Watanobbi, New South Wales facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Watanobbi Central Coast, New South Wales
Watanobbi Location in New South Wales
Population	3,774 (2011 census)
• Density	1,990/km2 (5,200/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	2259
Area	1.9 km2 (0.7 sq mi)
Location	3 km (2 mi) N of Wyong
LGA(s)	Central Coast Council
Parish	Munmorah
State electorate(s)	Wyong
Federal Division(s)	Dobell
Suburbs around Watanobbi: Warnervale Warnervale Warnervale, Wyong Wyong Watanobbi Wyong Wyong Wyong Wyong

Watanobbi is a suburb located in the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. A suburb is like a smaller town or area that is part of a larger city or region. Watanobbi is managed by the Central Coast Council, which is the local government for the area.

One special thing about Watanobbi is that it's almost completely surrounded by the Porters Creek wetlands. Wetlands are areas of land covered by water, like swamps or marshes. These wetlands flow into the Tuggerah Lakes, which are located just to the west of the suburb.

History of Watanobbi

What's in a Name?

For a long time, many people thought the name Watanobbi came from Aboriginal language. The local council even suggested it meant "hills surrounded by water." This made sense because the area is mostly surrounded by wetlands.

However, the Geographic Names Board, which is in charge of naming places, later found that the name Watanobbi does not have an Aboriginal origin. Instead, there are two main ideas about where the name came from:

• It might be a changed version of the Japanese family name "Watanabe." This name was linked to a friend of an early explorer named Albert Warner.
• It could also come from a comment made by an early landowner, Allan Chapman. He described the surrounding land as having a "nobby" shape, meaning it had small, rounded hills.

Changes Over Time

In the past ten years, Watanobbi has changed quite a bit. Areas that used to be open fields for grazing animals like horses are now home to a local Community Centre.

Watanobbi was also once famous for hosting parts of the "Watagan Stages" car rally. These races used to happen on dirt roads that are now covered by modern houses. In its busiest days, Watanobbi was known for having a large "Home Show," which was a big event for showing off new houses. It even had public toilets, a Commonwealth Bank office, and many different home builders' offices on site.