116-462: Sutherland Shire is a local government area (LGA) in the southern region of Sydney , in the state of New South Wales , Australia . Sutherland Shire is located approximately 26 kilometres south-southwest of the Sydney central business district , and comprises an area of 370 square kilometres (140 sq mi). As at the 2016 census , Sutherland Shire has an estimated population of 218,464. The area
232-577: A unitary authority , but the Australian Bureau of Statistics refers to the whole of the ACT as an unincorporated area. The ACT Government directorate Transport Canberra & City Services handles responsibilities that are under the purview of local government in other parts of Australia, such as local road maintenance, libraries and waste collection. Many Canberra districts have community organisations called "community councils", but these are not part of
348-748: A 'National Park' until 1890. It was the first national park to be declared in Australia. Its original name was just National Park , but it was renamed in 1955 after Elizabeth II , Queen of Australia passed by in the train during her 1954 tour. The park was added to the Australian National Heritage List in December 2006. The park is situated in traditional lands of the Dharawal , an Aboriginal Australian people. The park includes today's settlements of Audley , Maianbar and Bundeena . There
464-532: A car into the Park. The most popular walk is the Coast Walk, which skirts the park's eastern edge and delivers exceptional coastal scenery. It is a 30 kilometre track, involving walking from Bundeena to Otford, or vice versa. It's recommended that walkers allow 2 days for the walk. This walk is often done as part of The Duke of Edinburgh's Award . The Wallumarra Track (Wallumarra is an Aboriginal word for education/protect)
580-575: A cheap source of sand for the southern suburbs of Sydney but in the process of exploitation this area has been robbed of its character and the removal of vegetation has opened the way to erosion. The Premier John Robertson dedicated 18,000 acres (7,300 ha) to "The National Park" (now the Royal National Park ), gazetted in 1879. This makes it the second oldest park of its kind in the world after Yellowstone National Park in America , although there
696-548: A clearer example of the quality of life and the abundance of resources in the Sutherland/Liverpool area. Since 1966, when there was an archaeological dig in Cabbage Tree Basin, archaeologists have uncovered parts of an extensive open-air midden or cooking and camp sites. Successive layers of habitation show the diet of the native Aboriginal people: oysters , mussels , snapper , bream , and Sydney cockle . There
812-1095: A few of the hundreds of beautiful flora encountered in this diverse and widespread habitat. Even certain hybrid species may be encountered such as the common Banksia ericifolia x spinulosus or the rarer Angophora costata x hispida . Birds that frequent this habitat include Golden whistlers ( Pachycephala pectoralis ), yellow-tailed black cockatoos ( Calyptorhynchus funereus ), laughing kookaburra ( Dacelo novaeguineae ), eastern whipbirds ( Psophodes olivaceus ), New Holland honeyeaters ( Phylidonyris novaehollandiae ), eastern spinebill ( Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris ), rufous whistlers ( Pachycephala rufiventris ), willie wagtails ( Rhipidura leucophrys ), superb fairywrens ( Malurus cyaneus ), crimson rosellas /mountain lowry ( Platycercus elegans ), yellow-rumped thornbills ( Acanthiza chrysorrhoa) and white-browed scrubwrens ( Sericornis frontalis ). Other commonly encountered animals in this habitat include native honeybees, wallaroos ( Macropus robustus ), common echidnas ( Tachyglossus aculeatus ) as well as other far rarer species such as
928-507: A fruit edible raw. Another common species is the coachwood ( Ceratopetalum apetalum ) which were used extensively from Australian rainforests to manufacture horse-drawn coaches. Birds distinctive to these rich rainforest habitats include Topknot pigeons ( Lopholaimus antarcticus ), green catbirds ( Ailuroedus crassirostris ), rufous fantails ( Rhipidura rufifrons ) and black-faced monarchs ( Monarcha melanopsis ). Two interesting birds often encountered in dense scrub or rainforest include
1044-534: A geographic or historical interpretation. The council board members are generally known as councillors , and the head councillor is called the mayor . As of August 2016, there were 547 local councils in Australia. Despite the single tier of local governance in Australia, there are a number of extensive regions with relatively low populations that are not a part of any established LGA. Powers of local governments in these unincorporated areas may be exercised by special-purpose governing bodies established outside of
1160-595: A grassy understory, a sclerophyll shrubbery or alternatively they may have a rainforest subcanopy or a rainforest understory with growth being densest nearest to the valley floor or permanent watercourses. In these turpentine forests often hundreds of cabbage palms ( Livistona australis ) may be seen growing in dense tall thickets which are rarely touched by fire or they may exist as young plants in open grassy spaces which are burnt regularly enough not to form visible trunks. Rainforest pockets are dominated by jackwood and sassafras . The lilli pilli ( Acmena smithii ) produces
1276-458: A holiday centre. Sutherland railway station was opened in 1885, named after John Sutherland , a Minister of Works during the 1870s who had argued most forcefully for the railway. At this time, the greater part of the Sutherland Shire was connected only by access tracks. A road soon opened between the railway station and Cronulla Beach , catering mostly to families and fishing parties. This
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#17328450904411392-535: A larger workload. The growth of the Regional Organisations of Councils has also been a factor in local government reform in Australia. In 1995, there were 50 such agreements across the country. A 2002 study identified 55 ROCs with the largest involving 18 councils. Local government powers are determined by state governments, and states have primary responsibility for funding and exclusive responsibility for supervision of local councils. Local government
1508-741: A manner which reduces their chance of catching on fire while stringy barks ( Eucalyptus sp. ) have bark which easily catches alight clearing the way for its fire-stimulated seedlings. Commonly encountered vegetation in this environments include but are not limited to; Sydney redgums ( Angophora costata ), Sydney peppermints ( Eucalyptus piperita ), Port Jackson pine ( Callitris rhomboidea ), red bloodwoods ( Corymbia gummifera ), Pomaderris sp. , old man banksia ( Banksia serrata ), hairpin banksia ( Banksia spinulosa ), rock banksia ( Banksia oblongifolia ), Sydney boronia ( Boronia ledifolia ), native sarsaparilla ( Smilax glyciphylla ), violet twining pea ( Hardenbergia violacea ), dusky coral pea ( Kennedia rubicunda ),
