Kembla Grange, New South Wales facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kembla GrangeWollongong, New South Wales |
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 Kembla Grange
Location in New South Wales
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| Population | 252 (2016 census) | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 2526 | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation | 9 m (30 ft) | ||||||||||||||
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| LGA(s) | City of Wollongong | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Shellharbour | ||||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Whitlam | ||||||||||||||
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Kembla Grange is a suburb west of Berkeley, in the City of Wollongong. At the 2016 census, it had a population of 252.
The Kembla Grange Racecourse and its railway station are located there.
History
Kembla Grange takes its name from Mount Kembla, which was believed to be an Aboriginal term "wild game hunting".
The area around what is known as Kembla Grange was originally known as Dunlop Vale after John Dunlop Vale. In 1829, Governor Ralph Darling instructed Surveyor Knapp to survey 10 lots of 100 acres for war veterans.
In 1840, Gerard Gerard named the parcel "Kembla Grange". In the same decade, it became a leading area for dairy farming.
In the late 19th century, the railway line linked through Kembla Grange and with the opening of the railway station in 1890, its railway platform was mentioned in timetables.
On 26 August 1962, the Kembla Grange Speedway opened. It was located at (34°28′20″S 150°49′34″E / 34.47222°S 150.82611°E) and held racing for many classes, including sprint cars, sedans and stock cars. The venue hosted motorcycle speedway and held the New South Wales Individual Speedway Championship twice in 1962 to 1963.
On 18 December 1976, the Kembla Grange Racecourse opened (adjacent to the Kembla Grange Speedway track) when the Illawarra Turf Club was formed and conducted its first racemeeting.
On 3 June 1983, the Speedway track closed.
