Sutherland Shire

Infobox Australian Place | type = lga
name = Sutherland Shire
state = nsw


caption = Location in Sydney
pop = 215,084
density = 642.0
area = 335
est =
seat = Sutherland
mayor = Clr David Redmond
region = Metropolitan Sydney

url = http://www.sutherland.nsw.gov.au/
stategov = Cronulla, Heathcote, Menai, Miranda
fedgov = Cook, Hughes
near-nw = City of Hurstville
near-n = Municipality of Kogarah
near-ne = City of Rockdale
near-e = "Bate Bay"
near-w = City of Liverpool
near-sw = City of Campbelltown
near-s = City of Wollongong
near-se =

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. The Sutherland Shire is also known simply as "The Shire".

Overview

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.

The Sutherland Shire also includes the village 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.

There are three national parks partially within the Sutherland Shire: Botany Bay National Park, Heathcote National Park and the Royal National Park. 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 (see above).

History

Aboriginal heritage

The original inhabitants of the Sutherland area were some clans of the Tharawal people. Archaeological work in the Sutherland Shire has revealed evidence for Aboriginal settlement dating back at least 8,500 years. Fact|date=September 2008 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. Fact|date=September 2008

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 abunce 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. Fact|date=September 2008

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. [http://www.ssrguides.org/about.php?sub=areahistory History of the Sutherland Shire - Sutherland Shire Region Guides]

European settlement

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. Fact|date=September 2008

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. Fact|date=April 2008 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, [ [http://www.ssec.org.au/our_environment/our_bioregion/towra/about/history.htm Towra Point Nature Reserve ] ] cattle grazing, and coal mining. Fact|date=July 2007 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. [*"The Book of Sydney Suburbs", Compiled by Frances Pollen, Angus & Robertson Publishers, 1990, Published in Australia ISBN 0-207-14495-8]

Development of transport

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.

Local government

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. [http://www.sutherland.nsw.gov.au/ Sutherland Shire Council website]

Riots in 2005

:"See main article 2005 Cronulla riots"In December 2005, violent incidents occurred on Shire beaches, particularly Cronulla Beach, culminating in a gang bashing of a White Australian lifeguard by Lebanese Australian Youth, and subsequent gang bashing of another White Australian 3 days later at Cronulla. An anonymous message was sent out by SMS, that was publicised by all major media outlets in Australia, that everyone should 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 beach side suburbs in Sydney's east which saw numerous assaults and gang bashings. There was only minor property damage, and one non fatal stabbing, although there were many people arrested and extensive national and international media interest.

Geography

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. Drivers entering the Shire are greeted with signs saying "Welcome to the Sutherland Shire. Birthplace of Modern Australia". 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. [http://www.ssrguides.org/about.php?sub=map Location of the Sutherland Shire - Sutherland Shire Region Guides]

Geology

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.

River system

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.

Royal National Park

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. 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.

Demographics

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. One possible explanation for this slower rate is that the Shire's population is not highly mobile and overseas-born residents of Australia prefer to settle in areas with other expatriates. 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 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. [http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/[e-mail]/Lookup2001Census/4CB7FA046F0D7F75CA256BBE00838705 2001 Census Information - Sutherland Shire West] [http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/[e-mail]/Lookup2001Census/A50F7EFEF7328194CA256BBE008384B8 2001 Census Information - Sutherland Shire East]

Facilities

Education

There are now nearly 100 schools in the Shire including the Gymea and Loftus Colleges of Technical and Further Education, more than twenty secondary schools, preschool centres and schools provided to serve children with special needs.

Health

The Sutherland Shire has good health facilities including the Sutherland Public hospital and Kareena Private Hospital - both located at Caringbah, very close to most residents and many general practitioners within the area.

Transport

The area of Sutherland Shire is serviced by Veolia Transport bus services and City Rail trains on the Illawarra line.

urf life saving

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.

Culture

* The National Rugby League football club, the Cronulla Sharks are the major local professional sports team. They have an average attendance of about 16,000 (2005), which has since slightly declined.
* Cronulla Beach has been used as the setting for a number of movies including Puberty Blues.
* North Cronulla Surf Life Saving club doubled as a police station in the television series White Collar Blue.

Economy

Retail

Miranda is the commercial centre of the Shire with two other major shopping centres, Kiora Mall and Miranda Marketplace along with Miranda Fair. Westfield Miranda, known locally as Miranda Fair, has several department stores and many specialist stores. The centre is the fourth largest shopping centre in Sydney. [http://westfield.com/corporate/pdf/reports/2005AnnualReports/Group_AR_210306.pdf] Other suburban shopping centres are in Engadine, Caringbah and Sylvania.

Major neighbourhood shopping centres have also developed at Bangor, Illawong and Menai together with a small centre at Alfords Point. Southgate is a popular shopping complex in Sylvania. Gymea Shopping Village attracts many people, with a regional arts centre, Hazelhurst Regional Gallery and Arts Centre, and a cafe and restaurant scene.

Politics

The Council comprises 15 councillors elected from 5 Wards. The current composition of the Council is 5 Independents, 5 Shire Watch, 3 Labor and 2 Community First.

The current Mayor is Lorraine Kelly (Shire Watch) and the Deputy Mayor is Phil Blight (ALP).

The Sutherland Shire contains two Federal Government electorates, Cook (which includes Caringbah, Miranda, Sylvania, Gymea, and Cronulla) and Hughes (which includes Sutherland, Menai, Engadine, Alfords Point).

The state member for Miranda is Barry Collier of the Labor party. The state member for Heathcote is Paul Mcleay. The State member for Cronulla is Malcolm Kerr of the Liberal Party.

Scott Morrison is the Federal MP for Cook, and is a member of the Liberal Party. Danna Vale is the Federal MP for Hughes, and is also a member of the Liberal Party.

Notable residents

ee also

* Bangor Bypass
* Botany Bay
* Puberty Blues
* Royal National Park
* Wanda sand hills

References

External links

* [http://www.ssec.org.au/about_us/history.htm Sutherland Shire Environment Centre]
* [http://www.getonup.info/ Sutherland Shire Guide - Get On Up]
* [http://www.ourshire.com.au/ Sutherland Shire Online]