Within Wyong Shire is the coastal strip from Bateau Bay to Budgewoi, and includes the rural towns of Yarramalong, Dooralong, Jilliby, and the bushland regions around Kulnura. Some of the notable areas within Wyong Shire are The Entrance, Tuggerah, Toukley and Lakehaven. The rest of the suburbs in the shire are too numerous to name. Established in 1888, Wyong itself is around 89 km from Sydney in a North North-Easterly direction.
When it comes to culture and the arts, the council connects people with a number of events. From school art shows, to muscle car exhibitions, to photography galleries, author’s talks and family history events, Wyong Shire concerns itself with connecting its residents with interesting and stimulating events despite the rural atmosphere. There is also meditation, legal advice, mobility assistance, and various social services made available to the community.
The Entrance’s retail shops and restaurants face a waterfront, making an appealing location for a good day out. Families often come to enjoy the safe, clear, shallow water of “the entrance” of The Tuggerah Lakes. There is a children’s water playground for the smaller kids, and a variety of ice cream shops to cool off on a hot summer’s day. Understandably, it is a popular holiday location, where some of its visitors take day trips to the Hunter Valley vineyards.
Wyong’s township is typical of many small towns with the usual services and facilities, and has a modest shopping centre with local businesses. Wyong Public School and Wyong High School are close to the residential areas and a number of private schools, TAFE and Christian colleges are also available. Catering to a range of personalities, Wyong has both a golf course, Olympic sized public swimming pool, and a highly regarded racecourse.
The shire council is concerned with preserving the Tuggerah Lakes, and is always looking for volunteers to help with maintaining and improving the local bushland. Wyong Shire also has some of the best beaches on the east coast.
Demographics
The 2011 census results showed that 2,632 people lived in Wyong. Of those people, 30.7% were English, 29.4% were Australian, and the remaining major ancestry was made up of Irish, Scottish and German people.
When looking at the area as a whole, the percentage of the population with both parents born in Australia is 64.5%, with 23% of people living in Wyong in 2011 having both parents born overseas.
Household and Property
Of the 1,570 occupied private dwellings in Wyong at the 2011 census, 67.4% of these are separate houses, leaving 14.5% as semi-detached, row or terrace housing and 14.7% as Flat/unit or apartment accommodation.
Of the property in the area, 34.5% own their own place outright, and 20.5% are in the process of purchasing their home and paying a mortgage. Those that rent make up 41% of the occupied housing in Wyong.
Transport
The Pacific Motorway allows quick travel to and from Sydney, making it a little less than 1 hour and 40 minutes drive from Sydney’s CBD. There is a railway station at Wyong, granting public transport access to Sydney, Gosford, Hamilton (Newcastle), Armidale/Moree and the Grafton area.
There are a variety of buses that service the area, providing mobility within the suburbs.