Woy Woy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Woy Woy Central Coast, New South Wales
View of Woy Woy and Brisbane Water from Spion Kop
Woy Woy Location in New South Wales
Postcode(s)	2256
Elevation	4 m (13 ft)
Area	6.0 km2 (2.3 sq mi)
Location	84 km (52 mi) NNE of Sydney 12 km (7 mi) S of Gosford
LGA(s)	Central Coast Council
Parish	Patonga
State electorate(s)	Gosford
Federal Division(s)	Robertson
Localities around Woy Woy: Phegans Bay Koolewong Saratoga Horsfield Bay Woy Woy St Huberts Island Brisbane Water National Park Umina Beach Blackwall

Woy Woy Bay in the early 1900s

Woy Woy is a cool coastal town in the Central Coast area of New South Wales, Australia. It's located on the southern part of Brisbane Water, close to where it meets the Pacific Ocean. This makes it a really popular spot for holidays!

Woy Woy is about 84 kilometers north of Sydney, which is the capital city of New South Wales. It's a busy town within the Central Coast Council local government area.

The town is on the northern half of the Woy Woy Peninsula. This peninsula is a busy area that also includes places like Umina Beach, Ettalong Beach, Booker Bay, and Blackwall. The Woy Woy Peninsula is the most populated part of the Central Coast. The main part of Woy Woy, with its shops and railway station, is at the very top of the peninsula. As you go south, Woy Woy blends into Umina and Ettalong.

History of Woy Woy

What Does "Woy Woy" Mean?

The name "Woy Woy" comes from the local Darkinjung Aboriginal language. It's thought to mean 'big lagoon' or 'much water'. This makes sense because the town is right next to a deep channel of water that changes with the tides.

Before it was called Woy Woy, the area was known as Webb's Flat. This name came from James Webb, who was the first European settler in the Brisbane Water area in 1823. The area was first explored by a group led by Governor Arthur Phillip in 1789.

How Woy Woy Grew

In 1889, something big happened: the Hawkesbury River railway bridge was built. This made it much easier for holidaymakers to visit Woy Woy, and it quickly became a popular vacation spot. It's still a favorite holiday destination today!

Later, in 1960, the railway line through Woy Woy was made electric. This meant faster train trips to Sydney and Newcastle. Because of this, many people started moving to Woy Woy in the 1960s and 1970s. Houses were more affordable, and the train ride to Sydney was only about an hour and a half.

On January 9, 1994, the town of Woy Woy had to be evacuated. This was because of bushfires spreading in the area.

A new sports and recreation center, the Peninsula Leisure Centre, opened on October 29, 2005. It cost $24 million to build!

Did you know that the parents of the famous comedian Spike Milligan moved to Woy Woy? Spike Milligan often visited the town. He even jokingly called it the "world's only above-ground cemetery"!

Historic Places in Woy Woy

Woy Woy has some places that are listed as important heritage sites. These include:

• Woy Woy Road: Woy Woy Tunnel

People of Woy Woy

Population Facts

According to the 2021 census, there were 11,072 people living in Woy Woy.

• About 5.5% of the people were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
• Most people (75.0%) were born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were England (4.9%) and New Zealand (2.0%).
• Most people (85.1%) spoke only English at home. Some people also spoke Mandarin (1.5%).
• For religion, the most common answers were No Religion (39.9%), Catholic (21.5%), and Anglican (17.0%).

Schools in Woy Woy

Woy Woy has a few schools for kids.

• St John the Baptist Primary School is a Catholic school. It started way back in 1922!
• There are also two public primary schools: Woy Woy South and Woy Woy Public School.
• For older students, the senior campus of Brisbane Water Secondary College is also in Woy Woy.

Visiting Woy Woy

Woy Woy is a lovely place for a holiday. It's located along the southern waterways of Brisbane Water. You can enjoy amazing water views and find great places to eat right by the water.

Businesses in Woy Woy

Woy Woy is a busy center for shops and services on the Peninsula. It has many retail businesses, professional services, and big supermarkets like Deepwater Plaza and Peninsula Plaza. It's also a key place for people to catch trains and buses.

The town center is even better because of the Woy Woy waterfront. You can catch ferries from Woy Woy Channel to places like Davistown and Empire Bay. You'll find cafes and restaurants near the waterfront, close to the historic Bayview Hotel and Woy Woy Hotel.

Culture and Fun in Woy Woy

The Woy Woy waterfront

Festivals and Theatre

Every year, on the first Sunday in November, there's a fun Brisbane Water Oyster Festival. It used to be held in Woy Woy, but it got so popular (with over 20,000 people attending!) that it moved to Ettalong Beach in 2005 to have more space.

The Woy Woy Little Theatre Company puts on four plays each year at The Peninsula Theatre. They've been performing plays since 1962!

Spike Milligan's Connection

As mentioned, the parents of the famous comedian Spike Milligan (1918–2002) lived in Woy Woy after they retired. Spike often visited the town. He was sometimes jokingly called "the boy from Woy Woy." He famously called Woy Woy "the largest above ground cemetery in the world" when he visited in the 1960s. He even mentioned Woy Woy in his radio show, The Idiot Weekly.

In July 2007, a new bridge for bikes near Woy Woy was named the "Spike Milligan Bridge" in his honor.

The World's Oldest Blogger

Another famous person from Woy Woy was Olive Riley (1899–2008). She lived in a nursing home in Woy Woy and became known as the world's oldest blogger! When she was 107, in February 2007, she started an internet blog. She also appeared in some YouTube videos. Her last blog post was just a couple of weeks before she passed away at 108 years old.

Famous People from Woy Woy

Many talented people have lived in or have connections to Woy Woy:

• Megan Anderson (born 1974), an international netball player, grew up here.
• Graham Eadie (born 1953), a famous Australian Rugby League player.
• Karise Eden, who won the first season of the TV singing show The Voice.
• Spike Milligan (1918–2002), the well-known Indian-British comedian, writer, and actor, spent time here with his parents.
• Janice Petersen (born 1977), a television presenter, grew up in Woy Woy.
• Olive Riley (1899–2008), who became famous as the world's second oldest online blogger and YouTube user.
• Josh Ross (born 1981), an Indigenous Olympian in track-and-field, went to Woy Woy Public School.
• Liesl Tesch (born 1969), a wheelchair basketball player, sailor, and politician, lives in Woy Woy.

Sports in Woy Woy

Woy Woy has many sports teams that play in local Central Coast competitions:

• The Roosters play rugby league.
• The Sharks play cricket.
• Woy Woy FC (since 1965) plays football.
• The Lions play rugby union.
• The Peninsula Swans play Australian rules football.

Woy Woy is also home to the Woy Woy Tennis Club, which is one of the oldest tennis clubs on the Central Coast.

Churches in Woy Woy

• St Luke's Anglican Church
• St John the Baptist Catholic Church
• PeninsulaEV Church

Getting Around Woy Woy

Woy Woy railway station is right by the water!

Woy Woy railway station is a very important transport hub. Many people use the trains here to travel to work in Sydney and Newcastle every day.

The station is also a major bus stop. Busways services connect Woy Woy with other towns on the Peninsula, like Umina Beach and Ettalong Beach. You can also catch Central Coast Ferries from the Woy Woy wharf to visit villages around Brisbane Water, including Davistown. Busways runs 10 different bus routes through Woy Woy to its nearby suburbs.