Gosford

Gosford New South Wales
Population	3,392
Postcode(s)	2250
Elevation	20 m (66 ft)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10)
• Summer (DST)	AEST (UTC+11)
Location	76 km (47 mi) from Sydney
LGA(s)	Central Coast Council
County	Northumberland
State electorate(s)	Gosford
Federal Division(s)	Robertson
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall 23.3 °C 74 °F 11.4 °C 53 °F 1,333.0 mm 52.5 in
Localities around Gosford: North Gosford Narara Wyoming West Gosford Gosford East Gosford Point Clare Point Clare Tascott

Gosford is a city located on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia, about 76 km north of the Sydney central business district. The city is situated at the northern extremity of Brisbane Water, an extensive northern branch of the Hawkesbury River estuary and Broken Bay.

The city is the administrative centre of the Central Coast region, which is the third largest urban area in New South Wales after Sydney and Newcastle. Gosford has been designated as an important growth centre under the NSW Metropolitan Strategy.^[1] The suburb's population was 3,392 in the 2011 census.^[2]

History

Until white settlement, the area around Gosford was inhabited by the Guringai peoples, who were principally coastal-dwellers,^[3] and the Darginüng people that inhabited the hinterland. Along with the other land around the Hawkesbury River estuary, the Brisbane Water district was explored during the early stages of the settlement of New South Wales.

Gosford itself was explored by Governor Phillip between 1788 and 1789. The area was difficult to access and settlement did not start before 1823. By the late 19th century the agriculture in the region was diversifying, with market gardens and citrus orchards occupying the rich soil left after the timber harvest. The road between Hawkesbury (near Pittwater) and Brisbane Water was a cart wheel track even in 1850.^[4]

Convicts once lived and worked in the Gosford area. In 1825, Gosford's population reached 100, of whom 50% were convicts.

East Gosford was the first centre of settlement. Gosford was named in 1839 after Archibald Acheson, 2nd Earl of Gosford – a friend of the then Governor of New South Wales George Gipps.^[5] Acheson's title derives its name from Gosford, a townland (sub-division) of Markethill in County Armagh in Northern Ireland.

In 1887, the rail link to Sydney was completed, requiring a bridge over the Hawkesbury River and a tunnel through the sandstone ridge west of Woy Woy. The introduction of this transport link and then the Pacific Highway in 1930 accelerated the development of the region.

Gosford became a town in 1885 and was declared a municipality in 1886.^[6]

Demographics

In the 2011 census, the most common countries of birth of people in Gosford were Australia 63.6%, England 4.4%, Mainland China 2.4%, India 1.9%, New Zealand 1.9% and South Korea 1.1%. The most common responses for religion were No Religion 24.3%, Catholic 21.6%, Anglican 18.0%, Buddhism 3.4% and Uniting Church 2.8%.^[7]

Media

Gosford Community News^[8] has been published fortnightly by Ducks Crossing Publications since 2010.

Express Advocate: News Limited publish a free weekly suburban style newspaper in the News Local group.

Radio stations available:

• 2GO - part of Southern Cross Austereo
• Sea FM
• ABC 92.5
• CoastFM 96.3
• StarFM 104.5
• EVT FM - Chinese radio network

Climate

Gosford has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification: Cfa)^[9] with warm summers and mild winters. In summer, temperatures average about 27-28 °C in the day with high humidity and about 17-18 °C at night. Winters are mild with cool overnight temperatures and mild to occasionally warm daytime temperatures with lower humidity. Average rainfall is 1333mm, much of which falls in the late summer and autumn. Records range from a maximum of 44.8 °C (113 °F) on 18 January 2013, to a low of −4.2 °C (24 °F) on 16 July 1970.

City centre

Taken from Central Coast Leagues Club looking south over Brisbane Water. NB: The circus tents.

Gosford proper is located in a valley with President's Hill on the city's western border, Rumbalara Reserve on its eastern border, and Brisbane water to the city's south. Mann Street, Gosford's main street and part of the Pacific Highway, runs north-south and contains the frontage for much of the commercial district.

In the centre of Gosford is a shopping and community precinct, including Kibble Park, William Street Mall, Gosford City Library, the Imperial Shopping Centre and a full range of shops, cafes, banks and services, especially along William Street Mall.

The Gosford CBD suffered a decline in the 1990s as commercial activity relocated to nearby Erina, particularly Erina Fair. To address this, the city has more recently redeveloped its park in the city centre, including a stream, a restaurant and outdoor performance facilities. This will be the beginning of the redevelopment of the CBD. A small number of high rise developments have also been built in the area to encourage a concentration of residents in a bid to stimulate the economy of local business. More high rise developments are planned in addition to the numerous home units already in the city.

