Gosford facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gosford Central Coast, New South Wales
Gosford City Centre Hotel Gosford Drifters Wharf Gosford Waterfront Mann Street Art Laneway
Gosford Location in New South Wales
Population	4,873 (2021 census)(CBD) 178,427 (2016 census)(SA3)
Postcode(s)	2250
Elevation	20 m (66 ft)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10)
• Summer (DST)	AEST (UTC+11)
Location	77 km (48 mi) NNE of Sydney 839 km (521 mi) SSW of Brisbane 86 km (53 mi) SW of Newcastle 21 km (13 mi) SW of Wyong 22 km (14 mi) SSW of The Entrance
LGA(s)	Central Coast Council
Region	Central Coast
County	Northumberland
State electorate(s)	Gosford Terrigal
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
Localities around Gosford: Narara North Gosford Wyoming West Gosford Gosford East Gosford Point Clare Brisbane Water Brisbane Water

Gosford is a lively city located on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia. It sits right on the water at the northern end of Brisbane Water. The waterfront area is famous for its beautiful views and opportunities for boating.

Gosford is like the main hub and entry point for the whole Central Coast region. It's about 77 kilometers (48 miles) north of Sydney and 86 kilometers (53 miles) south of Newcastle. The city is part of the Central Coast Council area.

Locally, people sometimes call Gosford 'Gossie'. It's in the north-eastern part of the Sydney Basin, on the traditional lands of the Darkinjung people. Gosford is one of the two main administrative centers for the Central Coast Council, sharing this role with Wyong. It's also the main business area for the Central Coast.

Discovering Gosford's Past

Gosford, before 1927

Before European settlers arrived, the Guringai people lived around Gosford. They mostly lived near the coast. The Darkinjung people lived more inland.

The Brisbane Water area was explored by early settlers from New South Wales. This happened soon after the first settlement in Sydney.

The Henry Kendall Cottage and Historical Museum at West Gosford

State Governor Arthur Phillip explored Gosford itself between 1788 and 1789. It was hard to get to, so people only started settling there around 1823. By the late 1800s, farming in the area grew. People started growing vegetables and citrus fruits in the rich soil left after timber was cut down.

In 1825, Gosford had about 100 people living there. About half of them were convicts.

East Gosford was the first main settlement area. Gosford got its name in 1839. It was named after Archibald Acheson, 2nd Earl of Gosford. He was a friend of the Governor at the time, George Gipps. The name 'Gosford' comes from a place in Northern Ireland.

In 1887, a railway line to Sydney was finished. This made it much easier to travel to and from Gosford. The Pacific Highway was built in 1930, which also helped the region grow.

Gosford became a town in 1885 and a municipality in 1886. It became a Shire in 1947 and was officially declared a City on January 1, 1980.

Rumbalara Reserve Gosford

Mann Street is the main street in Gosford's city center. There are plans to make Gosford a modern regional city. These plans include new cafes, restaurants, a new library, and better ways for people to walk around.

People and Population

In 2021, the central part of Gosford had 4,873 people. Most people (58.1%) were born in Australia. Other common birthplaces included India (5.0%) and Nepal (4.1%).

Most people (64.0%) spoke only English at home. Other languages spoken included Nepali (3.8%) and Mandarin (3.3%). The most common religions were No Religion (40.1%) and Catholic (15.8%).

The wider Gosford area, which includes nearby suburbs like Avoca Beach and Terrigal, had a population of 178,427 in 2021.

Gosford's Climate and Landscape

Gosford at dusk

Gosford has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has warm summers and mild winters. In summer, daytime temperatures are usually around 27–28°C (81–82°F) with high humidity. Nights are around 17–18°C (63–64°F).

Winters are mild. Nights are cool, but days are usually mild or even warm with less humidity. The hottest temperature ever recorded was 44.8°C (112.6°F) in January 2013. The coldest was -4.2°C (24.4°F) in July 1970.

Gosford gets about 1314.3 mm (51.7 inches) of rain each year. Most of this rain falls in late summer and autumn. It rains less in late winter and early spring. This is because Gosford is on the side of the Great Dividing Range that is sheltered from some winds.

Gosford's City Center

Residential and commercial redevelopment along Mann Street, Gosford 2018

Gosford is in a valley. President's Hill is to the west, Rumbalara Reserve to the east, and Brisbane Water to the south. Mann Street is the main street. It runs north to south and has many shops and businesses.

In the middle of Gosford, you'll find a shopping and community area. This includes Kibble Park, the William Street Mall, Gosford City Library, and the Imperial Shopping Centre. There are also many other shops, cafes, and services.

Economy and Important Facilities

Gosford District Court

Gosford is part of a growing business area. This area stretches between Erina, the light industrial zone of West Gosford, and Somersby. Good roads and train links to Sydney and the Hunter area are important for businesses moving here.

Many people in Gosford work in aged care, personal care, and retail. Mann Street is a popular spot for pubs and clubs. It's also close to cultural and sporting events.

Boat building has been happening in West Gosford since 1964.

