Coffs Harbour, locally nicknamed Coffs, is a coastal city on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, north of Sydney, and south of Brisbane. It is one of the largest urban centres on the North Coast, with a population of 78,759 as per 2021 census.
The Gumbaynggirr people are the Traditional Custodians of Coffs Harbour and the surrounding area, and have lived there for many thousands of years.
Coffs Harbour's economy was once based on timber and agriculture. Over recent decades, tourism has become an increasingly important industry for the city. Once part of a region known as the Bananacoast, today the tourist city is part of a wider region known as the Coffs Coast.Coffs Harbour City Library – Catalogue – Full Display – Record 1 of 1. Coffsharbour.spydus.com (26 September 2003). Retrieved on 13 February 2017.
The city has a campus of Southern Cross University, and a campus of Rural Faculty of Medicine University of New South Wales, a public and a private hospital,Coffs Harbour Base Hospital ::: North Coast Area Health Service . Ncahs.nsw.gov.au (27 September 2007). Retrieved on 18 August 2011. several radio stations, and three major shopping centres. Coffs Harbour is near numerous national parks, including a marine national park.
There are regular passenger flights each day to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane departing from Coffs Harbour Airport.Arrivals and Departures . Coffs Coast (20 December 2016). Retrieved on 13 February 2017. Coffs Harbour is also accessible by road, by NSW TrainLink, and by regular bus services.
Geography Coffs Harbour is a regional city along the Pacific Highway between Newcastle and the Gold Coast. It has become a major service centre for those living between South West Rocks in the south and Grafton to the north.
Sawtell, south along Hogbin Drive from the city, has become a satellite suburb of Coffs Harbour, and is increasingly referred to as part of the city.
The surrounding region is dominated by coastal resorts and apartments. Hinterland hills and mountains are covered by forests, banana and blueberry plantations, and other farms growing macadamia nuts, cucumbers, and tomatoes. It is the only place in New South Wales where the Great Dividing Range meets the Pacific Ocean.
The greater Coffs Harbour city is broken up into several suburb and precinct areas, including: Red Hill South Coffs West Coffs Coffs Harbour Jetty Park Beach Sandy Beach Diggers Beach Korora, West Korora Sapphire Beach Moonee Beach Emerald Beach North Boambee Valley Boambee, Boambee East Toormina Sawtell Bonville
The city is surrounded by many towns and villages in the Coffs Coast region, including: Coramba Nana Glen Corindi Beach and Red Rock Karangi Ulong Upper Orara Woolgoolga
History
The traditional inhabitants of the Coffs Harbour region are the Gumbaynggirr people, who have occupied the land for thousands of years, forming one of the largest coastal Aboriginal nations in New South Wales. Their country stretches from the Nambucca River in the south to around the Clarence River in the north and to the Great Dividing Range in the west.
By the early 20th century, the Coffs Harbour area had become an important timber production centre. Before the opening of the North Coast railway line, the only way to transport large, heavy items of low value, such as timber, was by coastal shipping. That meant sawmillers on the North Coast were dependent on jetties either in rivers or off beaches for exporting their timber. Timber tramways were constructed to connect the timber-getting areas and sawmills with jetties built into the ocean at Coffs Harbour.The Timber Tramways of Coffs Harbour Longworth, Jim, Australian Railway History, June 2006, pp 214–223
Origin of place name The Gumbaynggirr language name for the harbour after which the town is named, is Gitten Mirreh which translates as "big moon".
Coffs Harbour owes its name to John Korff, a ship builder and ship owner, who named the area Korff's Harbour after he was forced to take shelter from a storm there in 1847.
The name was accidentally changed by the Crown surveyor when he reserved land in the area during 1861.
Heritage listings Coffs Harbour has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: 1 Breakwater Road: Ferguson's Cottage Coffs Harbour timber jetty, Jordan Esplanade
Demographics
According to the 2021 Census the population of suburban Coffs Harbour is 78,759. This is an increase from 72,944 in 2016. 52.6% of the population is female in contrast to the national average of 50.7%. The average age is 43, which is higher than the national average of 38. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 5.6% of the population.
75.5% of residents reported being born in Australia; higher than the national average of 66.7%. Other than Australia, the most common countries of birth were England (3.2%), New Zealand (1.3%), Myanmar (1.1%), India (0.9%) and Germany (0.5%). 62.2% of residents also reported both their parents being born in Australia, considerably higher than the national average of 47.3%. 82.1% of people spoke only English at home.
The top religious affiliations in Coffs Harbour are Catholic 20.0%, Anglican 17.9% and Presbyterian and Reformed 3.9%. 29.3% declared no religion and 11.1% did not submit a response.
Climate Coffs Harbour has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa according to the Köppen climate classification system) with hot, wet summers and short mild winters, with marked seasonality of rainfall. The city is relatively sunny, receiving 122.1 clear days annually, higher than Brisbane and Cairns but not as sunny as Townsville. Summers are moderately hot, wet and humid. Winters are mild, albeit featuring cool nights, with light to moderate rainfall. There is a history of floods in the city, with major flooding occurring in the years 1917, 1938, 1950, 1963, 1974, 1977, 1989, 1991, 2009 and 2021.Flooding in Coffs Harbour City of Coffs Harbour. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
In October 2021, Coffs Harbour was struck by an enormous hailstorm, which caused many people to be displaced.
