Toukley

Toukley
Toukley
Suburb
	Main Road, Toukley
	Toukley
	Interactive map of Toukley
	Coordinates: 33°16′S 151°32′E / 33.267°S 151.533°E
Country	Australia
State	New South Wales
City	Central Coast
LGA	Central Coast Council;
Location	35 km (22 mi) NE of Gosford; 14 km (8.7 mi) E of Wyong; 14 km (8.7 mi) NNE of The Entrance; 54 km (34 mi) SSW of Newcastle; 109 km (68 mi) NNE of Sydney;
Government
• State electorate	Wyong;
• Federal division	Dobell;
Area
• Total	3 km2 (1.2 sq mi)
Elevation	13 m (43 ft)
Population
• Total	4,557 (SAL 2021)
Postcode	2263
	Suburbs around Toukley

Toukley (/tuːkliː/ TOO-klee) is a town in the Central Coast region of the Australian state of New South Wales and is located within Central Coast Council. It lies approximately 109 km north of Sydney and 54 km south of Newcastle via the Pacific Motorway (M1). It is located between Tuggerah Lake, Budgewoi Lake, and the Pacific Ocean. At the channel connecting Tuggerah Lake and Budgewoi Lake the new Toukley bridge was constructed between 1983 and 1985 linking Toukley on the eastern side of the Lakes system with Gorokan on the west, replacing the old two lane wooden bridge.

Toukley also provides various forms of accommodation to tourists including motels, caravan parks, holiday houses and lake cabins.

Name

The town was originally called Toukley Oukley, said to be the Aboriginal name for the place. According to historian F.C. Bennett, it means "many brambles". Many places in the region have doubled names of this form, like Kangy Angy, Tumbi Umbi and Mooney Mooney.

Settlers shortened it to Toukley soon after the town was founded, but it took until 1969 for the name to be officially changed.

History

1856 – Edward Hargraves, who purported to make the first significant discovery of gold in Australia in 1851, purchased Robert Henderson's holdings and built "Norahville". Hargraves had many friendships with indigenous people of the area. Cattle were grazed as far as Buff Point and Elizabeth Bay.
Late 1850s – Chinese fishermen worked the Tuggerah Lakes area, in particular, what is now known as Canton Beach. While not confirmed, it is believed this is where the name is derived from. It was a base for catching and curing fish that were then shipped to Queensland, the goldfields and back to China.
1891 – Toukley Public School founded.
1903 – Lighthouse built at Norah Head after many vessels were wrecked in the area. It was the site of sea battles between the Japanese Navy and Merchant navy ships in World War 2: Three ships were sunk, Nimbin (1052 tonnes) by a mine on 5 December 1940 and the fishing trawler Millimumul sank with the loss of seven men on 26 March 1941 when it trawled up a mine as well as BHP's Iron Chieftain (4812 tonnes) by a submarine on 3 June 1942. The Age (4775 tonnes) was also attacked on 3 June 1942.
1939 – The Toukley Bridge which joins Gorokan and Toukley originally constructed. It was replaced by the new bridge in July 1985.
1950 – Grace and Kathleen Holmes, aged 18 and 11, were found murdered in a swamp near Toukley, NSW, in August 1950.
2013 – Toukley is mentioned in the Housos episode "Tokyo"

Demographics

As of the 2021 census, Toukley had a population of 4,557. The majority of residents (79.9%) were born in Australia, with the next most common countries of birth being England (3.7%) and New Zealand (1.5%). The most common ancestries were Australian (42.1%), English (40.9%), and Irish (10.7%). English was the primary language spoken at home by 88.3% of the population, while other languages included Portuguese, Greek, and Tagalog (each 0.3%). The most common religious affiliations were No Religion (38.9%), Catholic (23.3%), and Anglican (17.9%), with Christianity overall representing 54.5% of the population. Additionally, 8.2% of the population identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.

