Bateau Bay, New South Wales

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Bateau Bay is a seaside suburb located on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia, as part of the Wyong Shire local government area. Bateau is French for boat. Bateau Bay lies in the area known as Darkinjung to Indigenous Australians.

Bateau Bay has the second largest population on the Central Coast (behind Umina Beach). It is also a popular with tourists because of its proximity to areas such as The Entrance and Terrigal.

Geography

Bateau Bay is about five minutes south of the town of The Entrance and about 20 minutes north-west of Gosford CBD. It is bordered by Shelly Beach, Long Jetty and Killarney Vale to the north, Tumbi Umbi to the west, Forresters Beach to the south and the Pacific Ocean to the east.

Bateau Bay Beach is a popular Fishing spot where anglers can test their skills both off the beach and from the rocks which line the northern headland between the bay and Shelly Beach. Bateau Bay Beach provides access to Crackneck Point which is a popular local surfing spot. Crackneck Point Lookout (274 m high) is a short distance from the beach where there is a large clearing and carpark with information boards and a picnic-barbecue area

Much of the Bateau Bay area is dominated by the southern, 140ha section of Wyrrabalong National Park. A distinctive foreshore feature of the park's coastal cliffs are extensive rock platforms which are perfect bases for rock fishing or low tide exploration. Wyrrabalong National Park is a haven for marine, bird and native wildlife which include goannas, bandicoots, fantails and the tawny frogmouth. A 1.6 kilometre walk through Wyrrabalong National Park links Crackneck Point Lookout and Forresters Beach.

Politics

Ken Ticehurst

Bateau Bay sits in the State seat of The Entrance and is held by Grant McBride. Grant McBride has been a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly since 1992 and is currently both the Minister for Gaming and Racing and Minister for the Central Coast. In the past he has been Parliamentary Secretary Assisting the Minister for Public Works and Services, Olympics, and Roads, Parliamentary Secretary Assisting the Minister for Roads and Chairman of the Joint Standing Committee Upon Road Safety (Staysafe).

Bateau Bay sits in the Federal seat of Dobell that includes northern suburbs of Gosford City Council, as well as Terrigal, The Entrance, Berkley Vale and Wyong. Dobell was created in 1984 and named after artist Sir William Dobell, Dobell was held by Labor's Michael Lee from its creation until his defeat in 2001. A former Minister for Communications, Tourism and the Arts, Lee came within 117 votes of defeat in 1996, increased his majority in 1998, but could not resist the fall in Labor support that occurred in all the seats in Sydney's outer suburban mortgage belt at the 2001 election. The sitting MP is Liberal Ken Ticehurst, an electrical engineer who made a living as a lightning chaser before his victory in 2001. The electorate is strange in that it contains a wide ranging demographic dominated by retirees, and also young families fleeing Sydney's crowds and expensive real estate prices. West Bateau Bay recorded the lowest Liberal vote in the electorate with just [24.9%].

Sporting Facilities and Parks

EDSACC South Fields

Bateau Bay is home to several parks that facilitate all sports including Rugby League, Rugby Union, soccer, Aussie Rules, Softball, Baseball and Cricket.

EDSACC or the Entrance District Sporting And Community Centre is located on The Entrance Road, between Yakalla Street and Eastern Road. The Precinct is separated into four areas. EDSACC North Ovals, EDSACC South Ovals and a Sports Centre that bisects the two. At the very south of the Precinct is a golf driving range and a Ten Pin Bowling Centre.

EDSACC North Ovals consists of a several soccer ovals with a Cricket pitch in the centre of the ground. The ground is home to Killarney District Junior soccer Club during Winter and The Entrance Cricket Club during Summer.

EDSACC South Ovals consists of two full size Rugby League fields and two mini Rugby League fields with a Cricket pitch in the centre of the field. The ground is home to The Entrance Tigers Rugby League Football Club (whose leagues club is across the road next to Stockland Bay Village) during Winter. The Entrance Tigers is the third largest club in the Central Coast Division Junior Rugby League competition and has teams from U/6s through to U/16s, the Central Coast Division Rugby League in the U/17s, U/19s, 2nd Grade and 1st Grade competitions, as well as a team in the Jim Beam Cup. The ground is home to The Entrance Cricket Club during Summer.

