Loftus Sydney, New South Wales | |||||||||||||||
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Population | 4,135 (2016 census) [1] | ||||||||||||||
Postcode(s) | 2232 | ||||||||||||||
Elevation | 104 m (341 ft) | ||||||||||||||
Location |
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LGA(s) | Sutherland Shire | ||||||||||||||
State electorate(s) | Heathcote | ||||||||||||||
Federal division(s) | Hughes | ||||||||||||||
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Loftus is a suburb, in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Loftus is 29 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Sutherland Shire.
Loftus was named after Lord Augustus William Frederick Spencer Loftus, governor of New South Wales between 1878 and 1885. The Illawarra railway line to Sutherland was completed in 1885. The next station south was Loftus Junction, which opened on 9 March 1886. The name was changed to Loftus ten years later and in 1979 the station moved to the present site.
The Sydney Tramway Museum at Loftus (a non-profit community organisation run entirely by volunteers) was created in 1950, in a large tram yard shed beside the rail tracks that ran across the Princes Highway into the Royal National Park. During the latter years of World War II this had been an army camp site, with the national park used as a training ground. The public school opened in January 1953. The official post office opened in July 1953 but closed in 1980. [2]
Loftus has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
In the 2016 Census, there were 4,135 people in Loftus. 86.1% of people were born in Australia. The next most common country of birth was England at 3.3%. 92.3% of people spoke only English at home. The most common responses for religion were Catholic 29.5%, No Religion 26.3% and Anglican 23.0%. [1]
Loftus is a residential suburb with a bushland atmosphere, adjacent to the Royal National Park that flanks Sydney's south-eastern boundary. The western border is formed by Loftus and Fahy Creeks. Prince Edward Park and Woronora Cemetery form the northern border.
The Princes Highway runs along the eastern border. Loftus railway station is on the Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line and is part of the Sydney Trains network and serves as an interchange for Transdev NSW bus services to the area.
Loftus is also home to the Sydney Tramway Museum (also known as the South Pacific Electric Railway), which operates the Royal National Park branch line that was constructed in 1886 and closed to suburban trains in June 1991. [4] The service provided by the museum is a most popular means of access to the Royal National Park. [5] The line runs from the museum to Royal National Park railway station.
Loftus Public School is located in National Avenue. The Southern Sydney Institute of TAFE, Loftus Campus and the University of Wollongong, Loftus Campus are located next to the railway station. Camp Wonawong is a youth camp located beside Loftus Creek.
Loftus Rural Fire Service is situated opposite Loftus train station and protects the bush interface of Loftus, Yarrawarrah, Sutherland, Jannali, Como and the Royal National Park.
Loftus has various social and sporting clubs which include:
Gymea is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Gymea is located 26 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the Sutherland Shire. The postcode is 2227, which it shares with adjacent suburb Gymea Bay.
Waterfall is a small suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is 40 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district in the Sutherland Shire. It is the southernmost suburb of Sydney in the eastern corridor, bordering the Illawarra region.
Sutherland is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Sutherland is located 26 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the Sutherland Shire.
The Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line is a commuter railway line in the eastern and southern suburbs of Sydney and is a part of the Sydney Trains network. The line was constructed in the 1880s to Wollongong to take advantage of agricultural and mining potentials in the Illawarra area. In March 1926, it became the first railway in New South Wales to run electric train services.
Sutherland Shire is a local government area in the southern region of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Sutherland Shire comprises an area of 370 square kilometres (140 sq mi) and as at the 2016 census had an estimated population of 218,464. Sutherland Shire is colloquially known as "The Shire" and has featured in several reality television series.
Cronulla is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Boasting numerous surf beaches and swimming spots, the suburb attracts both tourists and Greater Sydney residents. Cronulla is located 26 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Sutherland Shire.
Yarrawarrah is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia 32 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Sutherland Shire.
The South Coast Railway is a commuter and goods railway line from Sydney to Wollongong and Bomaderry in New South Wales, Australia. Beginning at the Illawarra Junction, the line services the Illawarra and South Coast regions of New South Wales.
Jannali is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Jannali is located 28 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the Sutherland Shire. The majority of land use in Jannali is residential and bushland reserve, while the suburb is bisected by the north–south railway line. The majority of Jannali's enterprises are located close to the suburb's railway station.
Loftus railway station is located on the Illawarra line, serving the Sydney suburb of Loftus. It is served by Sydney Trains T4 line services and limited NSW TrainLink South Coast line services.
Woolooware is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Woolooware is located 24 kilometres (15 mi) south of the Sydney central business district in the Sutherland Shire. It shares the 2230 postcode with Cronulla.
Sydenham is a suburb in the Inner West of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Sydenham is located 8 kilometres south of Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of Inner West Council. Sydenham is surrounded by the suburbs of Marrickville, St Peters and Tempe.
The Sydney Tramway Museum is Australia's oldest tramway museum and the largest in the southern hemisphere. It is located at Loftus in the southern suburbs of Sydney.
Burraneer is a bayside suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Burraneer is 26 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Sutherland Shire.
Bardwell Park is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The suburb is located 12 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district and is part of the St George area. Bardwell Park is in the local government area of the Bayside Council. Bardwell Valley is a separate suburb, to the east.
Heathcote is a suburb, in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Heathcote is located 36 km south of the Sydney central business district in the Sutherland Shire. Heathcote is bordered by Engadine to the north and Waterfall to the south. It is bounded by The Royal National Park to the east, and Heathcote National Park to the west.
Sutherland railway station is located on the Illawarra line, serving the Sydney suburb of Sutherland. It is served by Sydney Trains T4 line services and NSW TrainLink South Coast line services.
The Cronulla railway line is a suburban branch line serving the southern suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Sydney Trains operates electric passenger train services over the line as part of its Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line.
Royal National Park railway station is located in Audley, New South Wales and services travellers to the Royal National Park. It is the terminus of the Royal National Park railway line, formerly part of the Sydney commuter rail network and now operated by the Sydney Tramway Museum. The station opened in 1886 and was served by trains on the Sydney network until 1991 when the Royal National Park railway line was closed due to low patronage. The line and station were transferred to the Sydney Tramway Museum and re-opened in May 1993 for heritage tramway operations.
The Loftus Junction railway signal box is a heritage-listed disused railway signal box on the Illawarra line at Loftus in the Sutherland Shire local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It was built during 1886. The property is owned by RailCorp, an agency of Government of New South Wales. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.