Hardys Bay, New South Wales

Infobox Australian Place | type = suburb
name = Hardys Bay
city = Central Coast
state = nsw


caption =
lga = City of Gosford
postcode = 2257
pop = 234 (2006 census)
area = 0.9
est =
parish = Kincumber
stategov = Terrigal
fedgov = Robertson
dist1 = 10
dir1 = SSE
location1= Woy Woy
near-nw =
near-n =
near-ne = Killcare
near-w = Pretty Beach
near-e = Killcare
near-sw =
near-s = Box Head
near-se =

Hardys Bay is a south-eastern suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, located on the Bouddi Peninsula. It is part of the City of Gosford local government area. Hardys Bay, Pretty Beach, Wagstaffe, and the Bouddi Peninsula are collaquially & locally known as Killcare.

History

Hardys Bay was named after Harry Hardy, who kept a small vineyard and sold wine to local residents. [cite web|url=http://www.gosford.nsw.gov.au/library/local_history/placenames.html|title=Placenames|author=Gosford City Library|accessdate=2007-07-21] It is home to local shops and cafés, an RSL Club and a marina.The history of Hardys Bay and the surrounding areas of Wagstaffe, Killcare and Pretty Beach are closely linked. Prior to the arrival of European Settlement, Aboriginals from the coastal Guringai (Ku-ring-gai) tribe lived in and around Hardys Bay area. Evidence is to be found today in rock carvings and middens found in numerous locations around the area.

On June 6, 1789 Governor Arthur Phillip sailed north and entered Broken Bay and explored the surrounding coastline, signalling the first European landings in the area. [cite book|last=Clark|first=Manning|title=A History of Australia, Vol.1|publisher=Melbourne University Press|location=Melbourne, Australia|year=2000|id=ISBN 0 522 84008 6] The first recorded white settler was a Mr James Mullen (or Mullin) who was granted temporary occupation of 250 acres in 1824 for grazing [cite book|title=Colonial Secretary's Papers|publisher=NSW Government|location=Sydney, New South Wales|year=1826|pages=153,228] and by the 1829 Census is recorded as having "50 acres of land, 10 acres cleared, 10 cultivated and having 3 horses and 115 cattle. [cite book|last=Colonial Secretary|title=Blue Books, 1845|publisher=NSW Government|location=Sydney, New South Wales|year=1845|pages=376-377]

In 1859, Captain Daniel Joyce from New Zealand purchased a 50 acre grant from Mallen. (This is the land on which the Hardys Bay R.S.L. is currently located.) Joyce subsequently defaulted on his debt which forced the mortgagees to sell his land in Brisbane Waters which was purchased by Mr Robert Hardy, Farmer. [cite book|last=Baxter|first=Jillian|title=Reflections from the Beach and Bays|publisher=Killcare Progress Association|location=Hardys Bay, New South Wales|year=2000|id=ISBN 0-646 40502 0]

Access to Hardys Bay and the surrounding peninsular was via ferry until 1936 when the Scenic Road was opened. Electricity arrived in 1939 and town water was connected in 1980. [cite book|last=Baxter|first=Jillian|title=Reflections from the Beach and Bays|publisher=Killcare Progress Association|location=Hardys Bay, New South Wales|year=2000|id=ISBN 0-646 40502 0]

Development

Large scale rutile mining took place over the hill at Putty and Killcare beaches in the 1960s and stripped the beach of its large sand dunes and destroyed many native plants, molluscs and animals. Miners had agreed to revegitate the area which they did with the noxious pest bitou bush ("Chrysanthemoides monilifera"), which the various land care groups are now trying to erradicate. [cite book|last=Baxter|first=Jillian|title=Reflections from the Beach and Bays|publisher=Killcare Progress Association|location=Hardys Bay, New South Wales|year=2000|id=ISBN 0-646 40502 0] Over the last 30 years property values in the area have reached into the millions of dollars as it is a prime location for holiday houses and retirement, like many other coastal areas within close proximity of a major city.

This pressure to develop has seen many fibro cottages demolished and replaced with million dollar weekenders. Some heritage sites, including the Ferry Masters cottage at Wagstaffe have been illegally demolished and developed despite council attempts to prevents this; prosecustion of the developers was unsuccessful due to a technicality. [cite web|url=http://www.peninsulanews.asn.au/News/02/02Jul16/Demolition.html|title=Penninsula News, 16/07/2002]

Marina Delevopment

In late 2007 a scheme to develop the existing marina was presented to the community by the Marina's CEO, Michael Sparks. [cite news |author=Alison Branley |title=Owners Eager to Expand Marina |work=Express Advocate |date=06/02/2008] This $13 million development would see the existing marina as well as the historic Hardys Bay wharf replaced by a much larger structure containing: 100 car parks over the water; an increase in the number of berths from 23 to 100; additional retail, cafe and restaurant space; as well as providing a 7 day a week boat maintenance facility. [cite web|url=http://www.killcaremarina.com.au|title=Killcare Marina] Additionally, any applications for new or upgraded marinas must include the provision of a 24 hour sewerage pump-out facility. [cite web|url=http://www.gosford.nsw.gov.au/council/council_meetings/agenda_reports/2001/10/02/coastlinemanagement.pdf |title=REPORT OF THE COASTLINE MANAGEMENT, LAGOON MANAGEMENT AND COASTAL PLANNING COMMITTEE (CLP COMMITTEE) (840.11.01) Held on 3 September 2001|format=PDF] .

Sparks also advised that this marina project application would circumvent the local council approval process and utilise what is called the "Part 3A" method of approval. This is a reference to the new provision in the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act which reduces the involvement of the community in the original decision making process. The decision makers for applications made by marinas under this law are the Minister for Planning and Director General, Department of Planning. [cite web|url=http://www.hardysbay.com|title=Hardys Bay Residents Group] While the developers maintain that there will be little environmental impact, a stand of Grey Mangroves ("Avicennia marina") will have to be removed to make way for the structure, and degredation of the beds of sea grasses is also possible.

Following a presentation to the Hardys Bay Resident Group on 19 February 2008 by Sparks, the group rejected the redevolpment plan. [cite web|url=http://www.hardysbay.com|title=Hardys Bay Residents Group] . In March 2008, the Wagstaffe to Killcare Community Association also announced that they could not support the current proposal. [cite news|title=Talking Turkey|date=March 2008] In early 2008 the plan was rejected by the Department of Planning after numerous complaints from as far away as Slovenia.

References

External links

Further reading

*
*