Monterey, New South Wales facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Monterey Sydney, New South Wales
Monterey Beach
Population	4,619 (2021 census)
Established	1972
Postcode(s)	2217
Elevation	17 m (56 ft)
Location	15 km (9 mi) south of Sydney CBD
LGA(s)	Bayside Council
State electorate(s)	Rockdale
Federal Division(s)	Cook
Suburbs around Monterey: Rockdale Brighton-Le-Sands Kogarah Monterey Botany Bay Ramsgate Ramsgate Beach

Monterey (ⁱ/ˌmɒntəˈreɪ/ mon-TƏ-ray;) is a suburb in southern Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It's about 15 kilometers south of the main city center of Sydney. Monterey is part of the St George area and is managed by the Bayside Council.

This suburb is located right on the western edge of Botany Bay. You'll find Lady Robinsons Beach and Cook Park along its eastern side. To the west, there's Scarborough Park, which has a lovely pond. Monterey is mostly a place where people live, with a small group of shops on Chuter Avenue.

A fun fact: The music video for the 1987 song "He's just no good for you" by the band Mental As Anything was filmed right here on Scarborough Street in Monterey!

History of Monterey

Monterey used to be part of two other suburbs, Brighton-Le-Sands and Ramsgate. As more people moved into the area, new streets were built. Many of these streets were given names inspired by places in California, USA. Some examples include Hollywood, Monterey, Pasadena, and Culver.

A small group of shops opened on Chuter Avenue, close to Monterey Street. When a post office started there, it was called the Monterey post office. The local council, Rockdale Council, wanted to create a brand new suburb. They suggested the name Monterey. Not everyone agreed at first, as some thought the name sounded too American, especially with the other Californian street names already there. However, most people liked the idea, and so Monterey officially became its own suburb in 1972.

Scarborough Park, a well-known spot in Monterey, was once a swamp known as Pat Moore's Swamp. It was later named by a person called Thomas Holt, who named it after a coastal town in England called Scarborough, North Yorkshire.

People Living in Monterey

Based on the 2021 census, there were 4,619 people living in Monterey. Most of them, about 57%, were born in Australia. The next largest groups came from Greece (5.9%) and Egypt (4.1%), followed by China (2.2%).

When it comes to languages spoken at home, 45.7% of people spoke only English. Other popular languages included Greek (16.7%), Arabic (7.4%), Spanish (3.5%), and Macedonian (3.4%). For religion, the most common beliefs were Eastern Orthodox (28.3%), Catholic (22.4%), and people with No Religion (16.8%). Islam was also followed by 6.7% of the residents.

Places to See in Monterey

• Scarborough Park, Tanner Reserve, Cook Park
• Lady Robinsons Beach

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  Kitesurfers on the beach

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  Rock wall on Botany Bay

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  Scarborough Park

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  Chuter Avenue shops

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  Monterey Beach