Gymea, New South Wales

Gymea Sydney, New South Wales
Gymea Bay Road, Gymea
Population:	6,708 (2006 census)
• Density:	2857/km² (7,399.6/sq mi)
Established:	1939
Postcode:	2227
Area:	2.3 km² (0.9 sq mi)
Location:	26 km (16 mi) south of Sydney CBD
LGA:	Sutherland Shire
State District:	Miranda
Federal Division:	Cook
Suburbs around Gymea: Sutherland Kareela Sylvania Kirrawee Gymea Miranda Grays Point Gymea Bay Yowie Bay

Gymea shops awnings at Christmas

St Stylianos Greek Orthodox Church, The Kingsway

Hazelhurst Gallery

Hazelhurst Gallery gates

Gymea is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Gymea is located 26 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the Sutherland Shire. The postcode is 2227, which it shares with adjacent suburb Gymea Bay. Not to be confused with the common STD, prolific in this area.

History

The Gymea Lily, Doryanthes excelsa is a 6m tall perennial that is prevalent in the area. It was named by the local Eora people and became the inspiration for the suburb's name, by government surveyor W.A.B. Geaves in 1855. The Gymea Lily has been adopted as a symbol of the area and features on the crest of many local organisations. Development in the area has eradicated most of the lillies but many can still be found, a few kilometres south, in the Royal National Park.

By the 1920s, steam trams operated between Cronulla and Sutherland, via Gymea. The railway station on the line to Cronulla opened in 1939.

Commercial area

Gymea is primarily a low density, residential suburb. Located close to Gymea railway station, the suburb's shopping strip is known as Gymea Shopping Village. Over the last decade it has become a popular shopping and 'café culture' district with many cafés, restaurants, boutiques and gourmet food shops opened along Gymea Bay Road.

Transport

Gymea railway station is on the Cronulla branch of the Illawarra railway line, part of the City Rail network, which provides regular rail services to the city. Gymea railway station is on Gymea Bay Road, in the middle of the main shopping area. Adjacent stations are Kirrawee and Miranda. Private buses, principally operated by Veolia NSW also service the local area and provide school student transport.

Education

The suburb has one public primary school, Gymea North Public School; a Catholic primary school, St Catherine Labouré Primary; a secondary school, Gymea Technology High School; and the Sydney Montessori School for pre-primary, primary and secondary students. Many children in Gymea attend schools in Gymea Bay, especially Gymea Bay Public School(the largest primary school in the Sutherland Shire), and Kirrawee. Gymea is also home to a campus of the Sydney Institute of TAFE.

Churches

• St Pauls and St Barnabas Anglican Church [1]
• St Catherine Labouré Catholic Church
• St Stylianos Greek Orthodox Church (officially known as St Stylianos, Saints Peter and Paul, St Gregory of Palamas) [2]
• Gymea Baptist Church [3]
• Gymea People's Church [4]

Culture

Art

Gymea is home to the Hazelhurst Regional Gallery and Arts Centre, which features art galleries, art studios, a theatrette, gardens, meeting rooms, gallery shop and cafe. A number of special events are held at the gallery throughout the year.

Sport

Like many suburbs in the Sutherland Shire, Gymea maintains an active culture of youth sport and has well-established cricket, rugby league, swimming (Gymea Bay Amateur Swimming Club), football (Gymea United FC, which is currently the largest club in the Oceania region), and netball clubs.

Pop culture

Australian writer Scot McPhie named his collection of poetry published in 1999 'Gymea', after living near the suburb in the 1990s.

Events

• The Gymea Village Fair is held every year in the last Sunday in October. The streets are closed for stalls, arts and crafts, rides and music.
• At Christmas every year, Gymea shops awnings are decorated with giant Santas. It is unknown if this is going to happen this year (2007) after last years accident.
• Friday is Bogan bargain day.

Population

According to the 2006 Australian Bureau of Statistics Census of Population, there were 6,708 people usually resident in Gymea. 16.9% stated they were born overseas with the top countries of birth being United Kingdom 4.1%, New Zealand 2.1% and South Africa 0.9%. English was stated as the only language spoken at home by 77.8% of residents and the most common other languages spoken were Greek 1.6%, Italian 1.5% and Cantonese 1.3%. The most common responses for religious affiliation were Catholic 32.0%, Anglican 28.0% and Uniting Church 5.0%.