Sutherland Shire is a metropolitan council in Sydney’s south that is well known as the first landing place of navigator James Cook at Kurnell in 1770. It contains the spectacular Royal National Park recognised as the world’s second oldest national park, established in 1879 behind Yellowstone National Park in the U.S.
Despite being a metropolitan council ‘the Shire’, as it is commonly called, remains a distinct and close-knit community. Community spirit is strong and it has a keen sporting culture. Crime rates are lower than the Sydney average and it is supported by excellent transport links with Sydney’s only beach accessible by rail at Cronulla.
Sutherland Shire is home to numerous sporting legends and current Australian representatives including Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting, Glen McGrath, Andrew Ettingshausen, Johnny Raper, Greg Alexander and Susie Moroney.
Located on Botany Bay, and with the Port Hacking and Georges Rivers carving their way through it, the Shire is largely surrounded by water or bushland. It has a population of 220,000 people and is the second largest local government area in NSW and eighth largest in Australia.
Sutherland Shire is located 26 km from the Sydney CBD and within its 370 square kilometre area are the suburbs of Cronulla, Caringbah, Engadine, Miranda, Menai, and Gymea. Sutherland is the central commercial district for the Shire. The Shire has 200 kilometres of waterways, 11 kilometres of beaches and 160 kilometres of bushland borders.
It has Australia’s oldest operating commuter ferry – the picturesque MV Curranulla – running regularly to Bundeena on the Port Hacking River.
