| Towradgi Wollongong, New South Wales |
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Towradgi Beach, looking south to Wollongong |
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| Population: | 3,077[1] | ||||||||||||
| Postcode: | 2518 | ||||||||||||
| Location: | 5 km (3 mi) from Wollongong | ||||||||||||
| LGA: | City of Wollongong | ||||||||||||
| State District: | Keira | ||||||||||||
| Federal Division: | Cunningham | ||||||||||||
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Towradgi is a small beach-side suburb approximately 5 km north of Wollongong. Towradgi is a corruption of the aboriginal word "Kow-radgi" meaning "guardian of the sacred stones". On an early map it was called Towroger. Towradgi is served by Towradgi station, opened in 1948. Electric double deck trains serve Towradgi.
It is bordered to the north by Corrimal, the west by Fernhill & Tarrawanna and to the south by Fairy Meadow. The Pacific Ocean can be found to the east. Towradgi has also come to incorporate much of the former suburb of Reidtown (to the south-west), some of which has also been incorporated into Fairy Meadow.
Towradgi has a surf club along with a bowling and recreation club, Chinese restaurant, croquet club, 2 petrol stations, hairdresser, retirement village, public school, train station, many open parks and a rock pool.
One of Towradgi's landmarks is the small bridge on Towradgi Road that passes over the south coast train line at Towradgi station. This bridge is affectionately known in the area as 'the hump' due to its short steep rise and it is not uncommon for some cars to become airborne if they pass over this bridge at too high a speed.
East of Towradgi is Towradgi Point, location of the Towradgi rockpool, a mildly jutting rocky projection to the east. The rockpool itself is at the tip of the point, to the north is the entrance to Towradgi Creek and to the south and north are small areas of rocks, known as Black Rocks. Towradgi Creek goes inland from Corrimal Beach. A short distance out to see from here is the point where the famous shipwreck the Queen of Nations which was wrecked in the 1880s. It lies just north of the pools and at low tide a darkish blur marks it. A plaque at the point tells of the story of the wreck. The Captain, Samuel Bache, who, in his drunken state, thought the Mount Keira coal mine slag heap fires to be the light on Port Jackson's South Head in Sydney, and crashed the barque clipper vessel on May the 31st, 1881. The First Mate was equally drunk and threatened crew members. It is now a protected wreck site. The ship was transporting alcohol at the time, which explains this accident. Many go to the point to see the fine views of Wollongong (see photograph above) and north to Corrimal, Bellambi Point and the northern escarpment and Sublime Point, as well as views from the park to Knight's Hill and the southern mountains. The bridge across the creek was remade in 2006 and is used by cyclists and walkers, here the Wollongong to Thirroul Bike Track is split into two designated paths.
The point is also home to a park and recreation area with the bike path, part of the Wollongong to Thirroul Bike Track and a picnic area. This is a popular spot for surfing and swimming and there is a food shop, the Blue Moon Beach Caf'e, south of the point.
South of the point on the beach is the site of George Bass and Matthew Flinders, with their helper Martin, attempt at landing. A plaque commemorates the events following when the sea took out their vessel, the Tom Thumb, and filled it with water, on the 21st of March, 1796. They managed to bale it out and continue, having collected water from Towradgi Creek.
Erosion from June 2007 storms has damaged the beach and some beach entrance tracks, but most areas with vegetation have borne it well.