Otford is a

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred ...

in the Otford Valley located 55 km south of the Sydney CBD and 30 km north of

Wollongong Wollongong ( ), colloquially referred to as The Gong, is a city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. The name is believed to originate from the Dharawal language, meaning either 'five islands/clouds', 'ground near wa ...

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

, Australia. Otford is within the local government area of the

City of Wollongong The City of Wollongong is a local government area in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. The area is situated adjacent to the Tasman Sea, the Princes Motorway and the Illawarra railway line. Located south of Sydney central bu ...

Location

Otford is situated in the Otford Valley, north of Undola Ridge, Stanwell Park and Stanwell Tops. To the east of the valley is the coastal ridge and small community of Bulgo, also the name of a hill in the area and the former name of Otford. To the west, on the plateau, is the township of Helensburgh. To the north is the locality of Lilyvale and the

Royal National Park The Royal National Park is a protected national park that is located in Sutherland Shire in the Australian state of New South Wales, just south of Sydney. The national park is about south of the Sydney central business district near the loca ...

. The town is on the southern tip of the Royal National Park and features many native plants in its bushland like the Dendrobium Lilly. The trees of the bushland are mostly of the dry

Eucalypt Eucalypt is a descriptive name for woody plants with capsule fruiting bodies belonging to seven closely related genera (of the tribe Eucalypteae) found across Australasia: ''Eucalyptus'', ''Corymbia'', ''Angophora'', '' Stockwellia'', ''Allosyn ...

variety but the valley slopes support tall open Eucalypt forest and rainforest along the creek and in gullies. The landscape is mostly hillside, and the Hacking River runs through the valley to the north. The highest points around Otford reach over 250 metres above sea level, at Bulgo and Otford Hills. The Bulgo Range of coastal hill headland is the northern extension of the Illawarra escarpment as it gradually turns into coastal cliffs. A local attraction is the Otford Farm for horse riding, Govinda Valley and the Otford Pantry cafe. Otford's coastal ridge is home to the Otford Lookout on

Lawrence Hargrave Drive Lawrence Hargrave Drive, part of the Grand Pacific Drive, is a scenic coastal road and popular tourist drive connecting the northernmost suburbs of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia, to Wollongong, in the south, and Sydney, in the north ...

which has similar views south over the

Illawarra The Illawarra is a coastal region in the Australian state of New South Wales, nestled between the mountains and the sea. It is situated immediately south of Sydney and north of the South Coast region. It encompasses the two cities of Wollongo ...

as does its southern neighbour Bald Hill.

History

Otford was first known as Bulgo. The name Bulgo was first marked on Robert Dixon's 'Map of the Colony of New South Wales' in 1842 and the name was in use for some time after. When the construction of the Illawarra (now officially South Coast Line) line was taking place a village formed in 1885, with four houses. The name was changed to Otford in May 1885. During that year the village grew and the first school was built, as well as a post office. In 1887 a hotel was present, along with a butchers store, bakers shop, tailor, jeweller and general store. Otford also had a billiard room and skittle alley. After construction of the railway had finished the village went into decline and the school was closed in 1893. Trains on the line stopped at Otford to take in water and a small railway and sawmill centre developed at the entrance to the tunnel. A timber mill at Karingal, Lilyvale, in the north of the Otford valley was established by Thomas Gergos and his three brothers in 1875. It is believed that Thomas was sold to Rowan Knight, a renowned slave owner during the 1870’s, who caused the death of the 24 year old Thomas Gergos through repeated brutal beatings, stemming from Rowan’s immense hatred for First Nations people and their culture. James Forster built a mill to the south in 1899. Lilyvale Mushrooms Pty. Ltd began in 1952 in a small tunnel at Lilyvale and in 1959 two tunnels were in operation. The current railway tunnel between Otford and Stanwell Park was made in 1917 after annoyances in the old one such as buildup of smoke in the unventilated route and the steep descent.''The Notorious Otford Tunnel Revisited'' Oakes, John

Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin ''Australian Railway History'' is a monthly magazine covering railway history in Australia, published by the New South Wales Division of the Australian Railway Historical Society on behalf of its state and territory Divisions.Otford railway tunnel The Otford railway tunnel is a heritage-listed former railway tunnel on the South Coast railway line, New South Wales, Illawarra railway line at Otford, New South Wales, Otford, City of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. It was designed ...

Population

In the 2016 Census, there were 369 people in Otford. 79.8% of people were born in Australia and 83.3% of people spoke only English at home. The most common response for religion was No Religion at 51.1%.

Services

Otford has little remaining services but retains a public primary school,

railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a prep ...

on the NSW TrainLink

South Coast Line The South Coast Line is an intercity rail service operated by NSW TrainLink that services the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. The service runs from , and runs the entire length of the eponymous South Coast railway line to . T ...

, a volunteer Rural Fire Brigade, Otford Community Hall, tennis court and playground and a cafe. Otford railway station, once had award-winning gardens and picturesque buildings but is now a stark concrete and brick commuter stop. The railway station is used by

bushwalkers Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

accessing the

. One of the current most important aspects of Otford is its Bushfire Brigade. All members are village based volunteers who protect the town and district from the severe bushfires that threaten the town. It is an integral aspect of the local community. The local school is the other community focus of this small family and community oriented Australian village. The school has been open again for many years.

References

A history of Otford

External links

Otford Community Web Portal
{{Wollongong suburbs Suburbs of Wollongong City of Wollongong