1624-403: A number of changes of communities over time. European discovery of what is now Sutherland Shire was made by Lieutenant James Cook , who entered Botany Bay on 29 April 1770. Cook and his party explored around Kurnell Peninsula, and left the bay on 6 May. During their brief stay, a Scottish seaman named Forbes Sutherland died of tuberculosis . In his honour, Cook named the northwest point of
1740-543: A regular ferry service from Cronulla to Bundeena operated by Cronulla & National Park Ferry Cruises or by road through the national park. There are now nearly 100 schools in the Sutherland Shire including the Gymea and Loftus Colleges of Technical and Further Education , a technology high school ( Gymea Technology High School ), one of the ten academically selective high schools in New South Wales ( Caringbah High School ),
1856-419: A rich understory of fern , wattles , and other medium-size plants proliferate. Some small areas are classified as temperate rainforest . These areas are characterized by dense groves of very large trees including the iconic Port Jackson fig ( Ficus rubiginosa ) and Moreton Bay fig ( Ficus macrophylla ) trees. The absence of light leads to a lack of undergrowth other than a profusion of ferns. These are among
1972-403: A shift from 'services to property' towards 'services to people'. Community expectations of local government in Australia have risen in the 21st century partly as a result of wider participation in decision-making and transparent management practices. Recent years have seen some State governments devolving additional powers onto LGAs. In Queensland and Western Australia LGAs have been granted
2088-509: A sports oriented high school ( Endeavour Sports High School ), more than twenty secondary schools, preschool centres, and special schools provided to serve children with specific learning needs. The Sutherland Hospital and Kareena Private Hospital are both located at Caringbah and President Private Hospital is located in Kirrawee. The Sutherland Shire is serviced by Transit Systems and U-Go Mobility bus services and Sydney Trains services on
2204-426: A wide variety of terrain. Roughly, landscapes in the park vary from coastal cliffs broken by beaches and small inlets to an ancient high plateau broken by extensive and deep river valleys. The river valleys drain from south to north where they run into Port Hacking , the extensive but generally shallow harbor inlet which forms the northern border of the park. When looking across the park from east to west (or vice versa)
2320-895: A zone generally up to 10-25m away from running water grows a distinct vegetation community often containing many rare or threatened species only found along several streams in the world. Common vegetation growing in this zone include Blackbutt ( Eucalyptus pilularis ), Sydney red gum ( Angophora costata ), water gums ( Tristaniopsis laurina ), bottlebrush ( Melaleuca sp. ), tea trees ( Leptospermum sp. ), woolsia ( Woollsia pungens ), Epacris sp. , heath banksia ( Banksia ericifolia ), Pittosporum undulatum , pine leafed geebungs ( Persoonia pinifolia ), willow leaved hakea ( Hakea salicifolia ), Lomandra fluviatilis , bulrushes ( Typha orientalis / dominigensis ), rushes ( Juncus sp. ), reeds ( Phragmites australis ) and tree ferns ( Cyathea and Dicksonia sp. .) A variety of different molluscs, crustaceans, insects, fish and birds call
2436-525: Is about 29 kilometres (18 mi) south of the Sydney central business district near the localities of Loftus , Otford and Waterfall . It was founded by Sir John Robertson , Acting Premier of New South Wales , and formally proclaimed on 26 April 1879, a mere 7 years after Yellowstone National Park (1872) and 11 years before Yosemite National Park in the United States. Although Yosemite had been federally protected land since 1864, it did not become
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#17328450904412552-738: Is abundant in the Sutherland Shire. A little later in the Tertiary, tilting occurred south of the Georges River. The slow uplift , taking perhaps several million years, formed the present Woronora Plateau, a surface which rises gently in the south. This process caused the river system in the Shire to flow in steeper watercourses. They then became more active, carving the steep gorges of Woronora, Hacking, Georges Rivers and their tributaries which can be seen today. Waterfalls such as those at Waterfall and Undola also formed during this period. Water supplies within
2668-495: Is also evidence of seal , dolphin , a range of marsupials , dingo and even whale . Several edge-ground axes have also been found. There are many places where paintings and engravings of great age show changes in art style over thousands of years. Some of these changes can be linked to the extinction of animals in the local area and to the arrival of Europeans . Some have interpreted these artistic changes to changes in culture and people which would indicate that there have been
2784-595: Is colloquially known as "The Shire" , and has featured in several reality television series. Geographically, it is the area directly to the south of Botany Bay and the Georges River . Sutherland Shire is 26 kilometres (16 mi) south-southwest of the Sydney city centre , and is bordered by Bayside Council , City of Canterbury-Bankstown , City of Wollongong and the Georges River Council local government areas. The administrative centre of Sutherland Shire
2900-456: Is composed mostly of high cliffs reaching a height of nearly one hundred metres at the southern end. These cliffs are punctuated by a number of fine, sandy beaches open to the ocean and providing fine swimming and surfing. Several of the beaches can be reached by road, others only by several hours of bush walking . There are a small number of rocky coves. The beaches, two of which have volunteer surf life-saving clubs and large car parks, are amongst
3016-484: Is home to a population of approximately 140 koalas , which are an endangered species. Sutherland Shire has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: Under the 1853 proclamation, the western boundary of district was the Woronora River. With the establishment of the Sutherland Shire on 6 March 1906, the western boundary was extended to take in more agricultural land in an area which is now modern day Menai. In 1919,
3132-408: Is located in the suburb of Sutherland , with the council chambers located on Eton Street. As of 10 October 2024, the mayor of the Sutherland Shire is Cr. Jack Boyd, a Labor Party member. Sutherland Shire contains what was the first landing site of Lieutenant James Cook , who went ashore onto what is now the suburb of Kurnell on 29 April 1770. It was originally intended to be the location of
3248-517: Is mentioned in the annotated Australian constitution, as a department of the State Governments, and they are mentioned in the constitutions of each of the six states. Under the Constitution, the federal government cannot provide funding directly to local governments; a 1974 referendum sought to amend the Constitution to authorise the federal government to directly fund local governments, but it
