City of Shoalhaven

City of Shoalhaven New South Wales
Location in New South Wales
Coordinates	35°07′S 150°30′E / 35.117°S 150.500°E / -35.117; 150.500
Population	108,531 (2021 census)[1]
• Density	23.7642/km2 (61.549/sq mi)
Established	1 July 1948 (1948-07-01)
Area	4,567 km2 (1,763.3 sq mi)
Mayor	Amanda Findley
Council seat	Nowra[2]
Region	South Coast
State electorate(s)	South Coast Kiama
Federal division(s)	Gilmore
Website	City of Shoalhaven
LGAs around City of Shoalhaven: Goulburn Mulwaree Wingecarribee Kiama Goulburn Mulwaree City of Shoalhaven Tasman Sea, Jervis Bay Territory (ACT) Queanbeyan–Palerang Eurobodalla Tasman Sea

The City of Shoalhaven is a local government area in the South Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. The area is about 200 kilometres (120 mi) south of Sydney. The Princes Highway passes through the area, and the South Coast railway line traverses the northern section, terminating at Bomaderry. At the 2021 census, the population was 108,531.^[1]

The City was established on 1 July 1948 as the Shoalhaven Shire, following the amalgamation of the Municipalities of Nowra, Berry, Broughton's Vale, Ulladulla, South Shoalhaven, and the shires of Cambewarra and Clyde.^[3] The Governor of NSW on 13 July 1979 proclaimed Shoalhaven as a city. The Shire was converted and constituted on 1 August 1979 simultaneously as a municipality and city.^[4]

Modern-day groupings of the Illawarra and South Coast Aboriginal peoples are based on information compiled by white anthropologists from the late 1870s. Two divisions were initially presented (refer Ridley, 1878), using geographical location and language, though these criteria are now expanded into five divisions and given Aboriginal names, as follows (after C.Sefton, 1983):

• Dharawal – general name for the Aboriginal people of the area on the east coast of New South Wales from Botany Bay to Shoalhaven, and west to Berrima and Camden.
• Wodiwodi (or Wadi-Wadi) – a subdivision of Thuruwal, includes the Aboriginal people of the coast from Wollongong to Shoalhaven.
• Gurandada and Tharumba (or Dharumba) – those people living around the Shoalhaven River.

The Jerrinja people record their traditional lands as stretching from Crooked River in the north to Clyde River in the south, from the mountains to the sea at Roseby Park.^[5]

George Bass explored the area in 1797, following Seven Mile Beach. He crossed the shoals at the entrance to the river, calling it "Shoals Haven" due to the shallowness of the river mouth. This river is now known as the Crookhaven,^[6] but the name was adopted for the Shoalhaven area and the Shoalhaven River.

Shoalhaven, although designated a city, is a dispersed region spread over 125 kilometres (78 mi) of coastline, with the vast majority of its population located in the north-east around Nowra, Jervis Bay and Sussex Inlet.

It includes the following towns, suburbs and localities:

Nowra suburbs and surrounds Bangalee Bomaderry Cambewarra Cambewarra Village Mundamia North Nowra Nowra Hill South Nowra Tapitallee Terara West Nowra Worrigee	Suburbs near Jervis Bay Territory Basin View Bream Beach Callala Bay Callala Beach Comberton Erowal Bay Huskisson Hyams Beach Myola Old Erowal Bay Sanctuary Point St Georges Basin Vincentia Woollamia Worrowing Heights Wrights Beach	near or on the Sussex Inlet Berrara Cudmirrah Swanhaven Ulladulla Berringer Lake Burrill Lake Dolphin Point Kings Point Little Forest Milton Mollymook Mollymook Beach Narrawallee Woodburn
North of Shoalhaven River Back Forest Barrengarry Beaumont Bellawongarah Berry Berry Mountain Bolong Brogers Creek (part) Broughton Broughton Vale Broughton Village (part) Browns Mountain Budgong Bundewallah Coolangatta Far Meadow Gerringong Illaroo Jaspers Brush Kangaroo Valley Meroo Meadow Shoalhaven Heads Upper Kangaroo River Watersleigh Wattamolla Woodhill	South of Shoalhaven River Bamarang Barringella Beecroft Peninsula Bewong Brundee Burrier Comerong Island Culburra Beach Currarong Falls Creek Greenwell Point Jerrawangala Kinghorne Longreach Mayfield Numbaa Orient Point Parma Pyree Sassafras Tomerong Tullarwalla Wandandian Wollumboola Yerriyong	Far South Bawley Point Bendalong Brooman Cockwhy Conjola Conjola Park Croobyar Cunjurong Point Currowan (part) Depot Beach Durras North East Lynne (part) Fishermans Paradise Kioloa Lake Conjola Manyana Mogood Mount Kingiman Pebbly Beach Pointer Mountain Pretty Beach Tabourie Lake Termeil Woodstock Yatte Yattah

