Maroubra, New South Wales

Maroubra is a beachside suburb in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is 10 kilometres south-east of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Randwick.

Maroubra is the largest suburb within Randwick City Council by both area and population;. Maroubra Junction is a locality in the centre of the suburb.

History

1800s

Maroubra is a local Aboriginal word meaning ''place of thunder''. In 1861, the first house was built in the area by Humphrey McKeon. A number of other settlers arrived on the land in the 1870s to work on the wool scouring works located at the northern end of the bay.

''The Hereward''

The suburb first made headlines on 6 May 1898, when the ''Hereward'', a fully rigged iron ship weighing 1,513 tons was caught by the gale-force winds and shipwrecked at the northern end of Maroubra Beach while heading north toward Newcastle. The shipwreck remained on the beach for a number of years until a failed attempt to refloat it was made by building a coffer dam around the wreck.

The wreck was slowly washed out to sea afterwards; and by 1937 only a triangle dorsal fin was visible above sea level. In 1950, Randwick Council feared the danger that the remains posed, especially to surfers and swimmers, and had the remains blasted; such that by 1967 it appeared that there was nothing left of the ship.

In recent times, on various occasions, due to large swells and sweeping currents, large amounts of sand had moved off the sea floor and had exposed extensive portions of the ''Hereward'' which were once thought to be destroyed and lost forever. In March 2013 after large seas, extensive portions of the ship's metal hull, along with mast and engine pieces were exposed to a greater extent than they ever had been before.

Hereward Street in Maroubra is named after the event.

1900s

]Major residential development only began in the 1910s after Herbert Dudley, a real estate developer, subdivided the land into residential blocks. Herbert Dudley also lobbied for the extension of the tramline to Maroubra Junction in 1912, where he had built Dudley's Emporium which has just recently been redeveloped. In 1918 sixty-five allotments on Crown Lands bordered by Maroubra Bay Road, Cooper Street and Broad Road were auctioned by Stanton and Son Limited. The tram line was extended to Maroubra Beach in 1921.

Between 1925 and 1934, the Maroubra Speedway, Olympia Motor Speedway was located in South Maroubra at the corner of Anzac Parade and Fitzgerald Avenue. However, due to the dangerous nature of the concrete track, a number of deaths occurred and it was closed after only nine years of operation. Coral Sea Park and surrounding estates was announced on the site in 1947 and formally completed in 1961. The estates and park was given its namesake from the 1942 battle; The battle of the Coral Sea.

2000s

In 2005, Maroubra was named as one of the suburbs involved in the Cronulla Riots, after more than 100 cars were vandalised in relation to the riots between Middle Eastern and Anglo youth. In 2006, Maroubra Beach became the second Australian beach to be named a National Surfing Reserve (the first beach being Bells Beach in Victoria).Maroubra beach declared national surfing reserve
– ABC World Today It is also a popular place for people learning to surf due to its beginner friendly conditions.

2010s

Maroubra Junction and surrounding areas

Maroubra Junction is one of the main shopping areas in the district and is home to Pacific Square shopping centre (built on the area once known as Stockland Mall, Maroubra). Pacific Square shopping centre has an outdoor eating area on Anzac Parade, Coles and Aldi supermarkets, Glamabags, many specialty shops as well as being home to the area's Australia Post outlet. Commercial developments are also found along Anzac Parade, Maroubra Road and surrounding streets, including Dudley's Emporium which was the first shopping centre in Maroubra Junction built in 1912 and has been recently redeveloped.

Maroubra Beach and surrounds

There are also a handful of shopping districts besides Maroubra Junction including the areas surrounding Maroubra Beach. McKeon Street and Marine Parade are home to multiple cafes and restaurants, and other retail facilities such as surf shops, yoga schools, a chemist and newsagent, th
Maroubra Seals Club
and The Bay Hotel.

South Maroubra

South Maroubra Shopping Village, known as "The Village", is located in South Maroubra and is home to many well-known shops including a late night pharmacy, Walsh's Pharmacy as well as Maroubra's only Woolworths supermarket.It is also next door to the Sands Hotel. The Village and South Maroubra Village Green are home to Christmas Carols every year.

