User:Frosty/WIP/Gosford
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| Gosford | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Motto: "Oi dude, pass us the bong." | |
| State | New South Wales |
| Country | Australia |
| Official nickname | Gossie |
| Official language(s) | Street Talk |
| Currency | Liquor |
| Opening hours | Open all hours |
| Population | 1,000,000 (number steadily declines after afternoon train line peak) |
Gosford is a small city located on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia it is located 76km north of the Sydney central business district. It is world famous for its friendly locals and being the perect place to socialise at the gentlemens club over a few beers.
The city is the high administrative of the Central Coast region, and is also the third largest urban area in New South Wales after Sydney and Newcastle. Gosford is considered a major commercial centre of the Sydney Metropolitan Area, and has been designated as an important growth centre under the NSW Metropolitan "Strategy.
Gosford is considered seperate of the Sydney metropolitan area, with a significant proportion of the population commuting for work or study. This can be to blame for a lack of employment and educational opportunities in the area.
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edit History
Until European settlement, the area around Gosford was occupied by two groups of Australian Aborigines, the Guringai and Darkinjung peoples, with the Guringai being principally coastal-dwellers and the Darkingung occupying land to the west. [citation needed]
Along with the other land around the Hawkesbury River estuary, the Brisbane Water district was explored during the early stages of the settlement of Sydney. In the early 19th century some pioneering European settlers began occupying the land, for timber-cutting (mainly ironbark and Australian red cedar), lime production and grazing. [citation needed]
Gosford itself was explored by Governor Phillip between 1788 and 1789. The area was of difficult access and settlement did not start before 1823. By the late 19th century the agriculture in the region was diversifying, with market gardens and citrus orchards occupying the rich soil left after the timber harvest. The first road between Hawkesbury, (near Pittwater) to Brisbane Water was only a cart wheel track even in 1850.[1]
Convicts once lived and worked in the Gosford area. In 1825, Gosford's population reached 100, of which 50% were convicts.
East Gosford was the first centre of settlement. Gosford was named in 1839 after Archibald Acheson, 2nd Earl of Gosford – a friend of the then Governor George Gipps. [citation needed]
In 1887, the rail link to Sydney was completed, requiring a bridge over the Hawkesbury River and a tunnel through the sandstone ridge west of Woy Woy. The introduction of this transport link, and then the Pacific Highway in 1930 accelerated the development of the region.
Gosford became a town in 1885 and was declared a municipality in 1886.[2]
edit Climate
Gosford has a humid subtropical climate with hot, humid summers and mild, drier winters. February and March are the wettest months and August and September are the driest months. Thunderstorm season runs from October 1 to April 1 and some can be severe.
| Climate data for Gosford | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 27.5 | 27.1 | 25.9 | 23.6 | 20.4 | 17.9 | 17.5 | 19.0 | 21.3 | 23.8 | 25.0 | 26.9 | 23.0 |
| Average low °C (°F) | 16.7 | 17.1 | 15.3 | 11.9 | 8.3 | 6.5 | 4.8 | 5.3 | 7.7 | 10.7 | 13.0 | 15.2 | 11.0 |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 133.8 (5.268) | 152.3 (5.996) | 151.2 (5.953) | 137.6 (5.417) | 118.0 (4.646) | 128.2 (5.047) | 78.8 (3.102) | 74.0 (2.913) | 68.5 (2.697) | 84.1 (3.311) | 92.3 (3.634) | 102.6 (4.039) | 1,318.3 (51.902) |
| Source: [3] | |||||||||||||
edit City centre
Gosford proper is located in a valley with President's Hill on the city's western border and Rumbalara Reserve on its eastern border, and Brisbane water to the city's south. Mann Street, Gosford's main street and part of the Pacific Highway, runs north-south contains the frontage for much of its commercial district. The Central Coast Highway runs past Gosford's waterfront area, while its predecessor the Pacific Highway takes on several names through the CBD itself. Mann Street contains the main public transport links for Gosford, with Gosford railway station (CityRail and CountryLink) and the termini for several bus routes.
In the centre of Gosford is a shopping and community precinct, including Kibble Park, William Street Mall, Gosford City Library, the Imperial Shopping Centre, the Gosford Town Shopping Centre and a full range of shops, cafes, banks and services, especially along William Street Mall.
More recently, the Gosford CBD has suffered a decline as more commercial activity has relocated to nearby Erina, particularly Erina Fair.[citation needed] To address this, there have been proposals to revitalise the city centre by more adequately connecting it to the waterfront, and provide more employment and entertainment areas.[citation needed]
More recently the city has redeveloped its park in the city centre, including a stream, a restaurant and outdoor performance facilities. This will be the beginning of the redevelopment of the CBD.
A small number of high rise developments have been built in the area as well, to encourage a concentration of residence in a bid to stimulate the economy of local business, and the local population, with more high rise developments planned.
edit Facilities
Gosford is home to:
- Gosford Hospital – the largest hospital on the Central Coast
- Gosford High School – the only selective high school on the Central Coast
- The Central Coast Conservatorium (in the original Gosford Courthouse)
- The Bluetongue Central Coast Stadium in Grahame Park, adjacent to the Central Coast Leagues Club. Originally built for the Central Coast Bears team in the NRL rugby league competition (to this day, the seats are arranged to say 'Go Bears'), since 2005 it is now the home of the Central Coast Mariners A-League association football team and was the home venue of the Central Coast Rays rugby union Australian Rugby Championship team
- Gosford Racecourse
- Gosford showground
- The headquarters of the NSW State Government's workers compensation fund, WorkCover.
- Gavenlock Oval – Home ground of the Gosford City Dragons
edit Notable people
- Matt Orford – Former NRL halfback, 2008 Dally M medal winner, 2008 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles premiership captain
- Mark Skaife – 5-time Bathurst 1000 winner
- Des Hasler – Former Rugby league utility player, NSW & Australian representative player, 1987 & 1996 Manly Sea Eagles premiership player, 2008 Manly Sea Eagles premiership coach
- Alan Davidson – Former Australian cricketer. An all-rounder who played 44 tests for Australia and 193 matches for New South Wales. During the 1950s was regarded as one of the finest pace bowlers in the world
- David Fairleigh – Former Rugby League forward, 1994 Rothman's Medal winner, NSW & Australian representative player, North Sydney Bears "Team Of The Century" second-rower, current coach of the Central Coast Bears
- Andrew Redmayne – Goalkeeper for the Brisbane Roar in the Hyundai A-League
- Brad Porter – Midfielder for the Central Coast Mariners in the Hyundai A-League
edit Notable residents
- Chris Payne – Footballer currently playing for the North Queensland Fury in the A-League.
- Peter Sterling – Former rugby league player, 4 time premiership player (1981–83 and 1986), representative player for NSW and Australia, 1986 and 1987 Dally M Medal winner, 1986 Clive Churchill Medal winner, Parramatta Eels halfback of the century, Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame inductee. Currently resides in Holgate.
edit Sister cities and twin towns
edit References
- ↑ History of Gosford
- ↑ Gosford – Central Coast Australia
- ↑ Climate statistics for Gosford. Australian Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved on 12 February 2009.
