Sydney/Maroubra

The name "Maroubra" is taken from a local Aboriginal word meaning "like thunder" - describing the sound of the surf pounding against the rocks on Maroubra Beach.

In 1861, the first house was built in the suburb's area by Humphrey McKeon. A number of other settlers arrived on the land in the 1870s to work on the wool scouring works located at the northern end of the bay.

The suburb first made headlines on the 6 May 1898, when the Hereward - a fully-rigged iron ship weighing 1,513 tons - was caught by the gale force winds and shipwrecked at the northern end of Maroubra Beach while heading north toward Newcastle. The shipwreck remained on the beach for a number of years until a failed attempt to refloat it was made by building a coffer dam around the wreck. Hereward Street in Maroubra is named after the event.

Major residential development only began in the 1910s after Herbert Dudley, a real estate developer, subdivided the land into residential blocks. Herbert Dudley also lobbied for the extension of the tramline to Maroubra Junction in 1912, where he had built Dudley's Emporium which has since been redeveloped. More crown land was released for residential use in the 1920s and the tram line was extended to Maroubra Beach in 1921.

Between 1925 and 1934, the Olympia Motor Speedway was located in South Maroubra at the corner of Anzac Parade and Fitzgerald Avenue, however due to the dangerous concrete track, a number of deaths occurred and it was closed after only 9 years of operation.

While it is a popular surfing beach and has a much more longer stretch of beach than the nearby Coogee and Bondi beaches, Maroubra actually is quieter and more downmarket than its neighbouring cousins further north. It has a feel of a peaceful country village but hosts many international surfing events and its coastline is enough to accommodate two surfing clubs.

Along with Bondi, Maroubra is divided into Maroubra Beach, South Maroubra and Maroubra Junction. Maroubra Junction is the commercial hub of the beachside suburb, with the Pacific Square shopping centre (formerly Maroubra Mall) as its main attraction. Maroubra Beach is the quieter beachfront area. South Maroubra, as you can guess, lies south of Maroubra Junction and has three shopping areas: South Maroubra Shopping Village (which serves the nearby Maroubra Beach, known to locals as "The Sands"), Duffy's Corner (which serves the surrounding community) and Lexington Place (which serves the residential area framed by Anzac Parade, Beauchamp Road, Malabar Road and Fitzgerald Avenue). Unfortunately, Lexington Place was known infamously for its high crime rates (2003). Ongoing re-development (2008) of community housing estates into mainstream residential properties is having a positive effect.

Maroubra has a village community feel despite its fair share of crime hot spots and tough gangs. Nevertheless, Maroubra serves as the second-largest suburb in the Randwick City Council area.

Buses run to Maroubra Beach from Bondi Junction and the city. Bus routes 317 and 353 runs from Bondi Junction and stops at Maroubra Beach. Bus route 395 runs from Railway Square near Central Station. All other bus services (376, 377, 396, 397) run from Circular Quay and either stop or terminate at the beach, being less regular services. Anzac Parade is the major public transport corridor with some other buses going to the city, Railway Square, Eastgardens, airport, University of NSW, the suburbs south of Maroubra (e.g. La Perouse) and even the western suburbs.

There are no train stations near Maroubra, but you can catch a train on the Eastern Suburbs Line and get off at Bondi Junction to connect with the 317 bus, or you can get off at Central station to connect with the 376, 395 or 396 buses (for Maroubra Beach). Either way, the train ride will take you 10 minutes.

Nearest light rail stops are at the end of the L2 Randwick and L3 Kingsford tramlines with bus connections stopping at the Southend Hotel in Maroubra Beach.

Maroubra is a 20 minute drive from the city, via Anzac Parade. It must be noted that although Maroubra Beach is less crowded than Bondi or Coogee beaches, it can still be difficult to find a parking space on a hot weekend (parking up to 4 hours is free). There are also car parking at Maroubra Junction and in selected areas of South Maroubra, free of charge.

Two taxi companies service Maroubra. Taxis Combined (call 131 008) has the most extensive taxi service in Sydney while Legion Cabs (call 13 1451) can also take you to Maroubra. The major taxi rank is at Maroubra Junction outside the Commonwealth bank, corner Maroubra Road and Anzac Parade.