| Sutherland Shire New South Wales |
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Left to right from top: The suburb of Sutherland; Cronulla and beaches; Westfield, Miranda; Kurnell Sand Dunes |
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Sutherland Shire
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| Population: | 219,828(2009)[1] (8th) | ||||||||||||
| • Density: | 642.0/km² (1,662.8/sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Area: | 335 km² (129.3 sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Mayor: | Clr Phil Blight | ||||||||||||
| Council Seat: | Sutherland | ||||||||||||
| Region: | Metropolitan Sydney | ||||||||||||
| State District: | Cronulla, Heathcote, Menai, Miranda | ||||||||||||
| Federal Division: | Cook, Hughes, Cunningham | ||||||||||||
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The Sutherland Shire is a Local Government Area in the Southern Sydney region of Sydney, Australia. Geographically, it is the area to the south of Botany Bay and the Georges River. The administrative centre of the local government is located in the suburb of Sutherland, with council chambers located in Eton Street.
It is known as the Birthplace of Modern Australia, as it was the first landing site of Captain James Cook, who went ashore onto what is now the suburb of Kurnell on 29 April 1770. It was originally intended to be the site of the first British Settlement, before Sydney Cove was chosen as the location during the First Fleet.[2]
With a Population of 219,828, it is the second most populous Local Government Area in Sydney and New South Wales (behind The City of Blacktown), and the eighth largest overall in Australia. It is 26 km (16 mi) south of Sydney CBD, and is bordered by LGA's, The City of Bankstown, City of Wollongong, The City of Liverpool, The City of Hurstville and The City of Campbelltown. The Sutherland Shire is also known simply as "The Shire".[3]
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The original inhabitants of the Sutherland area were some clans of the Dharawal people. Archaeological work in the Sutherland Shire has revealed evidence for Aboriginal settlement dating back at least 8,500 years. The original coastline around Sydney has retreated about 20 km and that those flooded coastal plains may hold evidence showing occupation of this area going back well beyond the 8,500 years revealed in the 1966 Archaeological exploration.[4]
Within the Royal National Park, field surveys have revealed many hundreds of Aboriginal rock shelters. In other locations (The Military Area near Holsworthy and Darkes Forrest) there are thousands of sites, camping areas and sacred places. These areas mentioned have not been affected greatly by European occupation and building and may give a clearer example for the quality of life and abundance of resources in Sutherland/Liverpool areas.
Since 1966 when there was an Archaeological dig in Cabbage Tree Basin archaeologists have uncovered parts of an extensive open-air midden or cooking and camp sites. Successive layers of habitation show the diet of the native Aborigines - oysters, mussels, snapper, bream, and Sydney cockle. There is also evidence of seal, dolphin, a range of marsupials, dingo and even whale. Several edge-ground axes have also found.
There are many existing sites where paintings and engravings of great age show changes in art style over thousands of years. Some of these changes can be linked to the extinction of some animals in the area and also with the coming of Europeans to Sutherland. Some have interpreted these changes in style to changes in culture and people which would indicate that there have been a number of changes of communities over time.[5]
European discovery of what is now Sutherland Shire was made by Lieutenant James Cook, who entered Botany Bay on 29 April 1770. Cook and his party explored around Kurnell Peninsula, and left the bay on May 6. During their brief stay, a Scottish seaman named Forbes Sutherland died of tuberculosis. In his honour, Cook named the northwest point of the peninsula Point Sutherland.[6]
The British government needed a new site for transported convicts as they had lost their American colonies following defeat in the American Revolutionary War. Botany Bay was chosen as the new penal settlement and the First Fleet under Governor Arthur Phillip anchored off Kurnell on 18 January 1788. After sending a party to clear land for settlement, Phillip soon realised the area was unsuitable. There was lack of shelter for ships, inadequate water and poor soil. On 24 January, two French ships were sighted off the coast, causing Phillip to raise English colours near Sutherland Point. Governor Phillip sailed north to explore Port Jackson, and eventually settled at Sydney Cove.