3364-503: Is no public gazette record for Yellowstone until the 1880s, making a valid claim for The Royal National Park being the oldest in the world. In 1880 the Park was increased to 33,000 acres (13,000 ha). Today it is just under 44,000 acres (18,000 ha). The National Park was given the prefix "Royal" after Queen Elizabeth visited the park in 1954. Sutherland Shire is now predominantly a residential area with commercial centres and minor industrial and rural areas. The commercial centres of
3480-572: Is one of the most floristically diverse in Sydney Basin. This environment is classed as sclerophyll open forest and is divided into "dry" and "wet" sclerophyll forest. Factors that shape this habitat are primarily bushfires, low phosphorus/nitrogen levels, intense summer heat and low water levels. Resulting in a diverse floristic assembly of flora and fauna with apparently divergent paths in similar habitats, for example scribbly gums ( Eucalyptus racemosa/sclerophylla/haemastoma ) have smooth barked trees in
3596-447: Is part of a local government area. Unincorporated areas are often in remote locations, cover vast areas, or have very small populations. Queensland and Tasmania are entirely partitioned into LGAs and have no unincorporated areas. The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) has no municipalities. The ACT government is responsible for both state-level and local-level matters. In some countries, such an arrangement would be referred to as
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3712-504: Is subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state/territory it belongs to. The functions and practices of local councils are mostly centered around managing public services and land uses at the community level, and are similar throughout Australia, but can vary to some degree between jurisdictions. State departments oversee the activities of local councils and may intervene in their affairs when needed, subject to relevant legislation. For more details in each state and territory, see
3828-631: Is the City of Brisbane , the most populous LGA in the country, which administers a significant part of the Brisbane metropolitan area . In most cases, when a city's population statistics are used, it is the statistical division population rather than the local government area. The following table provides a summary of local government areas by states and territories by local government area types as of December 2023: The Australian Classification of Local Governments (ACLG) categorises local governing authorities using
3944-572: Is the third level of government in Australia , administered with limited autonomy under the states and territories , and in turn beneath the federal government . Local government is not mentioned in the Constitution of Australia , and two referendums in 1974 and 1988 to alter the Constitution relating to local government were unsuccessful. Every state/territory government recognises local government in its own respective constitution . Unlike
4060-526: Is usually only found on the shoreward edge of mangrove woods or in the brackish end of the Port Hacking Estuary. These mangroves are important nursery grounds for nearly all major angling fish including yellowfin bream ( Acanthopagrus australis ), flat-tail sea-mullet ( Liza argentea ), luderick ( Girella tricuspidata ) and sand whiting ( Sillago ciliata ) which are caught in adjoining waters as adults, mangroves also provide rich organic matter to
4176-775: The Illawarra line . Fire and Rescue NSW has stations at Miranda, Sutherland, Cronulla, Engadine and Bundeena. The NSW Ambulance Service has stations at Caringbah (Sutherland Hospital), Engadine in the south and Menai in the west and Bundeena. Due to the large area designated as National Park and the prevalence of bushland in the area Sutherland Shire has 12 New South Wales Rural Fire Service stations. There are stations located at Bundeena, Engadine, Grays Point, Heathcote, Illawong, Kurnell, Loftus, Maianbar, Menai (currently relocating to Barden Ridge), Sandy Point, Waterfall and Woronora. These brigades attend fires, vehicle accidents, missing persons searches and community education days. Good coverage in
4292-642: The Kurnell Refinery . In the suburb of Lucas Heights, the Australian Atomic Energy Commission , which is now organised as the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), established its main research campus and its first nuclear reactor ( HIFAR ) in 1956. The reactor went critical on 26 January 1958, before shutting down and undergoing decommissioning in early 2007. In terms of residential development, one of
4408-639: The Local Government Act does not mandate adopting a designation, some local government areas are legally known simply as "council", such as Port Macquarie-Hastings Council , Inner West Council and Federation Council . Some rural areas in South Australia are known as "district council", and all the LGAs in Tasmania that were previously municipalities have been renamed "council". Almost all local councils have
4524-581: The Outback Communities Authority . Victoria has a number of unincorporated areas which are not part of any LGA: Western Australia has two unincorporated areas: Royal National Park The Royal National Park is a protected national park that is located in Sutherland Shire local government area in the southern portion of Sydney , New South Wales , Australia . The 151-square-kilometre (58 sq mi) national park
4640-703: The Pastoral Unincorporated Area in South Australia . Local governments are subdivisions of the six federated states as well as the Northern Territory . The Australian Capital Territory has no separate local government, and municipal functions in Canberra and the surrounding regions (normally performed by local governments in other states) are performed by the ACT territorial government. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), however, considers
4756-534: The Port Hacking area. With the opening of Crown Lands sales in the Sutherland Shire, Thomas Holt purchased 12,000 acres (4,900 ha). His developmental projects included oyster farms, cattle grazing, and coal mining. The investment which proved profitable however, were his timber leases. He constructed a magnificent manor on the foreshores of Sylvania, called Sutherland House, based on English feudal lines. Due to 99-year leases, Holt's estate reduced development in
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4872-759: The Top End region, the Northern Territory Rates Act Area and Darwin Waterfront Precinct within Darwin , Nhulunbuy on the Gove Peninsula , Alyangula on Groote Eylandt , and Yulara in Central Australia . In South Australia , 63% of the state's area is unincorporated. Residents in this area – less than 0.2% of the state's population – receive municipal services provided by a state agency,
