Manly, New South Wales

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Manly
Sydney, New South Wales

Manly Beach
Population: 13,949 (2006 Census)
Postcode: 2095
Property Value: AUD 1,310,000 (2007)[1]
Location: 17 km (11 mi) north-east of Sydney CBD
LGA: Manly Council
State District: Manly
Federal Division: Warringah
Suburbs around Manly:
Manly Vale North Manly
Fairlight Manly Pacific Ocean
North Harbour North Head
Looking towards Manly from Grotto Point Reserve
Looking towards Manly from Grotto Point Reserve

Manly is a suburb of northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Manly is located 17 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of Manly Council, in the Northern Beaches region.

Contents

[edit] History

Manly was named by Capt. Arthur Phillip for the indigenous people living there, "their confidence and manly behaviour made me give the name of Manly Cove to this place".[2] These men were of the Kay-ye-my clan (of the Guringai people). [3] While scouting for fresh water in the area, Phillip encountered members of the clan, and after a misunderstanding he was speared in the shoulder by one of the clan; to his lasting credit, the progressively-minded Phillip ordered his men not to retaliate.

Manly had been envisaged as a seaside resort by Henry Gilbert Smith in the 1850s. In 1853 Smith acquired two large parcels of land (which had been granted to John Thompson in 1842 and John Crane Parker in 1837). [4]

Initially Smith had chartered a paddle steamer to Manly and other vessels visited on an ad hoc “excursion” basis. Smith built a wharf in 1855 and eventually acquired an interest in steamers himself and soon more regular services to Manly had commenced.[5]

By 1873, Smith had sold the lease to the wharf and his share of the steamers to the operators of the ferries and eventually ownership passed to the once famous Port Jackson and Manly Steamship Company. It was the Port Jackson and Manly Steamship Company which coined the expression about Manly being “Seven miles from Sydney and a thousand miles from care” to promote its ferry service. The Port Jackson and Manly Steamship Company played an important part in Manly's development. It built several attractions including a large ocean pool and bathing pavillion, the Manly Fun Pier. In 1972 the company was sold and it is now part of Sydney Ferries.

During the 19th and early 20th century Manly was one of Australia's most popular seaside holiday resorts. [6] Manly beach is said to be the place were the restriction on daylight sea bathing was first challenged in Australia. In October 1902 William Gocher, clad in a neck to knee costume, swam at midday after annoucing his intention to do so in the newspaper he had established (Manly and North Sydney News). After being ignored by authorities and being publicly critical of them, he swam again and was escorted from the water by the police, although no charges were laid. In November 1903, Manly Council resolved to allow all-day bathing provided a neck to knee swimming costume was worn. [7] During the first official bathing season in 1903, 17 people drowned on Manly Beach. A year later a surf club was formed on the beach to safeguard the public. While there is debate about which club is the oldest, Manly Life Saving Club is certainly one of the world's first surf life saving clubs.[8] [9]

In 1934, George Robey, a resident and original Anzac founded the "Air Mindedness Development League" which was soon renamed the Australian Air League at Manly. There has been a continuously running squadron in Manly since. [10]

[edit] Beaches

Manly Beach
Manly Beach

Manly is most notable for its beaches which are popular tourist destinations. Manly features a long stretch of sand on the ocean side, that runs from Queenscliff Beach to North Steyne Beach and Manly Beach. This is followed by rock pools and sandy beaches called Fairy Bower and Shelly Beach. Norfolk Island pine trees are also symbolic of Manly and are a prominent feature of both the ocean and harbour-side beaches.

[edit] Commercial Area

The commercial Manly is centred around The Corso, which runs from the harbour side at Manly Wharf to the ocean side at Manly Beach. Part of The Corso is a mall which allows outdoor dining for cafes and restaurants. The commercial area extends to surrounding streets with more cafes and restaurants concentrated along the ocean and harbour shores.

An advertisement for the Port Jackson and Manly Steamship Company circa 1940

Manly Corso prior to the 2007 upgrade.

