| Hyams Beach New South Wales | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Hyams Beach, Jervis Bay NSW | |||||||||||||||
  Hyams Beach | |||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 35°06′01″S150°41′31″E / 35.10025°S 150.69191°E /-35.10025; 150.69191 | ||||||||||||||
| Population | 137 (SAL2021)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 2540 | ||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | City of Shoalhaven | ||||||||||||||
| Region | South Coast | ||||||||||||||
| County | St Vincent | ||||||||||||||
| Parish | Bherwerre | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | South Coast | ||||||||||||||
| Federal division(s) | Gilmore | ||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
Hyams Beach is a seaside village in theCity of Shoalhaven,New South Wales,Australia, on the shores ofJervis Bay.[2] The village, 180 km south ofSydney, is bordered by two beaches, Chinaman's Beach to the north and Seaman's Beach (sometimes referred to as "Sailors Beach") to the south, with Hyams Beach being in the centre. Aseaside resort, its beach is known for havingturquoise/aqua-coloured waters and fine, squeaky, brilliantly white sand composed of purequartz.[3]
The beaches face east, out across Jervis Bay and Point Perpendicular to thePacific Ocean. The village is bordered byJervis Bay National Park to the north andBooderee National Park and Botanic Gardens to the south which gives Hyams Beach a 'natural bush' feel with an abundance of native plants, animals and birdlife. Other nearby attractions includeJervis Bay Marine Park and surroundingtrails andforests.[4]
There is a myth that the beach has the whitest sands in Australia.[5][6][7] Themisconception started at the town's main store, which had a billboard stating the seaside village had "the whitest sand". Eventually, the idea became widespread and was promoted by tourism organizations. In fact Australia's whitest beaches areLucky Bay and Hellfire Bay nearEsperance, Western Australia, andTallebudgera Creek Beach in Queensland.[8]
Local wildlife is typical for the coastalShoalhaven region.
140 bird species have been reported from Hyams Beach and surrounds.[9] Birds likely to be found on the beach itself, or flying over the bay, include:
The coastal heath hinterland behind Hyams Beach supports one of the largest remaining populations of the endangeredEastern bristlebird.[10]
Most accommodation in the village ranges from basiccottages to architecturally designed luxury beachfront houses, with some featuringbed and breakfast. There is one café store in the village. The seaside village also features bush and coastal walks which provide panoramic views of the bay, the surrounding National Park and the ocean, which is ideal forfishing, swimming,snorkelling, diving andwhale watching, making it an idealtourist spot. The encompassing bushland is home to many native animals and dozens ofbird species.
Tourism and infrastructure financed has assisted in transforming Hyams Beach to one of the popular areas within the NSWtourism industry. Due to tourists visiting the area frequently and in masses, afreeway reaching the whole 190 km to Sydney was finished in 2017, costing at $580 million. A NSW tourist movement has featured the beach's radiantly white sand on the rearside of Sydney buses. The seaside village has also appeared in TV ads, thanks to publicity byLonely Planet; the village also has a large social media presence.[11]
The village's success is known tobackfire with its population of 112 quickly spiringing to 4000 people in a few summer evenings, with the streets becoming engulfed with traffic and touristslittering on the beach. Because of this, local residents have pressed council to resolve the safety issues. There is only one road in and out, so when the village is overrun by cars, access for emergency vehicles and evacuation in case of bush fire becomes impossible. Now the council is closing the village once the 450 street parking spaces are at effective capacity. The local bush care group is working hard to revegetate the dunes which have been badly damaged by tourists who have pushed into the dunes to find shade or an illegal camping spot.[11][12]
At the2021 census, Hyams Beach had a population of 137.[13]
In the2016 Australian census, Hyams Beach appeared to be wealthy for a beach resort with 20% of its inhabitants earning more than $3000 a week, 90% of inhabitants owning their home and 93% of the houses having three or four bedrooms.[14]
The area now known as Hyams Beach lies on the traditional lands of a group of theYuin, members of what early settlers called 'the Jervis Bay tribe'. The 'Jervis Bay tribe' are also known as theWandandian people[15][16] and spoke Dharamba,[17] which was probably the northernmost dialect of theDhurga language.[18][19]
Hyam's Beach is named after Michael Hyam, who was granted 41 acres of land there in 1859.[20]
DeveloperHenry Halloran, who bought up tracts of land around Jervis Bay following the declaration of theJervis Bay Territory. was offering land for sale at Hyams Beach around 1916. Hyams Beach would have been adjacent to his far larger 'Pacific City' development, which never eventuated.[21][22] In the mid-1920s, Halloran was erecting holiday cottages for letting at Hyams Beach.[23] As late as 1938, the village still had no electricity.[24]
| Nowra suburbs | |
|---|---|
| Suburbs near Jervis Bay | |
| North of Shoalhaven River |
|
| South of Shoalhaven River | |
| Sussex Inlet | |
| Ulladulla | |
| Far South |
|
Main Article:Local government areas of New South Wales | |
