Crescent Head, New South Wales
| Crescent Head New South Wales | |||||||||||||||
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 Surfers at Crescent Head | |||||||||||||||
  Crescent Head | |||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 31°11′30″S 152°58′30″E / 31.19167°S 152.97500°ECoordinates: 31°11′30″S 152°58′30″E / 31.19167°S 152.97500°E | ||||||||||||||
| Population | 1,531 (2016 census)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| Established | 1894 [2] | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 2440[3] | ||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | Kempsey Shire | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Electoral district of Oxley | ||||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Division of Cowper | ||||||||||||||
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Crescent Head is a beach-side community 440 km north-northeast of Sydney, in Kempsey Shire, New South Wales, Australia. At the 2011 census, Crescent Head had a population of 1,586 people.[4] Its major industries include tourism and fishing. It has a small golf course overlooking the sea.
History
Crescent Head was officially declared a village in 1894, however, the first mention of Crescent Head had appeared in 1833 from the NSW Calendar and General Post Office Directory.[2]
Excerpt from the General Post Office Directory 1833: “From Port Macquarie northerly there is a beaten track and the country may present some obstructions to the formation of a road; travelling is not, however, difficult; the tracks follow the coast which is a succession of sandy beaches extending from Port Macquarie to Point Plomer, thence to Crescent Head and then to Trial Bay…”[2]
In the 1960s, Crescent Head became a well known destination for long board surfers as the Malibu surfboard rose to prominence in Australia.[5]
Demographics
In 2011, there were 439 families residing in Crescent Head with an average of 1.9 children per family.[4]
2011 Estimated Population Data by Gender/Age [4]
- 51.3% Male
- 48.7% Female
- 47.0 Est. Average Age
- 17.4% Population 0-14 Years
- 14.6% Population Over 65
2011 Registered Marital Status [4]
- Married 43.0%
- Separated 5.4%
- Divorced 12.8%
- Widowed 6.3%
- Never Married 32.5%
2011 Religious Affiliation [4]
- Anglican 24.5%
- No Religion 24.2%
- Catholic 22.7%
- Uniting Church 5.3%
- Presbyterian and Reformed 2.6%
2011 Languages Spoken at Home [4]
- English 93.9%
- German 0.4%
- French 0.4%
- Norwegian 0.2%
- Polish 0.2%
Attractions
Beaches
- Delicate Beach, which is located just south of Crescent Head, is a beautiful beach for swimming and simply enjoying nature. Camping and fishing are also popular activities at this beach. Swimming with caution is advised as no life guards are present at this beach.[6] Delicate Campground next to it is a dog-friendly campground surrounded by kilometres of sheltered leash-free dog beaches.
- Killick Beach is known as one of Australia's best beaches and it serves as the location for the annual Crescent Head Malibu Classic. Surfing conditions are perfect for long boards due to long slow wave breaks. This family-friendly white sand beach also provides sheltered swimming and a playground for children.[7]
Golf
- Crescent Head Country Club’s six-hole golf course provides stunning ocean views for golfers. Humpback whales are also view-able from the golf course between May and November (winter-spring season).[8]
Hiking
- Big Hill Rainforest Walking Track provides scenic coastal views and lush wildlife. The walking trail includes rainforest vegetation including rangler figs and coastal blackbutt. Microbats are known to inhabit the area and are often spotted at sunset. The trail serves as a good whale watching spot in the spring and winter months.[9]
Art
- Banyandah Studio, which is located approximately 15 minutes from Crescent Head, provides a showcase of local art. The studio is also known for its Encaustic painting which involves using hot beeswax as paints. The studio serves as the location for '6Ps Surf Films' and is known to occasionally demonstrate film editing for visitors. The studio is also situated on a working alpaca farm.[10]
National Parks
- Goolawah National Park is a good place for camping on the beach, surfing, snorkeling, fishing, bird watching and whale watching (during the winter and spring seasons). Dolphins, turtles, koalas and dingoes are often spotted at the park. The beaches are secluded and showcase native local plant life.[11]
- Limeburners Creek National Park features native plant life and abundant wildlife, pristine beaches and serves as a great place for swimming, fishing and surfing. There are two camp grounds located within Limeburners Creek National Park: 'Melaleuca Camping Ground' and 'Point Plomer Camping Ground'.[12]
Transportation
Buses run between Crescent Head and Kempsey, two to three times a day. (There is no bus service on Sundays.) [5]
Notes
- ↑ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Crescent Head (State Suburb)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
- 1 2 3 "Crescent Head Kempsey Shire heritage". Kempsey Shire Council. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
- ↑ "Find a postcode". Aus Post. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "2011 Census QuickStats". Census Data. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
- 1 2 Rawlings-Way, Charles; Worby, Meg; Dragicevich, Peter; Ham, Anthony (Aug 2014). Lonely Planet East Coast Australia (5th ed.). Printed in China: Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd. pp. 134–135. ISBN 978 1 74220425 3.
- ↑ "Visit NSW - Destination NSW". DELICATE BEACH - CRESCENT HEAD. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
- ↑ "Crescent Head Beaches". Macleay Valley Coast. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
- ↑ "CRESCENT HEAD". Visit NSW - Destination NSW. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
- ↑ "BIG HILL RAINFOREST WALKING TRACK - CRESCENT HEAD". Visit NSW - Destination NSW. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
- ↑ "BANYANDAH STUDIO - CRESCENT HEAD". Visit NSW - Destination NSW. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
- ↑ "GOOLAWAH NATIONAL PARK - CRESCENT HEAD". Visit NSW - Destination NSW. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
- ↑ "Macleay Valley Coast". Limeburners Creek National Park Back Print. Retrieved 16 May 2017.