The Sports Centre known as Bateau Bay Recreation Centre bisects the two ovals which consists of tennis courts, indoor basketball courts and a gymnasium. The centre was opened in 1979 by the Governor of New South Wales, Sir Roden Cutler.

The precinct also has a golf driving range. The golf driving range was formally an Aussie Rules field, but was deemed unsafe due to its uneven surface and the home side - the Bateau Bay Blues - were forced to relocate to a field on Mingara's property at Tumbi Umbi. The Blues have since resettled at Eastern Road Oval, although it leaves a lot to be desired as a sporting ground because the field is unsuitable for Aussie Rules as well as the lack of parking.

Pat Morley Oval on Cresthaven Avenue is one of the premier sporting fields in the Wyong Shire. The ground is located on a former rubbish tip and nightsoil depot. Up until the early 1980s various parts of the landfill and Pat Morley Oval sites were used to dispose of nightsoil and municipal waste. After the landfill was closed, the southern part of the site was used for several years as an Aussie Rules Oval. Due to excessive and uneven settlement to the playing surface, the use of the site as a sports field for Aussie Rules was suspended in the late 1990s. The ground has recently been upgraded that saw an extra soccer field added as well as a Cricket pitch. Wyong Shire Council’s suggestion is that the site could eventually house four soccer fields, softball facilities, an Aussie Rules oval, a play/leisure area, car parking, landscaping and a shared pedestrian and cycle path. The existing natural wildlife corridor will also be maintained. Pat Morely Oval is home to The Entrance soccer Club in Winter and The Entrance Cricket Club in Summer.

Source: [The Benevolent Society]

Sir Joseph Banks Oval is located behind Cresthaven Shopping Centre on Sir Joseph Banks Drive. The groud consists of a clubhouse and one Rugby Union field. It is home to The Entrance Rams Rugby Club.

Shopping Facilities

Stockland Bay Village

Bateau Bay is home to one of the busiest regional shopping centres in Australia. Formally known as Bay Village, the centre was recently bought by Stockland and has been renamed Stockland Bay Village. Stockland is a major property developer in Australia. A major redevelopment in 2004-2005 saw the redesign of the northern and southern ends of the centre to total more than 100 specialty shops. This development allowed the expansion of Woolworths and also a new Aldi, and other specialty stores. Both the fresh food precinct and food court were expanded and extensivley remodelled. The centre now has Aldi, Coles, Kmart, Woolworths and The Reject Shop as its major tenants alongside almost 100 specialty stores. Stockland Bay Village is located on The Entrance Road at Bateau Bay on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia.

[Stockland Bay Village Homepage]

A smaller shopping centre is located on the corner of Cresthaven Avenue and Sir Joseph Banks Drive and is called Cresthaven Shopping Centre. Anchored by Franklins and also having a bakery, butcher, Video Ezy and seven other specialty stores, the centre opened in 2003.

Several other clusters of shops are located throughout Bateau Bay. There are also shops on Bateau Bay Road between Harbour Street and Parkside Avenue, the corner of Bateau Bay Road and The Entrance Road as well as on Coleridge Road.

Tourism

Bateau Bay is a popular destination for tourists because of its facilities and proximity to tourist attractions and tourist icons.

Blue Lagoon Beach Resort is located on the shore of Blue Lagoon between Shelly Beach and Bateau Bay Beach. The resort has beachfront cabins that are situated to make the most of spectacular ocean views and feature fully equipped kitchens, TV, video, Foxtel, bathroom, some with double spas. The resort also has powered and unpowered sites available for caravans and tents. Facilities at Blue Lagoon Beach Resort include a 25 metre heated outdoor pool with six spas, toddlers pool, rapid water, tennis, basketball and volleyball courts, BBQ areas, kiosk and restaurant, a cafe, as well as private access to the sandy beach and calm waters of the protected Blue Lagoon Beach. The resort also has an entertainment and function centre available for a residential conference.

