Gosford (pop. 178,427) is a city on the coast of New South Wales, Australia. An important business center, Gosford lies midway between the cities of Sydney and Newcastle. The natural beauty of Gosford, with its bushland and beaches, makes it a popular tourist destination.
The Brisbane Water inlet is the main harbor in the Gosford area. The inlet is the northern arm of Broken Bay on the east coast of New South Wales. Gosford and its suburbs encircle the inlet and extend inland north of the Hawkesbury River. The central business district of Gosford City lies at the northern end of the inlet. It is the main central business district of the surrounding Central Coast region.
Gosford has many notable sites, including the Old Courthouse and the Henry Kendall Cottage. The courthouse is the oldest recorded public building in the Central Coast region. The Henry Kendall Cottage and Historical Museum commemorates the Australian poet Henry Kendall, who lived in Gosford during the 1870’s. Many visitors enjoy viewing the works of art at the Gosford Regional Gallery. The gallery is part of an arts complex that also includes the Edogawa Commemorative Garden. The garden was designed in a historic Japanese style and opened to the public in 1994. The scenic Rumbalara and Katandra nature reserves are two popular hiking areas. The Australian Reptile Park was established in 1958. In addition to being a tourist attraction, the park provides raw venom to make antivenom. The antivenom is used to treat bites from Australian snakes.
The Central Coast Stadium is a major sports venue in the region. It hosts the Central Coast Mariners FC, a leading professional soccer club. FC stands for football club. Soccer is called football in Australia and much of the world. The stadium also hosts international Rugby Union and National Rugby League matches.
Gosford has a warm, temperate climate. Farmers in the Gosford area raise chickens and grow citrus fruits and vegetables. They also produce flowers and nursery plants. Many of the area’s residents are employed in construction, education, health care, hotels, restaurants, and retail trade. Manufacturing is also important. The main manufactured goods include chemicals, furniture, machinery, metal products, processed foods, and wood products.
Gosford and its surrounding land were the traditional living space of the Guringay and Darkinjung peoples. The Guringay and Darkinjung are Aboriginal peoples of what is now eastern New South Wales. Arthur Phillip, the first governor of New South Wales, explored the area around the Brisbane Water inlet in 1788. The first European settlers arrived in the region in the 1820’s. In 1839, Governor George Gipps named the town after Archibald Acheson, the Earl of Gosford. Gosford officially became a town in 1885.
Gosford Railway Station opened on Aug. 15, 1887. The railway connected Sydney and Newcastle and provided a major boost to Gosford’s tourism industry. During the mid-1900’s, new highways and bridges in the area continued to improve transportation and encourage growth. Gosford became a city in 1980.
In 2016, the Gosford City Council merged with its neighbor to the north, the Wyong Shire Council, to form the Central Coast Council. Each council had administered an area of roughly the same size containing dozens of suburbs. An interim council was formed until Central Coast Council elections were held the following year. The Central Coast Council area is the third largest urban area in New South Wales, after Sydney and Newcastle. It has a population of more than 345,000 and extends along the coast from the Hawkesbury River to the southern shore of Lake Macquarie.
