Have you ever played tourist for a day in your hometown? If you have, then you know spending time learning about your town or city can unveil some cool and quirky facts you probably didn’t know before.
You might find a new cafe to visit or you learn there was an alleged spaceship sighting in your neighbourhood!
We’re a huge advocate of exploring Dee Why, so we took a look at Dee Why’s history, characteristics and more to discover what truly makes the suburb of Dee Why so unique.
Here’s what we found…
How Dee Why Got Its Name
One of the most commonly asked questions about Dee Why is how the town got its name. Some theorists say Dee Why represents the shape of the lagoon but really, no one can be certain.
Tina Graham wrote an article about the origin of Dee Why, stating “William Cossar had been granted 500 acres (202 hectares) at Long Reef, which was measured by Meehan in 1815 and confirmed in 1819. Cossar was also listed to receive a further 200 acres (90 hectares) – again measured by Meehan – but this time Meehan noted the 200 acres as ‘From Long Reef Dy Lagoon’.
From this information, we can assume the term “DY” was used to cover a large geographical area, that is, from Freshwater Beach to Dee Why Lagoon, thus creating the name Dee Why.
The surf club is known for promoting the continuous improvement of the local area. In the past few years, the Surf Club built a rock pool for visitors and residents to enjoy, plus a war memorial was built on the beachfront to commemorate those who served in World War I.
The Surf Club Was Once A Rubbish Tip
For a period of two years in the 1960s, a rubbish tip operated where the car park and grassed area are behind the current Dee Why Surf Club.
The Oldest Sports Teams In Northern Beaches Started Here
Dee Why is known for its love of sports. Go back a few decades to 1946 and you’ll see the oldest and most respected football clubs on the peninsula. To this day, the Dee Why Football Club continues to make history. In 2017, the Dee Why Football Club opened the DYFC Academy – a school holiday camp for aspiring footballers.
The Local Salvation Army Runs Programs To Keep Your Kids Entertained
The Salvation Army at Dee Why isn’t just a church. It’s also a place where pre-school kids and families can get together to have some fun. On Tuesdays, there’s a Manly Music program where kids aged 0-5 years can participate in a 30-minute music program followed by a morning tea. The programs are run during school terms.
If music isn’t your thing, you might enjoy some of the other activities such as craft group or home league.
Dee Why Is Home To One Of The Largest Tibetan Communities In Australia
Dee Why has one of the largest Tibetan communities in Australia!
Unfortunately, the majority of the Tibetan community lacks general swimming skills. Imagine living around the beach and not knowing how to swim? Having water awareness and simple swimming skills is almost a necessity in Australia – we’re surrounded by beaches, so not having proper swimming skills can become a huge risk.
Most of the Tibetan community hasn’t seen a beach or a waterway before so the Dee Why swim program, Water Skills For Life, was created to help out them learn. The program helps individuals and groups develop water awareness, swimming and water safety skills.
We Have A Community Group Dedicated To Connecting Cultures
We love having a multicultural community here at Dee Why and love welcoming them into our community.
Dee Why has a special group called the Northern Beaches Community Connect where volunteers from all cultures come together to form new friendships, all while helping the community through their multitude of activities and programs.
The Median House Price Is $1.7 Million
If you’re looking to rent or buy a home in Dee Why, what are you going to pay?
As for buying a home in Dee Why, you’re looking at around $1.5 million for a three-bedroom home with $1,730,000 being the average median house price as of April 13, 2018. That’s much higher than the average national house price of $818,416.
The Median Age Of The People In Dee Why Is 36
Dee Why is a dream home destination for many people. It’s a great location for food, exploring, families and more. The 2016 Census provides a range of interesting facts about Dee Why’s demographics – for example, did you know the median age in Dee Why is 36 years old?
There Were Allegedly UFO Sightings In Dee Why
Are you a believer in UFOs? Or are you fascinated with weirdness and unexplained occurrences in your area? You’re going to love this story.
Were these strange events actually UFO sightings? To this day, no one knows. There has never been proof that the claims were real but if you’re a believer, keep your eyes peeled. You may be the next to see the disk-like object in the sky.
Dee Why Is Truly A Fascinating Place To Call Home
It’s no secret – Dee Why is a wonderful place that attracts people from all over the world. Sometimes, it’s nice to step away from all the tourist attractions of Dee Why and think about what truly makes it so unique.
Some say the name itself is one-of-a-kind, others love its various ‘UFO sightings’, and some simply love learning about the history of Dee Why. It’s these factors and more which make Dee Why such a fantastic place to call home.
At Dee Why RSL, we can’t wait to see how our hometown evolves in coming years.