References

↑ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Toukley (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
↑ https://cdn.centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/test-gab/Toukley%20Masterplan%20Final.pdf#page=5
↑ Bennett, F.C. (1968). The story of the Aboriginal people of the Central Coast of New South Wales. Brisbane Water Historical Society and The Entrance and District Historical Society. Cited in Central Coast Thematic History p33, June 2023.
↑ "Notes From The City". The Scone Advocate. New South Wales, Australia. 2 May 1952. p. 4. Retrieved 1 April 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
↑ "Geographical Names Act, 1966". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 103. New South Wales, Australia. 29 August 1969. p. 3494. Retrieved 1 April 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
↑ "2021 Toukley, Census All persons QuickStats | Australian Bureau of Statistics". www.abs.gov.au. Retrieved 10 January 2026.

External links

[1] Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Toukley (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.

[2] ttps://cdn.centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/test-gab/Toukley%20Masterplan%20Final.pdf#page=5

[3] Bennett, F.C. (1968). The story of the Aboriginal people of the Central Coast of New South Wales. Brisbane Water Historical Society and The Entrance and District Historical Society. Cited in Central Coast Thematic History p33, June 2023.

[4] "Notes From The City". The Scone Advocate. New South Wales, Australia. 2 May 1952. p. 4. Retrieved 1 April 2021 – via National Library of Australia.

[5] "Geographical Names Act, 1966". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 103. New South Wales, Australia. 29 August 1969. p. 3494. Retrieved 1 April 2021 – via National Library of Australia.

[6] "2021 Toukley, Census All persons QuickStats | Australian Bureau of Statistics". www.abs.gov.au. Retrieved 10 January 2026.

v t e Suburbs of the Central Coast, New South Wales
Towns, suburbs and localities	Alison Avoca Beach Bar Point Bateau Bay Bensville Berkeley Vale Blackwall Blue Bay Blue Haven Booker Bay Bouddi Box Head Budgewoi Budgewoi Peninsula Buff Point Bushells Ridge Calga Canton Beach Cedar Brush Creek Central Mangrove Chain Valley Bay Charmhaven Cheero Point Chittaway Bay Chittaway Point Cogra Bay Colongra Copacabana Crangan Bay Daleys Point Davistown Dooralong Doyalson Doyalson North Durren Durren East Gosford Empire Bay Erina Erina Heights Ettalong Beach Forresters Beach Fountaindale Glenning Valley Glenworth Valley Gorokan Gosford Green Point Greengrove Gunderman Gwandalan Halekulani Halloran Hamlyn Terrace Hardys Bay Holgate Horsfield Bay Jilliby Kangy Angy Kanwal Kariong Kiar Killarney Vale Killcare Killcare Heights Kincumber Kincumber South Kingfisher Shores Koolewong Kulnura Lake Haven Lake Munmorah Lemon Tree Lisarow Little Jilliby Little Wobby Long Jetty Lower Mangrove MacMasters Beach Magenta Mangrove Creek Mangrove Mountain Mannering Park Mardi Marlow Matcham Moonee Mooney Mooney Mooney Mooney Creek Mount Elliot Mount White Narara Niagara Park Norah Head Noraville North Avoca North Gosford Ourimbah Palm Grove Palmdale Patonga Pearl Beach Peats Ridge Phegans Bay Picketts Valley Point Clare Point Frederick Pretty Beach Ravensdale Rocky Point San Remo Saratoga Shelly Beach Somersby Spencer Springfield St Huberts Island Summerland Point Tacoma Tacoma South Tascott Ten Mile Hollow Terrigal The Entrance The Entrance North Toowoon Bay Toukley Tuggerah Tuggerawong Tumbi Umbi Umina Beach Upper Mangrove Wadalba Wagstaffe Wallarah Wamberal Warnervale Watanobbi Wendoree Park West Gosford Wisemans Ferry Wondabyne Woongarrah Woy Woy Woy Woy Bay Wyoming Wyong Wyong Creek Wyongah Yarramalong Yattalunga
Rivers and other waterways	Brisbane Water Budgewoi Lake Mangrove Creek Mooney Mooney Creek Lake Munmorah Ourimbah Creek Terrigal Lagoon Wamberal Lagoon Tuggerah Lake Tuggerah Lakes Wyong River
National parks	Bouddi Brisbane Water Dharug
Other places and points of interest	Central Coast Stadium Central Coast Highway Erina Fair Gosford Glyphs Munmorah Power Station Munmorah State Conservation Area Pacific Motorway Watagan Mountains Wyrrabalong National Park
List of Central Coast, New South Wales suburbs