

Curl Curl Beach has two volunteer surf lifesaving clubs, South Curl Curl SLSC established in 1918 and North Curl Curl SLSC established in 1922. Northern Beaches Council employs professional lifeguards to patrol this beach from the end of September until Anzac Day. There are saltwater rockpools at each end of the beach.

History

The name ''Curl Curl'' appears to be the original Aboriginal name for the larger area of Manly Vale, Freshwater, Queenscliff. The name ''Curl Curl'' may have been derived from a Dharuk Aboriginal phrase ''curial curial'', meaning ''river of life''.

The name ''Curl Curl Lagoon'' was originally applied to Manly Lagoon, which empties into the ocean at Queenscliff. The lagoon that empties into the ocean at Curl Curl Beach was named ''Harbord Lagoon'' until it was renamed ''Curl Curl Lagoon'' as part of a renaming program in the 1980s. Manly Creek was originally named Curl Curl Creek and Queenscliff Headland was called Curl Curl Headland.

In 1858 Samuel Bennett (who died 1903) paid £600 for an property, in the Curl Curl/Brookvale area south of Greendale Creek and was farmed by Bennett up until the mid-1870s. This area was later known as Brighton Park.

Land for St. James Anglican Church was dedicated on 3 November 1928, was opened in 1929 which is now the Warringah Church of Christ on Park Street.

Population

At the , there were 2,364 residents in Curl Curl. 72.7% of people were born in Australia. The next most common country of birth was England at 8.1%. 87.8% of people only spoke English at home. The most common responses for religion were No Religion 47.7%, Catholic 25.5% and Anglican 13.1%.

Family households at 82.6% were the main type of household, with single person households at 14.2%. Median monthly mortgage payments were $3,775, much higher than the national median of $1,863.

Environment

Curl Curl went from being a pristine environment to a tip during the 20th Century. banked by sandstone hills to the South, the ocean to the East and Greendale Creek / Curl Curl Lagoon to the North. In 1980 the local community formed Curl Curl Lagoon Friends to bring the lagoon and its catchment back to good health.

Sport and recreation

Parks and playing fields are located on either side of Curl Curl Lagoon and Greendale Creek. These areas were originally low-lying swampy land that was reclaimed by dumping rubbish on both sides of the lagoon throughout the 1950s and 1960s.

Curl Curl Youth Club has organised soccer and netball since 1958.

Curl Curl Amateur Swimming Club runs regular Saturday afternoon swim events during the spring and summer months at the South Curl Curl rock pool. In the winter months, the South Curl Curl rock pool is home to the Harbord Frigid Frogs. The club hosts swims every Sunday morning at 10.00 am.

1st/2nd Harbord Scouts meet at the scout hall at 43 Stirgess Ave. The Scout hall was opened in 1957 after Mrs Olive Pinkerton donated the land, with Scouts meeting at St. James school hall on Curl Curl Parade from 1929

Harbord Bowling & Recreation Club has four greens and regularly holds world-class tournaments.

Public transport

Curl Curl is serviced by three bus routes, 166 Manly to Frenchs Forest, 167 Manly to Warringah Mall and 165X South Curl Curl to Sydney CBD.

Schools

Curl Curl is home to two secondary schools, both part of Northern Beaches Secondary College: Freshwater Senior Campus on the corner of Harbord Road and Brighton Street, and Manly Campus a selective school for year 7 to 12 students, located on the corner of Abbott Road and Harbord Road, Curl Curl. Until 2026, Freshwater Senior Campus only enrolled year 11 and 12 students. It will also accept Year 7 and Year 9 students in 2026 and will officially operate as a Year 7 to 12 campus from 2027.

Stewart House is located across the road from South Curl Curl beach and each year welcomes some 1,600 public school children in need from many parts of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.

Curl Curl North Public School is a primary school located at Playfair Road near Abbott Road.

Wildlife

Bird life

The lagoon and creek provide refuge for numerous birds, both those that depend primarily on the water and its fringes for food and breeding (the water birds), and many others that feed in the trees and the grassy areas that surround the lagoon (the bush birds).

See also

* List of reduplicated Australian place names

References

{{Sydney Northern Beaches suburbs

Suburbs of Sydney
Beaches of New South Wales
Surfing locations in New South Wales
Northern Beaches Council