Avalon Beach, New South Wales facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Avalon Beach Sydney, New South Wales
Avalon Beach, looking north
Established	1921
Postcode(s)	2107
Elevation	9 m (30 ft)
Location	28 km (17 mi) north of Sydney CBD
LGA(s)	Northern Beaches Council
State electorate(s)	Pittwater
Federal Division(s)	Mackellar
Suburbs around Avalon Beach: Careel Bay Palm Beach Whale Beach Clareville Avalon Beach Tasman Sea Bilgola Newport Tasman Sea

Avalon Beach is a cool beachside suburb in northern Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It's about 28 kilometres north of the city centre. This area is part of the Northern Beaches Council and the wider Northern Beaches region. Before 2012, it was just called Avalon. The name Avalon Beach was given when the local boundaries changed.

History

Long ago, the land around Pittwater and the Northern Beaches belonged to the Garigal or Caregal people. This area was known as Guringai country.

How Avalon Got Its Name

Avalon was named after a magical island from old Celtic stories. This legendary island, called Avalon, was said to be a beautiful paradise. It was also believed to be the final resting place of the famous King Arthur.

The first piece of land here was given to John Farrell in 1827. It was about 60 acres. Later, in 1833, a much larger area (1200 acres) was given to John Joseph Therry. He was Australia's first Catholic priest. Therry wanted to build a settlement here, but his plans didn't work out. After he passed away, the land was sold. The money helped rebuild St. Mary's Cathedral in Sydney. In the 1920s, people still called this area 'Priest's Flat'.

In 1921, a man named Arthur J Small divided the land into smaller blocks. He chose the name Avalon for the area. The blocks were sold for £100 each. Buyers even got two years of free membership at the local golf club!

Interesting Buildings

Many houses were built in Avalon during the 1920s. A famous architect named Alexander Stewart Jolly designed some of them.

• Loggan Rock was a unique house. It looked like a log cabin combined with a stone tower. It's now a heritage-listed building.
• Careel House was made from local stone. It's now in the Whale Beach area and is also heritage-listed.
• Hy Brasil was built in 1936. It was first called The Gem. Later, its owner changed the name to Hy Brasil, after another mythical island. This house is also heritage-listed.

Another important development was Ruskin Rowe, created in 1950. An architect named Harry Ruskin Rowe designed this street. He wanted to protect the natural bushland. Even though some rules have changed, the area is still special. It's heritage-listed because of its history and how it helps keep the bushland safe.

Heritage Listings

Avalon Beach has some places that are protected for their history. These include:

• 32 Plateau Road: Walter Burley Griffin Lodge
• 111 Whale Beach Road: Loggan Rock

People of Avalon Beach

In 2016, about 9,905 people lived in Avalon Beach. Most people (73.3%) were born in Australia. The next largest groups came from England (9.6%), New Zealand (2.0%), and the United States (1.1%). Almost everyone (90.2%) spoke only English at home. When asked about their religion, many people said they had no religion (43.0%). Others were Catholic (19.4%) or Anglican (18.6%).

What's in Avalon Beach?

Avalon Beach has lots of cool places! There's an RSL club, a surf club, and clubs for bowling and sailing. You can also find a golf club, a supermarket, and many different shops. There are cafes and even a cinema. You can try foods from all over the world, like French, Vietnamese, Italian, Mexican, and Japanese.

The town centre is special because it's right next to the beach. You can find a book shop, hairdressers, a bakery, and many other stores.

Fun and Games

Avalon Beach is a great place for surfing! It also has a 25-metre salt water rock pool at one end. The sand here is a cool orange colour. This is because of something called iron oxide, which is like rust. It makes the sand look different from other beaches. The Avalon Beach SLSC watches over the beach to keep swimmers safe. Some world champion surfers used to live or still live in Avalon.

The Avalon Soccer Club started in 1982. It has over 80 teams and more than 1000 players! The Avalon Junior Rugby League Club has also helped many players become professional. There's also a small nine-hole golf course.

You can go for a walk on the Bangalley Headland Bicentennial Walk. It goes through the Careel Headland Reserve. The walk starts at Whale Beach Road and ends at Marine Parade. St Michaels Cave is an interesting natural feature along the coast.

Schools

• Barrenjoey High School
• Avalon Public School
• Maria Regina Catholic Primary School
• Montessori public school

Culture and Events

Did you know an episode of the American television show Baywatch was filmed at Avalon Beach? This happened in the late 1990s. The show's producers wanted to move their filming from California to Avalon. They even promised to improve the surf club! But many local people didn't want the show to move there. So, Baywatch ended up moving to Hawaii instead.

Later, in 2011-2013, there was a plan to replace the Avalon Beach Surf Life Saving club building. Even though some local people were against it, the new club was built.

The Australian drama series Blue Water High was also set and filmed at Avalon Beach.

Notable Residents

• Yahoo Serious (born 1953), actor and director
• Mandy Zieren (born 1978), competitive bodyboarder

Images for kids

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  Avalon Beach Estate Plateau Rd, Park Reserve, 1921–1926

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  Avalon Beach Central Estate, Avalon Pde, Barrenjoey Rd, 1921–1926

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  Avalon Beach Estates, Central Rd, Plateau Rd, 1921–1926

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  Avalon Sanctuary Estate, Park Ave, 1921–1926

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  Loggan Rock, designed by Alexander Stewart Jolly

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  Careel Head

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  Bangalley Head

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  St Mark's Church

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  Baptist Church

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  Home in Whale Beach Road designed to blend in with the bush

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  Avalon Beach town centre