Woronora, New South Wales

Infobox Australian Place | type = suburb
name = Woronora
city = Sydney
state = nsw


caption = Old Woronora Bridge
lga = Sutherland Shire
postcode = 2232
pop =
area =
propval =
est =
stategov = Heathcote
fedgov = Hughes
near-nw = Bangor
near-n = Bonnet Bay
near-ne = Jannali
near-w = Bangor
near-e = Sutherland
near-sw = Woronora Heights
near-s = Woronora Heights
near-se = Sutherland
dist1 = 27
dir 1 = south
location1= CBD

Woronora is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Woronora is located 27 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Sutherland Shire. Woronora Heights is a separate suburb, to the south-west.

Location

The Woronora Plateau, is a geographical region adjacent to the Sydney Plain. Slightly higher in altitude, it is capped with Hawkesbury Sandstone. It is often hotter in summer and colder in winter than Sydney. The Woronora River flows through the deeply dissected plateau to the Georges River from near the sources of the Port Hacking, within the Sutherland Shire.

The Woronora Reservoir is one of the sources of Sydney's water supply. Controversy has attended the management of the Lucas Heights nuclear reactor, which has been suspected of discharging nuclear wastes into the river downstream of the dam.Fact|date=June 2008

A feature of Woronora is that it snakes south, along both sides of the Woronora River. Some houses in the Woronora area are not accessible by road; they can only be reached by boat. Many think that this adds to the charm of the suburb which has curiously escaped the development that its surrounding suburbs have experienced. They feel that this has contributed to the sense of community in the Woronora.

Landmarks

Woronora features an RSL Club, boatshed, rugby league football oval, caravan park, primary school which opened in 1942, cafe, restaurants (riverside and Thai restaurant), a fire station, hairdresser, bottlo, general store and a cemetery (close to Sutherland).

Transport

The Woronora Bridge, was built to eliminate the steep decents and ascents for traffic between Sutherland and Menai. The bridge is approximately 600 metres long and was completed in 2001 as an alternative to the Old Woronora Bridge. There is a public walkway located just underneath the road on the bridge. The walkway can be accessed from Menai Road on the Bangor side and Prince Edward's Park Road on the Sutherland side.

Woronora Fire Trail

There is a fire trail between Woronora and Woronora Heights which has remained closed due to protests from those who live in Woronora and parts of Woronora Heights. These residents feel that if the fire trail was opened to general transport, it would create an influx of vehicles from Engadine using Woronora as a 'shortcut' to Menai and Sutherland, and would pollute the area. They also feel it would congest and change the character of the small suburb. In 2006, the NSW State Government intervened and zoned the fire trail such that it would not be able to be used for public or general transport. Up until this decision, many houses through the area displayed placards protesting against members of the local Sutherland Shire Council that were pushing to have the road opened to public transport, and others that sought to see the road opened to general traffic.

History

Woronora is derived from an Aboriginal word "wooloonora", meaning 'black rock'. It is believed to have been named by Surveyor Dixon in 1828.

References

*"The Book of Sydney Suburbs", Compiled by Frances Pollen, Angus & Robertson Publishers, 1990, Published in Australia ISBN 0-207-14495-8
* [http://www.suthlib.nsw.gov.au/ssc/rwpattach.nsf/viewasattachmentPersonal/shire_placenames_20041008.pdf/$file/shire_placenames_20041008.pdf Sutherland Shire place names]

External links