This area was originally part of Narrabeen but was renamed after the S.S. Collaroy ran aground on the beach in 1881. It was refloated and later wrecked on the Californian coast in 1889. Most of Collaroy’s development has occurred since the mid twentieth century. Collaroy Beach Post Office opened on 12 February 1923. Collaroy Plateau Post Office opened on 1 April 1949 and closed in 1988. Collaroy Plateau West Post Office opened on 1 November 1967 and was renamed Collaroy Plateau in 1996. The beach and housing near the beach on Pittwater Road were badly affected by weather in early June 2016. A strip of houses lost backyards and were left in danger of collapse.
Landmarks
Collaroy’s surf beach joins Narrabeen Beach at Wetherill Street making one continuous 3.4 km surf beach. Four Surf Lifesaving Clubs provide swimming supervision/surf rescue services. Collaroy is home to one of the Salvation Army's largest conference and outdoor education centres in the area. The centre caters for many conferences of the Salvation Army as well as other churches, schools, community groups and businesses. It can cater for up to 440 people and has fully catered camp programs.
Demographics
According to the 2016 census, there were 7,870 residents in Collaroy. The most common ancestries were English 27.9%, Australian 23.7%, Irish 9.7%, Scottish 7.5% and Italian 4.8%. 68.8% of people were born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were England 6.1% and New Zealand 2.1%. 80.8% of people spoke only English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Italian 1.7% and Portuguese 1.5%. The most common responses for religion were No Religion 31.2%, Catholic 27.5% and Anglican 17.4%.
Commercial area
Collaroy's shopping precinct is centred along Pittwater Road, which runs north-south through the suburb. Small retail businesses include cafes, restaurants, a book shop, takeaway bars, a pharmacy, a newsagent/post office, several hairdressers, a day spa, a YHA youth hostel, real estate agents, Collaroy cinema, the Collaroy Services club and "The Collaroy", which was formerly known as the Surf Rock Hotel, re-opened in November 2014.
Collaroy/Narrabeen is frequented by diverse bird and aquatic animal life including Sea Eagles, Pelicans, Terns, Ducks, Yellow-crested Cockatoo. Dolphins and whales can be seen during migrating season. In 2005 a young New Zealand Fur Seal was discovered washed up on the beach. Exhausted but alive, the Seal was nursed back to health by wildlife officers and then released. A similar incident, with another New Zealand fur seal coming ashore, occurred in August 2014.
