Coogee is said to be taken from a local Aboriginal word koojah which means "smelly place", or "stinking seaweed", a reference to the smell of decaying kelp washed up on the beach. Although at certain times large quantities of seaweed are still washed up, it is usually removed before it gets a chance to stink. Early visitors to the area, from the 1820s onwards, were never able to confirm exactly what "Coogee" meant, or if it in fact related to Coogee Beach. Another name, "Bobroi", was also recalled as the indigenous name for the locality. Some evidence suggests that the word "Coogee" may in fact be the original Aboriginal place name for the next bay to the north, now known as Gordon's Bay. Coogee was gazetted as a village in 1838, growing slowly until it was connected to the city by electric tram in 1902.
Randwick cemetery
Until the 1870s, the Randwick Municipality had only one cemetery, which was at St Jude's Church, Avoca Street. In addition, Rookwood Cemetery was also used, but this was too far away. The residents petitioned to have another local cemetery, and in 1872, permission was granted for Randwick Council to acquire land for a second cemetery. Land was bought in what is now the South Coogee area, and the new cemetery was ready for use in July 1874. Simeon Henry Pearce, an early Mayor, was appointed manager of the cemetery. Well-known burials include:
There are buses running along Malabar Rd and that is the only transport in the area. Routes 353 - Northbound to Bondi Junction via Coogee, Southbound to Eastgardens via Maroubra Jn Routes 376 & 377 - Northbound to City via Randwick Jn, Southbound to Maroubra Beach.
Landmarks
Latham Park is a large recreation area that features football fields, cricket pitches, tennis courts and bowls greens. It sits beside Endeavour House, a Department of Defence facility for the Royal Australian Navy. A small shopping strip is located in Malabar Road, close to the boundary of Randwick Cemetery. Another strip of shops sits one kilometre further south along Malabar Road at the corner of Torrington Road, Lurline Bay is a secluded rocky basin located between Coogee and Maroubra Beaches in suburb of South Coogee.Nestled between weather sculptured headlands, the small bay can only be accessed via the coastal walk from either Seaside Parade to the north or Marine Parade if coming from Maroubra Beach.