The first landowner in Sutherland Shire was James Birnie, a mercantile trader who was granted by promise 700 acres (2.8 km²) at Kurnell in 1815.[7] After the completion of official surveying, a large part of what is now Sutherland Shire was proclaimed as the Hundred of Woronora by Governor Richard Bourke in 1835. Title to land was not granted by the Crown until 1856, before which there was practically no settlement. Timber cutting was the primary industry, supplemented by shell gathering in the Port Hacking area.
With the opening of Crown Lands sales in the Shire, Thomas Holt purchased 12,000 acres (49 km²). His developmental projects included oyster farms,[8] cattle grazing, and coal mining.[7] The investment which proved profitable however, were his timber leases. He constructed a magnificent manor on the foreshores of Sylvania, called Sutherland House, based on English feudal lines.[9]
The main mode of transport in the area was originally by water. Farmers' ships sailed up the coast into Botany Bay, and up the Georges and Woronora rivers, avoiding the wharfage and custom dues at Port Jackson. The first public road, the Illawarra Road (now called the Old Illawarra Road) to the "Five Islands" (now Wollongong), was constructed between 1842 and 1845 with convict labour. A new southern line of road was completed in 1864, linking up with the Illawarra Road at Engadine. Today this virtually is the line of the Princes Highway, the main north-south thoroughfare through Sutherland Shire.
A railway line was extended from Hurstville in 1884 to develop the rich Illawarra district. The railway brought into being firstly a huge shanty town on the heights of Como, and later developed the area into a holiday centre. Sutherland railway station was opened in 1885, named after John Sutherland, a Minister of Works during the 1870s who had argued most forcefully for the railway.
At this time, the greater part of the Shire was connected only by access tracks. A road soon opened between the railway station and Cronulla Beach, catering mostly to families and fishing parties. This was followed by the Sutherland-Cronulla steam tram service, which was inaugurated in 1911. Not only did the service greatly increase the popularity of the Cronulla beaches, but it was of great advantage to the slowly developing business interests in the Shire.
Increasing motor traffic caused a falling-off of passengers and the passenger service close in 1931. The goods service ceased the following year. The increased traffic with the north led to the opening of the first bridge into the Sutherland Shire, at Tom Ugly's Point, in 1929. The six-lane Captain Cook Bridge over the Georges River, spanning Rocky Point and Taren Point, was opened in 1965, replacing the completely inadequate ferry service.[10]
Coastal and river frontage areas, such as Como, Illawong, Cronulla, Illawarra and Yowie Bay, became popular as country retreats. A form of voluntary local government was attempted in 1888, but law and order was still administered by the court at Liverpool until 1905. In that year, the Local Government (Shires) Act provided that the whole of New South Wales be divided into shires. The State Governor, Harry Rawson selected the name, and proclaimed this district "Sutherland, No. 133" on 6 March 1906 and fixed the boundaries. At the time the Shire had 1600 residents, and it was divided into three Ridings.
With only a small rates base, one of the early problems of the Council was the provision of new roads. The construction of the Sutherland-Cronulla tramway by the Railway Commissioner went far in stimulating business activity and driving land sales. The population of the Shire increased from 2,896 in 1911, when the tramway opened, to over 7,500 in 1913. By 1931 the population had exceeded 12,000. It was not until the early 1950s that this district of scattered dwellings, vacant blocks and quiet villages became a suburban area of Sydney. Until this time Sutherland Shire was not considered part of Sydney.
Associated with this growth of population was industrial and commercial development. The Captain Cook Drive from Caringbah to Kurnell was constructed in 1953 in conjunction with the establishment in 1956 of the Australian Oil Refinery at Kurnell. At Lucas Heights, the Australian Atomic Energy Commission (now the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation) built its research station complex in 1958.
