Mollymook is a town located on the South Coast 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 ...

approximately three hours' drive south of

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

within the

City of Shoalhaven The City of Shoalhaven is a Local government in Australia, local government area in the South Coast, New South Wales, South Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. The area is about south of Sydney. The Princes Highway passes through the a ...

local government area. At the , Mollymook had a population of 1,083 while the adjacent locality of Mollymook Beach was home to a further 2,447 people. Geographically, Mollymook is considered part of the Milton-Ulladulla district, a coastal corridor of urban development stretching from Burrill Lake, south of

Ulladulla Ulladulla () is a coastal town in New South Wales, Australia in the City of Shoalhaven local government area. It is on the Princes Highway about south of Sydney, halfway between Batemans Bay to the south and Nowra to the north. Ulladulla has cl ...

to Mollymook's northern neighbour, Narrawallee and the historic town of Milton a few kilometres inland. Mollymook is an area that consists of two different localities. The first one is called Mollymook Beach, which is mostly residential and includes Bannister Headland adjacent to Narrawallee. The second one is simply called Mollymook, and it comprises the Mollymook golf and

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, as well as motels and serviced apartments. The name "Mollymook" is believed to be derived from mollymawk. It is the name given by sailors to small species of

albatross Albatrosses, of the biological family Diomedeidae, are large seabirds related to the procellariids, storm petrels, and diving petrels in the order Procellariiformes (the tubenoses). They range widely in the Southern Ocean and the North Paci ...

History

Mollymook was first settled as a rural area of Ulladulla. In 1859, the Mitchell family established a property named "Molly Moke" in the vicinity of Garside Road. "Mollymook" is possibly a reference to the black-browed mollymawk. A cemetery overlooking the sea was in use by 1893. Sometime around 1900, John Coller allowed public access to the beach and rock pools on his family estate (present-day Coller's Beach), and Mollymook began to earn a reputation as a popular retreat.

Silica Silicon dioxide, also known as silica, is an oxide of silicon with the chemical formula , commonly found in nature as quartz. In many parts of the world, silica is the major constituent of sand. Silica is one of the most complex and abundant f ...

mining operations were commenced on Mollymook's southern headland by the Illawarra Brick Company prior to 1920 and brought an influx of workers to the quarries. Bannister Headland at the northern end of Mollymook Beach was the site of a silica crushing facility and loading jetty in the early 20th century. In 1924, a tramway was constructed across Narrawallee Inlet to transport silica from mining leases near Conjola for preparation and shipping. The industry declined during

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 ...

. During the 1990s, many of Mollymook's older homes began to be redeveloped with medium-density apartments and resort style hotels. Like much of the south coast, the town is popular with retirees.

Facilities and infrastructure

Mollymook has an

economy An economy is an area of the Production (economics), production, Distribution (economics), distribution and trade, as well as Consumption (economics), consumption of Goods (economics), goods and Service (economics), services. In general, it is ...

largely based on tourism relying on nearby Ulladulla with a larger population base for many services and employment opportunities. A small shopping centre with a supermarket, pharmacy, and several specialty shops is located at the northern end of Mollymook, as well as a public sports ground – the Bill Andriski Mollymook Oval, medical centre, and bowling club. A range of beachside accommodation options are popular during the summer holiday seasons including motels, holiday rental homes, serviced apartments, as well as the upmarket Bannister Head Lodge. In peak holiday times South Mollymook Beach, North Mollymook Beach, and Narrawallee are all patrolled by members of the Mollymook Surf Lifesaving Club. The Sandridge Memorial Gardens Cemetery has been in use since 1893 and is the largest in the district, located at the corner of Ocean Street and Mitchell Parade, overlooking Mollymook Beach. Ulladulla Bus Lines route 740 provides public transport services six days per week toward Ulladulla and Milton, with several stops in Mollymook up to five times per day.