4988-504: The 19th and 20th centuries. An example of this vegetation occurs in the southern stretch of the Coast Walk, often referred to as the "Palm Jungle", and includes a typical tuckeroo ( Cupaniopsis anacardioides ) forest, under grown by coastal tea tree ( Leptospermum laevigatum ) and long-Leaf matrush ( Lomandra longifolia ). Moving farther inland the terrain rises to a series of very rocky ridges and plateaus characterized by hardy, low-growing shrubs and very poor, rocky soil. These ridges are
5104-568: The 8,500 years revealed in the 1966 Archaeological exploration. Seashells became an important source of lime in the 1800s, and so, many middens in the Shire may have been mined for shells in order to produce mortar for construction. Within the Royal National Park , field surveys have revealed many hundreds of Aboriginal rock shelters. In other locations (the military area near Holsworthy and Darkes Forrest) there are thousands of ancient campsites and sacred places. These areas mentioned have not been affected greatly by European settlement, and may give
5220-545: The Illawong area was also transferred to the council. The Shire now has an area of 370 square kilometres (140 sq mi), of which 173 square kilometres (67 sq mi) is state-designated national parkland. The northern border of the Sutherland Shire can be crossed via four bridges: three road bridges ( Alfords Point , Tom Uglys and Captain Cook ) and the Como railway bridge . To
5336-649: The Narrabeen Group is the Hawkesbury Sandstone, the rock unit most characteristic of the Shire. Occasional patches of Ashfield shale overlay the Hawkesbury sandstone. Some time later than the Triassic period – possibly early Tertiary – minor volcanic activity occurred in the area . This took the form of intrusion of a number of dykes of basaltic rock which forced their way up through the sedimentary rocks. Due to
5452-487: The Port Hacking Estuary by fixing carbon into the river system through the addition of leaves into the thick rich black mud. Many crustacean and mollusc species rely on mangroves as a source of food whether by providing foraging through leaf litter, mud or direct predation of the mangrove trees and seeds. Soldier crabs ( Mictyris longicarpus ), semaphore crab ( Heloecius cordiformis ), blue swimmer crabs ( Portunus pelagicus ) and hermit crabs ( Pagurus sinuatus ) also call
5568-639: The Sutherland Shire even into the 20th century. The main mode of transport in the area was originally by water. Farmers' ships sailed up the coast into Botany Bay, and up the Georges and Woronora rivers, avoiding the wharfage and custom dues at Port Jackson. The first public road, the Illawarra Road (now called the Old Illawarra Road) to the "Five Islands" (now Wollongong ), was constructed between 1842 and 1845 with convict labour. A new southern line of road
5684-515: The Sydney Urban Area, but was part of Metropolitan Sydney. Associated with this growth of population was industrial, social and commercial development. The Sutherland Shire Libraries system was established in 1953 in a former doctor's home at Sutherland with 8,000 books. The Captain Cook Drive from Caringbah to Kurnell was constructed in 1953 in conjunction with the establishment in 1956 of
5800-440: The ancient sand dunes above the coastal path includes Silver banksia ( Banksia marginata ), scrub-oak ( Allocasuarina distyla ), silky hakea ( Hakea sericea ), and pine heath ( Astroloma pinifolium ). Sections of rare and threatened clifftop grasslands occur along exposed and windy sites which are generally dominated by long-leaf mat-rush and kangaroo grass ( Themeda australis ). Many heath specialist birds are present in
5916-417: The area from Fire and Rescue NSW also means that these Rural Fire Service members are regularly sent out of area to help the rest of New South Wales and on occasion interstate. The Sutherland Shire also has a State Emergency Service unit based at Heathcote with facilities at Menai and shared facilities at Woronora. Local government in Australia [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Local government
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#17328450904416032-399: The area was unsuitable. There was lack of shelter for ships, inadequate water and poor soil. On 24 January, two French ships were sighted off the coast, causing Phillip to raise English colours near Sutherland Point. Governor Phillip sailed north to explore Port Jackson , and eventually settled at Sydney Cove . The first landowner in Sutherland Shire was James Birnie, a mercantile trader who
6148-448: The area, can, when touched, prove to be fatal within minutes. They are nearly impossible to spot unless pointed out, and can be found in small or large rock pools. The best way to avoid stings completely is to not allow any part of one's body to enter any rock pool. Royal National Park has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: Royal National Park offers one legally sanctioned and several unofficial naturist beaches. Werrong Beach
6264-447: The council are located in the suburbs of Sutherland, Miranda (home to Westfield Miranda ), Cronulla, Caringbah, Menai and Engadine. Sutherland Shire's old mantra was: The suburb of Kurnell, which includes the site of the first landing site of James Cook, was also the site of a former oil refinery . Nearby is Towra Point Nature Reserve , a wetland of international importance. Australia's first and only nuclear reactor facilities are in
6380-453: The deep gorges in the Sutherland Shire. When sea levels rose again, the silt and sand carried by the rivers gradually built up a considerable thickness of sediment . Sediment filled the area between Kurnell (then an island) and Miranda. Sand dunes began to accumulate in the Kurnell area and the mud and sand flats of Quibray and Gunnamatta Bays began to form. The Kurnell sand dunes have provided
6496-450: The entire ACT as an " unincorporated " local government area, even though it is technically a state-level administrative region . Although all essentially identical in functions and jurisdictions, Australian local governments have a variety of different titles. The term "local government area" (LGA) is used by the ABS to collectively refer to all local government administrative zones regardless of
6612-471: The entire coastline and Port Hacking Estuary Line of the National Park broken on by small sandy beaches and gentle freshwater inlets. Some of the most commonly encountered molluscs in this habitat include black nerites ( Nerita atramentosa ), turban snails ( Turbo undulata ), zebra snails ( Austrocochlea porcata ) as well as the commercially farmed Sydney rock oyster ( Saccostrea glomerata ). One of
6728-559: The first British Settlement , before Sydney Cove was chosen instead by Arthur Phillip of the First Fleet . Suburbs in Sutherland Shire are: Localities and features within Sutherland Shire include: At the 2016 census , there were 217,880 people in Sutherland Shire. Of these, 48.8% were male and 51.2% were female. Indigenous Australians made up 1.1% of the population. The median age of people in Sydney – Sutherland (Statistical Area Level 4)
