Further Research information

Taken from the Randwick City Council website http://www.randwick.nsw.gov.au/About_Randwick/Heritage/History_of_the_Randwick_area/Your_suburb/Coogee/index.aspx




Coogee Beach and pier, looking North-easy c. 1928-9
The suburb of Coogee is located on the eastern boundary of Randwick City and is bounded by the South Pacific Ocean to the east, Clovelly to the north, and the suburbs of Kensington and South Coogee to the west and south. The suburb includes a number of attractions including Coogee Beach, Gordons Bay, coastal rockpools, parks and reserves, and the coastal walk that extends to Bondi Beach.The commercial area of Coogee is located along Coogee Bay Road and Arden Street, which extends along the beachfront, and contains many cafes and restaurants. The Coogee Bay Hotel is a prominent landmark on the corner of the commercial area. Bus services operate along Coogee Bay Road, Arden Street (forming a bus interchange location) and throughout the suburb and are the only form of public transport available.Coogee is a fairly high density suburb with a large proportion of residential apartment buildings (ranging from Art Deco apartments, 1960s and 1970s walk-ups to modern apartments). Coogee attracts a large proportion of the tourists that visit Randwick City, influencing not only the character of the beach and commercial area but also the housing. A large proportion of the housing in Coogee is private rental and the population tends to relocate more often than the Randwick City average.In the early 1990s, Randwick Council and the State Government rebuilt Coogee's beach front and Coogee boomed.
History of Coogee
Sydneysiders were originally attracted to the fishing and hunted kangaroos, while the tall trees in the gully behind the beach were harvested by timber getters. In the mid 1830s the Deputy Surveyor General considered the district a suitable area for 'marine villas'. The area was surveyed in 1837 and a small town developed. By 1874 several hundred people were resident in Coogee. In 1883 the tramline made the area accessible to day trippers.Lawrence, J. Pictorial History of Randwick, Kingsclear Books, Alexandria, 2001, pp.40-53.