Grays Point, New South Wales

Grays Point is a small affluent suburb in Southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia 29 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Sutherland Shire.

Grays Point
Sydney, New South Wales
Mansion Point
Population3,125 (2016 census)[1]
Postcode(s)2232
Location29 km (18 mi) S of Sydney CBD
LGA(s)Sutherland Shire
State electorate(s)Cronulla
Federal Division(s)Hughes
Suburbs around Grays Point:
Kirrawee Gymea Bay Gymea Bay
Royal National Park Grays Point Yowie Bay
Royal National Park Royal National Park Gundamaian
Swallow Rock Reserve

Grays Point is a small suburb with picturesque views of the Port Hacking estuary. Grays Point is adjacent to the Royal National Park and the suburbs of Gymea Bay and Kirrawee. There is only one road available for vehicular access however multiple walking and mountain bike tracks link it with locations such as Audley in the Royal National Park, Engadine and Heathcote. This, in turn, contributes to the exclusive atmosphere of the suburb.

Grays Point house prices are higher than comparable real estate in the southern Sydney region. The median price for a three bedroom house is $1.3m. Properties in the area are tightly held and often remain within families for multiple generations. Houses are highly sought after, especially those with access to the surrounding waterways.

There is a small shallow boat ramp located at Swallow Rock Reserve for launching trailer boats, canoes and kayaks on the Hacking River.[2] Swallow Rock is a wetland area. A large variety of wildlife resides in Grays Point, including possums, sugar gliders, morepork owls, deer (an introduced species), wallabies, magpies and kookaburras.

History

The origin of the Grays Point name is unclear. It has been suggested that it was either named after Samuel William Gray, who owned land on the point or John Edward Gray, who was a well-known resident ranger in the Royal National Park in the 1880s.[3]

On 9 January 1983 three volunteer firefighters were killed in a bushfire near Grays Point.[4]

Population

At the 2016 census, there were 3,125 residents in Grays Point. The majority of people were born in Australia and the most common ancestries were English, Australian and Irish. The top responses for religious affiliation were No Religion 31.9%, Catholic 24.7% and Anglican 22.4%. The median household weekly income of $2,557 was substantially higher than the national median of $1,438. The majority of occupied dwellings were separate houses and these tended to be large properties, with 59.0% having 4 or more bedrooms.[1]

Commercial area

Grays Point is largely residential, with a small group of shops located at Grays Point Road, near the intersection of Swallow Rock Drive. A fish and chip shop, a restaurant with a bar, a bottle shop, and a convenience store. Most residents rely on the rest of the Sutherland Shire for their services, especially the retail centres of Gymea, the new shopping precinct at South Village and Miranda

Schools

Grays Point Public School[5] is located in Angle Road. The school lies next to the Grays Point ovals and is cut out of the Royal National Park. The school serves local children from kindergarten to year 6 with around 400 students. It focuses on positive student well being programs and advancing technology skills. Grays Point also has a preschool and a child care centre.

Sport

Grays Point Soccer Club[6] located next to the Public School, the club has Junior and Senior teams. The club has two playing fields. They are also used as a cricket field during the summer months.

References
  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Grays Point (State Suburb)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 6 May 2013.
  2. "Swallow Rock Reserve". Archived from the original on 22 June 2014. Retrieved 6 May 2013.
  3. The Book of Sydney Suburbs, Compiled by Frances Pollon, Angus & Robertson Publishers, 1990, Published in Australia ISBN 0-207-14495-8, page 115
  4. Mutton, Sheree (9 January 2014). "Shire fire horror still lingers 20 years on". St George & Sutherland Shire Leader. Fairfax Regional Media. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  5. Grays Point Public School
  6. Grays Point Soccer Club

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