About the Shire

Statistics and demographics

Statistical and demographic information on the Shire is available from several sources.

• The Sutherland Shire Community Profile provides statistics and results from the Censuses of Population and Housing,  information about the SEIFA index of disadvantage, migration and employment data, and Estimated Resident Population (ERP) figures for each year.
• South Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (SSROC) regional profile
• The Sutherland Shire Community Atlas feature 64 maps sourced from data from the 2011 Census. Maps are interactive and all text tables and maps can be copied.
• The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) conducts a census for the whole of Australia every five years. A Sutherland Shire community profile is available from the last census in 2011. The ABS also has a Local Government Portal.

If you have trouble accessing any of these statistics online you can view them for free at any of our libraries.

Suburb name origins

Did you know that Bonnet Bay got its name from a cave? Or that Bundeena means "noise like thunder" in Dharawal?

Suburb name origins in the Sutherland Shire

This list of Sutherland Shire place names is a fascinating historical record of the Shire. It was originally published in August 2003 and is attributed to the work of the late Mrs. M. Hutton Neve. Mrs Neve was involved with the Sutherland Shire Historical Society and was one of the foremost authorities of the shire's history. Council has continued to update this document.

Street name origins

You may guess that the Kingsway was named in honor of the King of England, but what is Kyogle Place named after?

Street name origins in the Sutherland Shire

This document contains a historical register for the origins of over 2,000 current and historical road names in the Shire. It was compiled from a variety of historical references and sources including the local histories librarian, parish maps, deposited plans and land titles, internet searches, and from council archives.

Flag

Because Captain James Cook, famous explorer and circumnavigator, first set foot on the Australian continent at Kurnell, we lay claim to our Shire being 'the birthplace of modern Australia'.

The Captain Cook heritage is recognised in the Sutherland Shire flag.

In 1929, at the request of Sutherland Shire Council, Mr CR Wylie, designer of the Canberra coat of arms, was asked to design the Shire flag. The council stipulated that it wanted the essential points of the arms of Captain Cook as the basis.

The flag is white, which because of Captain Cook's naval background, is charged with the red cross of St George to symbolise the naval ensign.

Upon the centre of the cross is a wreath of green laurel, surrounding the blue field (of the ocean), the globe of the world and two golden polar stars. The ocean, globe and stars were the arms of Captain Cook: 'in memory of his having explored and made discoveries in that Ocean [the Pacific], so very far beyond all former Navigators'. (part of the wording from the official blazon, or description, for the coat of arms).

Location

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