History of Northern Beaches, NSW
The Northern Beaches is located in New South Wales, along the Pacific coast of Australia. The place is known to be one of the country’s major attractions, with local and international populations residing here. The population of Northern Beaches is estimated at 260,000 people as per the recent projection. It is worth noting that the population has gradually grown based on the developments that have taken place in the Northern Beaches area. Initially, the Northern Beaches was largely a rural area, with minimal civilisation, until the 20th century when the place began to take the urbanisation trend.
Guringai Country, the Land of the Garigal Or Caregal People
The Northern Beaches region is known popularly for hosting the traditional Aboriginal inhabitants. In essence, The Northern Beaches hosted the Guringai people of the Eora nation. It is, however, notable that the Northern Beaches area was significantly isolated in 1789, following the outbreak of Smallpox. It was then that the population of the Guringai people faced low numbers of survivors.
The Aboriginal people form one of the oldest cultures in the Northern Beaches today. Although a significant population of the ancient inhibitors of the Northern Beaches had left the place due to disease outbreaks, there are still some remnants that exhibit he Aboriginal culture.
It is worth noting that Northern Beaches provided an adequate supply of resources for the Garigal and Caregal people, including fish and animals. It was due to the said supplication of resources that the ancient inhabitants of the land multiplied and formed a unique culture across the Northern Beaches. It was until the later years in the 20th century that Northern Beaches would eventually turn into an urbanised area.
Northern Beaches Brief History
The inhibition of the Northern Beaches changed significantly following explorers’ increased interest in the region. In essence, explorers from the United Kingdom and other European countries began to travel to Northern Beaches in 1787. Captain Arthur Phillip of the Royal Navy travelled from England with the intention of establishing a colony in New South Wales. He would later become the first governor of New South Wales.
The establishment of a colony in New South Wales by Captain Phillip led to increased interest in settlements along the Northern Beaches. It was in 1788 that the first fleet of 11 ships docked at Botany Bay. This was identified as one of the best places for settling, particularly based on the terrain and climate.
In the pursuit of exploring the new location, Captain Phillip would later travel north to Port Jackson. The three-day exploration impressed Phillip based on the way of life exhibited by the Aboriginal people. The place would later be named the Manly Cove.
The plan to grow Manly into an urban centre was conceived early when the exploration by Captain Phillip began. Based on the archived maps accessed in 1822, an early map clearly shows the proposed plan of the Manly Township. The idea was to ensure that a strategic plan was established to prevent boats, which played the only link between Manly and Sydney.
It is also notable that early 1820 would see more scattered settlements take course across the Manly Cove and the North Harbor. The population in the region had already grown significantly, hence the expansive settlement across the North Harbor and Manly Cove.
With time, Henry Gilbert, a businessman from England but living in Sydney, identified Manly as one of the best watering places for the Sydney residents. It was then that Henry would begin acquiring land in the area while planning on constructing the Pier Hotel. This development led to growing interests among other businesspeople, who would later establish more constructions meant for business. It is also notable that the ferry service was largely encouraged by Henry, with the purpose of offering excursion trips for residents and tourists. A daily ferry service was already in place by 1856.
The chain of developments inspired by Henry directly fueled the growth of Northern Beaches. This included a donation of land to allow the construction of churches, schools, and parks, among other facilities. By 1877, Manly had already acquired official status as a local government under the respective legal establishment.
