NSWPort & river
Terrigal
A timber landing and shipyard came before the beachfront hotel.
1825John Gray granted land at the Haven
WHAT STARTED IT
Terrigal Haven lies in the lee of the headland, giving boats a landing on an open surf coast with timber country behind it. From the 1830s ships sheltered there and loaded timber for Sydney and Newcastle, and Tom Davis later built ships at the Haven.
WHAT SUSTAINED IT
From 1870 Davis ran a sawmill, smithy and shipyard at the Haven employing up to 50 men, hauling timber by tramway from North Avoca; his yard built at least 19 vessels, including the stern-wheel paddle steamer General Gordon. After the 1889 railway, guest houses took in holidaymakers, and Terrigal stayed ‘dry’ until the Florida Hotel opened on the beachfront in 1957, a site later taken by an 11-storey hotel.
TURNING POINTS
1825John Murray Gray is granted 640 acres at Terrigal Haven; the name is said to mean ‘place of little birds’ or ‘place of wild figs’.
1870Tom Davis settles at the Haven and sets up a sawmill, smithy and shipyard.
1889The Hawkesbury River bridge opens, completing the Sydney–Newcastle railway.
1925Terrigal Surf Life Saving Club, active since at least 1924, is re-formed.
1957The Florida Hotel and Terrigal Hotel open, ending the town’s ‘dry’ years.
WHAT IT DOES NOW
A busy coastal town of about 12,700 people, with cafes, apartments and a hotel along the beachfront. The Haven and the Skillion headland still frame the old boat landing.