In terms of residential development, one of the most imaginative homebuilding concepts has been Sylvania Waters. Here, individually designed family homes have been built around a series of man-made canals. The urban release of land in the Menai district, to the west of the Woronora River, commenced in the 1970s.[10]
The Sutherland Shire is currently the second most populous Local Government Area in Sydney, and 8th in Australia overall. The current Mayor is Phil Blight of the Australian Labor Party, who was elected on the 20 September 2010.[11]
In December 2005, following incidents on Shire beaches culminating in an assault on a lifeguard by youth of Lebanese descent, an anonymous message was sent out by SMS, publicised by major media outlets in Australia, that called on people to gather at Cronulla beach on the following Sunday and attack "wogs and lebs". In the days that followed, a series of riots and counter riots broke out in Cronulla and other beachside suburbs in Sydney's east which saw numerous assaults. There was minor property damage and one non-fatal stabbing, although there were many people arrested and extensive national and international media interest.
Under the 1853 proclamation, the western boundary of district was the Woronora River. With the formation of the Sutherland Shire in 1906, the western boundary was extended to take in more agricultural land in an area which is now modern day Menai. In 1919, the Illawong area was also transferred to Sutherland Shire. The Shire now has an area of 370 km², of which 173 km² is state-designated national parkland.
The northern border of the Shire can be crossed via four bridges: three road bridges (Alfords Point, Sylvania Waters and Taren Point) and one railway bridge (Como). To the west, the Heathcote Road leading out of the Shire passes by the Holsworthy military reserve. To the south, the Princes Highway runs out of Waterfall towards the city of Wollongong. The eastern border is bounded by the Tasman Sea.
On the east the Shire has a varying landscape of rugged sea cliffs and sandy beaches, and swampy bay coasts backed by sand dunes. To the west the surface consists of a broad plateau rising gently to the southwest, and cut into by several deep river gorges.[12]
The geology of the Sutherland Shire, whilst sharing characteristics with the North Shore, is very different from the western and central suburbs of Sydney. The oldest rock unit in the Shire is the Illawarra Coal Measures, exposed from drilling at Helensburgh where it is 305 metres below sea level. Above the coal-bearing rocks is found the Narrabeen Group, mostly made up of layers of sandstone and characteristic red claystone beds. Overlying the Narrabeen Group is the Hawkesbury Sandstone, the rock unit most characteristic of the Shire. Occasional patches of Ashfield shale overlay the Hawkesbury sandstone. Some time later than the Triassic period - possibly early Tertiary - minor volcanic activity occurred in the region. This took the form of intrusion of a number of dykes of basaltic rock which forced their way up through the sedimentary rocks. Due to the wetting and drying action of the weather the basaltic rock of the dykes has changed to clay.
From the end of the Triassic period to the middle of the Tertiary period, soft material was worn down or removed by wind and running water. In the final stages of this period of erosion the climate was apparently rather wetter and more humid than today's, causing the exposed rocks to change and form laterite soil, which is abundant in the Shire.
A little later in the Tertiary, tilting occurred south of the Georges River. The slow uplift, taking perhaps several million years, formed the present Woronora Plateau, a surface which rises gently in the south. This process caused the river system in the Shire to flow in steeper watercourses. They then became more active, carving the steep gorges of Woronora, Hacking, Georges Rivers and their tributaries which can be seen today. Waterfalls such as those at Waterfall and Undola also formed during this period. Water supplies within the shire are of two kinds. The main source is the surface supply provided by the Woronora Dam, which is built in the deep gorge of Woronora River. A second source exists in the form of underground water.
During the last ice age, the rivers had to do additional work cutting down through the rocks to reach the lower and more distant ocean, leading to the "valley-in-valley" shape of many of the deep gorges in the Shire. When sea levels rose again, the silt and sand carried by the rivers gradually built up a considerable thickness of sediment. Sediment filled the area between Kurnell (then an island) and Miranda. Sand dunes began to accumulate in the Kurnell area and the mud and sand flats of Quibray and Gunnamatta Bays began to form. The Kurnell sand dunes have provided a cheap source of sand for the southern suburbs of Sydney but in the process of exploitation this area has been robbed of its character and the removal of vegetation has opened the way to erosion.
