The township of Peterborough sits on the headland between Wild Dog Cove and the Main Beach. It is an idyllic spot, a sleepy hollow of fibro cement holiday homes. Peterborough in recent years has grown and while this growth is not slowing down, it is still a small rural town: it is just that in summer it attracts thousands of visitors.
Peterborough is both a town and a postcode, of course most people live in the town. The census figures tell us a story of the growth: in ten years, from 2006 to 2016 the population increased by 39%; then in only five years from 2016 to 2021, the population grew another 30%; in the 2021 census, in the postcode of Peterborough there are only 322 individuals from 81 households. We are growing.
The importance of holiday makers can be seen when we consider that there are 359 dwellings for these 81 households: for every house with a permanent resident there are four and a half holiday homes. Some of these home owners live here almost semi permanent, others are much less frequent visitors.
So Peterborough exists for residents, part-time residents and casual tourists.
For such a small population, we are well served. We have a general store, a take-away shop/Post Office, a pub with dining room, a motel with restaurant, a coffee shop/café, and a caravan park. These businesses rely on holiday makers to keep them running throughout the year.
Peterborough has managed to hide from the authorities for many years and we keep a low profile. However, this could also be translated into neglect by the authorities. We have two shires running through Peterborough, two state government electorates but we are covered by the one federal electorate. Statutory authorities often have boundaries within or close by Peterborough. We have been easy to ignore.
People between 60 and 70 make up 20% of the population, more than double the state average. Lots of old people live in Peterborough and most of them are married.
We people of Peterborough treasure our local environment, we want to be able to continue to enjoy it for ourselves and future generations.
Our lifestyle is quiet and rural, and that’s how we like it.
