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Lake Cathie, New South Wales facts for kids

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Lake Cathie
New South Wales
Lake Cathie is located in New South Wales
Lake Cathie
Lake Cathie
Location in New South Wales
Population 4,296 (2021 census)
LGA(s) Port Macquarie-Hastings Council
State electorate(s) Port Macquarie
Federal Division(s) Lyne

Lake Cathie is a lovely town in New South Wales, Australia. It's about a 15-minute drive south of Port Macquarie. In 2021, about 4,296 people lived there.

The Birpai (also known as Birrbay) people are the traditional owners of this land. They have lived in this area for over 40,000 years.

Exploring Lake Cathie: A Fun Holiday Spot

Lake Cathie is a popular place for holidays on the Mid North Coast. People love its calm lake, lagoon, and beautiful beaches.

The town has a few shops and places to eat. You can find a supermarket, a bakery, a fish and chip shop, and a coffee shop. There's also a pharmacy, post office, and a newsagent.

BowlAtLakeCathie
World's largest Bowl at Lake Cathie

The Amazing Tidal Lake

The main attraction in Lake Cathie is its special tidal lake. This means the ocean feeds the lake with water every day.

Sometimes, sand can block the lake's entrance from the ocean. When this happens, the lake water can turn a dark color. This is because of natural plant materials called tannins.

The lake is a great place for swimming and fishing all year round. It's especially popular when the lake is open to the ocean.

Who Lives in Lake Cathie?

The number of people living in Lake Cathie has grown a lot over the years. Here's how the population has changed:

Historical population
Year Pop. ±%
1976 493 —    
1981 941 +90.9%
1986 1,153 +22.5%
1991 1,474 +27.8%
1996 1,774 +20.4%
2001 2,094 +18.0%
2006 2,736 +30.7%
2011 2,873 +5.0%
2016 2,925 +1.8%
2021 4,049 +38.4%
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics data.

The 2021 Australian census tells us more about the people in Lake Cathie:

  • About 4.8% of the people are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander.
  • Most people (86.3%) were born in Australia. The next biggest group came from England (4.4%).
  • Almost everyone (94.4%) speaks only English at home.
  • When it comes to religion, many people said they had no religion (37.7%). Others were Catholic (21.2%) or Anglican (21.1%).

Famous People from Lake Cathie

  • Trent Milton (born 1972) is a Paralympic snowboarder who grew up here. He competed in the Winter Paralympics.
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