Wsrtjtyk

Gosford Central Coast, New South Wales
The skyline of Gosford at dusk
Population	3,499 (2016 census)[1]
Postcode(s)	2250
Elevation	20 m (66 ft)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10)
• Summer (DST)	AEST (UTC+11)
Location	76 km (47 mi) from Sydney
LGA(s)	Central Coast Council
County	Northumberland
State electorate(s)	Gosford
Federal Division(s)	Robertson
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall 23.3 °C 74 °F 11.4 °C 53 °F 1,333.0 mm 52.5 in
Suburbs around Gosford: North Gosford Narara Wyoming West Gosford Gosford East Gosford Point Clare Point Clare Tascott

Gosford is a New South Wales suburb located in the heart of the Central Coast Region, about 76 kilometres (47 mi) north of the Sydney CBD. The suburb is situated at the northern extremity of Brisbane Water, an extensive northern branch of the Hawkesbury River estuary and Broken Bay.

The suburb is the administrative centre and CBD of the Central Coast region, which is the third largest urban area in New South Wales after Sydney and Newcastle. Following its formation from the combination of the previous Gosford City and Wyong Shire Councils, Gosford has been earmarked as a vital CBD spine under the NSW Metropolitan Strategy.^[2] The population of the suburb was 3,499 in the 2016 census.^[3] but there were 169,053 people in the Gosford area in 2016.^[4]

History

Gosford, prior to 1927

Until white settlement, the area around Gosford was inhabited by the Guringai peoples, who were principally coastal-dwellers,^[5] and the Darkinjung people that inhabited the hinterland.
Along with the other land around the Hawkesbury River estuary, the Brisbane Water district was explored during the early stages of the settlement of New South Wales.

The Henry Kendall Cottage and Historical Museum at West Gosford

Gosford itself was explored by Governor Phillip between 1788 and 1789.^{[citation needed]} The area was difficult to access and settlement began around 1823. By the late 19th century the agriculture in the region was diversifying, with market gardens and citrus orchards occupying the rich soil left after the timber harvest. As late as 1850, the road between Hawkesbury (near Pittwater) and Brisbane Water was a cart wheel track.^[6]

Typical of early Colonial settlement, convicts lived and worked in the Gosford area. In 1825, Gosford's population reached 100, of whom 50% were convicts.^{[citation needed]}

East Gosford was the first centre of settlement. Gosford was named in 1839 after Archibald Acheson, 2nd Earl of Gosford – a friend of the then Governor of New South Wales George Gipps.^[7] Acheson's title derives its name from Gosford, a townland (sub-division) of Markethill in County Armagh in Northern Ireland.

In 1887, the rail link to Sydney was completed, requiring a bridge over the Hawkesbury River and a tunnel through the sandstone ridge west of Woy Woy. The introduction of this transport link and then the Pacific Highway in 1930 accelerated the development of the region.

Gosford became a town in 1885 and was declared a municipality in 1886.^[8]

Rumbalara Reserve Gosford

Demographics

At the 2016 census, there were 3,499 people in Gosford. 59.6% of people were born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were India 4.5%, and England 2.9%. 65.2% of people spoke only English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Mandarin at 3.7%. The most common responses for religion were No Religion 33.9% and Catholic 18.2%.^[1]

Geography

Climate

Gosford has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification: Cfa)^[9] with warm summers and mild winters. In summer, temperatures average about 27-28 °C in the day with high humidity and about 17-18 °C at night. Winters are mild with cool overnight temperatures and mild to occasionally warm daytime temperatures with lower humidity. Average rainfall is 1333mm, much of which falls in the late summer and autumn. Records range from a maximum of 44.8 °C (113 °F) on 18 January 2013, to a low of −4.2 °C (24 °F) on 16 July 1970.

Gosford looking over Brisbane Water

Central Business District

Gosford Town Centre at Manns Street

Gosford proper is located in a valley with President's Hill on the city's western border, Rumbalara Reserve on its eastern border, and Brisbane water to the city's south. Mann Street, Gosford's main street and part of the Pacific Highway, runs north-south and contains the frontage for much of the commercial district.

In the centre of Gosford is a shopping and community precinct, including Kibble Park, William Street Mall, Gosford City Library, the Imperial Shopping Centre and a full range of shops, cafes, banks and services.

A renewed period of optimism has followed demolition of several derelict buildings and several infrastructure investment projects including the full fibre optic telecommunications rollout of the National Broadband Network in 2012 in the city's CBD^[11] as well as the so-called Kibbleplex project, announced in 2013^[12] that plans to house the new regional library, tertiary teaching rooms and associated organisations. Gosford Classic Car Museum opened in 2016 at nearby suburb of West Gosford.

Gosford Railway Station

Recent residential apartments have been built in various areas of the Gosford Central Business District.

Economy and infrastructure

Gosford is situated along an identified business growth corridor between Erina, the West Gosford light industrial zone and Somersby. Connectivity of main roads and rail travel times between Sydney, the Central Coast, Lake Macquarie and the city of Newcastle are key issues for corporate business relocation to the region. Aged and personal care and retail are major employers in Gosford.^{[citation needed]}

As an entertainment hub, Mann Street enjoys relatively good public transport links and is one of the Central Coast's most popular spots^{[citation needed]} for pubs and clubs and in close proximity to cultural and sporting events.

