Oak Flats, New South Wales facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Oak Flats New South Wales
Aerial view of Oak Flats from the east
Oak Flats Location in New South Wales
Population	6,415 (2016 census)
• Density	1,783/km2 (4,620/sq mi)
Established	1831
Postcode(s)	2529
Elevation	14 m (46 ft)
Area	3.590 km2 (1.4 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10)
• Summer (DST)	AEDT (UTC+11)
Location	85 km (53 mi) S of Sydney 21 km (13 mi) S of Wollongong 15 km (9 mi) N of Kiama 213 km (132 mi) NE of Canberra
LGA(s)	City of Shellharbour
Region	Illawarra
County	Camden
Parish	Terragong
State electorate(s)	Shellharbour
Federal Division(s)	Whitlam

Oak Flats is a suburb in New South Wales, Australia. It is part of the Shellharbour area. You can find it on the southwestern shores of Lake Illawarra. This area is part of the beautiful Illawarra region.

Oak Flats is mainly a place where people live. In 2016 census, about 6,415 people called it home. It's one of many suburbs in the wider Wollongong area. The local government, Shellharbour City Council, looks after Oak Flats.

Discovering Oak Flats: A Look at Its History

The land where Oak Flats now stands has a very long history. The Indigenous people of the Yuin nation are the traditional owners. Evidence shows that Aboriginal people lived here as far back as 15,000 BC.

When Did Europeans Arrive?

European explorers George Bass and Matthew Flinders first explored this area in 1796. Later, between 1817 and 1831, free settlers started to arrive in nearby Shellharbour. As more people moved into the surrounding suburbs, there was a growing need for new places to live.

How Did Oak Flats Develop?

The first European owner of this land was an army officer named John Horsley. In 1821, he received a large grant of 1,200 acres (485 hectares). This land, known as the 'Oak Flats Run', was used for raising cattle.

The development of Oak Flats as a suburb began in 1925. The Lake Illawarra Township Estate was the first area to be planned. Then came the Kembla Vista and Panorama Estates. However, the Great Depression in the 1930s and World War II slowed things down. After the war, many immigrants, especially from the Netherlands and Germany, moved to Oak Flats. This helped the town grow quickly.

Oak Flats as a Holiday Spot

In the early 1930s, newspapers in Sydney promoted Lake Illawarra as a great holiday spot. They said its waters were good for health, like spas in the Blue Mountains. Visitors to Oak Flats often stayed at a two-storey guesthouse. Some people even bought land and built small holiday homes.

A boat shed was once located at Central Park, where you could rent rowing boats. The grassy banks along the shoreline were popular on hot summer days. Families would gather there to relax or swim in the lake.

Street Names and Town Design

Many streets in Oak Flats are named after former Australian prime ministers. For example, you can find Deakin Street and Barton Street.

Interestingly, Oak Flats was designed by Walter Burley Griffin. He is the same person who designed Australia's capital city, Canberra. Both places have a similar design idea. Oak Flats has a round street, Bridge Avenue, at its centre, much like Canberra's Parliament House area.

Who Lives in Oak Flats?

Oak Flats is located in southeast New South Wales. In 2016 census, it had a population of about 6,415 people. The population was almost evenly split between males (49.1%) and females (50.9%).

Families and Households

About 1,819 families lived in Oak Flats. Of these, 40.7% had at least one child under 15 years old. Single-parent families made up 19.6% of all families. Also, 38.6% of couples living in Oak Flats did not have children. The suburb covers an area of about 359 hectares (887 acres).

Marital Status

For people aged 15 and over in Oak Flats:

• 48.8% were married.
• 9.6% were divorced.
• 4.3% were separated.
• 6.2% were widowed.
• 31.0% had never married.

Where Are People From?

The table below shows the main countries of birth for people living in Oak Flats:

Exploring the Geography of Oak Flats

Oak Flats has varying land levels. Its lowest point is about -4 metres (-13.12 feet) below sea level. Its highest point is about 36 metres (118 feet) above sea level.

Nearby Areas

Oak Flats is surrounded by several other suburbs and regional areas. These include Albion Park Rail, Albion Park, Blackbutt, and Mount Warrigal.

Learning in Oak Flats: Schools and Education

Oak Flats is home to four main schools. These are Balarang Primary, Oak Flats Primary School, Oak Flats High School, and Corpus Christi Catholic High School.

Oak Flats High School

Oak Flats High School is a government-funded secondary school. It opened in 1962 on a large site of 20-hectare (49-acre). The school has about 760 students. It provides education for students from Year 7 to Year 12.

Balarang Public School

Balarang Public School opened in 1968. It is located on a four-hectare site right next to Oak Flats High School. This school teaches children from Kindergarten to Year 6. About 30% of its students come from other nearby suburbs. The name "Balarang" comes from an Indigenous word meaning 'place of swamp oak'.

Corpus Christi Catholic High School

Corpus Christi Catholic High School is a Catholic co-educational school. This means it teaches both boys and girls. It first opened in 2006 with its first group of Year 7 students. Students come from parishes stretching from Port Kembla in the north to Kiama in the south. Since opening, Corpus Christi has grown to become a school for Years 7 to 12.

Oak Flats Public School

Oak Flats Public School was the first school to open in the Oak Flats area. It provides education and care for children from Kindergarten to Year 6. The school also offers pre-school programs.

Places of Worship in Oak Flats

Oak Flats Anglican Church started holding services in a house in 1947. It then moved to its current building at 35 Fisher Street in 1951. The Uniting Church was once located on Parkes Street. That property is now home to the Uthman mosque.

Getting Around Oak Flats: Transport Options

Oak Flats Railway Station

Oak Flats has its own rail station. This station is on the NSW TrainLink South Coast line. There is also a bus station right at the rail station. This makes it easy to switch between buses and trains.

Fun and Games: Recreational Areas

Oak Flats has several places for sports and recreation. It has two cricket grounds, named Shane Lee Oval and Geoff Shaw Oval. There is also Brett Lee Oval. For soccer, there are two grounds: Keith Bond Oval and Panorama Oval. The suburb also has one tennis court for playing tennis.

Famous People from Oak Flats

• Cricketers Shane and Brett Lee are from Oak Flats.
• Rev. Ben Murphy was also born here.