Palm Beach, New South Wales facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Palm Beach Sydney, New South Wales
A view of Palm Beach from Barrenjoey Lighthouse
Palm Beach Location in New South Wales
Established	1911
Postcode(s)	2108
Elevation	9 m (30 ft)
Area	2.6 km2 (1.0 sq mi)
Location	41 km (25 mi) north of Sydney CBD
LGA(s)	Northern Beaches Council
State electorate(s)	Pittwater
Federal Division(s)	Mackellar
Suburbs around Palm Beach: Broken Bay Pittwater Palm Beach Tasman Sea Clareville Avalon Whale Beach

Palm Beach is a beautiful suburb in the Northern Beaches area of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It's about 41 kilometres (25 mi) north of the main city center of Sydney. Palm Beach is located on a peninsula (land surrounded by water on three sides) near Pittwater. It's the most northern beach in the Greater Sydney area. In 2016, about 1,593 people lived there.

People sometimes call Palm Beach "Palmy." You might recognize it from the TV show Home and Away, where it's used as the setting for the fictional town of Summer Bay. Palm Beach was also featured in a 2018 movie called 'Palm Beach'. This area is known for its stunning homes, from small cottages to large estates. Many famous and wealthy people enjoy holidaying here in the summer.

Geography of Palm Beach

Palm Beach is surrounded by water and other suburbs. To the north is Broken Bay, and to the east is the Tasman Sea (part of the South Pacific Ocean). To the south, you'll find Whale Beach, Avalon, and Clareville. Pittwater is to the west.

Barrenjoey Headland

Barrenjoey Headland is in the northern part of Palm Beach. It's part of Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. This headland rises sharply from the beach, reaching over 100 metres (330 ft) above sea level. It has a working lighthouse at the top. A narrow strip of sand, called a tombolo, connects the headland to the rest of Palm Beach. In the 1980s, fences and plants were added to this sandy strip to stop sand from washing away.

Local Areas in Palm Beach

The suburb of Palm Beach includes several smaller areas. These are Barrenjoey, Sand Point, Careel Bay, Paradise Beach, and North Avalon.

Nature Reserves and Bushland

Along the cliffs and sand dunes, you can find lots of natural bushland. These areas are protected in reserves and national parks. Barrenjoey Headland, for example, is part of Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. These natural areas are home to special plant communities. Some of these are endangered, like Littoral Rainforest and Pittwater spotted gum forest. You can learn more about them in articles like McKay Reserve and Barrenjoey.

Famous Landmarks

Barrenjoey Headland and Station Beach viewed from West Head

Some important landmarks in Palm Beach include the Barrenjoey Lighthouse. There are also water reservoirs, and the Iluka Resort Apartments.

The main beach itself is about 2.3-kilometre (1.4 mi) long. It curves gently between Barrenjoey Head (with its lighthouse) and the rocks of Little Head to the south. The beach connects Barrenjoey to the mainland. North Palm Beach stretches 1.4 kilometres (0.87 mi) south from Barrenjoey. The southern part of Palm Beach includes an area called Kiddies Corner. This area is safer for swimming because it's more protected from waves.

History of Palm Beach

Kiddies Corner at Palm Beach viewed from Sunrise Rd

Palm Beach Public Swimming Pool

A view of the patrolled swimming area in the southern section of Palm Beach

North Palm Beach and Barrenjoey Headland with Killcare Heights and Bouddi National Park in the background

How Palm Beach Got Its Name

On an old map from 1832, the southern end of Palm Beach was called Cabbage Tree Boat Harbour. Palm Beach later got its name from the Cabbage Tree palms (Livistona australis) that grew near this harbour. The scientific name of the palm, Livistona, is also used for Livistona Lane, a street off Palm Beach Road.

Early European Settlement

Governor Philip explored this area in 1788. He named the headland 'Barrenjuee', which was an Aboriginal word meaning 'young kangaroo'. In 1816, a large area of land, including Palm Beach and Barrenjoey, was given to James Napper. During the 1800s, some European and Chinese people lived at Snapperman Beach. They caught and dried fish there.

