The Entrance, New South Wales facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The EntranceCentral Coast, New South Wales |
|||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Entrance at sunset
|
|||||||||||||||
 The Entrance
Location in New South Wales
|
|||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 2261 | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation | 4 m (13 ft) | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 1.4 km2 (0.5 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Location | |||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | Central Coast Council | ||||||||||||||
| Parish | Tuggerah | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | The Entrance | ||||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Dobell | ||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||
The Entrance is a lively coastal town in the Central Coast area of New South Wales, Australia. It is managed by the Central Coast Council. In 2021, about 4,244 people lived here.
The town sits on a piece of land surrounded by water on three sides. Its name comes from the natural channel that forms its northern border. This channel is the 'entrance' to Tuggerah Lakes. The Entrance has been a popular holiday spot since 1885, when the first guest house opened. Today, it offers many places to stay and fun things to do. Visitors enjoy its beautiful beaches, the lake, and the town centre. It's also a great starting point for day trips to the Hunter Valley vineyards.
Contents
History of The Entrance
Early Settlement
People believe that Europeans first found The Entrance in 1796. This happened when Governor Colonel David Collins was looking for an escaped convict woman. She was thought to be living with Aboriginal people north of the Hawkesbury River.
In 1828, Henry Holden took over the land now known as The Entrance. He owned about 640 acres. His land stretched from the Pacific Ocean to Tuggerah Lake and down to Toowoon Bay Road. Holden called his property Towoon.
In 1835, the land was sold to Thomas Cade Battley for £200. He renamed it Terilbah. You can find streets named after Battley and John Edye Manning in The Entrance today.
The Taylor family took over the land in 1850. They called it Tuggerah Beach. The land stayed privately owned until around 1900. Then, it was divided among the twelve children of Richard Brown Taylor. The Taylors also gave land for churches and The Entrance Public School. Many streets in the area are named after them, like Taylor Street and Victoria Street.
On December 15, 1910, a post office called Karagi opened. Karagi was the Aboriginal name for the entrance point. On November 15, 1911, the name was officially changed to "The Entrance".
How The Entrance Grew
In 1889, a railway line connecting Sydney to Newcastle was finished. This helped tourism grow in the late 1800s. The first guest house, Dunleith Guest House, opened in 1885. Bayview Guest House was the first in The Entrance town, opening in 1900. By 1912, the Taylor family ran four guest houses.
In March 1920, 200 plots of land were sold. Holiday houses quickly started to be built. Soon, 15 guest houses were operating. Even with lots of competition, these guest houses were often full. Streets like Bayview Avenue are named after these old guest houses.
For a long time, The Entrance was hard to reach. You could only get there by wagon from Gosford or by ferry from Wyong. Fishermen loved the area. Before 1908, most boats used Tuggerah Jetty to bring in their fish.
In October 1953, the Prime Minister, Robert Menzies, visited the town. He spoke to students at The Entrance Public School. He also attended a big dance at The Palm Grove Dance Hall. It was a very special event for the town.
Before 2016, The Entrance was part of the former Wyong Shire.
Getting Around The Entrance
Early Travel
The building of Wyong Wharf made it easier to get to The Entrance. Ferry travel became very popular. Many ferries, like Wyong and Maheno, made regular trips across Tuggerah Lake. In 1922, the dirt track to Wyong became a proper road. By the late 1920s, buses took over from ferries. They were faster and cheaper.
The Entrance Bridge
The Entrance Bridge connects The Entrance to The Entrance North. It crosses The Entrance Channel and is part of Wilfred Barrett Drive. The first bridge was made of wood and had only one lane. It opened in 1934. It worked well until 1965.
By 1965, too much traffic was using the old bridge. It needed constant repairs. Work on the new, two-lane concrete bridge started in 1967. This new bridge opened on December 20, 1968. The Premier of New South Wales Robert Askin officially opened it in 1969.
Today, Red Bus Services provide bus transport in The Entrance. The town is a main stop for many routes. Buses usually run every 30 to 60 minutes from early morning until late at night.