6844-504: The first half of the 20th century was the provision of physical infrastructure such as roads, bridges and sewerage. From the 1970s the emphasis changed to community facilities such as libraries and parks, maintenance of local roads, town planning and development approvals, and local services such as waste disposal. Child care, tourism and urban renewal were also beginning to be part of local governments' role. These are financed by collection of local land taxes known as "rates", and grants from
6960-448: The first time. Significant reforms took place in the 1980s and 1990s in which state governments used metrics and efficiency analysis developed within the private sector in the local government arena. Each state conducted an inquiry into the benefits of council amalgamations during the 1990s. In the early 1990s, Victoria saw the number of local councils reduced from 210 to 78. South Australia, Tasmania and Queensland saw some reductions in
7076-672: The flightless brush turkey ( Alectura lathami ) and the noise mimicking superb lyrebird ( Menura novaehollandiae ). Platypus once found habitat in the Hacking River. In May 2023, the species was returned to the national park under a relocation program jointly conducted by the University of New South Wales , NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and the World Wildlife Fund . The platypus have been fitted with transmitters , so monitoring in their new environment can continue. In
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#17328450904417192-513: The following Sunday and attack "wogs and lebs". On 11 December 2005 and the days that followed, a series of riots and retaliatory attacks broke out in Cronulla and other beach-side suburbs in Sydney's east which saw numerous assaults. There were two non-fatal stabbings and property damage, especially to motor vehicles. There were many people arrested, over one hundred charged, and extensive national and international media interest. The Sutherland Shire
7308-539: The following year. Increased road traffic with the north led to the opening of the first road bridge into the Shire, at Tom Ugly's Point , in 1929. The six-lane Captain Cook Bridge over the Georges River, spanning Rocky Point and Taren Point, was opened in 1965, replacing the completely inadequate ferry service. Coastal and river frontage areas, such as Como, Illawong, Cronulla, Illawarra and Yowie Bay, became popular as country retreats. A form of voluntary local government
7424-415: The following: The Australian Capital Territory is not divided into local government areas, so it is regarded as a single "unincorporated" local government area during censusing . Unlike many other countries, Australia has only one level of local government immediately beneath state and territorial governments. Aside from very sparsely populated areas and a few other special cases, almost all of Australia
7540-496: The government (though they generally receive government funding). They do not have the power to change laws or policies, and their role is limited to advising government. They are effectively residents' associations . New South Wales has three unincorporated areas: In the Northern Territory , 1.47% of the total area and 3.0% of the population are in unincorporated areas. These include the Cox-Daly and Marrakai-Douglas Daly areas in
7656-433: The heaths which include Lewin's honeyeater ( Meliphaga lewinii ), New Holland honeyeater ( Phylidonyris novaehollandiae ), beautiful firetail ( Stagonopleura bella ), chestnut-rumped heathwren ( Hylacola pyrrhopygia ) and the southern emu-wren . In Royal National Park, littoral rainforest (often the first type of vegetation destroyed during coastal development) has survived the ravages that occurred elsewhere during
7772-450: The koala ( Phascolarctos cinereus ), the dingo ( Canis lupus dingo ) or the predatory native marsupial the spotted quoll ( Dasyurus maculatus spp. maculatus ). With rich soils and good supply of water the valley floors are cooler and more humid than any other part of the park. Large tree species such as Australian cedar ( Toona cilliata prev. T. australis ) and the larger eucalypt species dominate. Tree height reach 50 metres or more and
7888-463: The larger trees, although the terrain is still fairly open and easy to move through. Tree heights in this area reach an average maximum of about ten metres. The plant mix and geography conditions in this area are typical of much of the terrain in the coastal areas of New South Wales but with many widespread genera having highly localized species in the Royal National Park. This sort of habitat
8004-608: The local legislation, as with Victoria 's alpine resorts ; or directly administered by state/territory governments, such as the entirety of the Australian Capital Territory . The administrative area covered by local government councils in Australia ranges from as small as 1.5 km (0.58 sq mi) for the Shire of Peppermint Grove in the Perth metropolitan region , to as big as 624,339 km (241,059 sq mi) for
8120-511: The makeup of the council is as follows: The current Council, elected in 2024, in order of election by ward, is: The original inhabitants of the area of Sutherland Shire were some clans of the Dharawal people . Archaeological work in the Shire has revealed evidence for Aboriginal settlement dating back at least 8,500 years. The original coastline around Sydney has retreated about 20 km and that those flooded coastal plains may hold evidence showing occupation of this area going back well beyond
8236-1077: The mangroves home. A more casual visitor to the mangroves at high tide is the eastern sea garfish ( Hyporhamphus australis ) which scoots around just an inch from the surface and is virtually invisible unless viewed through a snorkel. Dozens of different bird species may be seen foraging in the rich mudflats in and around mangrove flats many of these birds being threatened with extinction and protected by international agreements. Commonly seen bird species include Eastern curlews ( Numenius madagascariensis ), striated herons ( Butorides striatus ), brown honeyeaters ( Lichmera indistincta ), little egrets ( Egretta garzetta ), royal spoonbills ( Platalea regia ), white-faced grey herons ( Egretta novaehollandiae ), Australasian little bitterns ( Ixobrychus dubius ), pied oystercatchers ( Haematopus longirostris ), Australasian pelican ( Pelecanus conspicillatus ), sacred ibis ( Threskiornis moluccus ), chestnut teal ( Anas castanea ) and azure kingfishers ( Alcedo azurea ). A series of sandstone rockshelves and rock pools fringe
8352-482: The mayor is elected by the board of fellow councillors . The powers of mayors vary as well; for example, mayors in Queensland have broad executive functions, whereas mayors in New South Wales are essentially ceremonial figureheads who can only exercise power at the discretion of the council. Most of the capital city LGAs administer only the central business districts and nearby central suburbs . A notable exception
