Corindi Beach, New South Wales facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Corindi Beach Coffs Harbour, New South Wales
Corindi Beach Location in New South Wales
Population	1,802 (2021 census)
Postcode(s)	2456
LGA(s)	City of Coffs Harbour
State electorate(s)	Coffs Harbour
Federal Division(s)	Cowper

Corindi Beach is a small town by the sea in New South Wales, Australia. You say its name "Cor-in-dye," but some people say "Cor-in-dee." It used to be called Pipeclay Beach until 1954. It was also known as Corinda or Red Bank. The name Corindi means "grey" in the local Aboriginal language. This refers to the pipeclay found on the beach.

Corindi Beach is about 33 kilometers north of Coffs Harbour. It is also 50 kilometers south of Grafton. The original village of Corindi is a bit further north.

The Tasman Sea is to the east of Corindi, and the Pacific Highway is to the west. The 30° south latitude line passes just north of the town. This line is an imaginary circle around the Earth.

In 2021, Corindi Beach had 1,802 people living there. It is home to the Yarrawarra Aboriginal Cultural Centre. This centre teaches about the history and customs of the Gumbaynggirr Aboriginal people. Corindi is now a big producer of blueberries. Many locals and visitors work picking fruit during harvest time.

Cool Facts About Corindi Beach

The 30° south latitude line crosses Australia's east coast right at Corindi Beach. This line is just north of the town centre. It also marks where the Tasman Sea ends and the Coral Sea begins. Corindi Beach even has streets named after these seas!
Corindi has Australia's largest blueberry farm. For a long time, people farmed cattle and dairy here. More recently, blueberries became a very important crop.
Corindi has a strong Aboriginal culture. The local Aboriginal community and the cultural centre celebrate this history.
The headland (a piece of land sticking out into the sea) is called Red Rock. This is because the rocks there contain a type of stone called jasper.
The local Gumbaynggirr people call this headland Blood Rock. It is a very sad place for them. In the mid-1800s, many Gumbaynggirr people were killed there. A memorial has been built at the headland to remember them. Many descendants of the tribe avoid the area because of this sad history.

Corindi Beach Through Time

The Gumbaynggir people have lived on this land for at least 30,000 years. Some research even suggests it could be as long as 120,000 years.

1840: The area became an out-station of a large farm called Glenugie Station.
1880: Settlers started choosing land here.
1884: The first school opened.
1909: A cheese factory opened in Corindi.
1915: The Corindi Public School moved to its current spot at Corindi Beach.
1962: Electricity was connected to the town.
1980s: The Yarrawarra Aboriginal Corporation was started.
2007: The Corindi Beach estate was developed with new houses.
2015: Work began to upgrade the Pacific Highway further west.

Aboriginal Culture and History

The Gumbaynggir people have lived on this land for thousands of years. Their traditional lands stretch from the Nambucca River in the south to the Clarence River in the north.

The Muurrbay Aboriginal Language and Culture Co-operative has worked to record the Gumbaynggirr language. This helps to teach it to new generations.

The Yarrawarra Corporation was set up in the 1980s. This group created an Aboriginal art gallery and museum on Red Rock Road. It helps share the local traditional history and culture.

Important local places for Aboriginal culture include Red Rock Headland, No Man's Land, The Old Farm, Arrawarra Fish Traps, and Old Camp (Pipeclay Lake).

Street Names

McDougall St is named after Reverend Allan McDougall. He was from the Grafton Presbyterian Church. His daughters were also teachers in the area.

Local Wildlife

Corindi Beach is home to many different animals.

Birds

Australian Magpie: A common black and white bird.
Magpie Lark (Peewee): Another black and white bird, often seen in parks.
Grey Butcherbird: Known for its beautiful song.
Noisy Miner: Found in loud groups.
Masked Lapwing (Plover): A ground bird with a distinctive call.
Red-capped Plover: Breeds near Pipeclay Lake.
Silver Gull (Sea Gull): Often seen near the beach.
Kookaburra: Famous for its laughing call at dawn.
Yellow-Tailed Black Cockatoo: Large, noisy black parrots.
Glossy Black Cockatoo: Similar to the yellow-tailed, but with red patches.
Galah: Pink and grey parrots.
Rainbow Lorikeet: Brightly coloured parrots, usually in groups.
Scaley Breasted Lorikeet: Green parrots, often with rainbow lorikeets.
Australian King Parrot: Commonly seen in pairs.
Eastern Rosella: Colourful parrots with red heads.
Brush Turkey: Large, dark ground birds.
Brahminy Kite: A bird of prey seen gliding high above.
Osprey: A fish-eating bird of prey.
Powerful Owl: A large owl.
Tawny Frogmouth: A bird that looks like a tree branch.
Australian White Ibis: A large white bird with a long beak.
Crested Pigeon: A grey pigeon with a crest on its head.