[Blue Lagoon Homepage]

Shelly Beach Cabins and Sun Valley Tourist Park share a property on the corner of Bateau Bay Road and Shelly Beach Road that backs onto the 18-hole Tuggerah Lakes Golf Club that overlooks Shelly Beach.

[Tuggerah Lakes Golf Club Homepage]

Shelly Beach Cabins feature cabins for four people and double story cabins for six people. The fully self contained cabins are nestled along pathways of tropical palms and flowering natives and offer every facility necessary to satisfy the eager holiday maker, with each cabin having Foxtel. The facility also has a childrens playground.

[Shelly Beach Cabins Homepage]

Sun Valley Tourist Park is a budget style caravan park. Facilities include powered and unpowered sites available for caravans and tents as well as a kiosk available for patrons.

Clubs

Bateau Bay Bowling Club

Bateau Bay Bowling Club is located on the corner of Pheasent Avenue and Bias Avenue. It is owned by Canturbury Leagues Club and features TAB facilities, bar and bistro as well as an undercover carpark. The club has three bowling greens, has more active bowling members than any other club in the state, and is competitively strong in competitions run state-wide.

[Bateau Bay Bowling Club Homepage]

The Entrance Leagues Club was established in 1992 and is located on The Entrance Road adjacent to Stockland Bay Village. It has 11,000 members and has recently undergone renovations and now features a large carpark as well as TAB facilities, bar and bistro, function room, courtesy bus as well as several bowling greens. The Entrance Leagues Club is a major sponsor of The Entrance Tigers Rugby League Clubs.

[The Entrance Leagues Club Homepage]

Bateau Bay Hotel is located on The Entrance Road between Lumby Drive and Cresthaven Avenue. It features a large carpark as well as TAB facilities, two bar areas, drive-through Bottle Shop, bistro and Beer Garden as well as a motel. Bateau Bay Hotel was formally associated with the Jetty Jets Rugby League Club that played in the former Ken Cosgrove Cup (now 2nd Grade). It is now a sponsor of The Entrance Rams Rugby Club.

Notable Citizens

Despite its age, Bateau Bay has had many citizens achieve notority.

• Ryan O'Hara (born 1980) formally played for The Entrance Tigers. He has played in the NRL with the Canberra Raiders. Ryan O'Hara is currently contracted to the Wests Tigers.
• Hew Raymond Griffiths (born c1962) has been accused by the United States of America of being a ring leader of DrinkOrDie, an underground software piracy network. He was arrested while living at Bateau Bay.
• Joseph Furst (born in Vienna, Austria 1916 died in Bateau Bay 2005) was an international film and television actor known for his English language roles. He appeared as Professor Zaroff in the Doctor Who story The Underwater Menace. His also had recurring roles in The Young Doctors and four episodes of A Country Practice.

Schools

There are three state owned schools in Bateau Bay:

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• Bateau Bay Public School was established in 1980 and is located on the corner of Waratah Street and Marlow Road. It has recently undergone extensive landscaping and beautification. It currently has an enrolement of 739 students in Kindergarten to Year 6.

• Brooke Avenue Public School was established in 1985, with new school buildings completed in 1990. It lies mostly in Killarney Vale, however access is available from Castlereagh Street in Bateau Bay. Grounds are extensive, attractive and well utilised. A huge covered outdoor learning area is a major feature, providing all weather protection and a venue which can accommodate large numbers of people. It currently has an enrolement of 452 students in Kindergarten to Year 6.

• Tuggerah Lakes Secondary College - The Entrance Campus was opened as The Entrance High School in 1970. It lies mostly in Shelly Beach, however the main entrance is from Yakalla Street in Bateau Bay. Recently, following the amalgamation of Tumbi High School, Berkeley Vale High School and The Entrance High School to form Tuggerah Lakes Secondary College, the school has become a senior campus with 576 students in Year 9 to Year 12.

Issues

The suburb is bisected by The Entrance Road, a main Central Coast arterial route. In recent times residents of the eastern side and many of the areas real estates of The Entrance Road have campaigned for the eastern side to be called East Bateau Bay as it is expected that property values would be boosted. Although, it is unlikely the name change will eventuate.