Attractions
Coffs Harbour was the hub of a thriving banana industry. One of the main attractions in the area is the Big Banana, one of the first of Australia's Big Things, which had its 50th birthday in 2014, and celebrates the region's best-known export. The world's biggest banana is part of the Big Banana Fun Park. There is also a popular underwater diving spot on a small natural reef.
The Coffs Harbour Jetty is an historically important timber wharf, which was formally used by coastal shipping to move timber from the hinterland. It was listed on the NSW State Heritage Register on 25 June 2021, recognising its significance "as the longest coastal timber jetty built by the Harbours and Rivers Section of the NSW Public Works department in the 19th century." The jetty area is being redeveloped by Property and Development NSW as a mixed-use precinct incorporating residential, cultural and public spaces.
Nearby, the Solitary Islands Marine Park preserves a diverse underwater ecosystem that mirrors the terrestrial biodiversity, covering the southern limit of northern tropical species and the northern limits of the southern temperate species. Muttonbird Island is accessible by walking along the breakwater from the harbour, with the nature reserve protecting a significant wedge-tailed shearwater breeding site. The Muttonbird Island footpath leads to a viewing platform where whales are often spotted between May and November.
There are many national parks, reserves and marine parks surrounding the city, including: Bellinger River National Park (west of Bellingen in the Bellinger headwaters) Bindarri National Park (20 km west of the city, near Ulong and Dairyville) Bongil Bongil National Park (south of Sawtell) Cascade National Park (north of Dorrigo) Coffs Coast Regional Park (beachside reserves and parks along the Coffs Coast) Dorrigo National Park (just south of the Dorrigo township) Hayden Dent Nature Reserve (northwest of Coffs Harbour) Junuy Juluum National Park (north of Dorrigo) Moonee Beach Nature Reserve (Moonee Beach-Emerald Beach) Nymboi-Binderay National Park (north of Dorrigo, east of Glenreigh, on the Nymboida River) Solitary Islands Marine Park (in the Tasman Sea from Coffs Harbour to Wooli) South Solitary Island (18 km NE from Coffs Harbour in the Marine Park) Ulidarra National Park (Bruxner Park and Mount Coramba area) Yuraygir National Park (stretching from Yamba to Red Rock and west along the Coast Range)
Screenwave International Film Festival
Founded by Dave Horsley and Kate Howat, Screenwave International Film Festival (SWIFF) took place annually from summer 2015/2016 in Coffs Harbour and Bellingen until April 2023. It ran in January until 2021, when it moved to April. The last festival took place in 2023, after which it was paused indefinitely. SWIFF also ran the Nextwave Youth Film Festival, Australia's largest regional youth short film competition, for filmmakers between 10 and 25 years. In 2022, Screenwave included a live music festival known as Storyland. Nextwave and Storyland were also paused indefinitely after 2023, along with Screenwave.
Education Coffs Harbour is home to the Coffs Harbour Education Campus (CHEC) which is a partnership between the Southern Cross University, TAFE and the Coffs Harbour Senior College. Other universities include the University of New South Wales Rural Clinical School located on the Coffs Harbour Health Campus. Australian Catholic University, Rural Education (REZ). Local state and private high schools include Coffs Harbour, Woolgoolga, Orara, Toormina, John Paul College, Coffs Harbour Christian Community, Bishop Druitt College and the Coffs Harbour Senior College.
Primary schools include; Boambee, Bonville, Coffs Harbour Public, Coramba, Corindi, Crossmaglen, Karangi, Kororo, Lowanna, Mullaway, Nana Glen, Narranga, Upper Orara, Sandy Beach, Sawtell, Toormina, Tyalla, Ulong, William Bayldon and Woolgoolga Public School. Private primary schools in the area include; Mary Help of Christians, St Augustine's and St Francis Xavier's.
Defunct primary schools Brooklana Public – 1920–1949 Bucca Central Public – 1910–1963 Bucca Lower Public (Formerly Bucca Creek until May 1919) – 1896–1978 Corindi Creek Public – 1920–1962 Timmsvale Public – 1928–1970 Yalbillinga Special School (Amalgamated with Coffs Harbour PS) – 1965–1993
Other schools Giingana Gumbaynggirr Freedom School Casuarina School for Steiner Education Bishop Druitt College Coffs Harbour Bible Church School Coffs Harbour Christian Community School Special schools are public schools designed for children or youth with chronic disabilities or who for other reasons cannot be accommodated in the comprehensive school system. Coffs Harbour Learning Centre is available for these students.
Local media
Newspapers News Of The Area – Printed and on-line publications. Coffs Coast Advocate – The Advocate newspaper was until 2019 published on Wednesdays and Saturdays and delivered free to all homes. The newspaper is now online only.Coffs Coast news, weather, sport and local classifieds . Coffs Coast Advocate. Retrieved on 13 February 2017. An online index of articles between 1993 and 2004 and selected articles dating back to 1900 is maintained by the Coffs Harbour City Library, though only articles relating to Coffs Harbour and its people are indexed.
Historical: Coffs Coast Independent – Weekly full-colour newspaper delivered free each Thursday to all homes in the Coffs Harbour district, closed 2012.
Television ABC TV, ABC Kids, ABC Family, ABC Entertains, ABC News (public broadcaster) SBS, SBS2, SBS Food, NITV, SBS World Movies, SBS WorldWatch (multicultural public and commercial broadcaster) Nine (NBN), 9Gem, 9Go!, 9Life and Extra (affiliate of the Nine Network, owned by WIN Corporation).