A renewed period of optimism has followed demolition of several derelict buildings and several infrastructure investment projects including the full fibre optic telecommunications rollout of the National Broadband Network in 2012 in the city's CBD^[11] as well as the so-called Kibbleplex project, announced in 2013^[12] that plans to house the new regional library, tertiary teaching rooms and associated organisations. Gosford Classic Car Museum opened in 2016 at nearby West Gosford.

Transport

The Central Coast Highway runs past Gosford's waterfront area, while its predecessor the Pacific Highway takes on several names through the CBD itself. Mann Street contains the main public transport links for Gosford, including Gosford railway station and the termini for several bus routes.

Facilities

Gosford is home to:

• Gosford Hospital – the largest hospital on the Central Coast
• Laycock Street Community Theatre - the only professional, proscenium arch theatre venue on the Central Coast
• The Central Coast Conservatorium (in the original Gosford Courthouse)
• Central Coast Stadium in Grahame Park, adjacent to the Central Coast Leagues Club. Originally built for the Central Coast Bears team in the NRL rugby league competition (to this day, the seats are arranged to say 'Go Bears'), since 2005 it is the home of the successful Central Coast Mariners A-League soccer / association football team and was the home venue of the Central Coast Rays rugby union Australian Rugby Championship team.
• Central Coast Leagues Club - is the largest community sporting and social club in the region
• The Entertainment Grounds, formerly known as Gosford Racecourse
• Gosford Showground
• The headquarters of the Government of New South Wales workplace health and safety regulator, SafeWork NSW ^[13]
• Gavenlock Oval – Home ground of the Gosford City Dragons

Education

• Gosford High School- the only academically selective high school on the Central Coast
• Central Coast Grammar School
• St Edward's College, East Gosford- The only all boys private school on the Central Coast.
• Hunter Institute of TAFE.
• Henry Kendall High School

Economy

Gosford is situated along an identified business growth corridor between Erina, the West Gosford light industrial zone and Somersby. Connectivity of main roads and rail travel times between Sydney, the Central Coast, Lake Macquarie and the city of Newcastle are key issues for corporate business relocation to the region. Aged and personal care and retail are major employers in Gosford. In the city center, car parking is limited along the older and ailing retail strip Mann Street. As an entertainment hub, Mann Street enjoys relatively good public transport links and is one of the Central Coast's most popular spots for pubs and clubs and in close proximity to cultural and sporting events. A performing arts center and a Gosford Waterfront Authority have been mooted by members of the community and local politicians as a means to reinvent Gosford's CBD and bolster the region's tourism and music industries.

Yacht and other boat building has been undertaken by East Coast Yachts^[14] since 1964^[15] in West Gosford.

Notable people

• Estelle Asmodelle – Former model, dancer, and activist. Currently, musician, abstract artist and academic. She is known as Australia's first legal transsexual.
• Anthony Biddle – Paralympian tandem cyclist and athlete^[16]
• Alan Davidson – Former Australian cricketer
• David Fairleigh – Former Rugby League forward,, current coach of the Central Coast Bears
• Des Hasler – Former Rugby league player, current coach of Canterbury Bulldogs
• Matt Orford – Former NRL halfback
• Brad Porter – Retired Football Midfielder
• Andrew Redmayne – Goalkeeper for Western Sydney Wanderers
• Mark Skaife – 5-time Supercars champion and 6-time Bathurst 1000 winner
• Ron Peno – Australian Punk & 1980's Rock musician; Lead Singer of Died Pretty
• Matthew Zions, European PGA professional golfer (2003–present), 2011 Saint-Omer Open winner
• Charlotte Best, actress, known for her role as Annie Campbell on Home and Away
• James Gleeson One of Australia's earliest and most recognised surrealist painters, also a poet and art critic. His family lived in Narara and in the 1920s, Gosford and they owned the Gosford pub. The coolroom of the Gosford pub occasionally served as an impromptu city morgue.
• Chris Payne, footballer playing for the North Queensland Fury in the A-League
• Peter Sterling, former rugby league player, 4-time premiership player (1981–83 and 1986)
• Craig Anderson, pitcher for Sydney Blue Sox of the Australian Baseball League
• Kim De Lury, Australian actor known for his role as Conchobar on Witchblade (TV series).^[17] Current teacher at St Edward's College, East Gosford.^[18]

Sister cities and twin towns

• Edogawa, Tokyo
• Nitra

See also

• List of cities in Australia
• Electoral district of Gosford, a seat in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly

References

External links

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Gosford.

• Gosford City Council
• Central Coast Tourism