8468-463: The more popular areas for visitors to the park. The park service is also very careful to protect these areas due to their general rarity in the hot, arid Australian landscape. Impressive groves of turpentine ( Syncarpia glomulifera ) and blackbutt ( Eucalyptus pilularis ) trees may be seen growing straight up into the sky forming an open canopy with widely spaced trunks. In these characteristic areas they are generally considered open forest, they may have
8584-481: The most beautiful and obvious of the Royal National Parks' sea anemone is the waratah anemone ( Actinia tenebrosa ) named after the waratah flower due to its corresponding flame red coloration. A common sea-star found growing in the rock pools is the biscuit sea star ( Tosia australis ). The fatally toxic blue-lined octopus ( Hapalochlaena fasciata ), the most common of the blue-ringed octopus species in
8700-424: The most common and distinctive seaweed species that grow among the rock pools and the nearshore rockshelves is Neptunes necklace ( Hormosira banksii ) a seaweed made of small buoyant fleshy bead-like structures which resemble strongly that of a necklace. Beds of the primitive sea-squirt cunjevoi ( Pyura stolonifera ) are common along coastal rockshelves which are covered by high tide and near sea spray. Considered
8816-448: The most imaginative homebuilding concepts has been Sylvania Waters. In this community, individually designed family homes were built around a series of man-made canals . The urban release of land in the Menai district, to the west of the Woronora River, commenced in the 1970s. In January 1994, the 1994 Eastern seaboard fires destroyed parts of Como West, Jannali and Bonnet Bay; and affected
8932-560: The most visited areas of the park. These heath lands are a hotspot for many small birds that have forsaken the suburbs of Sydney such as the New Holland honeyeater . Common vegetation on the exposed heaths on the headlands and cliffside paths include Coastal rosemary , darwinia , bracelet honey-myrtle , she-oak , white kunzea , sundew , grass trees , ridged heath-myrtle , snakehood orchids , prostrate forms of coast banksia and long-leaf matrush . Common vegetation on top of
9048-618: The names of LGAs, and today the stylised titles of " town ", " borough ", " municipality ", " district ", " region ", "community government", " Aboriginal council/shire" and "island" are used in addition. The word "municipality" occurs in some states with differing meanings: in New South Wales it is typically used for older urban areas, and the word is used for some rural towns in South Australia . Larger towns and small metropolitan exurban centres in Queensland and Western Australia simply use
9164-649: The number of local governments while Western Australia and New South Wales rejected compulsory mergers. New South Wales eventually forced the merging of some councils. The main purpose of amalgamating councils was for greater efficiency and to improve operations, but forced amalgamation of councils is sometimes seen as a dilution of representative democracy . An increase in the range of services offered by councils, but only minor cost savings of less than 10% have been noted by academics as outcomes after mergers. The council mergers have resulted in widespread job losses and lingering resentment from some whose roles have experienced
9280-448: The park on these sites the soil is derived from Wianamatta clay and is considered rich land producing good quality forest. On the sides of the steep river valleys that punctuate the uplands the terrain changes to exposed rock with collected pockets of soil. Although still fairly rocky, a large number of eucalyptus and other tree species are prevalent. Small streams are to be found reasonably frequently and understory plants cohabitate with
9396-491: The park or by the passenger ferry service from Cronulla . There are numerous cycling and walking trails, barbecue areas and picnic sites throughout the park. Over 100 kilometres (62 mi) of walking tracks take in a wide range of scenery. Cycling is allowed on some fire trails and only on specially marked tracks within the Park. The specially marked mountain biking tracks are bi-directional; care should be taken when traversing these trails. A fee of $ 12.00 applies when taking
9512-401: The parks service might close the park to ensure visitor safety. There are camping sites at Bonnie Vale, North Era and Uloola Falls. These are the only places where camping is permitted within the park, and they are regulated with a booking/registration system, which requires pre-booking a site. The park charges a vehicle access fee, but is free for people on foot. Royal National Park contains
9628-597: The part of local governments. There is no mention of local government in the Constitution of Australia , though it is mentioned several times in the Annotated Constitution of Australia. "Municipal institutions and local government" appears in Annotation 447, and "Power of the Parliament of a Colony" appears under "Residuary Legislative Powers" on pages 935 and 936. The first official local government in Australia
9744-483: The peninsula Point Sutherland. The British government needed a new site for transported convicts as they had lost their American colonies following defeat in the American Revolutionary War . Botany Bay was chosen as the new penal settlement and the First Fleet under Governor Arthur Phillip anchored off Kurnell on 18 January 1788. After sending a party to clear land for settlement, Phillip soon realised
9860-528: The population had exceeded 12,000. After the Second World War, the Housing Commission , under the auspices of William McKell , began acquiring land to build "homes for heroes", including in the Shire. It was not until the early 1950s that this district of scattered dwellings, vacant blocks and quiet villages became a suburban area of Sydney. Until this time, Sutherland Shire was not considered part of
9976-812: The population, the population density and the proportion of the population that is classified as being urban for the council. The classification, at the two-digit level, is: All local governments are approximately equal in their theoretical powers, although LGAs that encompass large cities such as Brisbane and the Gold Coast command more resources due to their larger population base. Unlike local governments in many other countries, services such as police, fire protection and schools are provided by respective state or territory governments rather than by local councils. However, local governments still maintain some responsibility for fire service functions within Queensland and Western Australia. The councils' chief responsibility in
10092-414: The power to independently enact their own local subsidiary legislation , in contrast to the previous system of by-laws . Councils also have organised their own representative structures such as Local Government Associations and Regional Organisations of Councils . Doctrines of New Public Management have shaped state government legislation towards increased freedoms aiming to allow greater flexibility on
