Lake Macquarie History

Little Pelican

European History

Located on the eastern side of Swansea Channel, Little Pelican is a Crown Land Reserve.

"Life at Little Pelican is a throw-back to desperate times when unemployed miners, hit by the Great Depression, built makeshift cottages at the waters edge.". (Source: NH 19 July 2007). Only a few cottages remain today at the end of about a kilometre of sealed road called Little Pelican Road. Their future is uncertain.

When the Sunstrip Caravan Park was established in 1956 a channel was dredged from the back of the park to the lake, cutting off Little Pelican from Pelican. Prior to this, people from Little Pelican could walk to Pelican, or as they called it 'Big Pelican'. The spot on the highway which is now the Blue Pacific Motor Inn used to be a dairy farm and cows used to wander freely around Little Pelican (Source: "NH" 2 May 2000).

In the Parish of Kahibah the locality of Little Pelican was assigned the status of suburb and the boundaries were defined on 31 May 1991 (Source: GNB of NSW)

Streets in Little Pelican

Acknowledgement of Country

We remember and respect the Ancestors who cared for and nurtured this Country. It is in their footsteps that we travel these lands and waters. Lake Macquarie City Council acknowledges the Awabakal people and Elders past, present and future.

Council acknowledges traditional custodians throughout Australia. We commit to listening deeply to and collaborating with First Peoples in our work.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this website and Council's cultural collections may contain images, voices or names of deceased persons in photographs, film, audio recordings or printed material.

This website may contain place names, opinions and terms that reflect authors' views or those of the period in which the item was written or recorded. These may not be considered appropriate today.

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