Woy Woy
| Woy Woy Central Coast, New South Wales | |||||||||||||||
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| Population | 9,985 (2006 census) | ||||||||||||||
| • Density | Lua error: Unable to convert population "9985 (2006 census)" to a number. | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 2256 | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 6.0 km2 (2.3 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Location | |||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | City of Gosford | ||||||||||||||
| Parish | Patonga | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Gosford | ||||||||||||||
| Federal division(s) | Robertson | ||||||||||||||
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Woy Woy is a coastal town and a southern suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, located on the southern reaches of Brisbane Water 79 kilometres (49 mi) north of Sydney. It is an important population centre within the City of Gosford local government area.
Woy Woy is located in the northern half of the Woy Woy Peninsula, a densely-populated estuarine peninsula that also includes the districts of Umina Beach, Ettalong Beach and Blackwall, in addition to several small sub-districts. The historical and commercial core of Woy Woy is located around the railway station at the northern tip of the peninsula, while its residential districts merge imperceptibly southwards with Umina and Ettalong.
History
The double name is apparently taken from the local Darkinjung Aboriginal people, and reputedly means "deep water" or "big lagoon", referring to the deep tidal channel adjacent to the town centre.[1] It was originally known as Webb's Flat, named for James Webb, the first European settler of the Brisbane Water region in 1823, and was first explored by a party led by Governor Arthur Phillip in 1789.[2]
Woy Woy developed rapidly as a small coastal resort north of Sydney with the construction in 1888 of the northern railway. Its relative proximity to the state capital combined with its small-town isolation led to it developing a reputation in the middle years of the 20th century as a convenient "lover's retreat" for couples conducting affairs.
During the Second World War, an airfield was constructed on the Woy Woy Peninsula as a satellite field of Schofields airfield. Schofields was used by the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm (RN FAA) during WW2. Woy Woy airfield had a single runway sealed north/south. There were 4 pens for medium bombers, probably Grumman Avengers. The airfield was last used in 1946, the land subsequently developed for residential use.
Electrification of the railway line running through Woy Woy prompted rapid residential development in and around Woy Woy in the 1960s and 1970s as its relatively low-priced properties became an important part of the Sydney commuter belt, with rail journey times of just over an hour to reach Sydney's central business district.
The $24 million Peninsula Leisure Centre opened on October 29 2005 after significant delays.
Economy
As a regional area, job losses have had an impact on the local economy - a recent example being the closure of the F.C. Nichols abattoir in 2003, blamed in part on drought conditions.
Culture
An annual oyster festival is held mid-November. The "Brisbane Water" Oyster Festival was inaugurated in 2000.[1] The 2007 Festival Queen(s) were announced on Friday November 9. Queen of the Festival was Ms Natalie Jupe while Ms Kimberly Pratt Was awarded Charity Queen. The entrants raised money to raise awareness and help find a cure for breast cancer.
Woy Woy is the home of "Spike Fest"—an annual festival celebrating the life and works of comedian Spike Milligan. Milligan famously named Woy Woy "the largest above ground cemetery in the world" when visiting in the 1960s. He made numerous references to Woy Woy in the radio series The Idiot Weekly.
In July 2007, a new cycle bridge near Woy Woy was named the "Spike Milligan Bridge" [3]
Woy Woy is also home to several sporting teams which compete in Central Coast competitions, including the Roosters (Rugby League - competed in Sydney's Jim Beam Cup), Sharks (Cricket), Lions (Rugby Union) and the Peninsula Swans (Australian Rules).
See also
External links
Template:Mapit-AUS-suburbscale
- ^ Gosford City Library. "Placenames". Retrieved 2007-07-21.
- ^ Gosford City Library (March 2006). "History of Woy Woy". Retrieved 2007-07-21.
- ^ "Bridge is named after Spike Milligan". Peninsula Community Access News. Retrieved 2007-07-10.