Area Info
Manly Area Info
Manly is a suburb of northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Manly is located 17 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of Manly Council, in the Northern Beaches region.
History
Manly was named by Capt. Arthur Phillip for the indigenous people living there, "their confidence and manly behaviour made me give the name of Manly Cove to this place". These men were of the Kay-ye-my clan (of the Guringai people). While scouting for fresh water in the area, Phillip encountered members of the clan, and after a misunderstanding he was speared in the shoulder by one of the clan; to his lasting credit, the progressively-minded Phillip ordered his men not to retaliate.
Manly had been envisaged as a seaside resort by Henry Gilbert Smith in the 1850s. In 1853 Smith acquired two large parcels of land (which had been granted to John Thompson in 1842 and John Crane Parker in 1837).
Initially Smith had chartered a paddle steamer to Manly and other vessels visited on an ad hoc “excursion” basis. Smith built a wharf in 1855 and eventually acquired an interest in steamers himself and soon more regular services to Manly had commenced.
By 1873, Smith had sold the lease to the wharf and his share of the steamers to the operators of the ferries and eventually ownership passed to the once famous Port Jackson and Manly Steamship Company. It was the Port Jackson and Manly Steamship Company which coined the expression about Manly being “Seven miles from Sydney and a thousand miles from care” to promote its ferry service.
The Port Jackson and Manly Steamship Company played an important part in Manly's development. It built several attractions including a large ocean pool and bathing pavillion, the Manly Fun Pier. In 1972 the company was sold and it is now part of Sydney Ferries.
During the 19th and early 20th century Manly was one of Australia's most popular seaside holiday resorts.
Manly beach is said to be the place were the restriction on daylight sea bathing was first challenged in Australia. In October 1902 William Gocher, clad in a neck to knee costume, swam at midday after annoucing his intention to do so in the newspaper he had established (Manly and North Sydney News). After being ignored by authorities and being publicly critical of them, he swam again and was escorted from the water by the police, although no charges were laid. In November 1903, Manly Council resolved to allow all-day bathing provided a neck to knee swimming costume was worn.
During the first official bathing season in 1903, 17 people drowned on Manly Beach. A year later a surf club was formed on the beach to safeguard the public. While there is debate about which club is the oldest, Manly Life Saving Club is certainly one of the world's first surf life saving clubs.
Beaches
Manly is most notable for its beaches which are popular tourist destinations. Manly features a long stretch of sand on the ocean side, that runs from Queenscliff Beach to North Steyne Beach and Manly Beach. This is followed by rock pools and sandy beaches called Fairy Bower and Shelly Beach. Norfolk Island pine trees are also symbolic of Manly and are a prominent feature of both the ocean and harbour-side beaches.
Commercial Area
The commercial Manly is centred around The Corso, which runs from the harbour side at Manly Wharf to the ocean side at Manly Beach. Part of The Corso is a mall which allows outdoor dining for cafes and restaurants. The commercial area extends to surrounding streets with more cafes and restaurants concentrated along the ocean and harbour shores.
Schools
In recent years, Manly has become a popular destination for international students studying English, and several English language colleges offer a range of study options.
Housing
High-rise buildings and apartments now line the foreshore; a testament to both the high popularity of the area and the compliance of the local council to the whims of developers. Since the 1970s and the "Conserve Manly" local political party, high-rise development has been drastically limited and most new beachfront developments are no more than three or four stories in height. The relaxed lifestyle, beaches and proximity to Sydney city have led to Manly's real estate prices being amongst the highest in Australia.
Recreation
Manly is blessed by having Sydney Harbour on its western side with calm water, ferry wharf, swimming area, Oceanworld Manly aquarium, sailing and yacht clubs. Yet a short 300 metre walk down The Corso lined by shops to the eastern side is the Pacific Ocean and the famous Manly Beach. Manly also has the rugby league team, Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles.
This alignment of the Corso allows Manly to host the Manly International Jazz Festival, Australia's largest community based jazz festival, during the October long weekend public holiday, with various stages hosting continuous free public performances from mid-day until sundown.
Reference: Wikipedia
