Spencer 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 ...

of the Central Coast region 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. It is located on the north bank of the

Hawkesbury River The Hawkesbury River, or Hawkesbury-Nepean River (Dharug language, Dharug: Dyarubbin) is a river located northwest of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The Hawkesbury River and its associated main tributary, the Nepean River, almost encircle ...

, just upstream of that river's confluence with Mangrove Creek. Spencer is part of 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 ...

Geography

Spencer is bound by the Hawkesbury River to the south and west and Mangrove Creek to the east. Despite the relatively short distance from the Pacific Motorway as the crow flies, a boat across Mangrove Creek significantly reduces the distance to be traveled.

History

Early British explorers stepped onto a "marshy outcrop" here during their exploration of the East Coast of Australia, which is commemorated by a monument near the children's playground and public toilet. Spencer is a township that is presumed to be named for the parish in which it is situated. Originally, the area was known as Fernleigh. The true name origin of Spencer is unclear, but it is believed to be named after George John Spencer, 2nd Earl Spencer (1758–1834), who became

First Lord of the Admiralty First Lord of the Admiralty, or formally the Office of the First Lord of the Admiralty, was the title of the political head of the English and later British Royal Navy. He was the government's senior adviser on all naval affairs, responsible f ...

in 1794 and held the position until 1810. He was a mentor of

Lord Nelson Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronte ( – 21 October 1805) was a Royal Navy officer whose leadership, grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics brought about a number of decisive British naval victories during the French ...

and oversaw many of the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

's victories over the French.

Economy

The economy is rural, and farming and fishing are the area's main sources of income. Tourism is also growing and based around the history and the scenery of the area.

References

Suburbs of the Central Coast (New South Wales) {{CentralCoastNSW-geo-stub