Figtree, New South Wales

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Figtree
Wollongong,  New South Wales
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Figtree
Coordinates 34°26′S150°51′E / 34.433°S 150.850°E / -34.433; 150.850
Population12,335 (2021 census) [1]
Postcode(s) 2525
Elevation15 m (49 ft)
Location
LGA(s) City of Wollongong
State electorate(s)
Federal division(s) Cunningham
Suburbs around Figtree:
Mount Keira West Wollongong
Mount Kembla Figtree Mangerton, Mount Saint Thomas, Spring Hill
Cordeaux Heights Unanderra

Figtree is an inner western suburb of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. It is south-west of West Wollongong and connected to Wollongong by the Princes Highway

Contents

There is a small commercial district near this junction and another connected area of mainly food stores further north on the highway near the freeway entrance. There is also another commercial area with a chicken food shop, liquor store and video rental store on the east side of the highway at the O'Briens Road junction.

Figtree has a hotel, an oval, many specialty stores, a dog park, a private hospital and several schools.

A smaller area of residences in Figtree is Figtree Heights, a neighbourhood which is slightly raised above the general level of Figtree. To the suburb's south between Figtree and Unanderra is Cobbler's Hill, where houses have been built on its side.

History

The suburb is named after a giant fig tree that once stood on the eastern side of the highway at the junction with O'Brien's Road, a mountain pass used in early days of settlement built by subscription in 1821 before completion by convict labour of Mount Keira road. In 1861, Figtree Bridge was built by Moore and Vaughan.[ citation needed ]

In 1867, Figtree Inn was built, a small weatherboard building built at the site of the turnoff to O'Brien's Road, later its name changed to Figtree Hotel, and it still stands. In the 1880s, farming was the main industry in the area. In 1888 the Figtree Sunday School began in a cottage. [2]

On 25 November 1903, Figtree park was opened by senator Hugh Vaughan-Floyd, 12 years before his death in World War I. The public school opened in 1956, followed by Figtree High School in 1969, Figtree Heights Public School in 1972 and Nareena Hills Public School in the foothills of Mount Nebo in 1977.

On 15 October 1979, the Illawarra Private Hospital was opened.[ citation needed ]

The famous figtree was cut down in 1996 and only a small portion of its trunk is left. In 1998 Fig Tree Park was renovated with an aboriginal mosaic as a result of a community project. The name has been changed to Moreton Bay Figtree Park. During the 1998 Wollongong floods, Figtree was one of the worst suburbs hit, with floodwaters going through the Westfield shopping centre and residents being rescued by the State Emergency Service from Figtree Caravan Park.

Figtree is also known for its large successful soccer club Figtree Junior Soccer Club. They also have a stadium which Collegians Rugby League use for their games.[ citation needed ]

Figtree Grove

At the junction of the highway and The Avenue is Figtree Grove, a two-storey indoor shopping centre with a Woolworths, Coles and Kmart. The shopping centre was opened in 1965. The second story is used by a couple of businesses and a second storey to its carpark facilities. Adjacent to the centre is a park which contains sports facilities, a baby health centre and a small sculpture garden.

On 23 September 1965, Westfield Figtree was opened by Westfield Corporation. [3] [4] It was expanded in 1974, and further expansions were completed in 2009, with another 15 specialty stores being added. Coles, Kmart and Woolworths are anchor tenants. In August 2015, it was sold by the Scentre Group to Blackstone and renamed Figtree Grove. [5] In December 2018 it was sold to Paragon REIT (85%) and Moelis Australia (15%). [6]

Population

According to the 2021 census of Population, there were 12,335 people in Figtree.

Notable people

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References

  1. 1 2 Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Figtree (State Suburb)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 24 July 2024. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg CC-BY icon.svg Material was copied from this source, which is available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
  2. ↑ Figtree – History
  3. ↑ Chapter 2 1960 - 1970 Westfield Corporation
  4. ↑ Westfield Figtree Westfield Corporation
  5. ↑ Warrawong, Figtree shopping centres sold to global firm Illawarra Mercury 2 September 2015
  6. ↑ Blackstone exits Figtree Grove in $206m deal Australian Financial Review 19 December 2018
  7. ↑ "Abigail Paduch Results | Commonwealth Games Australia". commonwealthgames.com.au. 11 May 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
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