Late 1850s – Chinese fishermen worked the Tuggerah Lakes area, in particular, what is now known as Canton Beach. While not confirmed, it is believed this is where the name is derived from. It was a base for catching and curing fish that were then shipped to Queensland, the goldfields and back to China.
1856 – Edward Hargraves purchased Robert Henderson's holdings and built "Norahville". Wollombi Aboriginal Tribe members are known to have worked on the property. Some sources state that Hargraves "befriended" tribe members. Cattle were grazed as far as Buff Point and Elizabeth Bay.
1903 – Lighthouse built at Norah Head after many vessels were wrecked in the area.
Demographics
As of the 2021 census, Canton Beach had a population of 1,202. The majority of residents (76.3%) were born in Australia, followed by England (6.2%) and New Zealand (0.9%). The most common ancestries were English (47.3%), Australian (35.4%), and Irish (14.6%). English was the primary language spoken at home for 88.5% of the population, while other languages included Polish (0.6%), Nepali (0.4%), and Spanish (0.2%).
The most common religious affiliations were No Religion (32.0%), Catholic (21.9%), and Anglican (21.6%). Christianity was the largest broad religious group, encompassing 61.6% of the population.
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people comprised 5.6% of the population, above the national average of 3.2%.[3]
