Tamarama
Snap shot
Tamarama is a beachside eastern suburb of Sydney located 7km east of the CBD. It has a population of 1450 (as of 2011) people.
Tamarama
Tamarama is a small ocean beach about 1km from Bondi and few hundred metres north of Bronte. Referred to by locals as “Glamarama” this is the place to see and be seen! Great for swimming, surfing and sunbathing Tamarama also offers an adjacent park which is a popular spot for picnics and exercise. But be warned, this small, easterly aspect , of deep water beach is considered one of the most dangerous patrolled beaches in NSW. The Surf Life Saving Club, which was one of the first lifesaving clubs in the world, boasts an enviable record of not having lost a single life to a mishap in the surf whilst it is patrolled in over 100 years.
Tamarama, originally known as Dixon Bay, derives its name from the original aboriginal name “Gamma Gamma” meaning storm. Imagine if you can that back in 1887 Tama was the site of Sydney’s first coastal amusement park named The Bondi Aquarium. Its greatest attraction was the plunging roller coaster that dived and twisted over the beach. In 1906 the park was bought and renamed Wonderland City. After a few years of low crowds, Wonderland was closed in 1911; in 1920 the NSW Government bought the area and it is now Tamarama Park, one of the most significant beach reserves in the area. There is still a Wonderland Avenue in Tamarama which overlooks the beach and the park.
Tamarama beach is not easy to access and parking is limited as there are no designed car parks around the area. The ever popular Sculpture by the Sea exhibition is held for 3 weeks in October. It is free to the public and accessible 24 hours a day. Thousands of people are attracted to the Bondi to Tamarama coastal walk to view over 100 sculptures. Tamarama hosts up to 13 sculptures many of them on a grand scale on the sand of the beach.
In recent years, Tamarama has had a facelift with a new Café, public changing facilities and picnic area installed. A dense ridge-top of residences encloses the park on three sides – the design of some of these homes is such that they appear to be suspended above the park. Tamarama relies on neighbouring Bronte and Bondi for its commercial aspect and is therefore mainly a residential area with properties in high demand and their prices reflecting this. The median house price for 2016 is $3,550,000, and the median unit price $1,400,000. Top prices achieved in the area for 2016 for coastal properties between $6,500,000 and $13,000,000. Demographics of the area are maturing and establishing independence and maturing couples and families.
