THERE IS REALLY NO PLACE IN THE WORLD LIKE MANLY!
7 Interesting Things I Bet You Didn't Know About Manly, Northern Beaches Australia
Mixed with a laid-back attitude, iconic surf beaches and its annual events and activities, the Northern Beaches are as Australian as it gets!
Located at the mouth of the Northern Beaches, Manly boasts an enviable lifestyle. It has a long-standing reputation as a tourist destination, owing to its attractive setting on the Pacific Ocean and easy accessibility by ferry.
Interesting Fact No. 1:
Manly has a rich history dating back to its naming in 1788 by Governor Arthur Phillip, where he saw the local Indigenous people as he entered the harbour and described them as strong and manly. Manly Beach was named by Captain Phillip after the indigenous people living there; writing: "Their confidence and manly behaviour made me give the name of Manly Cove to this place".
Interesting fact No.2:
Manly was officially the birthplace of Australian surfing! Manly hosted the first-ever Surfing World Titles in 1964 when the waves at Manly Beach were put on the international surfing map. This World Surfboard Riders Championship was won by Midget Farrelly and Manly Beach is now still the annual host of the Vissla Sydney Surf Pro and continues to offer a very popular surf culture and lifestyle.
Interesting fact No.3:
Before October 1902, it was illegal to swim in the surf in daylight hours. The Englishman, the then Editor of the Manly News (later to evolve into our current Manly Daily newspaper), William Gocher, broke the law, which banned public bathing during daylight hours in Manly; a stance that ultimately boosted the circulation of his newspaper! As a result, Manly Council legalised all-day bathing, and the first official bathing season was declared in 1903.
Interesting fact No. 4
Today Manly is home to 40,000 residents, complemented by 7 million visitors, due to its surf culture and lifestyle, as people from all over the world are drawn to the area and seek out the surf! And this is on the up… Two years ago real estate agents started reporting a jump in the number of out of area buyers. Now, however, local agents reveal up to 80 per cent of buyers for Manly real estate and surround come from beyond the Northern Beaches. According to REA, over the last 12 month period, 63% of properties viewed in NSW were in MANLY real estate compared to 37% of property views for the rest of NSW. Based on five years of sales, Manly has seen a compound growth rate of 8% on house prices. *
Interesting fact No.5:
The streets of Manly mimic the lanes of Brighton; the seaside town in the South of England, which lead from the city centre to the sea. In approx. 1853, the Englishman Gilbert Smith saw the area (Manly) had the potential of a seaside resort and named it “Ellensville” after his first wife, and later changed it to “Brighton”. In doing so, suggesting to New South Wales residents, most of whom were British, that time spent here would be similar to a holiday in the fine English holiday resort of Brighton. In 1877, the name ‘Manly’ was officially adopted when Manly Municipal Council held their first meeting in the Church of England schoolroom.
Interesting fact No.6:
Manly plays home to one of the last colonies in Australia (and the only mainland breeding colony left anywhere in NSW), of little fairy penguins! Made up of only 60 breeding pairs and iconic to Manly, these little penguins come to nest under the Manly Wharf every night between May and February and on occasion can be seen swimming around Manly Cove! Volunteer Penguin Wardens patrol this area at Manly Wharf nightly from the beginning of the season when the first penguins have come back to their burrows until the penguin’s moult and leave, indicating the season’s end.
Interesting fact No.7:
Shelly Beach, just a shy walk from Manly Beach, is one of only two west-facing beaches on the east coast of Australia and is adjacent to North Head and Fairy Bower. Over 100 years ago, Shelly Beach was a protected haven for boat owners, protecting them from winds and seas from the South. In the early 1920s the hillside above Shelly Beach was home to only a few buildings, however, is now covered with luxury houses where their Owners can take advantage of the expansive views to the North, some with direct path access to Shelly beach. The real estate along Bower Street, Manly’s premier street is home to some of the areas most coveted properties who enjoy this secluded position above Shelly Beach. C&H can now proudly admit having marketed and sold many of these prestige homes in Bower Street and surrounds.
Interesting facts about Manly No.8 (BONUS FUN FACT):
Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve is located on Sydney's northern beaches at Manly. It covers an area of approximately 20 hectares, including the entire bay, pebbly shores and beaches from the South end of Manly Beach to the northern end of Shelly Beach Headland. The area was declared a 'no-take' Aquatic Reserve in 2002, meaning you are not permitted to fish by any method or harm marine animals or plants. It has now returned to a safe-haven for a huge variety of aquatic wildlife. Fun fact: There is an old motorbike standing on the seabed in the middle of the Cabbage Tree Bay in around 8m of water!!
(* Realestate.com.au)