Austinmer, New South Wales

Austinmer Wollongong, New South Wales
Lookout from the Illawarra Escarpment above Wombarra over the northern Illawarra plain viewing Austinmer in the foreground, Thirroul, Bulli, Wollongong up to Port Kembla in the far distance.
Coordinates	34°18′23″S 150°56′04″E / 34.306311°S 150.93451°ECoordinates: 34°18′23″S 150°56′04″E / 34.306311°S 150.93451°E
Population	2,452 (2011 census)[1]
Postcode(s)	2515
LGA(s)	City of Wollongong
State electorate(s)	Keira
Federal Division(s)	Cunningham
Suburbs around Austinmer: Coledale Austinmer Thirroul

Austinmer is a northern suburb of Wollongong on the south coast of New South Wales, Australia. It sits in the northern Illawarra region, south of Stanwell Park and immediately north of Thirroul.

The town's main beach is Austinmer Beach, a patrolled surf beach and a popular tourist beach. A second smaller and unpatrolled beach lies directly to the north of Austinmer beach, and is known locally as "Little Austi".

The main road through the town is Lawrence Hargrave Drive, which connects with the Princes Highway at Bulli Pass. Moore Street connects Austinmer railway station to Lawrence Hargrave Drive, and, along with a short stretch along Lawrence Hargrave Drive, constitutes Austinmer's commercial presence, as well as a police station, school, churches, and veterinary clinic.

The Headland Hotel to the north of Austinmer Beach was featured in the 2005/2006 television series headLand.

It is served by Austinmer railway station, on the South Coast railway line which runs electric double deck train services to Sydney and Wollongong.

By the 1860s the area was simple called "North Bulli". The name was later changed to Austinmere (later dropping the final "e", but still pronounced "ere") with the opening of the North Illawarra Coal Company's mine around 1887.^[2] Some have suggested that the area was originally called Sidmouth, named after the Devonshire birthplace of Robert Marsh Westmacott who owned land that now includes Austinmer. It turns out that a future owner, one Biddulph Henning, named it Sidmouth after where he had been staying in 1891 just prior to his return to Australia and subsequent purchasing of the land in Austinmer. The name "Sidmouth" is unrecorded prior to Henning's purchase of the property.

Schools

• Austinmer Public School

Churches

• All Saints Anglican Church

References

https://www.facebook.com/AustinmerHistoryPhotographs

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Austinmer (State Suburb)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
2. "Place names of the Wollongong region". Wollongong City Council. Archived from the original on 30 December 2008. Retrieved 2009-01-11.