Mammals

Reptiles and Amphibians

Lace Monitor (Goanna): A large lizard.
Frilled Neck Lizard: Known for its frill.
Blue Tongued Skink: A lizard with a blue tongue.
Red Bellied Black Snake: A venomous snake.
Eastern Brown Snake: Another venomous snake.
Green Tree Snake: A harmless green snake.
Coastal Carpet Python: A large, non-venomous snake.
Australian Green Tree Frog: A bright green frog.

Ocean Animals

Wobbegong: A type of shark.
Bottlenose Dolphin
Humpback Whale: Often seen migrating along the coast.

Insects

Huntsman Spider: A large, hairy spider.
Redback Spider: A small, venomous spider.
Australian native bees: Bees that are native to Australia.

Introduced Animals

Some animals have been brought to Australia and can harm the local environment.

Local Plantlife

Common Native Plants

Melaleuca (Paper Bark): Found in wet, swampy areas.
Pandanus: Found on the Corindi headland.
Banksia: A shrub found behind the sand dunes.
Carpobrutus (Pigface): A succulent plant on sandy dunes.
Spinifex: Grass that tumbles along the beach in the wind.
Brush Cherry: The floral emblem of Coffs Harbour City Council.
Mangroves: Trees found around Pipeclay Lake.

Introduced Plants

Some plants brought from other places can take over and harm native plants.

Bitou Bush: Dominates native dune plants.
Fireweed: Poisonous to farm animals.
Lantana: Also toxic to farm animals.
Asparagus Fern: Spreads easily from gardens.
Senna: Can take over native plants.

What People Do for Work

Farming

In the past, dairy farming was very important in Corindi. Farmers also grew oats and lucerne to feed their cows. Sugar cane was planted in the 1880s. Fruit and corn also grew well. Since the 1930s, bananas have been grown, especially when timber work slowed down. Today, blueberries are a major crop.

Timber

Cutting down trees for timber used to be a very big industry. Some timber work still happens today.

Mining

People tried to mine for gold in the late 1800s.

Horse Racing

Corindi had a racecourse that was used from the 1880s. In 1909, it officially became a reserve for races. A famous racehorse named Zulu was from Corindi. He was ridden by a stockman named Billy Morto. Zulu went on to win the 1881 Melbourne Cup, which is a very famous horse race! Zulu Place in Corindi is named after this horse. Wild horses, called brumbies, still live in the Barcoongere State Forest nearby.

Getting Around Corindi

Corindi Creek Bridge

A bridge over Corindi Creek was built in 1888. The current concrete bridge on Coral Street was built in 2006. It replaced an older wooden bridge.

Roads

Over the years, roads in and around Corindi have been improved. The Pacific Highway, which runs past Corindi, has been upgraded many times.

Local Services and Places

Corindi School

The school in Corindi has been in three different places over time. It started in 1884 with Mr. McKay as the teacher and 26 students. In 1915, the school moved to its current location near Red Rock Road.

Corindi Cheese Factory

A cheese factory opened in Corindi in November 1909. It made a lot of cheese, which was sent to South Grafton. The factory closed in February 1915.

Corindi Racecourse

The racecourse was used for horse races and sports days. It was officially set up in 1909. Many races and events were held there over the years.

Corindi Cemetery

A cemetery for Corindi was planned in 1912 and officially set up in 1913.

Corindi Post Office

The first post office was on Post Office Lane. The current one is on Pacific Street. People asked for mail service in 1881. In 1886, a post office was allowed after the town's name was changed from Corinda to Corindi to avoid confusion.

Telephone

Telephone service was suggested between Corindi and Woolgoolga in 1888. Around 2019, a mobile phone tower was built nearby.

Corindi Public Hall

The Corindi Public Hall opened in July 1911. It has been used for events and dances.

Tennis Court

The Corindi Tennis Club opened its tennis court in 1929.

Local Groups and Clubs

Corindi has had many community groups over the years.

Corindi Cricketers: They played cricket and won games against other towns.
Corindi Footballers: They played their first football match in 1910.
Pipeclay Reserve Trust: This group is now called the Corindi Beach Reserve Trust.
Corindi P&C Association: This group helps the school.
Corindi Tennis Club: This club opened in 1929.
Corindi Community Group: This group is active today.
Corindi Red Rock Breakers Soccer Club: Started in 1997 and is still active.
Corindi Bears Rugby League Club: Started in 1998 but didn't last long.
Red Rock-Corindi Surf Life Saving Club: Started in 1991 and helps keep people safe at the beach.

Natural Events

Corindi has experienced various natural events over the years.

1884: Drought
1936: Fires
1942: Bushfire
1943: Flood
1952: Drought
2012: Australia Day Flood
2013: February flood

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