Localities with no population in 2016 included:

Barren Grounds (part) Boolijah Buangla Coolumburra Endrick Ettrema

Moollattoo Mondayong Porters Creek Quiera St George Tallowal

Tianjara Tolwong Tullarwalla Twelve Mile Peg Yadboro Yalwal

Shoalhaven City Council is composed of thirteen councillors, including the mayor, for a fixed four-year term. The mayor is directly elected while the twelve other councillors are elected proportionally as three separate wards, each electing four councillors.^[7][8][9]

Party		Councillors
	Greens	4
	Shoalhaven Independents Group	4
	Labor	3
	Liberal	2
	Total	13

	Image	Mayor	Party	Term	Notes
		Greg Watson	Independent	20 September 1980 – 24 September 1983	First directly-elected mayor.[10] Lost seat[11]
		Harry Sawkins (1913/14–1987)	Independent	24 September 1983 – 11 March 1987	Died in office.[12] Was planning to contest the 1987 election[13]
		Max Atkins	Independent	26 September 1987 – 11 September 1999	[14][15][16]
		Greg Watson	Independent	11 September 1999 – 2004	Lost seat[17]
			Shoalhaven Independents	2004 – 13 September 2008
		Paul Green (b. 1966)	Independent CDP	13 September 2008 – 8 September 2012	Elected to New South Wales Legislative Council in 2011[18]
		Joanna Gash (b. 1944)	Team Gash	8 September 2012 – 10 September 2016	Lost seat
		Amanda Findley	Greens	10 September 2016 – 14 September 2024	Retired[19][20][21]
		Patricia White	Shoalhaven Independents	14 September 2024 – present	Incumbent

Year	Councillor		Party	Councillor		Party	Councillor		Party	Councillor		Party
2021		Serena Copley	Independent Liberal		Tonia Gray	Greens		Matthew Norris	Labor		John Wells	Shoalhaven Independents
2024			Liberal

Year	Councillor		Party	Councillor		Party	Councillor		Party	Councillor		Party
2021		Evan Christen	Greens		Paul Ell	Independent Liberal		John Kotlash	Labor		Greg Watson	Shoalhaven Independents
2024						Liberal

Year	Councillor		Party	Councillor		Party	Councillor		Party	Councillor		Party
2021		Liza Butler	Labor		Moo D'Ath	Greens		Mark Kitchener	Shoalhaven Independents		Patricia White	Shoalhaven Independents
2023		Gillian Boyd	Labor

The Shoalhaven can be reached from Sydney by car via the Princes Highway and by rail via the South Coast railway line which terminates just north of Nowra at Bomaderry. The Shoalhaven is adjacent to the Jervis Bay Territory. The area is approximately 160 kilometres (99 mi) long along the coastline, including 109 beaches, which allegedly possesses the whitest sand in the world, as well as pristine natural Australian bushland. The Shoalhaven area is home to numerous species of native Australian flora and fauna.^[22]

The area is well known for its strong commitment to the arts and music, featuring the See Change and See Celebrations festivals in the Jervis Bay and St Georges Basin areas, as well as the EscapeArtfest festival and Blessing of the Fleet in the Ulladulla area.^[23]

Tourists to Shoalhaven can enjoy a wealth of cultural and nature-based activities and experiences, including whale-watching, kayaking, visiting beaches and tastings at wineries.^[24] Some of the most famous establishments for visitors in Shoalhaven are Rick Stein at Bannisters, Cupitt's Estate and Coolangatta Estate.

Heritage listings for the City of Shoalhaven include:

• Bherwerre Beach, Wreck Bay: Hive shipwreck^[25]

• Local government areas of New South Wales
• Shoalhaven River
• Shoalhaven Scheme