Central Coast Facts & Worksheets

The Central Coast is one of the regions of New South Wales, Australia. It was proclaimed a standalone region in 2005, separating from Sydney or the Hunter Valley. Its local government, Central Coast Council, was formed by merging Wyong Shire and Gosford City council. 

See the fact file below for more information on the Central Coast, or you can download our 24-page Central Coast worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

ABOUT CENTRAL COAST 

• Central Coast is a coastal region in New South Wales, Australia, located to the north of the Hawkesbury River, the Watagan Mountains in the west, and the north of Lake Macquarie. It promotes itself as the playground of two cities because it is located north of New South Wales’ state capital, Sydney and south of the state’s second-largest city, Newcastle. 
• Central Coast has a land area of 1854 sq. km with a population density of 2017.3 persons per square km. 
• Central Coast also serves as a great getaway from the busy life in Sydney, as it only takes 1 to 2 hours to get there without traffic. It is also a popular area for retirement. 

HISTORY

• Aboriginal people inhabited the Central Coast region for thousands of years. These people were named Kuringgai by the European settlers. 
• Their actual name was not put on record but was believed to have their own language, and their traditional lands stretched between the Hunter and Manning rivers. They were also named the “Pittwater Tribes” and “Broken Bay Tribes” by early colonists. 
• The Kuringgai tribe was either driven out by colonists or was wiped out by post-settlement diseases such as smallpox.
• On record, the Kuringgai people were the first aboriginal people to come in contact with European settlers. 
• Most famous was Bungaree, the first Aboriginal to learn the English language and befriend the governors. He even accompanied the explorer Matthew Flinders in circumnavigating Australia. Governor Macquarie named Bungaree “The King of the Broken Bay Tribes.”
• Aside from the Kuringgai, there was also the Awabakal tribe, who lived around Lake Macquarie, and the Darkinyung people lived inland. Their languages were related to each other.  
• Governor Lachlan Macquire gave the first land grant to William Nash, a former marine of the First Fleet, in 1811. There were no land grants given in the area until 1821.  
• Central Coast was recognized as a stand-alone region in 2005 rather than an extension of Sydney or the Hunter Valley.  
• On May 2016, the Local Government released a proclamation that the Central Coast Council would be formed from Wyong Shire and Gosford City councils. 
• In 2020, a financial crisis was reported about the Central Coast Council with a budget blowout of more than 200 million and accrued debt of more than 565 million. The council could not pay its staff, and 13 councilors were suspended. 

POPULATION AND DEMOGRAPHICS

• In 2021, the Census of Central Coast stated that the region’s population was 346,596; 48.5% were male, and 51.5% were female. The Torres Strait Islander people made up 4.9% of the population. 
• It is New South Wales’s third-largest urban area and the ninth in Australia. The Australian Bureau of Statistics projected that the region’s population will grow by more than 415,050 by 2035. Children from 0-14 years old were 18%, and 22% were over age 65. The Median age in the region was 43. 
• Central Coast’s families were 40% couple families with children, 39.6% couples without children, and 19.2% were one-parent families. 
• Seventy-nine percent of the population was born in Australia, while 4.6% were from England, 1.7% were from New Zealand, and 2% came from India, the Philippines, and South Africa. 
• Almost 40% of the population declared that they had no religious affiliation, and 21.7% identified themselves as Catholic. Other religions on the Central Coast are Anglican and Uniting Church. 
• Most of the population spoke English at home, while about 2% spoke Mandarin, Spanish, Italian, Tagalog, and Cantonese.

GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE 

• The Central Coast was characterized as having extensive lakes and waterway systems with coastal beaches and mountain forests areas. The Central Coast’s natural environment is unique and diverse, including vast coastal and marine environments. 
• Most people who live in the southern region commute to work in Sydney. It is also a popular tourist destination with its stunning beaches, aquatic treasures, and lush hinterlands. 
• The region has a humid subtropical climate with warm summers and mild winters. Rain was slightly frequent during autumn but generally spread throughout the year. However, winter is the driest time, with minimal to no rain. 

CULTURE

• Central Coast offers three operating theaters. The largest one is the Art House in Wyong, which opened in 2016.  
• The region does not have its own daily print newspaper. However, it has three booming weekly newspapers, Coast Community News, Coast Community Chronicle, and the Pelican Post. A fortnightly paper, The Peninsula News, and several monthly newspapers. 
• Eight television stations and three sizable commercial radio stations, all part of the national networks, service the Central Coast. They also have several local stations.
• Central Coast has several major sports teams. The Central Coast Mariners represent the region in the A-league, the highest-level professional men’s soccer league in Australia and New Zealand. 
• Another is Wyong Roos, who play in the Intrust Super Premiership, a rugby league competition. The Central Coast Rhinos played in the Australian Ice Hockey League and the Central Coast Crusaders, the elite senior basketball program. 

BASIC SERVICES

• The Central Coast has two large public hospitals, Gosford Hospital and Wyong Hospital, and several private hospitals. 
• Public transportation was widely available around the region, with a network of buses operating from all railway stations, shopping centers, and most beaches. Taxis and trains were also highly accessible. 

TOURIST SPOTS 

• The Central Coast has diverse tourist attractions, including beaches, national parks, bushwalking trails, and historic sites. Some popular tourist spots are the Popran National Park, which covers over 3970 hectares and offers excellent walking, kayaking, mountain biking, horse riding, and fishing. The Australian Reptile Park has wildlife shows and loads of animal interaction. 
• Beaches were also a must-see on the Central Coast. Its coastline stretches for about 2,000 km and has hundreds of perfect spots for swimming, surfing, snorkeling, and sunbaking. 
• Byron Bay is perfect if one wants to surf, hike, snorkel, dive, or just lay on the sand. Surfing activities are also an attraction in Coffs Harbour. However, in it, one can also explore the natural splendor on the Solitary Islands coastal walk, a lovely trail that links idyllic beaches and emerald rainforests. 
• The Woywoy Beaches, on the other hand, offer the safest place to swim because of its shallow and calm water, which is also perfect for a beginner surfer. Ettalong Beach has a  lovely foreshore with play equipment, a picnic area, a cafe, and a walkway, while Ocean Beach offers picnic spots, a skatepark, a large climbing net, and a toddler play area.
• The culture of the Central Coast is showcased in its different museums and national parks. Different hand stencils, paintings of a Yarra stick, and Aboriginal rock paintings are found in  Mutawintji National Park and Gundabooka National Park. 
• Bouddi Gallery represents artists from not-for-profit Aboriginal-owned art centers in remote areas, with paintings on canvas, bark carvings, ceramics, and weavings. While at Dunghutti Ngaku Aboriginal Art Gallery, artworks of weavers, sculptors, and printmakers are displayed.

Central Coast, New South Wales Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about the Central Coast, New South Wales across 24 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching kids about the Central Coast, which is one of the regions of New South Wales, Australia.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

1. Central Coast, New South Wales Facts
2. About Central Coast 
3. Central Coast Scoop
4. A Place To Grow Old
5. Fact or Bluff  
6. Central Coast Destinations
7. Unscramble Me
8. History of Central Coast  
9. Central Coast Report
10. Have A Little Adventure
11. A Perfect Adventure 

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