Yacht and other boat building has been undertaken by East Coast Yachts^[13] since 1964^[14] in West Gosford.

Facilities

Gosford is home to:

• 
  Gosford Hospital – the largest hospital on the NSW Central Coast


• Laycock Street Community Theatre - the only professional, proscenium arch theatre venue on the Central Coast


• The Central Coast Conservatorium (in the original Gosford Courthouse)


• 
  Central Coast Stadium in Grahame Park, adjacent to the Central Coast Leagues Club. Originally built for the Central Coast Bears team in the NRL rugby league competition (to this day, the seats are arranged to say 'Go Bears'), since 2005 it is the home of the successful Central Coast Mariners A-League soccer / association football team and was the home venue of the Central Coast Rays rugby union Australian Rugby Championship team.


• Central Coast Leagues Club - is the largest community sporting and social club in the region


• The Entertainment Grounds, formerly known as Gosford Racecourse


• Gosford Showground


• The headquarters of the Government of New South Wales workplace health and safety regulator, SafeWork NSW^[15]
  


• Gavenlock Oval – Home ground of the Gosford City Dragons


• Gosford Regional Gallery and Gosford/Edogawa Commemorative Garden – The Commemorative Garden is a Japanese garden that was built as a gift to residents of Gosford City Council by the Ward of Edogawa, Tokyo, Japan. They were opened in September 1994.

Aerial view Central Coast Bluetongue Stadium, home of the Central Coast Mariners

Media

Gosford Community News has been published fortnightly by Ducks Crossing Publications since 2010.

Express Advocate: News Limited publish a free weekly suburban style newspaper in the News Local group.

Radio stations available:

• 
  2GO - part of Southern Cross Austereo
  


• Sea FM


• ABC 92.5


• CoastFM 96.3


• StarFM 104.5


• EVT FM - Chinese radio network

Transport

The Central Coast Highway cuts through Gosford's waterfront area, while its predecessor the, Pacific Highway, takes on several names through the CBD itself.

Mann Street contains the main public transport links for Gosford, including Gosford railway station, with hourly trains to Sydney Central Station and to Newcastle Interchange.

There is also a terminal for several bus routes linking gosford to the rest of the Central Coast outside of Gosford station.

Central Coast Blue Tongue Stadium

Gosford District Court

Education

Gosford Public School sits alongside Henry Kendall High School in Faunce Street.
Gosford High School- the only academically selective high school on the Central Coast
* St Philip's Christian College Gosford,
St Joseph's Catholic College, East Gosford is an all girls school.
St Edward's College, East Gosford- is an all boys school
Hunter Institute of TAFE.
Henry Kendall High School

Notable people

• 
  Craig Anderson – pitcher for Sydney Blue Sox of the Australian Baseball League
  


• 
  Estelle Asmodelle – former model, dancer, and activist. Currently, musician, abstract artist and academic. She is known as Australia's first legal transsexual
  


• 
  Cindy-Lu Bailey – deaf former Olympic athlete


• 
  Charlotte Best – actress, known for her role as Annie Campbell on Home and Away
  


• 
  Anthony Biddle – Paralympian tandem cyclist and athlete^[16]
  


• 
  Alan Davidson – former Australian cricketer


• Kim De Lury – Australian actor known for his role as Conchobar on Witchblade^[17]
  


• 
  David Fairleigh – former Rugby League forward, current coach of the Central Coast Bears
  


• 
  James Gleeson – one of Australia's earliest and most recognised surrealist painters, also a poet and art critic. His family lived in Narara and in the 1920s, Gosford and they owned the Gosford pub. The coolroom of the Gosford pub occasionally served as an impromptu city morgue


• 
  Des Hasler – former professional rugby league footballer, current coach of Canterbury Bulldogs
  


• 
  Matt Orford – former NRL halfback


• 
  Chris Payne – footballer playing for the North Queensland Fury in the A-League
  


• 
  Brad Porter – retired Football Midfielder


• 
  Andrew Redmayne – goalkeeper for Sydney FC
  


• Al Shebab – champion e-sports player


• 
  Mark Skaife – 5-time Supercars champion and 6-time Bathurst 1000 winner


• 
  Peter Sterling – former professional rugby league footballer, 4-time premiership player (1981–83 and 1986)


• 
  Ron Peno – Australian Punk & 1980's Rock musician; Lead Singer of Died Pretty
  


• 
  Matthew Zions – European PGA professional golfer (2003–present), 2011 Saint-Omer Open winner

Sister cities and twin towns

• 
  Edogawa, Tokyo
  


• 
  Nitra
  

See also

• List of cities in Australia


• 
  Electoral district of Gosford, a seat in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
  

References

External links

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Gosford.

• Gosford City Council official website


• Central Coast Tourism official website

Coordinates: 33°25′25″S 151°20′30″E / 33.423586°S 151.341732°E / -33.423586; 151.341732