The Premier John Robertson dedicated 18,000 acres (73 km²) to "The National Park" (now the Royal National Park) in 1879, making it the second oldest park of its kind in the world after Yellowstone National Park in America. "The National Park" was publicly gazetted as a National Park in 1879, whilst no public gazette record for Yellowstone National Park until sometime in the 1880's, making a valid claim for The Royal National Park being the oldest in the world as only after being publicly gazetted were national parks recognised. In 1880 the Park was increased to 33,000 acres (134 km²). Today it is just under 44,000 acres (178 km²). The National Park was given the prefix "Royal" after the visit there of Queen Elizabeth II in 1954.
The Sutherland Shire is predominantly a residential area but also has substantial industrial, commercial and rural areas. The major commercial areas of the shire are located in the suburbs of Sutherland, Miranda (home to a large Westfield shopping centre, traditionally known as Miranda Fair), Cronulla, Caringbah, Menai and Engadine. Sutherland Shire's old mantra was Sutherland "The centre of business" Miranda "The centre of shopping" Cronulla "The centre of leisure" This lead to the decline of Kirrawee shopping centre.
The Sutherland Shire also includes the suburb of Kurnell, close to the first landing site of James Cook, Sydney's oil refinery and Towra Point Nature Reserve, a wetland of international importance. The Sutherland Shire is also where Australia's first and only nuclear facility is based, at Lucas Heights. The reactor, run by the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) does not produce electricity but is used for the production of radiopharmaceuticals, for research and irradiation.
The isolated bayside suburbs of Bundeena and Maianbar are situated between the northern edge of the Royal National park and Port Hacking. They are only accessible through the park or by the ferry from Cronulla.
Population growth in the shire has been limited by approval of residential development. The population increased from 193,000 in 1996 to over 202,000 in 2001. Recent growth has occurred largely in the Barden Ridge and Menai areas (where the new releases of land for urban development have been) and around the main railway stations. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the population of the Shire has been largely static over the past two years, falling slightly by 0.04% in 2003 and 0.07% in 2004. The age structure of the shire is described as being an "urban mix", with a broad range of different age groups.
38.6% of employed residents work within the Shire, whilst 61.4% work outside the Shire, especially in the Sydney Central business district (CBD) (16.8%). Of those employed within the Shire, 74.1% were residents. The largest occupations included clerical, sales and service workers, professionals and tradespersons. The unemployment rate in Sutherland Shire was lower than the Sydney Statistical Division in 2001 (3.5% compared to 6.1%). The reason for the lower rate in Sutherland Shire includes a comparatively smaller share of the population aged 18–24, who often have higher unemployment rates than older workers (25-59).
Sutherland Shire has a smaller proportion of overseas-born residents and less diversity in the range of countries of birth, relative to other parts of Sydney. About 80% of Sutherland Shire residents are born in Australia, followed by those born in the United Kingdom, New Zealand and South Africa. The percentage of residents claiming Australian ancestry is among the highest in Sydney.
Whilst the overseas population is growing, it is growing at a significantly slower rate than the rest of Sydney. A comparison of the top 5 nationalities in the Sutherland Shire with the Sydney Statistical Division in 2001 shows the major difference was a lower share of the population of Chinese ancestry.
More than three-quarters of the population professed a religion in 2001. Like many areas across Australia, the top five religions in Sutherland Shire in 2001 were all forms of Christianity, with the largest groups including Shirelive Church, Catholics, Anglicans and Uniting Church adherents. Sutherland Shire also noted very little change in the share of persons with non-Christian beliefs between 1996 and 2001, which was against the broader pattern of growth.[13][14]
There are now nearly 100 schools in the Shire including the Gymea and Loftus Colleges of Technical and Further Education, a technology high school - Gymea Technology High School, more than twenty secondary schools, preschool centres and schools provided to serve children with special needs.
