Carey Bay

The focus of my study is the suburb of Carey Bay on the shore of Lake Macquarie in Lake Macquarie City, NSW, Australia. Carey Bay shares its postcode of 2283 with several adjoining suburbs.

Carey Bay is situated in the land of the Awakabal people who inhabited this region for the last 50,000 years. 

Although this name Carey Bay, which was formerly part of Toronto, was only gazetted in 1991 the area of Cary Bay has been known as a location since the late nineteenth century. The area was named after William Cary, a director and shareholder of the Excelsior Land, Investment and Building Co and Bank Ltd. that developed and subdivided land in the area.

In the 2021 Australian census there were 865 people living in 444 dwellings in Carey Bay. Only 26 of these residents identified as indigenous.

Map showing location of Carey Bay relative to
Lake Macquarie and surrounding suburbs

Lake Macquarie City Council nominates this list of streets on its website as belonging in Carey Bay.

"Streets in Carey Bay

• Ambrose Street
• Amelia Street
• Angela Close
• Excelsior Parade
• Exeter Street
• Laycock Street
• Nigel Place
• The Quarterdeck
• Yaringa Lane"

I will not be restricting my study to the streets nominated above as, prior to 1991, a significant number of  people in electoral rolls and other documents nominated their addresses as Cary or Carey Bay. 

This page will be updated as more information becomes available.