In 1900, most of the land (except Barrenjoey Headland, which the government bought in 1881) was divided into 18 big blocks. These were listed as good for grazing animals, but no one bought them. In 1912, the land was offered again in smaller blocks for homes. These new blocks were advertised for their fishing, sailing, golf, and rowing opportunities. Many early houses were built using local sandstone. Other building materials had to be brought in by ship. Some buildings were guest houses, but most were holiday homes for wealthy people.

The Palm Beach wharf was a busy place. People would arrive by boat from Newport or Bayview. Parks like Hordern and Wiltshire Parks, and Mackay Reserve, were donated by RJ Hordern, who lived nearby. After World War II, more people started living in Palm Beach permanently. However, it still feels like a quiet, hidden peninsula at the northern tip of Pittwater.

Key Historical Moments

• Before 1770: The Garigal clan of the Guringai people lived in this area. Their lands stretched from Broken Bay to Port Jackson.
• 1770: Captain Cook named Broken Bay.
• 1788: Governor Arthur Phillip explored the area and named the headland "Barrenjuee."
• 1816: Surgeon James Napper received a land grant of 400 acres (1.6 km²) from Governor Macquarie.
• 1843: A Customs Station was set up at Barrenjoey.
• 1863: A Chinese fishing village was started at Snappermans Beach.
• 1881: The government bought the headland for £1250. A stone lighthouse and three cottages were built.
• 1911: Palm Beach was divided into smaller blocks for homes.
• 1912: Telephone service came to Palm Beach.
• 1921: The Palm Beach Surf Lifesaving Club was founded.
• 1978: The movie "Tim," starring Mel Gibson, was filmed mostly at the old Barrenjoey Customs House.
• 1988–Present: Palm Beach became the filming location for "Summer Bay" in the TV show Home and Away.
• 2013: A fire on Barrenjoey headland threatened the historic area but was put out by firefighters.

The view south from Barrenjoey Headland

Heritage Sites

Palm Beach has some important heritage-listed places. These are sites that are protected because of their historical value. One key site is the Barrenjoey Head Lighthouse on Barrenjoey Headland.

Local Shops and Services

Palm Beach has several useful facilities. These include a milk bar (a small shop), a large RSL club, a hairdresser, a beautician, and a preschool. You can also find a number of cafes, restaurants, and bed and breakfast places for visitors.

Schools in the Area

For students living in Palm Beach, the closest public primary school is Avalon Public School (Kindergarten to Year 6). The public high school is Barrenjoey High School (Years 7 to 12). Both are government-funded schools. There is also Maria Regina, a Catholic primary school for students from Kindergarten to Year 6.

Getting Around Palm Beach

Palm Beach Seaplanes offers flights from Palm Beach to other places like Rose Bay in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs. The Palm Beach Water Airport is located near the headland.

The Palm Beach Ferry runs services from the town wharf to several destinations. These include Ettalong, Great Mackerel Beach, Currawong Beach, Coasters Retreat, and The Basin. There's also a ferry service from Palm Beach wharf to Patonga.

You can reach Palm Beach by bus or car using Barrenjoey Road. Bus route 199, operated by Keolis Downer Northern Beaches, connects Palm Beach to Manly wharf.

Sports and Fun Activities

Palm Beach has many parks, beaches, and sports areas. Part of the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park is here, as is the famous beach itself. The Careel Bay Ovals Sporting Complex has fields for rugby league, soccer, and tennis courts.

Palm Beach also has a golf club and a sailing club. If you want to learn to surf, there's a surf school. There are two surf lifesaving clubs. The North Palm Beach Surf Life Saving Club is used as the set for the "Summer Bay Surf Club" in the TV show Home and Away. The Palm Beach Surf Life Saving Club, founded in 1921, is at the south end of the beach. During summer, paid lifeguards patrol on weekdays, and volunteers from the club patrol on weekends. It's one of the biggest surf clubs in New South Wales. The beach is also popular with rock climbers because of its unique sandstone rocks.

Palm Beach Panorama (looking south)

Clubs in Palm Beach

• Avalon Soccer Club
• Avalon Rugby League Club
• Cabbage Tree Club
• Careel Bay Tennis Club
• North Palm Beach Surf Life Saving Club
• Pacific Club
• Palm Beach Golf Club
• Palm Beach Sailing Club
• Palm Beach Surf Life Saving Club

See also

In Spanish: Palm Beach (Nueva Gales del Sur) para niños