The Sutherland Hospital and Kareena Private Hospital are both located at Caringbah and President Private Hospital is located in Kirrawee.
The area of Sutherland Shire is serviced by Veolia Transport bus services and City Rail trains on the Illawarra line.
There are four surf life saving clubs and one offshore rescue boat located at Cronulla. The clubs and boat provide life saving and first aid services to the many visitors to the Shire's beaches. The four surf clubs from south to north are: Cronulla SLSC, North Cronulla SLSC, Elouera SLSC and Wanda SLSC. The offshore rescue boat operated by the Cronnulla District Lifesaver Rescue frequently assists in major marine rescues along the Sydney coast.
Miranda is the retail and commercial centre of the Shire, being home to Westfield Miranda along with two other shopping centres, Kiora Mall and Parkside Plaza. Westfield Miranda, known locally as Miranda Fair, has several department stores and many specialist stores, and was once the largest shopping centre in the Southern Hemisphere. The centre is now the fourth largest shopping centre in Sydney.[16]
Southgate is another major shopping complex, located in Sylvania and consisting of a number of supermarkets, a K-Mart and various specialty stores. Cronulla is also a popular retail and commercial centre, with numerous restaurants and cafes and a considerable number of surf stores and other clothing and fashion shops.
Other neighbourhood shopping centres have also developed at Caringbah, Bangor, Illawong and Menai together with a small centre at Alfords Point. Gymea Shopping Village attracts many people, with a regional arts centre, Hazelhurst Regional Gallery and Arts Centre, and a cafe and restaurant scene.
Sutherland Shire Council is composed of fifteen councillors elected proportionally. The area is divided into five wards, each electing three councillors. The mayor is not directly elected.[17] The current makeup of the council is as follows:[17]
| Party | Councillors | |
|---|---|---|
| Shire Watch Independents | 5 | |
| Independents | 6 | |
| Australian Labor Party | 3 | |
| Community First Alliance | 1 | |
| Total | 15 | |
The current council, elected in 2008, is:[17]
| Ward | Councillor | Party | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Ward | Kevin Schreiber | Independent | ||
| Carol Provan | Shire Watch | |||
| George Capsis | Community First | |||
| B Ward | Lorraine Kelly | Shire Watch | ||
| Kent Johns | Independent | |||
| Phil Blight | Labor | Mayor | ||
| C Ward | Mark Buttigieg | Labor | ||
| Craig McCallum | Independent | |||
| Margaret Hargrave | Shire Watch | |||
| D Ward | Jan Forshaw | Labor | ||
| Howard Boorman | Shire Watch | Deputy Mayor | ||
| Bruce Walton | Independent | Replaced Community First Councillor David Redmond in a by-election, 23 October 2010 | ||
| E Ward | Steve Simpson | Independent | ||
| Melanie Gibbons | Independent | |||
| Peter Towell | Shire Watch | |||
The Sutherland Shire contains three Federal Government electorates, Cook (which includes Sutherland, Jannali, Como, Caringbah, Miranda, Sylvania, Gymea, and Cronulla), Hughes (which includes Sutherland, Menai, Bangor, Engadine and Alfords Point) and Cunningham (which includes Heathcote, Bundeena and Waterfall).
The state member for Miranda is Graham Annesley. The state member for Menai is Melanie Gibbons. The state member for Heathcote is Lee Evans. The State member for Cronulla is Mark Speakman. Each district is held by the Liberal Party.
Scott Morrison (Liberal) is the Federal MP for Cook. Craig Kelly (Liberal) is the Federal MP for Hughes. Sharon Bird (Labor) is the Federal MP for Cunningham.
Suburbs in the Sutherland Shire are:
Localities administered by the Sutherland Shire are:
Sutherland Shire maintains sister city relations with the following cities:[18]
There are also two informal relationships:
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