Fun Things to Do and See
Pelican Feeding
In 1999, The Entrance waterfront was called 'The Pelican Capital of Australia'. This was when a special platform for feeding pelicans was opened. This daily pelican feeding attracts about 20,000 visitors every year! It's a must-see event.
The Entrance Cinema
The Entrance Cinema is a historic movie theatre. It opened as The Prince Edward Theatre in 1934. It became very popular because another cinema in town had burned down that same year. The cinema closed in 1977 but reopened in 1981. A second screen was added in 1988.
History Walk and Fishing
You can take a history walk along the main street and the boardwalk by the ocean. Signs with text and photos show important historical spots in the town. The Entrance is also a great place for fishing. You can find fish like whiting, flathead, bream, and blackfish here.
Shopping and Food
The main shopping area is along The Entrance Road. It has about 200 shops, banks, and services. Most stores are small, independent shops. There are also special food stores like bakeries and candy shops. You can find one of the few Asian supermarkets on the Central Coast here. Markets are held every week.
The Golden Gate Cafe is a "classic" Australian milk bar. It opened to serve people going to the Prince Edward Cinema. It still has old-fashioned booth seating and candy counters. The Entrance has two hotels, "The Lakes" and "The Entrance Hotel". Both have interesting old designs.
Mardi Gras Festival
The Entrance holds its yearly Mardi Gras festival to celebrate the start of summer. It usually happens on the first weekend of December. The first Mardi Gras was in 1950, making it one of the oldest town festivals in New South Wales.
Mardi Gras is a huge event for the town. It includes fun runs, concerts, fireworks, and displays. The main highlight is the parade. Many local businesses, sports groups, and community groups have floats in the parade.
The festival was not held in 2013 due to lack of money. But it came back in 2014 with 75 groups and over 12,500 people attending.
Sports and Leisure
The Entrance has many places for sports and fun.
- The Entrance Ocean Baths: This is a complex with three saltwater pools. It's free to use all year round.
- Taylor Park: This is the main sports field in town, used for cricket matches.
- The Entrance Beach: It has one of the oldest surf clubs in the area, in a cool art deco building.
- The Entrance Skate Park: Located at Picnic Point, it's a free, specially built area for skateboarding.
- The Entrance Cycle & Walking Track: This concrete path starts at Picnic Point and lets you cycle or walk safely beside the lake.
- Fishing and Boat Ramps: You can find these facilities at Picnic Point.
- The Entrance Memorial Park: This park in town has a bandstand and great views of the channel and lake.
The 1st Tuggerah Lakes Scout Group has a modern headquarters in Baden-Powell reserve. The Entrance District Cricket Club was started in 1912. They have strong junior programs and have won many championships.
Places of Worship
Churches in The Entrance offer services for different faiths. These include Catholic (Our Lady of the Rosary), Anglican (All Saints), Uniting, and Presbyterian (St. Andrew's) churches.
Education in The Entrance
Primary Schools
The Entrance has one public primary school, The Entrance Public School. It teaches students from Kindergarten to Year 6. It opened in November 1915 with only 10 students. The school now covers the area from North Entrance to Shelly Beach. It also includes students who would have gone to The Entrance North Public School, which closed in 1989.
Glenvale Special School is located at The Entrance North. It is a special school with another campus in Narara.
Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic School was once located within the church grounds. It is now a K-6 school located at Shelly Beach.
Secondary Schools
The Entrance High School opened in 1970 at Shelly Beach. It is now the senior campus for Tuggerah Lakes Secondary College.
St. Peter's Catholic College is the Catholic secondary school for the parish. It teaches students from Year 7 to Year 12 and is located in Tuggerah.
Famous People from The Entrance
- Arthur Chipperfield – A test cricketer from the 1930s.
- Max Dupain – A famous photographer who often holidayed here. His photos of The Entrance are in major art galleries.
- Natalie Imbruglia – A singer and actress who attended Our Lady of the Rosary School.
- Craig McLachlan – A singer-songwriter and actor who attended The Entrance Public School.
Heritage Sites
The Entrance has some important heritage-listed sites. One of these is:
- Ocean Parade: The Entrance Ocean Pools