Bateau Bay is also home to one of New South Wales' highest revenue collecting speed camera. The speed camera is located on The Entrance Road between Shelly Beach Road and Yakalla Street. The camera is the seventh largest collecter of revenue collecting 14,057 fines for $1,813,086. The speed camera has achieved notority because it is placed in a school zone that operates extended hours. Its reliability has been questioned also after an incident in 2005 in which a driver was fined for speeding twice in two minutes.

Source: [PoliceSpeedCameras.info]

Trivia

• Bataan Close which was recently constructed as part of Mirvac's Sorrento development is named after HMAS Bataan. HMAS Bataan was a Tribal class destroyer in the Royal Australian Navy that was commissioned at Sydney on 25 May 1945 and served until 2 May 1958.

• Bateau Bay was once home to an airstrip known as The Entrance Airstrip. The site of The Entrance Airstrip is now within the grounds of The Entrance High School.

• Bateau Bay has two post offices. One is located on Bateau Bay Road between Harbour Street and Parkside Avenue and the other is located in Stockland Bay Village which was originally at Killarney Vale but relocated in 1993.

Transportation

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Red Bus is the local bus operator and runs several routes through Bateau Bay. The operator's depot is also located at Bateau Bay on Coleridge Road. Routes that operate through Bateau Bay are summised below.

• Route 21 | Gosford - The Entrance North. Via East Gosford, Erina, Erina Heights, Wamberal, Forresters Beach, Bateau Bay, Long Jetty and The Entrance.
• Route 22 | Gosford - The Entrance. Via East Gosford, Erina, Erina Heights, Wamberal, Forresters Beach, Bateau Bay, Killarney Vale and Long Jetty.
• Route 23 | Gosford - The Entrance. Via East Gosford, Erina, Erina Heights, Wamberal, Forresters Beach, Bateau Bay and Long Jetty.
• Route 24 | Hamlyn Terrace - The Entrance Via Wadalba, Watanobbi, Wyong, Mardi, Tuggerah, Chittaway Bay, Berkeley Vale, Glenning Valley, Tumbi Umbi, Killarney Vale, Bateau Bay, Toowoon Bay and Long Jetty.
• Route 25 | Wyong - The Entrance. Via Mardi, Tuggerah, Chittaway Bay, Berkeley Vale, Glenning Valley, Tumbi Umbi, Killarney Vale, Bateau Bay, Toowoon Bay and Long Jetty.
• Route 26 | Hamlyn Terrace - The Entrance Via Wadalba, Watanobbi, Wyong, Mardi, Tuggerah, Chittaway Bay, Berkeley Vale, Glenning Valley, Tumbi Umbi, Killarney Vale, Bateau Bay, Toowoon Bay and Long Jetty.
• Route 29 | Hamlyn Terrace - Bateau Bay. Via Kanwal, Lake Haven, Gorokan, Toukley, New South Wales, Noraville, The Entrance North, The Entrance and Long Jetty.
• Route 45 | Bateau Bay - Tumbi Umbi.
• Route 47 | Wyong - Bateau Bay. Via Mardi, Tuggerah, Kangy Angy, Ourimbah, Fountaindale, Glenning Valley and Killarney Vale.
• Route 48 | Bateau Bay Area Loop. Via Killarney Vale, Tumbi Umbi, Wamberal and Forresters Beach.

The Night Owl Bus Service also services Bateau Bay on Friday and Saturday nights between 12am and 5am. The service is community sponsored and is operated by Red Bus and Busways. It operates between Gosford and The Entrance via East Gosford, Erina, Terrigal, Wamberal, Forresters Beach, Bateau Bay, Tumbi Umbi, Killarney Vale and Long Jetty.

[Night Owl Homepage]

External links

• [Bateau Bay Suburb Profile] at [Property Value].
• [Bateau Bay Suburb Profile] at [RP Data Property Reports]
• [Central Coast Population Profile] at [Wyong Shire].
• [Dobell Election Summary] at [ABC Online]
• [Geographical Names Board of New South Wales - Bateau Bay Extract].

See also

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