Gosford | |||||||||||||
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 Gosford City Centre  Hotel Gosford  Drifters Wharf  Gosford Waterfront  Mann Street Art Laneway | |||||||||||||
  Gosford | |||||||||||||
| Coordinates:33°25′S151°20′E / 33.417°S 151.333°E /-33.417; 151.333 | |||||||||||||
| Country | Australia | ||||||||||||
| State | New South Wales | ||||||||||||
| Region | Central Coast | ||||||||||||
| City | Central Coast | ||||||||||||
| LGA | |||||||||||||
| Location |
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| Government | |||||||||||||
| • State electorates | |||||||||||||
| • Federal division | |||||||||||||
| Elevation | 20 m (66 ft) | ||||||||||||
| Population | |||||||||||||
| • Total | 4,873 (SAL2021)[2] | ||||||||||||
| Time zone | UTC+10 (AEST) | ||||||||||||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+11 (AEST) | ||||||||||||
| Postcode | 2250 | ||||||||||||
| County | Northumberland | ||||||||||||
| Mean max temp | 23.3 °C (73.9 °F) | ||||||||||||
| Mean min temp | 11.4 °C (52.5 °F) | ||||||||||||
| Annual rainfall | 1,333.0 mm (52.48 in) | ||||||||||||
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Gosford is a suburb at the northern end ofBrisbane Water on theCentral Coast in the state ofNew South Wales, Australia. The Gosford Waterfront is known for its boating and scenic views on the shores of Brisbane Water. Gosford is the main commercial hub and gateway of the Central Coast. It is situated approximately 77 km (48 mi) north ofSydney and 86 km (53 mi) south ofNewcastle. Gosford is located in the local government area of theCentral Coast Council.
Gosford, locally nicknamed 'Gossie',[3] is located in the north-eastern part of theSydney Basin in the traditionalDarkinjung Country.
The regional city is one of the two shared administrative hubs of the Central Coast Council, along withWyong. Gosford is thecentral business district of the Central Coast region and is the third largest urban area in the state of New South Wales after Sydney and Newcastle. Gosford has been deemed a vital CBD spine under the NSW Metropolitan Strategy following the merging ofCity of Gosford Council andWyong Shire Council in 2016, forming the current Central Coast Council administration.[4] The population of the Gosford area was 169,053 in 2016.[5]
Untilwhite settlement, the area around Gosford was inhabited by theGuringai peoples, who were principally coastal-dwellers,[6] and theDarkinjung people that inhabited thehinterland.Along with the other land around the Hawkesbury River estuary, theBrisbane Water district was explored during theearly stages of the settlement ofNew South Wales.
Gosford itself was explored byState GovernorArthur Phillip between 1788 and 1789.[7] The area was difficult to access and settlement began around 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. As late as 1850, the road between Hawkesbury (near Pittwater) and Brisbane Water was a cart wheel track.[8]
East Gosford was the first centre of settlement. Gosford was named in 1839 afterArchibald Acheson, 2nd Earl of Gosford – a friend of the then Governor of New South WalesGeorge Gipps.[9] Acheson's title derives its name fromGosford, atownland (sub-division) ofMarkethill inCounty Armagh inNorthern Ireland.
In 1887, theMain Northern railway line to Sydney was completed, requiring a bridge over the Hawkesbury River and atunnel through the sandstone ridge west ofWoy Woy. The introduction of this transport link and then thePacific Highway in 1930 accelerated the development of the region.[citation needed] Electification of the line reached Gosford on 23 January 1960.
Gosford became a town in 1885 and was declared a municipality in 1886.[10] It was then declared a Shire in 1947, and a City on 1 January 1980.
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As of the2021 census, there were 4,873 people in Gosford CBD. 58.1% of people were born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were India 5.0%, and Nepal 4.1%. 64.0% of people spoke only English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Nepali at 3.8% and Mandarin at 3.3%. The most common responses for religion were No Religion 40.1% and Catholic 15.8%.[11]
The Gosford Statistical Area, which incorporates the whole of Gosford's city and suburbs, includesAvoca Beach,Erina,Ettalong Beach,Kariong,Kincumber,Narara,Terrigal,Woy Woy, andWyoming, and at the 2021 census had a population of 178,427.[12]
Gosford has ahumid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification: Cfa)[13] with warm summers and mild winters. In summer, temperatures average about 27–28 °C in the day with high humidity and about 17–18 °C at night. Winters are mild with cool overnight temperatures and mild to occasionally warm daytime temperatures with lower humidity. Records range from a maximum of 44.8 °C (113 °F) on 18 January 2013, to a low of −4.2 °C (24 °F) on 16 July 1970.
