Stanwell Park, New South Wales

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Stanwell Park and its beach as seen from Bald Hill looking south towards the Sea Cliff Bridge and Wollongong in the far.

Stanwell Park ([34°14′S 150°59′E]) is a picturesque coastal village and northern suburb of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. It is the northernmost point of the Illawarra coastal strip and lies south of Sydney’s Royal National Park.

Stanwell Park was named after Mr. Gibbon's estate, and is also referred to by its nickname The Park. The aboriginal name for the place is Little Bulli which means two mountains, a name which occurs again for another town, Bulli further down the coast.

The area was originally inhabited by the Wodi Wodi Aborigines. The first Europeans in the area were the survivors of the wreck of the "Sydney Cove" in 1797. When George Bass travelled along the coast looking for other survivors, he discovered coal in the area at Coalcliff.

Stanwell Park is famous for paragliding and hang gliding activities from Bald Hill down to its lovely beach, which lies nested between high sea cliffs. Rock climbing can be done at Stanwell Tops which offers a great view over the village. Highlight is the beach with its two lagoons. The Helensburgh-Stanwell Park Surf Life Saving Club (SLSC) offers beach safety and beach activities such as the nippers on Sundays in summertime.

Stanwell Park is serviced by the CityRail line between Sydney and Wollongong. The railway bends picturesquely around the village and crosses Stanwell Creek on a historic brick viaduct. Stanwell Park railway station is one of the few railway stations serving an open ocean beach in Sydney area. On good days, heaps of young surfers quit the trains riding their skateboards down the hill towards the water with their boards under their arms.

Bald Hill, at the apex of Lawrence Hargrave Drive, is a great spot to take in the views of the Northern Illawarra. Whale watching, when in season, captivates many a Sydney day-tripper. The spot is also a notable DX haven due to its good southern and eastern vistas.

References

[link] Michael Adams: "Little Bulli: The Pioneering of Stanwell Park and Northern Illawarra Till the 1860s", Cultural Exchange International Pty. Ltd (2005), ISBN No.: 0-9758187-1-6

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