Sport and recreation

The Mollymook Golf Club maintains two golf courses; the Hilltop course is an 18-hole Championship course, renowned for a challenging and picturesque layout. Designed in 1977, the March 2006 edition of Australian Golf Digest rated this course as number 97 in the top 100 Australian golf courses. The smaller 9-hole, Par 33 Beachside course is aimed mainly at social golfers. The Hilltop course features a lounge bar, pro-shop and locker room, offering cart hire, conference, and practice facilities. The main clubhouse is located next to Mollymook Beach, adjacent to the Beachside course and offers gaming and dining options and a large function room with panoramic views of the beach. The smaller Mollymook Beach Bowling Club also offers bistro style dining and a range of recreational activities including

lawn bowls Bowls, also known as lawn bowls or lawn bowling, is a sport in which players try to roll their ball (called a bowl) closest to a smaller ball (known as a "jack" or sometimes a "kitty"). The bowls are shaped (biased), so that they follow a curve ...

and poker tournaments. The Mollymook Surf Lifesaving Club hosts many competitions and surf carnivals throughout the year. Events include surf boat races and ocean swims. The club encourages the participation of "

Nippers Nippers are young surf lifesaving, surf lifesavers, usually aged between 5 and 14 years old, in clubs across Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Unlike senior surf lifesavers, the majority of them do not patrol the beaches. The focus for ...

", junior club members aged between 5 and 14 who learn skills in water safety and surf lifesaving many of whom go on to patrol the local beaches. The club also maintains a kiosk and function rooms at their clubhouse at the southern end of the beach. The Bill Andriski Oval is the home ground of the Milton-Ulladulla Bulldogs, a

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as rugby league in English-speaking countries and rugby 13/XIII in non-Anglophone Europe, is a contact sport, full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular Rugby league playin ...

team which competes in the

Group 7 Group 7 may refer to: * G7, an international group of finance minister *Group 7 element, chemical element classification *Halogens The halogens () are a group (periodic table), group in the periodic table consisting of six chemically related c ...

competition of the

Country Rugby League The Country Rugby League of New South Wales (CRL), formed in 1934 and disbanded in 2019, was the governing body for the sport of rugby league football in areas of New South Wales outside the Sydney, Sydney metropolitan area until it merged with ...

. In July 2004, the

Nine Network Nine Network (stylised 9Network, and commonly known as Channel Nine or simply Nine) is an Australian commercial free-to-air television network. It is owned by parent company Nine Entertainment and is one of the five main free-to-air television ...

broadcast an episode of The Footy Show live from the oval, including several pre-recorded segments featuring Mollymook Beach and the Surf Lifesaving Club. Surfing is a common sport in the area and Mollymook contains numerous popular breaks, including Colliers, Golfies, Kamakazes, and more along Mollymook beach. Diving and spear fishing is also popular around the rocks, and Bannister Head to the north of Mollymook beach contains the well known jumprock and run-and-jump.

Tourism and attractions

In addition to the surf beach, Mollymook also boasts a large natural rock pool known as the "Bogey Hole". This sheltered pool is protected from the sea, making it popular with families due to the calm waters. Nearby Collers Beach offers opportunities for snorkelling and has been designated by the Shoalhaven City Council as an off-leash area where dog owners can allow their pets to exercise freely. Additional amenities are provided at the northern end of Mollymook Beach which is popular with surfers due to it being more exposed to the open sea. In October 2009, English celebrity

chef A chef is a professional Cook (profession), cook and tradesperson who is proficient in all aspects of outline of food preparation, food preparation, often focusing on a particular cuisine. The word "chef" is derived from the term (), the di ...

and restaurateur Rick Stein opened his first Australian restaurant in Mollymook – 'Rick Stein at Bannisters'. Located at 'Bannisters' a Boutique Hotel on the cliff tops of Bannisters Point, the opening of 'Rick Stein at Bannisters' increased media attention and public awareness of the town of Mollymook.The Daily Telegraph
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References

External links

''Travel South'' Mollymook visitors guide

Mollymook quick guideVISITNSW.com – Mollymook
{{authority control City of Shoalhaven Towns in New South Wales Towns in the South Coast (New South Wales) Coastal towns in New South Wales