Average rainfall is 1314.3 mm, much of which falls in the late summer and autumn. Rainfall is less common in late winter and early spring because of thefoehn effect, as the city is located on theleeward side of theGreat Dividing Range.[14] The reason for the relatively high amount of annual rainfall compared to other places in the vicinity is the shape and orientation of the coastline which makes Gosford (and the Central Coast region in general) slightly more prone to rain from southerly winds.[15]
| Climate data for Gosford, New South Wales, Australia (1997–2013 normals, extremes 1954–2013) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 44.8 (112.6) | 43.0 (109.4) | 40.1 (104.2) | 32.9 (91.2) | 28.8 (83.8) | 25.0 (77.0) | 25.5 (77.9) | 29.9 (85.8) | 36.1 (97.0) | 38.0 (100.4) | 41.8 (107.2) | 43.0 (109.4) | 44.8 (112.6) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 28.1 (82.6) | 27.4 (81.3) | 26.0 (78.8) | 23.3 (73.9) | 20.5 (68.9) | 18.3 (64.9) | 17.6 (63.7) | 19.4 (66.9) | 22.2 (72.0) | 23.9 (75.0) | 25.1 (77.2) | 26.6 (79.9) | 23.2 (73.8) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 22.7 (72.9) | 22.3 (72.1) | 20.8 (69.4) | 17.7 (63.9) | 14.6 (58.3) | 12.5 (54.5) | 11.6 (52.9) | 12.5 (54.5) | 15.3 (59.5) | 17.4 (63.3) | 19.5 (67.1) | 21.2 (70.2) | 17.3 (63.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 17.3 (63.1) | 17.2 (63.0) | 15.5 (59.9) | 12.1 (53.8) | 8.6 (47.5) | 6.7 (44.1) | 5.5 (41.9) | 5.6 (42.1) | 8.3 (46.9) | 10.8 (51.4) | 13.8 (56.8) | 15.7 (60.3) | 11.4 (52.6) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 7.5 (45.5) | 9.7 (49.5) | 5.8 (42.4) | 1.5 (34.7) | 0.1 (32.2) | −1.5 (29.3) | −4.2 (24.4) | −1.1 (30.0) | −0.6 (30.9) | 1.1 (34.0) | 3.9 (39.0) | 6.0 (42.8) | −4.2 (24.4) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 107.0 (4.21) | 189.9 (7.48) | 146.6 (5.77) | 135.8 (5.35) | 121.5 (4.78) | 133.5 (5.26) | 77.7 (3.06) | 60.4 (2.38) | 63.0 (2.48) | 73.8 (2.91) | 85.0 (3.35) | 120.1 (4.73) | 1,314.7 (51.76) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 9.0 | 8.9 | 8.8 | 8.4 | 8.1 | 8.1 | 7.2 | 5.7 | 5.8 | 7.1 | 9.0 | 8.6 | 94.7 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 59 | 63 | 62 | 61 | 61 | 62 | 55 | 48 | 51 | 54 | 59 | 59 | 58 |
| Averagedew point °C (°F) | 17.0 (62.6) | 17.8 (64.0) | 16.4 (61.5) | 13.5 (56.3) | 10.7 (51.3) | 8.9 (48.0) | 6.8 (44.2) | 6.0 (42.8) | 8.6 (47.5) | 10.7 (51.3) | 13.7 (56.7) | 15.5 (59.9) | 12.1 (53.8) |
| Source 1:Bureau of Meteorology- extremes 1954-2013[16] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2:Bureau of Meteorology- 1997-2013 normals[17] | |||||||||||||
Gosford proper is located in a valley with President's Hill on the city's western border, 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 and contains the frontage for much of the commercial district.
In the centre of Gosford is a shopping and community precinct, includingKibble Park, William Street Mall, Gosford City Library, the Imperial Shopping Centre and a full range of shops, cafes, banks and services.
A renewed period of optimism has followed demolition of several derelict buildings and several infrastructure investment projects including the full fibre optic telecommunications rollout of theNational Broadband Network in 2012 in the city's CBD[18] as well as the so-called Kibbleplex project, announced in 2013[19] that plans to house the new regional library, tertiary teaching rooms and associated organisations.
Gosford is situated along an identified business growth corridor between Erina, theWest Gosford light industrial zone andSomersby. Connectivity of main roads and rail travel times betweenSydney, the Central Coast and theHunter region are key issues for corporate business relocation to the region. Aged and personal care and retail are major employers in Gosford.[20]
As an entertainment hub, Mann Street enjoys relatively good public transport links and is one of the Central Coast's most popular spots for pubs and clubs and in close proximity to cultural and sporting events.
Yacht and other boat building has been undertaken byEast Coast Yachts[21] since 1964[22] in West Gosford.
Gosford is home to:
Bus services in Gosford are operated byBusways andRed Bus CDC NSW.
TheCentral Coast Highway cuts through Gosford's waterfront area, while its predecessor thePacific Highway, takes on several names through the CBD itself.
Mann Street contains the main public transport links for Gosford, includingGosford railway station, withNSW TrainLink services twice an hour in the off-peak toSydney Central andNewcastle Interchange, with more frequent services in the morning and evening peaks.
All major digital-only television channels are available in Gosford. The networks and the channels they broadcast are listed as follows:
Of the three main commercial networks:
Radio stations that broadcast to the city are:
Gosford formerly had a professional team in theNational Rugby League from 2000 until 2002, theNorthern Eagles. The club, formed as a merger between the previously Gosford-boundNorth Sydney Bears and theManly Warringah Sea Eagles, played its allocation of Gosford home matches at the purpose-builtCentral Coast Stadium. The club licence however reverted to Manly in 2003 and the club was dissolved.
TheCentral Coast Mariners professional football club was formed in 2005 to participate in theA-League. The club has won two titles to date, most recently defeatingMelbourne City in the2023 A-League Men Grand Final.
Locally, Gosford is the headquarters of theCentral Coast Division Rugby League, which owns the Central Coast League Club in downtown Gosford. The suburb of Gosford has one current club, the St. Edwards Bears, and one junior club, theGosford Kariong Storm. The Storm were initially a senior club as well, formed from the merger of the Gosford Townies/Giants and the nearby Kariong Kookaburras.
TheCentral Coast Rugby Union features eight first grade clubs and is one of the strongest local rugby union competitions in the state.
The city also has localAustralian rules andcricket clubs as well as basketball and Netball teams.
Gosford travel guide from Wikivoyage| International | |
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