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Gosford
Central Coast CouncilNew South Wales
Gosford at dusk.jpg
The skyline of Gosford at dusk
Australia-Map-NSW-LGA-Gosford.png
Population
Postcode(s) 2250
Elevation 20 m (66 ft)
Time zone AEST (UTC+10)
 • Summer (DST) AEST (UTC+11)
Location
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
Suburbs around Gosford:
North Gosford Narara Wyoming
West Gosford Gosford East Gosford
Point Clare Point Clare Tascott

Gosford is a suburb of the Central Coast Council local government area in the heart of the Central Coast region, about 76 kilometres (47 mi) north of Sydney and about 91 kilometres (57 mi) south of Newcastle. The suburb is situated at the northern extremity of Brisbane Water, an extensive northern branch of the Hawkesbury River estuary and Broken Bay.

The suburb is the administrative centre and Central Business District of the Central Coast region, which is the third largest urban area in New South Wales after Sydney and Newcastle. Following its formation from the combination of the previous Gosford City Council and Wyong Shire Councils, Gosford has been earmarked as a vital CBD spine under the NSW Metropolitan Strategy. The population of the Gosford area was 169,053 in 2016.

History

Until white settlement, the area around Gosford was inhabited by the Guringai peoples, who were principally coastal-dwellers, 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. In the early 19th century some pioneering European settlers began occupying the land, for timber-cutting (mainly ironbark and Australian red cedar), lime production and grazing.

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.

Australia-Map-NSW-LGA-Gosford

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. 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.

Demographics

At the 2016 census, there were 3,499 people in Gosford. 59.6% of people were born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were India 4.5%, and England 2.9%. 65.2% of people spoke only English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Mandarin at 3.7%. The most common responses for religion were No Religion 33.9% and Catholic 18.2%.

Climate

Gosford has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification: Cfa) 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.

Climate data for Gosford
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 44.8
(112.6)
43.0
(109.4)
40.1
(104.2)
32.9
(91.2)
28.8
(83.8)
25.0
(77.0)
25.5
(77.9)
29.9
(85.8)
36.1
(97.0)
38.0
(100.4)
41.8
(107.2)
43.0
(109.4)
44.8
(112.6)
Average high °C (°F) 28.2
(82.8)
27.4
(81.3)
26.0
(78.8)
23.4
(74.1)
20.6
(69.1)
18.4
(65.1)
17.7
(63.9)
19.4
(66.9)
22.2
(72.0)
24.0
(75.2)
25.0
(77.0)
26.9
(80.4)
23.3
(73.9)
Average low °C (°F) 17.2
(63.0)
17.2
(63.0)
15.4
(59.7)
12.1
(53.8)
8.8
(47.8)
6.7
(44.1)
5.4
(41.7)
5.6
(42.1)
8.3
(46.9)
10.9
(51.6)
13.7
(56.7)
15.7
(60.3)
11.4
(52.5)
Record low °C (°F) 7.5
(45.5)
9.7
(49.5)
5.8
(42.4)
1.5
(34.7)
0.1
(32.2)
−1.5
(29.3)
−4.2
(24.4)
−1.1
(30.0)
−0.6
(30.9)
1.1
(34.0)
3.9
(39.0)
6.0
(42.8)
−4.2
(24.4)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 115.6
(4.55)
185.6
(7.31)
140.2
(5.52)
154.6
(6.09)
119.7
(4.71)
113.6
(4.47)
74.3
(2.93)
72.8
(2.87)
64.8
(2.55)
90.8
(3.57)
95.5
(3.76)
109.2
(4.30)
1,333
(52.48)
Average precipitation days 11.3 11.1 11.5 11.4 10.5 10.4 9.3 8.4 8.5 9.4 10.1 10.1 122.0
Average relative humidity (%) 59 63 62 61 61 62 55 48 51 54 59 59 58

City centre

Gosford looking sth
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. 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.

In the centre of Gosford is a shopping and community precinct, including Kibble Park, William Street Mall, Gosford City Library, the Imperial Shopping Centre, the Gosford Town 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.