10208-526: The purpose of raising money to build roads in rural and outer-urban regions. Council representatives attended conventions before Federation , however local government was unquestionably regarded as outside the Constitutional realm. In the 1970s, the Whitlam government expanded the level of funding to local governments in Australia beyond grants for road construction. General purpose grants become available for
10324-656: The remnants of an ancient, much larger plateau that has been deeply eroded into an extensive series of river valleys. This specific ridge land habitat is particularly significant for Sydney as most similar habitat was left unprotected and was subsequently destroyed to make way for cheap development which has made many species only found ridges threatened with extinction due to extreme habitat clearance/fragmentation. Soils on plateau land are often up to 2m deep and consist of on sandstone ridges: sandy podsol interspersed with pockets of clay derived. Clay Ridges and Plateaus also have deep Soils but are far rarer due to lack of representation in
10440-470: The riparian zone their home with a variety of life living near on in the creeks of the Royal National Park. Long-finned eels ( Anguilla reinhardtii ) which migrate from oceanic spawning grounds as babies and adults mature in the creeks and streams of the Royal National Park and can often be seen in the murky depths of pools and ponds along freshwater courses such as the Hacking River . Mudflats exist along
10556-540: The rugged folds of valley after valley fade into the distance. The geology of the site consists mostly of the Triassic Hawkesbury Sandstone with some sections of the park having the more recent richer Wianamatta shale capping. Deep below the Hawkesbury sandstone belt lies Narrabeen Shales which is mixture of shale and sandstone under which and within which are untapped coal seams which run right through Sydney and are mined extensively where they come closer to
10672-408: The same administrative functions and similar political structures, regardless of their naming, and retain a particular designation ("shire", "borough", "town", "city") for historical reasons only. They will typically have an elected council and usually a mayor or shire president responsible for chairing meetings of the council. In some councils, the mayor is a directly elected figure, but in most cases
10788-453: The shire are of two kinds. The main source is the surface supply provided by the Woronora Dam , which is built in the deep gorge of Woronora River. A second source exists in the form of underground water . During the last ice age , the rivers had to do additional work cutting down through the rocks to reach the lower and more distant ocean, leading to the "valley-in-valley" shape of many of
10904-450: The shoreline of the Royal National Park which is substantial enough to sustain a simplistic system of mangrove woodlands especially along the Port Hacking Estuary with the occasional clump of stunted tree on the seaward coastline in sheltered coves. Vegetation in the mangroves consists almost exclusively of the grey mangrove ( Avicennia marina var. australasica ) growing up to 4m as well as the river mangrove ( Aegiceras corniculatum ) which
11020-464: The southern suburbs of Bundeena, Maianbar and Heathcote. In the 2011 census , Sutherland Shire was the second most populous local government area in New South Wales, and eighth in Australia overall. In December 2005, following incidents at the Cronulla beaches culminating in an assault on a lifeguard by youth of Lebanese descent , an anonymous text message , publicised by major media outlets in Australia, called on people to gather at Cronulla beach on
11136-493: The state and Commonwealth governments. They are caricatured as being concerned only with the "three Rs": Rates, Roads and Rubbish. However, the roles of local government areas in Australia have recently expanded as higher levels of government have devolved activities to the third tier. Examples include the provision of community health services, regional airports and pollution control as well as community safety and accessible transport. The changes in services has been described as
11252-480: The suburb of Lucas Heights. The reactor, run by the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) is not a power station but is used for the production of radiopharmaceuticals , for research and irradiation. The isolated suburbs of Bundeena and Maianbar are situated on the southern shore of Port Hacking between the water and the Royal National Park. They are accessible by boat, including
11368-435: The surface south of the National Park near Wollongong. Sections of recent alluvium fringes of estuarine watercourse where the endangered ecological communities; swamp oak woodlands and swamp mahogany woodlands grow still. Running the full coastal length of the park is a coastal heathland characterised by hardy, low-growing, salt-tolerant shrubs that spread across rocky, hard terrain with very little topsoil. The coast itself
11484-606: The term "town", while in Victoria they are designated as "rural city". Historically, the word "borough" was common for small towns and suburban centers in Victoria, but nowadays only the Borough of Queenscliffe remains as the one and only borough in the entire country. New South Wales and Queensland have also introduced a new term "region" for outback LGAs formed by the amalgamation of smaller shires and rural cities. In New South Wales, where
11600-1208: The traditional narcotic hop bush ( Dodonaea triquetra ), native pea ( Dillwynia sieberi ), sometimes dwarf apple ( Angophora hispida ), parasitic devils twine ( Cassytha sp .), native panic ( Entolasia stricta ), Lepidosperma sp. grass, forest grass trees ( Xanthorrhoea arborea ), Sydney waratah ( Telopea speciosissima ), flannel flowers ( Actinotus minor as well as Actinotus helianthi ), blueberry ash ( Elaeocarpus reticulatus ), silky hakea ( Hakea sericea ), variable bossiaea ( Bossiaea heterophylla ), bonnet orchids ( Cryptostylis erecta ), hyacinth orchids ( Dipodium variegatum/punctatum/roseum ), Pomax umbellata , native parsley ( Lomatia silaifolia ), edible native currants ( Leptomeria acida ), broad leaved geebungs ( Persoonia levis ), Sydney golden wattles ( Acacia longifolia ), gymea lilies ( Doryanthes excelsa ), various sheo-oaks ( Allocasuarina littoralis/distyla/verticillata etc.), flax leafed wattle ( Acacia linifolia ), bracken ( Pteridium esculentum ), grey spider flower ( Grevillea buxifolia/sphacelata ), red spider flower ( Grevillea oleoides ), pink spider flower ( Grevillea sericea ) and native iris ( Patersonia sericea/glabrata/longifolia ) to literally name
11716-745: The two-tier local government system in Canada or the United States , there is only one tier of local government in each Australian state/territory, with no distinction between counties and cities . The Australian local government is generally run by a council , and its territory of public administration is referred to generically by the Australian Bureau of Statistics as the local government area or LGA , each of which encompasses multiple suburbs or localities (roughly equivalent to neighborhoods) often of different postcodes ; however, stylised terms such as "city", " borough ", " region " and " shire " also have
