The City of Shoalhaven is a local government area in the South Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. The area is about south of Sydney. The Princes Highway passes through the area, and the South Coast railway line traverses the northern section, terminating at Bomaderry. At the , the population was 108,531.
George Bass explored the area in 1797, following Seven Mile Beach. He crossed the shoals at the entrance to the river, calling it "Shoals Haven" due to the shallowness of the river mouth. This river is now known as the Crookhaven, but the name was adopted for the Shoalhaven area and the Shoalhaven River.
The City was established on 1 July 1948 as the Shoalhaven Shire, following the amalgamation of the Municipalities of Nowra, Berry, Broughton's Vale, Ulladulla, South Shoalhaven, and the shires of Cambewarra and Clyde. On 13 July 1979, Governor Roden Cutler proclaimed Shoalhaven as a city. The Shire was converted and constituted on 1 August 1979 simultaneously as a municipality and city.
Towns and localities in the local government area
thumb|right|A large part of Shoalhaven can be seen from the [[Drawing Room Rocks area in Barren Grounds Nature Reserve. Mount Coolangatta is in the centre, with Jervis Bay in background and Berry in the right front]]
thumb|240px|[[Hyams Beach, known for possessing fine, radiantly white sand.]]
Shoalhaven, although designated a city, is a dispersed region spread over of coastline, with the vast majority of its population located in the north-east around Nowra, Jervis Bay and Sussex Inlet.
It includes the following towns, suburbs and localities:
{|
|-
| valign = top width=32% |
; Nowra suburbs and surrounds:
- Bangalee
- Bomaderry
- Cambewarra
- Cambewarra Village
- Mundamia
- North Nowra
- Nowra Hill
- South Nowra
- Tapitallee
- Terara
- West Nowra
- Worrigee
| valign = top width=36% |
; Suburbs near Jervis Bay Territory:
- Basin View
- Bream Beach
- Callala Bay
- Callala Beach
- Comberton
- Erowal Bay
- Huskisson
- Hyams Beach
- Myola
- Old Erowal Bay
- Sanctuary Point
- St Georges Basin
- Vincentia
- Woollamia
- Worrowing Heights
- Wrights Beach
| valign = top |
; near or on the Sussex Inlet:
- Berrara
- Cudmirrah
- Swanhaven
; Ulladulla:
- Berringer Lake
- Burrill Lake
- Dolphin Point
- Kings Point
- Little Forest
- Milton
- Mollymook
- Mollymook Beach
- Narrawallee
- Woodburn
|-
| valign = top |
; North of Shoalhaven River:
- Back Forest
- Barrengarry
- Beaumont
- Bellawongarah
- Berry
- Berry Mountain
- Bolong
- Brogers Creek (part)
- Broughton
- Broughton Vale
- Broughton Village (part)
- Browns Mountain
- Budgong
- Bundewallah
- Coolangatta
- Far Meadow
- Gerringong
- Illaroo
- Jaspers Brush
- Kangaroo Valley
- Meroo Meadow
- Shoalhaven Heads
- Upper Kangaroo River
- Watersleigh
- Wattamolla
- Woodhill
| valign = top |
; South of Shoalhaven River:
- Bamarang
- Barringella
- Beecroft Peninsula
- Bewong
- Brundee
- Burrier
- Comerong Island
- Culburra Beach
- Currarong
- Falls Creek
- Greenwell Point
- Jerrawangala
- Kinghorne
- Longreach
- Mayfield
- Numbaa
- Orient Point
- Parma
- Pyree
- Sassafras
- Tomerong
- Tullarwalla
- Wandandian
- Wollumboola
- Yerriyong
| valign = top |
; Far South
- Bawley Point
- Bendalong
- Brooman
- Cockwhy
- Conjola
- Conjola Park
- Croobyar
- Cunjurong Point
- Currowan (part)
- Depot Beach
- Durras North
- East Lynne (part)
- Fishermans Paradise
- Kioloa
- Lake Conjola
- Manyana
- Mogood
- Mount Kingiman
- Pebbly Beach
- Pointer Mountain
- Pretty Beach
- Tabourie Lake
- Termeil
- Woodstock
- Yatte Yattah
|}
Localities with no population in 2016 included:
{|
|-
| valign = top width=38% |
- Barren Grounds (part)
- Boolijah
- Buangla
- Coolumburra
- Endrick
- Ettrema
| valign = top width=33%|
- Moollattoo
- Mondayong
- Porters Creek
- Quiera
- St George
- Tallowal
| valign = top |
- Tianjara
- Tolwong
- Tullarwalla
- Twelve Mile Peg
- Yadboro
- Yalwal
|}
Council
thumb|City Administration Centre in Nowra
Current composition and election method
Shoalhaven City Council is composed of thirteen councillors, including the mayor, for a fixed four-year term. The mayor is directly elected while the twelve other councillors are elected proportionally as three separate wards, each electing four councillors.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!colspan="2"|Party!!Councillors
|-
| |
| Greens
| align=right | 0
|-
| |
| Shoalhaven Independents Group
