A new public walkway connecting South Coogee and Lurline Bay is one step closer after Randwick City Council purchased a $4.9 million property that it intends to demolish to fulfil its long-held vision of a continuous coastal walkway.

Currently there is no direct coastal walkway between Coogee and Maroubra, with walkers forced to detour off the coastline to Malabar Road, south of Coogee.

The recent purchase of the Cuzco Street property realises a plan 22 years in the making, the result of a long-held agreement between the Council and the former owner of the property, local arts luminary and local historical society president, the late Ellen Waugh OAM.

Randwick Mayor Dylan Parker said that the walkway connection will improve access to the iconic Randwick City coastline for millions of people every year.

“Randwick City is lucky to have some of Sydney’s most spectacular views of bays and beaches, right in our backyard.”

“Everyone who has visited the coastal walkway leaves with a special memory – whether they’ve spent an afternoon at a world-famous ocean pool, spotted a majestic humpback whale, or just simply taken in the ocean views.

“By connecting the walk between South Coogee and Lurline Bay, we’re progressing our goal of uninterrupted public access to the coastal walk.

“The late Ellen Waugh was a luminary of the Australian art scene who cared deeply for her local community. Naming this iconic walkway after her is a fitting recognition of an extraordinary legacy.”

Council entered negotiations with Ms Waugh in 2002, seeking to obtain ‘first right of refusal’ over her family home, which she had lived in since her father completed construction in the 1930s. Councillors resolved at their June 2002 meeting that, should Ms Waugh grant Council first right of refusal, the section of the coastal walk should be named in her honour.

After coming to agreement, Council planners rezoned the residential land as open space for public enjoyment in 2012.

Ellen passed away at her Cuzco Street home on 18 January 2024, just two months shy of her 100^th birthday. The sale of the property to Council was finalised with her estate in October 2024.

The South Coogee to Lurline Bay corridor is the latest in a series of Council works improving public access to the coastal walk, resulting in a continuous coastal walk from Bondi to Malabar.

In 2018, Council and the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service completed a 1.15km track providing public access to Malabar Headland, creating a circular loop linking with the coastal NPWS Boora Point Walking Track.

The following year, Council completed a new track in the Kamay Botany Bay National Park, allowing walkers to safely traverse the NSW Golf Course at La Perouse.

Council is developing a concept design for the South Coogee to Lurline Bay connection for public consultation, proposed to take place in 2025-26.

Media enquiries
Matthew Phillips – 0408 541 717 or matt.phillips@randwick.nsw.gov.au
Joshua Hay – 0402 351 459 or joshua.hay@randwick.nsw.gov.au