Warnervale
Central Coast, New South Wales
Warnervale railway station
Warnervale is located in New South Wales
Warnervale
Warnervale
Map
Coordinates33°14′56″S 151°25′52″E / 33.249°S 151.431°E / -33.249; 151.431
Population701 (SAL 2021)[1]
Established1893
Postcode(s)2259
Location
  • 10 km (6 mi) N of Wyong
  • 101 km (63 mi) NNE of Sydney
LGA(s)Central Coast Council
ParishMunmorah
State electorate(s)Wyong
Federal division(s)Dobell
Suburbs around Warnervale:
Jilliby Halloran Wallarah
Jilliby Warnervale Hamlyn Terrace
Alison, Wyong Watanobbi Wadalba, Wyong

Warnervale is a town in the Central Coast Council local government area in the Central Coast region in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It lies approximately 101 km north of Sydney, located west of Tuggerah Lake, a large shallow coastal lake, and just north of Wyong.

In the 2021 census, the Australian Bureau of Statistics located a population of 701 within Warnervale's boundaries.[2] The broader Warnervale-Wadalba statistical area had 20,051 people.[3]

History

In 1915, Albert Hamlyn Warner and his son Leslie advertised land in the region for sale. The railway platform is labelled "Warnervale".

For thousands of years, aboriginal people occupied the land. Aboriginal land rights in the region are now administered by the Darkinjung Land Council.[4]

Land in the region was granted to William Cape in 1825, although his role as headmaster of Sydney College and later as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly kept him from spending much time on this property.[5]

In 1875, the land was purchased by William Alison, whose homestead became the site of the current Wyong District Museum, in Wyong.[5]

Warnervale is named after Albert Hamlyn Warner who in 1893 acquired 12,000 acres (49 km2) of land in the area. Warner was strongly influenced by his travels in Japan and his son Leslie's trip to the United States, which is today evidenced in road names in surrounding suburbs such as Minnesota, Virginia, Louisiana, Hiawatha and Nikko. His family home 'Hakone', located on the Wyong river, was named after a park he had seen in Japan.[6][7]

Warnervale railway station was opened in 1907.[8] Warnervale was gazetted as a village in 1975,[9] and the suburb boundaries were defined in 1991.[10] In 1998, the suburb was divided, creating Halloran, Wallarah, Woongarrah and Hamlyn Terrace.[11]

Once composed of large acreages and significant wetlands, the area has rapidly been developed into a series of residential estates.

Warnervale Airport controversy

Controversy arose over plans which had originated in the late 1970s to convert the small Warnervale Airport into a commercial and freight airport and regional hub, expected in 1995 to operate 24 hours a day and cater for 65,000 flights annually - even as the state's property development agency, Landcom, was advertising estates in the area as "tranquil".[12] The upgrade was expected in 1994 to cost A$6 million, and a proposal by Traders Finance Australia to develop the airport was accepted in January 1995, with contracts being signed in July 1995.[13] Residents responded by forming the Central Coast Airport Action Group, and taking the Wyong Shire Council to the Land and Environment Court to fight the move. The action failed, and Wyong Shire Council demanded payment of costs from the residents group.[14] However, the State Government intervened, passing the Warnervale Airport (Restrictions) Act 1996, which restricted future aircraft movements, the length and siting of the runway, and any future expansion of airport operations,[15] and compensating residents for $65,000 in legal bills.[16] In 1999, the Wyong Shire Council proposed extending the runway to 1600 metres to cater for jet aircraft of between 50 and 116 passengers,[17] but the plans were eventually scrapped in a council meeting in February 2003 which decided instead to focus on job creation as a driver for the area's growth, including assisting the establishment of a $100 million distribution centre for Woolworths Limited on part of the land initially earmarked for the airport upgrade.[18]

Future developments

Planning began in 2000 for a commercial development in Woongarrah, adjacent to the railway, termed Warnervale Town Centre.[19] Woolworths proposed to build a new shopping centre, and a railway station was planned. A road was constructed to the proposed site (Woongarrah Road), but as of 2022, work on the shopping centre has not yet begun. New plans call for a scaled-down shopping centre, and there is no longer a plan to build a railway station.[20]

Facilities

Warnervale Public School was built at 75 Warnervale Rd in 1953. In 2008, the school was moved to Hamlyn Terrace, retaining the Warnervale name.[21] Following population growth in the area, the site of the old school was repurchased by the New South Wales Government, and a new school, called Porters Creek Public School, was opened there in 2022.[22] A number of other schools have been erected in the area, including MacKillop Catholic College and Lakes Grammar, to service the high youth population.