A renewed period of optimism has followed several infrastructure investment projects including the full fibre optic telecommunications rollout of the National Broadband Network in 2012 in the city's CBD as well as the so-called Kibbleplex project, announced in 2013 that plans to house the new regional library, tertiary teaching rooms and associated organisations.

Facilities

Gosford is home to:

  • Gosford Hospital – the largest hospital on the Central Coast
  • The Central Coast Conservatorium (in the original Gosford Courthouse)
  • The 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
  • Gosford Racecourse
  • Gosford showground
  • Gosford High School- the only academically selective high school on the Central Coast
  • Central Coast Grammar School
  • The headquarters of the NSW State Government's workers compensation fund, WorkCover
  • Gavenlock Oval – Home ground of the Gosford City Dragons
  • St Edward's College, East Gosford- The only all boys private school on the Central Coast.
  • Hunter Institute of TAFE.

Sister cities and twin towns

Economy and infrastructure

Gosford Court House, New South Wales
Gosford District Court

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.

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.

Yacht and other boat building has been undertaken by East Coast Yachts since 1964 in West Gosford.

Facilities

Centralcoast stadium
The Central Coast Stadium (formerly Bluetongue stadium), home of the Central Coast Mariners

Gosford is home to:

  • Gosford Hospital – the largest public hospital on the NSW Central Coast
  • Laycock Street Community Theatre – the only professional, proscenium arch theatre venue on the Central Coast. Home of Gosford Musical Society who in fact provided financial support in the construction of the theater.
  • The Central Coast Conservatorium (in the original Gosford Courthouse)
  • Central Coast Stadium (formerly Bluetongue 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, home to greyhound racing organised by Gosford Greyhounds.
  • The headquarters of the Government of New South Wales workplace health and safety regulator, SafeWork NSW
  • Gavenlock Oval – Home ground of the Gosford City Dragons
  • Gosford Regional Gallery and Gosford/Edogawa Commemorative Garden – The Commemorative Garden is a Japanese garden that was built as a gift to residents of Gosford City Council by the Ward of Edogawa, Tokyo, Japan. They were opened in September 1994.

Education

  • Gosford Public School and Henry Kendall High School in Faunce Street
  • Gosford High School - the only academically selective high school on the Central Coast
  • St Philip's Christian College Gosford
  • St Joseph's Catholic College, East Gosford is an all girls Catholic school
  • St Edward's College, East Gosford - is an all boys Catholic school
  • Hunter Institute of TAFE

Notable people

  • Craig Anderson – pitcher for Sydney Blue Sox of the Australian Baseball League
  • Estelle Asmodelle – former model, dancer, and activist. Currently, musician, abstract artist and academic. She is known as Australia's first legal transsexual
  • Cindy-Lu Bailey – deaf former Olympic athlete
  • Bradman Best – professional Rugby League player for Newcastle Knights
  • Charlotte Best – actress, known for her role as Annie Campbell on Home and Away
  • Anthony Biddle – Paralympian tandem cyclist and athlete
  • Alan Davidson – former Australian cricketer
  • Grant Denyer – Australian television and radio presenter
  • Bill Dunk - Professional golfer
  • Mark Edmondson – former tennis professional and winner of the 1976 Australian Tennis Open
  • David Fairleigh – former Rugby League forward, current coach of the Central Coast Bears
  • 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
  • Des Hasler – former professional rugby league footballer, current coach of Manly Warringah Sea Eagles
  • Nicho Hynes - rugby league player for Cronulla Sharks
  • Matt Ikuvalu - rugby league player for Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
  • Julia Morris – actress and television host
  • Matt Orford – former NRL halfback
  • Chris Payne – footballer playing for the North Queensland Fury in the A-League
  • Ron Peno – Australian Punk & 1980's Rock musician; Lead Singer of Died Pretty
  • Brad Porter – retired Football Midfielder
  • Andrew Redmayne – goalkeeper for Sydney FC
  • Sam Retford – actor, known for his role as Cory Wilson on Ackley Bridge
  • Mark Skaife – 5-time Supercars champion and 6-time Bathurst 1000 winner
  • Matthew Zions – European PGA professional golfer (2003–present), 2011 Saint-Omer Open winner

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