Hotels

Current

* ''Glasshouse'' (Since 1947) – The licence of the Golden Grove Hotel was transferred from Darlington to new premises on the corner of Anzac Parade and Boyce Road, Maroubra Junction in February 1947. The hotel has more recently changed its name to the Glasshouse Hotel.
* ''The Sands Hotel'' (Since 1972) – A hotel in South Maroubra alongside South Maroubra Shopping Village. Now rebranded to
Southend Hotel though many locals still call it the Sands.
* ''Maroubra Junction Hotel'' (Since 1926) — A hotel in Maroubra Junction across Maroubra Road from Pacific Square.
* ''Ocean View Tavern'' (Since 2010) – In an attempt to popularise the mostly vacant area surround Maroubra Beach, the Maroubra Bay Hotel premises was revitalised and re-opened under the name of the Ocean View Tavern. Since recalled the Bay Hotel circa 2017.
* ''Juniors @ The Junction'' (Since 2009) – The result of a merger with South Sydney Junior Rugby League Club (Kingsford) and the struggling Maroubra Returned and Services League (RSL) Club. The club is on the site of the former Maroubra RSL club on Anzac Parade and Haig Street.'Clubs fight to survive', Southern Courier 14/04/2009
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Former

* ''Maroubra Bay Hotel'' (1926–2010) – Popular after World War I due to the extension of the tram line to the beach, the construction of a promenade and bathing sheds. Due to a downturn in trade the hotel closed in early 2010. Reopened as the Bay Hotel, nearby is the Maroubra Seals surf club (pub, gaming and restaurant).
* ''Trade Winds'' (1984–2002) – Maroubra Junction on Maroubra Road. 2002 saw the former Flag Inns hotel converted into apartments. The Trade Winds Brasserie is all that's left of the old hotel.
* ''Maroubra RSL'' (2000–2009) – The struggling Maroubra Returned and Services League (RSL) Club merged with South Sydney Junior Leagues Club in order to keep the premise open due to poor income. It was reopened under the name "Juniors @ The Junction".

Transport

Roads

The CBD is located 10 kilometres north-west from Maroubra via Anzac Parade, via Kensington, Kingsford and Moore Park.

Buses

Regular bus services through Maroubra are operated by Transdev John Holland.

Light Rail

The CBD and South East Light Rail which became fully operational in April 2020, connects the Sydney CBD to Randwick and Kingsford.

Trams

The former Maroubra tram line opened from Anzac Parade to Maroubra Bay in 1921. The line branched off the main line to La Perouse at the intersection of Anzac Parade and Maroubra Road, travelling east along Maroubra Road, Cooper Street, French Street and Mons Avenue before terminating in a balloon loop in Marine Parade at Maroubra Bay Beach. The line was double track throughout, and passed through several tram reservations on its descent down to the beach. Direct services operated from Circular Quay and Railway Square. The line closed in 1961. The current route of bus 397 now covers this route.

Heritage listings

Due to the age of the suburb there are 34 sites formally recognized by the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage as providing a "sense of continuity and belonging to the place where we live". None of these sites, however, have been protected under Section 136 of the NSW Heritage Act.

Media

Maroubra is within the reporting and circulation boundaries of the South-Eastern Suburbs newspaper; "Southern Courier" which is owned and distributed by News Limited.

Maroubra is also within the reporting and circulation boundaries o
''The Beast''
a monthly magazine for the beaches and bays of Sydney's east. It covers local news, sport and the arts and each month. It features a different local celebrity on the cover.

Maroubra was home to the set of the television series ''Heartbreak High'' which was filmed at Maroubra Bay High School after its closure.

The German electronic musician Edgar Froese included a track called ''Maroubra Bay'' on his 1975 album '' Epsilon in Malaysian Pale'', which was influenced by a visit to Maroubra during Tangerine Dream's 1975 Australian tour.

In 1963 "Little Pattie" reached No. 2 on the Australian Top40 with her hit EP singles "Stomping at Maroubra" and "He's My Blonde-Headed, Stompie Wompie, Real Gone Surfer Boy"

In 1983, the music video and cover artwork for Come Said the Boy by Mondo Rock were filmed in Maroubra.

Sport and recreation

A number of well-known sporting teams represent the local area. One of them is the well known NRL club named the South Sydney Rabbitohs, Sydney Roosters, and Maroubra Lions some other teams are Maroubra Surf Life Saving Club, South Maroubra Surf Life Saving Club