Terrigal was first settled in 1826 by European Settler John Gray, who called his property Tarrygal, after the indigenous[2]Aboriginal place name, signifying 'place of little birds'. Early industry included Sawmilling and shipbuilding by Thomas Davis, who in 1886 constructed the General Gordon which was a notable steamship that operated on the Hawkesbury River at the Haven, which at the time was known as Broxmouth Ville Common [3][4]
Geography and climate
The town's long beach is highly popular with tourists with a large Crowne Plaza hotel. Of geographical significance are the Terrigal lagoons. There are in fact two lagoons at Terrigal, one of which has been filled in to make way for a traffic oval. A local landmark is "The Skillion", a promontory which provides a view of all Terrigal. In recent years the Skillion has undergone rehabilitation by the local city council. Other popular attractions are the numerous nearby surf schools and trails.[5]
The Haven – 2006
The Skillion is on a preserved area of land known as "The Haven". The Haven is centred by a popular public oval which is home of the "Terrigal Trojans", a Rugby Union club. Their new club house was provided by the former Gosford City Council. During the summer it is used by the Terrigal Matcham Cricket Club for both senior and junior fixtures. The Haven also has a popular boat ramp which is partnered by a diving club, and a small number of restaurants and cafes (due to tight development restrictions on the area).
Terrigal in the 1920s
Gosford City Council has invested Terrigal's CBD with a multi-level car park, esplanade walkway and stormwater drainage system. As a result of improved infrastructure and increased developer interest, Terrigal has become substantially more urban since the 1970s, when there was only one market, one medical centre and several orchards in the area.
Terrigal's growth as a tourist destination and investment opportunity for wealthy individuals, such as holiday homes and small businesses, has had both positive and negative effects on the area.
Terrigal, as a popular beach-destination, is generally relatively mild to warm all year round, although can become somewhat cool during the winter months.
Terrigal is home to a number of both natural and man-made landmarks. The Skillion is a sedimentary rock formation which was formed in the Triassic Period.[7] Not only is the Skillion a beautiful artifact, the flip-side features an extremely steep hill which is used for exercise by locals and tourists.
The Terrigal Boardwalk was opened on the 14th April 2021, and was commissioned by the Central Coast Council and partially funded by the NSW Government, to much controversy.[9] The boardwalk provides a link between the Terrigal Beach, the rockpools, boatramp, and The Skillion.
Terrigal Foreshore War Memorial was redeveloped in 2019 from the combination of two older war memorials, one that historically sat near the Surf Life Saving Club, and the other was the former Erina District War Memorial which was originally on the intersection of Terrigal Drive and The Entrance Road.[10]
Demographics
According to the 2021 census of Population, there were 12,730 people in Terrigal.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 1.9% of the population.
74.4% of people were born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were England 7% and New Zealand 1.9%.
87.6% of people spoke only English at home.
The most common responses for religion were No Religion 39.4%, Catholic 23.6% and Anglican 15.1%.[11]
Amenities
Just outside the CBD lie a number of amenities: a recently re-built hotel (2006), a primary school and high school (separate campuses), Catholic school, basketball stadium (used for training by Olympic athletes in the 2000 Sydney Olympics), and a large multi-purpose oval with three fields and year-round sporting activities. A skate park was opened in 2018.[12]
Not far from the town centre are large shopping centres and M1 freeway (19 kilometres (12 mi)) linked to Sydney (south) and Newcastle (north). The town itself is served by Terrigal Drive (to the west), Scenic Highway (to the south) and Ocean View Drive to the north.
