Avalon is a northern beachside suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Avalon is located 35 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Pittwater Council, in the Northern Beaches region.
History
Avalon was named after the mythical Avalon, a legendary island in Celtic languages mythology. According to legends, Avalon was an earthly paradise and the final resting place of King Arthur.
European settlement
The first land grant in the area was 60 acres (240,000 m2) to John Farrell in 1827. A 400-acre (1.6 km2) land grant was made to Father John Joseph Therry in 1833, who fought hard for the recognition of the Catholic Church in the colony. He built a church in this area but his plans for a settlement never eventuated. In the 1920s, the area was still known as 'Priest's Flat'. Arthur J Small handled a subdivision in 1921 and chose the name Avalon.
Avalon Beach is a surfing beach and has a 25 metre salt water rock pool at the south end. Avalon Beach Surf Life Saving Club members patrol Avalon Beach. Several former surfing world champions are also past or current Avalon residents.
Avalon Soccer Club, established 1982, has over 80 teams and 1000 registered players. Avalon Junior Rugby League Club has contributed several players active in the Australian National Rugby League. Avalon also has a small nine hole golf course.
An episode of the American television show, Baywatch, was shot at Avalon Beach in the late 1990s. Producers of the show, seeking to relocate from their Californian base due to cost constraints, proposed a full relocation to Avalon. However, following complaints from residents (supported by former world surfing champion and local property owner Mark Warren), the series moved instead to Hawaii. The anti-Baywatch supporters were led by former Pittwater mayor Alex McTaggart who was subsequently elected to NSW State Parliament for two years.