Warnervale train station lies on the Main North railway line. It is served by the Central Coast & Newcastle Line of the NSW TrainLink network, allowing transport between Newcastle and Sydney.

Warnies Cafe operates in a heritage-listed building next to the railway station.[23] The building was previously used as a private residence and general store.[24]

Warnervale Wildcats Sport Club offers sporting activities for junior and seniors in Rugby Union, Netball and Cricket.

Notable residents

In 1988-9, American actor Matthew McConaughey resided in Warnervale for one year on exchange.

References

  1. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Warnervale (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022. Edit this at Wikidata
  2. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Warnervale". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 5 December 2023. Edit this at Wikidata
  3. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Warnervale-Wadalba". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 5 December 2023. Edit this at Wikidata
  4. ^ "About us". Darkinjung Aboriginal Land Council. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  5. ^ a b Buck, Susan (21 October 2012). "William Alison". Branches of our family. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  6. ^ Wyong Shire Council (20 July 2005). "The history of Warnervale". Archived from the original on 6 July 2009. Retrieved 25 July 2007.
  7. ^ Wyong Family History Group. "Warner Family". Wyong Shire One Place Study. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  8. ^ "MEW STATION". Sunday Times. No. 1120. New South Wales, Australia. 7 July 1907. p. 5. Retrieved 27 November 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. ^ "GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES ACT, 1966". Government Gazette Of The State Of New South Wales. No. 112. New South Wales, Australia. 29 August 1975. p. 3532. Retrieved 25 November 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. ^ "GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES ACT, 1966". Government Gazette Of The State Of New South Wales. No. 79. New South Wales, Australia. 17 May 1991. p. 3737. Retrieved 25 November 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. ^ "GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES ACT 1966". Government Gazette Of The State Of New South Wales. No. 90. New South Wales, Australia. 5 June 1998. p. 4126. Retrieved 25 November 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  12. ^ Llewellyn, Marc (2 November 1995). "Fury at 'false' Landcom ads". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 3.
  13. ^ "Wyong airport inquiry move". Newcastle Herald. 14 October 1999. p. 3.
  14. ^ Phelan, Amanda (6 June 1996). "Locals face costs". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 6.
  15. ^ Mathers, Ken (11 July 1996). "From sleepy resort to big-growth area". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 25.
  16. ^ Tucker, Scott (18 August 1998). "Bailed out for bill". Newcastle Herald. p. 11.
  17. ^ Tucker, Scott (30 January 1999). "Call to clip Wyong wings". Newcastle Herald. p. 20.
  18. ^ Nolan, Mark (22 February 2003). "Airport expansion scrapped". The Daily Telegraph. p. 5.
  19. ^ Ruming, Kristian J. (1 March 2009). "The Complexity of Comprehensive Planning Partnerships: The Case of the Warnervale Town Centre". Urban Policy and Research. 27 (1): 25–42. doi:10.1080/08111140802430994. ISSN 0811-1146.
  20. ^ Murray, Sue (23 November 2022). "New plan outlines vision for Greater Warnervale growth". Coast Community News. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
  21. ^ "An additional primary school to be built at Warnervale". Coast Community News. 26 September 2019.
  22. ^ Riches, Nicola (6 February 2022). "New school opens doors to 83 students – last minute changes approved by DPIE". Central Coast Community News. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  23. ^ "Warnies Railway Cafe and General Store". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H2720055. Retrieved 5 December 2023. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.
  24. ^ "About Warnies". Warnies Cafe. Retrieved 5 December 2023.

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