Coasters Retreat, New South Wales facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Coasters RetreatSydney, New South Wales |
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| Population | 30 (2021 census) | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 2108 | ||||||||||||||
| Location | 42 km (26 mi) north of Sydney CBD | ||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | Northern Beaches Council | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Pittwater | ||||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Mackellar | ||||||||||||||
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Coasters Retreat is a special place in northern Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It's about 42 kilometers north of the main city area. What makes it unique is that you can't get there by car! It's part of the Northern Beaches Council area.
Location and Life
Coasters Retreat is like a hidden gem inside the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. It sits on the western side of a beautiful waterway called Pittwater. If you look north, you can see an area known as The Basin.
This small community has about fifty holiday houses. They are nestled among the bush and right next to the beach. Two of these houses are very old, built way back in the 1920s.
Because there are no roads, everyone living in or visiting Coasters Retreat relies on the Palm Beach Ferry Service. The ferry stops at two different wharves here. The community also has its own local fire brigade to help keep everyone safe.
Aboriginal History
Long before any European settlers arrived, the land around Coasters Retreat was home to the Kuringgai people. They were Indigenous Australians who lived by hunting and gathering food.
The area is rich in Aboriginal heritage. For example, near Coasters Retreat is The Basin Track Engraving Site. Here, you can see ancient rock carvings called petroglyphs. These carvings show hunters, kangaroos, fish, and wallabies.
North of Coasters Retreat, there's a place called Red Hands Cave. Inside, you can see a handprint made with red ochre. Other handprints, paintings, and carvings can be found nearby. There's even an Aboriginal carving of a dolphin right on the foreshore at Coasters Retreat!
European Settlement
In 1770, Captain Cook saw the rugged coastline of Broken Bay. Later, in 1788, Governor Arthur Phillip explored Pittwater. He named it after William Pitt, who was the British Prime Minister at the time. Captain John Hunter also mapped Pittwater in 1789.
The first land grant for Coasters Retreat was given in 1842. It went to a former soldier. That's why a spot on the south headland is called "Soldiers Point." People started farming on a small scale. By 1881, a farmhouse was built at The Basin.
Growing as a Community
In 1896, the Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park was created. This meant Coasters Retreat became surrounded by the park. To help campers and visitors get there, Bonnie Doon Wharf was built in 1914.
The oldest house in Coasters Retreat, named Negunya, was built in 1922. Another old house was built in 1926. Over the years, more holiday houses were built, and the area slowly grew. In 1944, Bennetts Wharf was added.
In 1967, the Coasters Retreat Progress Association helped bring electricity to the area. After that, they focused on protecting the unique coastal environment. They made sure electricity lines were buried underground. They also decided not to build roads or allow fences. This helped keep the area peaceful and natural, not like a typical suburb. A local fire brigade was formed later, which helped protect the community from bushfires in 1994.