| align=right | 7
|-
| |
| Labor
| align=right | 3
|-
| |
| Liberal
| align=right | 0
|-
|
| Total
| align=right | 13
|}
Election results
2024
Mayors
{| class=wikitable style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan=2 | Image
! Mayor
! Party
! Term
! Notes
|-
| |
| 100px
| Greg Watson
| Independent
| nowrap | 20 September 1980 –<br/>24 September 1983
| First directly-elected mayor. Lost seat
|-
| |
| 100px
| Harry Sawkins <br/>
| Independent
| nowrap | 24 September 1983 –<br/>11 March 1987
| Died in office. Was planning to contest the 1987 election
|-
| |
| 100px
| Max Atkins
| Independent
| nowrap | 26 September 1987 –<br/>11 September 1999
|
|-
| |
| rowspan=2 | 100px
| rowspan=2 | Greg Watson
| Independent
| nowrap | 11 September 1999 –<br/>2004
| rowspan=2 | Lost seat
|-
| |
| Shoalhaven Independents
| nowrap | 2004 –<br/>13 September 2008
|-
| |
| 100px
| Paul Green <br/>
| Independent <br> Christian Democrat
| nowrap | 13 September 2008 –<br/>8 September 2012
| Elected to New South Wales Legislative Council in 2011
|-
| |
| 100px
| Joanna Gash <br/>
|
| nowrap | 8 September 2012 –<br/>10 September 2016
| Lost seat
|-
| |
| 100px
| Amanda Findley
|
| nowrap | 10 September 2016 –<br/>14 September 2024
| Retired
|-
| |
| 100px
| Patricia White
|
| nowrap | 14 September 2024 –<br/>present
| Incumbent
|}
Past councillors
2021−present
Ward 1
{|class="wikitable"
|+
|-
! Year
! colspan="2"|Councillor
! Party
! colspan="2"|Councillor
! Party
! colspan="2"|Councillor
! Party
! colspan="2"|Councillor
! Party
|-
| align=center | 2021
| rowspan="1" width="1px" |
| rowspan="2"|Serena Copley
| rowspan="1"|
| rowspan="2" width="1px" |
| rowspan="2"|Tonia Gray
| rowspan="2"|
| rowspan="2" width="1px" |
| rowspan="2"|Matthew Norris
| rowspan="2"|
| rowspan="2" width="1px" |
| rowspan="2"|John Wells
| rowspan="2"|
|-
| align=center | 2024
| rowspan="1" width="1px" |
| rowspan="1"|
|}
Ward 2
{|class="wikitable"
|+
|-
! Year
! colspan="2"|Councillor
! Party
! colspan="2"|Councillor
! Party
! colspan="2"|Councillor
! Party
! colspan="2"|Councillor
! Party
|-
| align=center | 2021
| rowspan="2" width="1px" |
| rowspan="2"|Evan Christen
| rowspan="2"|
| rowspan="1" width="1px" |
| rowspan="2"|Paul Ell
| rowspan="1"|
| rowspan="2" width="1px" |
| rowspan="2"|John Kotlash
| rowspan="2"|
| rowspan="2" width="1px" |
| rowspan="2"|Greg Watson
| rowspan="2"|
|-
| align=center | 2024
| rowspan="1" width="1px" |
| rowspan="1"|
|}
Ward 3
{|class="wikitable"
|+
|-
! Year
! colspan="2"|Councillor
! Party
! colspan="2"|Councillor
! Party
! colspan="2"|Councillor
! Party
! colspan="2"|Councillor
! Party
|-
| align=center | 2021
| rowspan="1" width="1px" |
| rowspan="1"|Liza Butler
| rowspan="1"|
| rowspan="2" width="1px" |
| rowspan="2"|Moo D'Ath
| rowspan="2"|
| rowspan="2" width="1px" |
| rowspan="2"|Mark Kitchener
| rowspan="2"|
| rowspan="2" width="1px" |
| rowspan="2"|Patricia White
| rowspan="2"|
|-
| align=center | 2023
| rowspan="1" width="1px" |
| rowspan="1"|Gillian Boyd
| rowspan="1"|
|}
Tourism and culture
The Shoalhaven can be reached from Sydney by car via the Princes Highway and by rail via the South Coast railway line which terminates just north of Nowra at Bomaderry. The Shoalhaven is adjacent to the Jervis Bay Territory. The area is approximately long along the coastline, including 109 beaches, which allegedly possesses the whitest sand in the world, as well as pristine natural Australian bushland. The Shoalhaven area is home to numerous species of native Australian flora and fauna.
The area is well known for its strong commitment to the arts and music, featuring the See Change and See Celebrations festivals in the Jervis Bay and St Georges Basin areas, as well as the EscapeArtfest festival and Blessing of the Fleet in the Ulladulla area.
Tourists to Shoalhaven can enjoy a wealth of cultural and nature-based activities and experiences, including whale-watching, kayaking, visiting beaches and tastings at wineries. Some of the most famous establishments for visitors in Shoalhaven are Rick Stein at Bannisters, Cupitt's Estate and Coolangatta Estate.
Heritage listings
Heritage listings for the City of Shoalhaven include:
- Bherwerre Beach, Wreck Bay: Hive shipwreck
See also
- Local government areas of New South Wales
- Shoalhaven River
- Shoalhaven Scheme
References
External links
[Shoalhaven Directory](https://shoalhaven.directory)