NSWPlanned settlement
Bateau Bay
Boat Harbour got a French name, reportedly to stop the mail going astray.
1937Village of Bateau Bay declared
WHAT STARTED IT
The suburb grew around a small ocean bay south of The Entrance, known locally as Boat Harbour. Its coast is now partly within Wyrrabalong National Park.
WHAT SUSTAINED IT
The Minister for Lands declared the Village of Bateau Bay in 1937, and village allotments were first auctioned on the ground in December 1938. Locals kept calling the bay Boat Harbour until its official name became Bateau Bay in 1975, reportedly after mail mix-ups with other Boat Harbours.
TURNING POINTS
1937The Minister for Lands declares Bateau Bay a village on 13 August.
1938Village lots at Bateau Bay, ‘formerly known as Boat Harbour’, go to auction on the ground.
1975The bay is officially named Bateau Bay, replacing Boat Harbour.
WHAT IT DOES NOW
One of the area’s larger suburbs, with about 12,500 people. Crackneck Lookout in Wyrrabalong National Park looks out over The Entrance and Shelly Beach.