Toormina, New South Wales facts for kids
Quick facts for kids ToorminaCoffs Harbour, New South Wales |
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 Toormina
Location in New South Wales
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| Population | 6,171 (2021 census) |
| Postcode(s) | 2452 |
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| LGA(s) | City of Coffs Harbour |
| State electorate(s) | Coffs Harbour |
| Federal Division(s) | Cowper |
Toormina is a suburb located in the City of Coffs Harbour. You can find it on the east coast of New South Wales, Australia. It's in the southern part of the city, very close to the beachside suburb of Sawtell.
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History of Toormina
Toormina was developed in the 1980s. A local landowner named Mr. Patrick Hargraves owned a lot of land in the Coffs Harbour and Sawtell areas. He used to holiday in Sawtell with his family every Christmas in the 1960s. Mr. Hargraves saw a chance to build new homes west of the existing town. He slowly bought the land that is now Toormina.
How Toormina Got Its Name
The name 'Toormina' was inspired by local people. Some of Mr. Hargraves' Italian clients suggested the name Taormina. This is a famous resort area in Sicily, Italy. Mr. Hargraves thought the name sounded better without the 'a' at the end. So, he changed it to Toormina.
Connecting Toormina to Coffs Harbour
Toormina is connected to Coffs Harbour by a road called Hogbin Drive. People often call it the Link Road. Buses like Sawtell Coaches and Busways serve the area. When the land along Hogbin Drive was being developed, Mr. Hargraves made some important land donations. He traded land with the Coffs Harbour and District RSL for the Coffs Harbour Education Campus. He also gave land for the Coffs Harbour Catholic High School, which is now St. John Paul College.
Schools in Toormina
Toormina has several schools for students. These include Toormina High School and Toormina Primary School. There is also Bayldon Primary School. For independent education, there is the Catholic Primary School Mary Help of Christians.
Toormina Gardens Shopping Centre
Toormina Gardens is a local shopping centre. It was built in the 1980s to serve the growing number of people in south Coffs Harbour. The centre is located off Toormina Road. In 2001, a company called Centro Properties Group bought it. They renamed it Centro Toormina.
Shopping Centre Upgrades
In April 2007, the Coffs Harbour City Council approved a big upgrade for the centre. This project cost about A$20 million. The upgrade added a Kmart Australia store. It joined the existing supermarkets, Coles and Woolworths. Many other specialty stores were also added. These included Man to Man Menswear, Michael Hill Jewellers, and Sanity Music.
Major construction work finished by November 2008. This project also brought the first set of traffic lights to the suburb. Centro Toormina had its grand re-opening on November 27th. In 2013, Centro was sold again. It went back to its original name, Toormina Gardens. Later in 2013, the supermarket chain Aldi built its own store next to Toormina Gardens.
Other Local Features
Toormina is known for a few other things too. Clint Greenshields, a former professional rugby league player, came from Toormina. He played for the St George Illawarra Dragons in the NRL. He also played in France for the Catalans Dragons from 2007 to 2012. After that, he returned to the NRL to play for the QLD Cowboys.
The town also has some great facilities for sports and recreation. There is a velodrome, which is a track for bicycle racing. You can also find a skate park for skateboarding. Toormina has a well-maintained BMX track too. This track often hosts state championships for BMX riders.