[edit] Transport

Manly Wharf
Manly Wharf

Transport services to Manly include an efficient Ferry service from Manly Wharf, and bus services to the city and other suburbs. The Manly Ferry provides a relaxed journey taking 30 minutes and allows for scenic views of Sydney Harbour, surrounding national parks and Sydney icons including the Harbour Bridge and Opera House. A faster "JetCat" service taking 15 minutes also operates between Manly and Sydney city. The ferry service once advertised Manly as "seven miles from Sydney, and a thousand miles from care".

[edit] Housing

High-rise buildings and apartments now line the foreshore; a testament to the high popularity of the area. Since the 1970s and the "Conserve Manly" local political party, high-rise development has been drastically limited and most new beachfront developments are no more than three or four stories in height. The relaxed lifestyle, beaches and proximity to Sydney city have led to Manly's real estate prices being amongst the highest in Australia.

[edit] Schools and Churches

The former Catholic seminary at St Patrick's Estate, Darley Road, now operates as a hotel management, tourism and business college, degrees awarded by Macquarie University, which attracts international students from many countries. As well as being an educational hub, many spectacular weddings have been held here, including Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban. The original seminary was designed by Hennessy and Sheerin and built in 1885. It was conceived by Archbishop Vaughan and is now listed on the Register of the National Estate.[11]

On the other side of Darley Road is the Archbishop's House, also known as the Cardinal's Palace. This building was also designed by Sheerin and Hennessy and built in the 1880s. It was originally conceived as part of St Patrick's Seminary and is a good example of the Victorian Gothic Revival style. It too is listed on the Register of the National Estate.[12]

Another notable landmark is the Presbyterian Church in Raglan Street. It was designed by John Sulman in the Romanesque style and built in 1892. It is listed on the Register of the National Estate.[13]

[edit] Recreation

The calm water "Harbour side" of Manly
The calm water "Harbour side" of Manly

Manly has Sydney Harbour on its western side with calm water, ferry wharf, swimming area, Oceanworld Manly aquarium, sailing and yacht clubs. 300 metres to the east is the Pacific Ocean and Manly Beach.

The Manly International Jazz Festival, is Australia's largest community based jazz festival, during the October long weekend public holiday, with various stages hosting continuous free public performances from mid-day until early evening. The forthcoming soap opera Out of the Blue is set in Manly.[14] Manly also has the rugby league team, Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Suburb Profile: Manly. Fairfax Digital.
  2. ^ Governor Phillip to Lord Sydney, 15 May 1788, in the Historical Records of New South Wales ii:129, quoted by Robert Hughes in The Fatal Shore, 1987, paperback ISBN 1-86046-150-6 page 15
  3. ^ “Spirit of the Kay-ye-my people coming home to Manly (press release)”. Manly Council (2004-08-30). Retrieved on 2008-02-28.
  4. ^ Prescott, Anthony M. (March 1984). "“The Manly Ferry – A history of the service and its operators, 1854-1974”". . University of Sydney (Faculty of Arts - thesis) Retrieved on 2008-02-13.
  5. ^ Lennon, Troy ( 2 November 2007), ““Rough seas for the Harbour's first fleets””, Daily Telegraph page 60 
  6. ^ The Book of Sydney Suburbs, Compiled by Frances Pollen, Angus & Robertson Publishers, 1990, Published in Australia ISBN 0-207-14495-8, p162
  7. ^ Mitchell, Bruce (1983). “Gocher, William Henry (1856 - 1921)”. Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved on 2008-02-29.
  8. ^ “Manly SLSC”. Surf Life Saving New South Wales. Retrieved on 2008-03-03.
  9. ^ “Manly LSC History”. Manly Life Saving Club. Retrieved on 2008-03-03.
  10. ^ “Australian Air League Official Website". Australian Air League Council (2007). Retrieved on 2008-06-06.
  11. ^ The Heritage of Australia, Macmillan Company, 1981, p.2/42
  12. ^ Heritage of Australia, p.2/42
  13. ^ Heritage of Australia, p.2/42
  14. ^ "BBC commissions new Aussie soap", BBC News, 2007-12-01. Retrieved on 2007-12-01. 

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Suburbs and localities of Manly Council · Northern Beaches · Sydney
List of Sydney suburbs