11832-501: The varying designations, whilst the local governing legislature itself is generally known as a council . In general, an urban / suburban LGA is called a " city ", as in the City of Melbourne , City of Canada Bay and City of Bunbury ; while an exurban / rural LGA covering a larger agricultural / natural area is usually called a " shire ", as in Shire of Mornington Peninsula , Shire of Banana and Lachlan Shire . Sometimes designations other than "city" or "shire" are used in
11948-484: The west the surface consists of a broad plateau rising gently to the southwest, and cut into by several deep river gorges. The geology of Sutherland Shire, whilst sharing characteristics with the North Shore , is very different from the western and central suburbs of Sydney. Above the coal-bearing rocks is found the Narrabeen Group, mostly made up of layers of sandstone and characteristic red claystone beds. Overlying
12064-669: The west, the Heathcote Road leading out of the Sutherland Shire passes by the Holsworthy military reserve . To the south, the Princes Highway runs out of Waterfall towards the City of Wollongong. The eastern border is bounded by the Tasman Sea . In the eastern part the Sutherland Shire has a varying landscape of rugged sea cliffs and sandy beaches, and swampy bay coasts backed by sand dunes. To
12180-476: The wetting and drying action of the weather the basaltic rock of the dykes has changed to clay. From the end of the Triassic period to the middle of the Tertiary period, soft material was worn down or removed by wind and running water. In the final stages of this period of erosion the climate was apparently rather wetter and more humid than today's, causing the exposed rocks to change and form laterite soil, which
12296-404: Was 3.2. The average household size was 2.7 people. Sutherland Shire Council is composed of fifteen councillors elected proportionally as five separate wards , each electing three councillors. All councillors are elected for a fixed four-year term of office. The mayor is elected by the councillors at the first meeting of the council. The most recent election was held on 14 September 2024, and
12412-776: Was 40 years. Children aged 0 – 14 years made up 19.1% of the population and people aged 65 years and over made up 16.9% of the population. Of all the people in Sydney – Sutherland (Statistical Area Level 4) aged 15 years and over, 53.7% were married and 10.4% were either separated or divorced. The median weekly income for residents within Sutherland Shire was higher than the national average. The most common ancestries in Sydney – Sutherland (Statistical Area Level 4) were English 27.6%, Australian 26.3%, Irish 9.5%, Scottish 6.9% and Italian 3.2%. In Sydney – Sutherland (Statistical Area Level 4), of all occupied private dwellings, 4.6% had 1 bedroom, 21.1% had 2 bedrooms and 35.5% had 3 bedrooms. The average number of bedrooms per occupied private dwelling
12528-495: Was attempted in 1888, but law and order was still administered by the court at Liverpool until 1905. In that year, the Local Government (Shires) Act 1905 (NSW) provided that the whole of New South Wales be divided into shires . The State Governor, Harry Rawson selected the name, and proclaimed this district "Sutherland, No. 133" on 6 March 1906 and fixed the boundaries. At the time, Sutherland Shire had 1600 residents, and
12644-462: Was completed in 1864, linking up with the Illawarra Road at Engadine. Today this virtually is the line of the Princes Highway , the main north–south thoroughfare through Sutherland Shire. A railway line was extended from Hurstville in 1884 to develop the rich Illawarra district. The railway brought into being firstly a huge shanty town on the heights of Como , and later developed the area into
12760-517: Was constructed in 1975 to meet the growing need for Environmental Education and as a supplement to the park's walking track system. The park is intensely used for environmental education by schools, TAFEs, universities and other groups. The park has been burnt in bushfires on several occasions, most notably in 1939, 1994 and in the 2001 Black Christmas fires. Australian native bush naturally regenerates after bushfires and as of 2008 few signs of these fires remain visible. In times of extreme fire danger
12876-539: Was defeated. A 1988 referendum sought to explicitly insert mention of local government in the federal constitution but this was comprehensively defeated. A further referendum was proposed in 2013 , but was cancelled due to the change in the election date . Federal government interaction with local councils happens regularly through the provision of federal grants to help fund local government managed projects. Local government in Australia has very limited legislative powers and no judicial powers , and executive -wise
12992-530: Was divided into three ridings . With only a small rates base, one of the early problems for the council was the provision of new roads. The construction of the Sutherland-Cronulla tramway by the Railways Commission went far in stimulating business activity and driving land sales. The population of Sutherland Shire increased from 2,896 in 1911, when the tramway opened, to over 7,500 in 1913. By 1931
13108-407: Was followed by the Sutherland-Cronulla steam tram service, which was inaugurated in 1911. Not only did the service greatly increase the popularity of the Cronulla beaches, but it was of great advantage to the slowly developing business interests in the Sutherland Shire. Increasing motor traffic caused a falling-off of passengers and the tram passenger service closed in 1931. The goods service ceased
13224-518: Was granted by promise 700 acres (280 ha) at Kurnell in 1815. After the completion of official surveying, a large part of what is now Sutherland Shire was proclaimed as the Hundred of Woronora by Governor Richard Bourke in 1835. Title to land was not granted by the Crown until 1856, before which there was practically no settlement. Timber cutting was the primary industry, supplemented by shell gathering in
13340-619: Was once a railway line connected to the Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line but this closed and was converted to a heritage tramway operated by the Sydney Tramway Museum in Loftus . Audley can be accessed by road from Loftus, Waterfall or Otford, and there are several railway stations ( Loftus , Engadine, Heathcote, Waterfall, Helensburgh and Otford) on the outskirts of the park. Bundeena and Maianbar can also be accessed by road through
13456-600: Was the Perth Town Trust , established in 1838, only three years after British settlement. The Adelaide Corporation followed, created by the province of South Australia in October 1840. The City of Melbourne and the Sydney Corporation followed, both in 1842. All of these early forms failed; it was not until the 1860s and 1870s that the various colonies established widespread stable forms of local government, mainly for
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