Key Places to Visit

Gosford looking over Brisbane Water

Gosford has many important places and facilities:

• Gosford Hospital – This is the biggest public hospital on the NSW Central Coast.
• Laycock Street Community Theatre – This is the only professional theatre on the Central Coast. The Gosford Musical Society helped pay for it.
• The Central Coast Conservatorium – This music school is in the old Gosford Courthouse.
• Central Coast Stadium – This stadium is home to the Central Coast Mariners football club.
• Central Coast Leagues Club – This is the biggest community sports and social club in the area.
• The Entertainment Grounds – This place used to be called Gosford Racecourse.
• Gosford Showground – Here you can find greyhound racing and motorcycle speedway.
• The main office for SafeWork NSW, which is a government group for workplace safety.
• Gavenlock Oval – This is the home ground for the Gosford City Dragons football club.
• Gosford Regional Gallery and Gosford/Edogawa Commemorative Garden – The Japanese garden was a gift from Edogawa, Japan. It opened in 1994. The gallery hosts the annual Gosford Art Prize.

Getting Around Gosford

Gosford railway station

Bus services in Gosford are run by Busways and Red Bus Services.

The Central Coast Highway goes through Gosford's waterfront area. The old Pacific Highway has different names as it goes through the city center.

Mann Street is where you'll find the main public transport. This includes Gosford railway station. From here, you can catch trains to Sydney Central and Newcastle Interchange. Trains run often, especially during busy morning and evening times.

Learning in Gosford

Gosford has many schools and places for learning:

• Gosford Public School
• Henry Kendall High School
• Gosford High School – This is the only academically selective high school on the Central Coast.
• St Philip's Christian College Gosford
• St Joseph's Catholic College, East Gosford – This is an all-girls Catholic school.
• St Edward's College, East Gosford – This is an all-boys Catholic school.
• TAFE NSW – This offers vocational education and training.
• University of Newcastle Central Coast Clinical School

Media and News

Television Channels

You can watch all major digital TV channels in Gosford. Here are some of them:

• Seven (and channels like 7two, 7mate, 7Bravo, 7flix)
• Nine (and channels like 9Go!, 9Gem, 9Life)
• 10 (and channels like 10 Bold, 10 Peach)
• ABC (and channels like ABC TV Plus, ABC Kids, ABC Me, ABC News)
• SBS (and channels like SBS Viceland, SBS World Movies, SBS WorldWatch, SBS Food, NITV)

Local news is important in Gosford:

• The Seven Network has a local news bulletin for the Central Coast at 6 pm on weekdays.
• Nine airs NBN News, which is an hour-long show with local news for the Central Coast, every night at 6 pm.
• WIN Television shows short local news updates throughout the day.

Radio Stations

Many radio stations broadcast to Gosford:

• ABC Central Coast on 92.5 FM
• ABC NewsRadio on 98.1 FM
• Raw FM on 88.0 FM
• Hit101.3 Central Coast on 101.3 FM
• Triple M Central Coast on 107.7 FM
• Star 104.5 on 104.5 FM
• Rhema FM Central Coast on 94.9 FM
• Coast FM on 96.3 FM
• Radio Five-O-Plus on 93.3 FM

Sports and Teams

Gosford used to have a professional rugby league team called the Northern Eagles from 2000 to 2002. They played at Central Coast Stadium.

The Central Coast Mariners professional football (soccer) club started in 2005. They play in the A-League. The club has won two titles, most recently in 2023.

Gosford is also home to the Central Coast Division Rugby League. The local rugby league club is the St. Edwards Bears. There's also a junior club called the Gosford Kariong Storm.

The Central Coast Rugby Union has eight first-grade clubs. It's one of the strongest local rugby union competitions in the state.

The city also has local Australian rules and cricket clubs. Plus, there are basketball and netball teams.

Famous People from Gosford

Many notable people have connections to Gosford:

• Craig Anderson – baseball pitcher
• Estelle Asmodelle – model, dancer, and activist
• Cindy-Lu Bailey – deaf former Olympic athlete
• Bradman Best – rugby league player
• Charlotte Best – actress
• Anthony Biddle – Paralympian cyclist and athlete
• Matt Burke – former rugby union player
• Alan Davidson – former Australian cricketer
• Grant Denyer – TV and radio presenter
• Bill Dunk – professional golfer
• Mark Edmondson – former tennis professional, winner of the 1976 Australian Tennis Open
• David Fairleigh – former rugby league player
• James Gleeson – surrealist painter, poet, and art critic
• Des Hasler – former rugby league player and coach
• Nicho Hynes – rugby league player
• Matt Ikuvalu – rugby league player
• Julia Morris – actress and television host
• Matt Orford – former NRL halfback
• Chris Payne – footballer
• Ron Peno – musician
• Jonah Pezet – rugby league player
• Troy Pezet – former rugby league player
• Brad Porter – retired football midfielder
• Andrew Redmayne – goalkeeper
• Sam Retford – actor
• Mark Skaife – 5-time Supercars champion
• Ethan Strange – rugby league player
• Matthew Zions – professional golfer
• Matt Graham – skier

Sister Cities

Gosford has special connections with cities in other countries:

• Edogawa, Tokyo, Japan
• Nitra, Slovakia