Shellharbour, New South Wales facts for kids
Quick facts for kids ShellharbourNew South Wales |
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 Shellharbour
Location in New South Wales
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| Established | 1817 |
| Time zone | AEST (UTC+10) |
| • Summer (DST) | AEDT (UTC+11) |
| Location |
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| LGA(s) | City of Shellharbour |
| Region | Illawarra |
| Parish | Terragong |
| State electorate(s) | Shellharbour |
| Federal Division(s) | Whitlam |
Shellharbour is a lovely suburb in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. It's also known as Shellharbour Village. This area is so important that it gives its name to the local government area, City of Shellharbour, and its main shopping and business area, Shellharbour City Centre.
The suburb is built around a small, pretty harbour called Shell Harbour. It has two main beaches for everyone to enjoy. Shellharbour Beach stretches towards Barrack Point. Shellharbour South Beach goes in the direction of Bass Point.
If you visit, you might catch the Harbourside Markets. They happen in Little Park on the fourth Sunday of every month.
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History of Shellharbour
The land where Shellharbour now stands has a very long history. For thousands of years, Indigenous Australians lived here. European settlers started arriving around 1817.
Shellharbour was not always called by its current name. It was first known as Yerrowah. Later, it was called Peterborough before becoming Shellharbour.
Shipwrecks and Ancient Sites
The coastline around Shellharbour has many interesting historical secrets. There are nine shipwrecks hidden beneath the waves! These ships sank a long time ago, with the oldest dating back to 1851. All these shipwrecks are protected by special laws to keep them safe.
Bass Point is another important historical spot. It holds lots of evidence from Aboriginal life that shows people lived there many years ago.
Some of the ships that wrecked near Shellharbour include:
- Alexander Berry – This ship wrecked at Bass Point in 1901.
- Amphitrite – It ran aground at Shellharbour in 1851.
- Bertha – This ship was wrecked during a big storm in 1879.
- Cities Service Boston – It went ashore at Bass Point in 1943.
- Comboyne – This ship wrecked off Bass Point in 1920.
- Echo – It wrecked near Long Point in 1863.
- Franz – This ship wrecked near Lake Illawarra in 1879.
- Our Own – It ran aground at Bass Point in 1880.
What to Do in Shellharbour
Shellharbour is growing and changing with lots of new shops and homes being built. The main street is Addison Street. Here you'll find many cafes with outdoor seating and various shops. The Roo Theatre Company is also located here, offering fun performances.
At the end of Addison Street, you'll find the Ocean Beach Hotel, right across from the harbour. Next to the harbour is the Beverley Whitfield saltwater swimming pool. This is a great spot for a swim! Across from Shellharbour Beach, there's Beverley Whitfield Park. This park has the Tom "Scout" Willoughby cricket oval, perfect for sports.
People of Shellharbour
In 2016, about 3,561 people lived in Shellharbour.
- About 2.8% of the people were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander.
- Most people (75.9%) were born in Australia. The next biggest group came from England (4.9%).
- Most people (85.2%) spoke only English at home.
- When it comes to religion, the most common choices were Catholic (29.7%), No Religion (23.6%), and Anglican (19.6%).
Famous People from Shellharbour
Many talented people have come from Shellharbour. Here are a few:
- Edward Allen – A politician who helped make laws.
- James Bell – An Australian rules footballer.
- Josh Bingham – A soccer player.
- Trudy Burke – A soccer player.
- Ron Costello – A rugby league player.
- Adam Docker – A rugby league player.
- Jai Field – A rugby league player, also plays in the Super League.
- John Daniel FitzGerald – Another politician from the area.
- Caitlin Foord – A famous soccer player for Arsenal WFC and the Australian national team, the Matildas.
- Jackson Ford – A rugby league player.
- Madeline Heiner – A talented runner.
- Beau Henry – A rugby league player.
- Rikeya Horne – A rugby league player.
- Michelle Heyman – A soccer player.
- Kane Linnett – A soccer player.
- Dan Palmer – A rugby union player.
- Ellen Perez – A professional tennis player.
- John Reid – Another politician.
- Casey Sablowski – A hockey player.
- David Smith – A canoeist.
- Alexander Volkanovski – A UFC Champion in mixed martial arts.
- Beverley Whitfield – A famous swimmer.
- Adam Zampa – A cricketer.
