Googong, New South Wales facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Googong Queanbeyan, New South Wales
Googong Location in New South Wales
Population	2,690 (2016 census)
Location	10 km (6 mi) S of Queanbeyan
LGA(s)	Queanbeyan–Palerang Regional Council
County	Murray
Parish	Googong
State electorate(s)	Monaro
Federal Division(s)	Eden-Monaro
Suburbs around Googong: Jerrabomberra Karabar Carwoola Tralee Environa Googong Yarrow Royalla Burra Yarrow

Googong is a locality located within the Queanbeyan–Palerang Regional Council government area, south of the Queanbeyan Central Business District (CBD).

Googong contains the township of Googong and the developed areas of Fernleigh Park, Little Burra and Mount Campbell Estate. It borders Jerrabomberra and Karabar on the north and Environa on the west. It is about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) south of the Queanbeyan central business district. Its citizens tend to utilize the infrastructure of neighboring Canberra.

History

Googong is located in the Monaro district of New South Wales. There are five Indigenous groups that have identified a connection to the area. The area also has a long history of European farming and settlement. The township is named after one of the largest farming properties in the area although the meaning and origins of the word Googong remain obscure.

The first part of the original stone homestead was built in 1845 and was first occupied by Alexander McDonald, an employee of the Campbell family who were early settlers of the Canberra region. The homestead was later renamed ‘Beltana’. The area around Googong Township has a number of historic features including the old London Bridge Homestead and the London Bridge Arch, a remarkable natural limestone bridge formed by Burra Creek over thousands of years. The nearby Googong Dam, fed by the Queanbeyan River and numerous creeks, is by far the largest in the ACT region. It was constructed in 1977.
Googong Foreshores is the name given to the area around Googong Dam. This is separate from the town of Googong and is managed as a water catchment, wildlife refuge and public recreation area. Park Care volunteers help to protect the national and cultural values of the Foreshores.

The project

Planning for the Googong site began in the early 2000s, with approval to begin the re-zoning process granted in 2006. The findings of the Independent Queanbeyan Land Release Inquiry, issued by the NSW Minister for Planning in September of that year recommended the site as the future residential growth area for the City of Queanbeyan. In November 2007, the NSW Department of Planning issued a Section 65 certificate enabling the public exhibition of the draft Local Environmental Plan which was available for public comment until February 2008. The re-zoning of the site to allow residential development was approved in December 2009.

At that time it was announced that Googong will have five neighbourhoods, a town centre and four local shopping centres, as well as 183 hectares of open space to provide recreational, ecological and visual amenity. As part of the project, the developers undertook a Voluntary Planning Agreement to dedicate land and undertake construction works valued at over $300 million. These included road and intersection upgrades on local access roads and the construction of community facilities including a library, community centre, indoor sports and aquatic centre, sporting fields and open spaces and a neighbourhood clubhouses containing an indoor swimming pool, tennis courts, gym and meeting rooms. The Development Control Plan for the township of Googong was approved by Queanbeyan City Council in October 2010. The final plan was formally adopted in June 2013. Civil construction commenced at Googong in 2012 with the first residents moving in in February 2014.

Googong Water Cycle Project

The township has been designed around an integrated water cycle system. This includes a dedicated water recycling plant which has been calculated to reduce potable water consumption by around 60%. It will recycle up to 62% of waste water for non-potable use including gardens, toilet flushing and irrigation of parks and public areas. The environmental assessment report went on public exhibition in November 2010 and was approved the following year. The water project was launched by the then Federal member for Eden Monaro, Dr Mike Kelly, in August 2013. It attracted a $5.1 million subsidy from the government’s Water for the Future initiative.

Gallery

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  1909 map of the Parish of Googong (blue border).

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  The Googong Dam.

Sports and recreation

Upcoming sports precinct

Upon completion, Googong’s sports precinct will contain the six netball courts, a BMX track, an indoor pool and sports centre, eight tennis courts, seven ovals, a skate park, a basketball court, BBQ facilities, toilets and parking, as well as the Googong Sports and Recreation Club. The precinct is currently home to three playing fields, two tennis courts and six netball courts.

The most recent addition to the precinct is a pump track project, which stretches a combined 320 metres and includes an advanced track (120m), intermediate track (160m or two 80m tracks), and a kid’s track (40m). The current location of the tracks is temporary while the sports precinct continues to be developed, with the tracks set to be relocated to a permanent position in the community when work begins on the Indoor Pool and Sports Centre in coming years.

Club Googong

Club Googong is found in Googong’s first neighbourhood overlooking Beltana Park. The club contains a five lane 25 metre indoor pool and a small gym as well as an outdoor seating terrace. In 2019 the facility was transferred to new owners, Aquatots Swim School.

Sports Clubs – Googong Hogs AFL, Googong Hogs Netball, Monaro Panthers

Googong has three sports teams within the township.

The Googong Hogs is a community-based AFL club that was formed in 1976 as the Harman Australian Football Club before a vote was passed in 2015 to change its name to the Googong Australian Football Club. They play at Rockley Oval.

The Googong Hogs also has netball teams from the junior ages through to senior teams. The netball teams play on courts made from ‘reconophalt’.

The Monaro Panthers is a Premier League Football Club with players from Googong as well as Queanbeyan, Jerrabomberra, Bungendore, Canberra, Sutton, Michelangelo and the surrounding regions.

Googong Sports and Recreation Club

The Queanbeyan Whites Sports and Social Club will be contained within the upcoming sports precinct. It will be built in two phases with the first phase expected to open late 2023. It will be home to local community sports clubs including the Googong Hogs AFL, Googong Hogs Netball, and Googong Monaro Panthers Football.

The club is owned and operated by the Queanbeyan Rugby Union Football Club, who are based in the nearby town of Queanbeyan, New South Wales. They have earned the nickname 'Queanbeyan Whites' due to the colour of their playing jersey. The club competes in the ACTRU Premier Division. The club has produced several former professional and international rugby union stars including David Campese, Matt Giteau and Anthony Fainga’a.

Education

• The Anglican School Googong

The Anglican School Googong is a co-educational, open-entry school that currently caters for Early Learning through to Year 10. By 2023 it will take students through until Year 12.

• Googong public primary school

In June 2018, the New South Wales Government announced the approval and planning commencement of a public primary school for Googong. In 2020, they announced that the school will open for students for Term 1, 2023. This will be located on land adjacent to the Googong North Village Centre.

• Googong public secondary school

The public secondary school will be located in Googong Central. A site has been gifted to the New South Wales Government.