The Sutherland Shire

Sutherland Shire

The Sutherland Shire is located at the southern coastal border of the Sydney metropolitan region. It covers an area of 370 sq. kms and has a population of approximately 215,000, making it one of the largest council areas by population in Australia. Geography ranges from beaches, wetlands, bays and rivers, to tablelands dissected by deep river valleys and gorges. The Shire is bounded by the City of Bankstown and Georges River to the north, the South Pacific Ocean to the east, the City of Wollongong to the south and the Cities of Campelltown and Liverpool to the west. The Shire includes the suburbs and localities of Alfords Point, Bangor, Barden Ridge, Bonnet Bay, Bundeena, Burraneer, Caringbah, Como, Cronulla, Dolans Bay, Engadine, Grays Point, Gymea, Gymea Bay, Heathcote, Illawong, Jannali, Kangaroo Point, Kareela, Kirrawee, Kurnell, Lilli Pilli, Loftus, Lucas Heights, Maianbar, Menai, Miranda, Oyster Bay, Port Hacking, Sandy Point, Sutherland, Sylvania, Sylvania Waters, Taren Point, Waterfall, Woolooware, Woronora, Woronora Heights, Yarrawarrah and Yowie Bay. Sutherland Shire is home to 215,000 residents, with the population growing at around 1% per year. The number of young people has remained stable with the biggest increase in the 45-64 and 65 year plus groups. Thirty five (35) is the median age. English remains the main language spoken in the Shire followed by Greek and Italian. Since 1996, the language groups that have seen the greatest increase are Greek, Arabic and Chinese. Nearly half of all households consist of families with children. People living alone account for 18.8% of the Shire's households. The Sutherland Shire is seen as a desirable place to live, blessed with beautiful natural scenery. Beaches, waterways and nearby bushland are very accessible and extensively used by local residents and many day visitors, particularly from the southern and western suburbs of Sydney. The Shire boasts great shopping at Westfield Shoppingtown Miranda and Cronulla Plaza, and is fast developing a reputation for fine dining at Cronulla, Gymea and Bundeena. •The Royal National Park (the country's oldest) •Our famous beaches stretching from Cronulla to Wanda •Historic Kurnell - the birthplace of Modern Australia •The Bundeena Ferry •Sydney Tramway Museum at Loftus •E.G. Waterhouse National Camellia Gardens. Culture is high on the local agenda; check out council-run events, the unique Hazelhurst Regional Gallery and Arts Centre or Sutherland Entertainment Centre. Popular activities include surfing, fishing, bushwalking, cycling, bird watching, whale watching and picnicking.