Roof cleaning and house washing in Redhead

What do Redhead's post-war houses near the bluff need?

The headland gave the suburb its name, seen from the sea, and the beach is a well known surfing spot for Newcastle. Mining and a banana orchard came first; houses followed from the late 1940s. The old railway to Newcastle and Belmont closed in 1971 and reopened in 2009 as the Fernleigh Track for walkers and cyclists.

Separate houses made up 92.5% of occupied homes in 2021. Fibro sheeting from the late 1940s through to the late 1980s can contain asbestos, and SafeWork NSW's guidance rules out high-pressure spray on it, so eaves and wall sheeting on older houses get a gentle house wash. On the roofs, a soft wash treats the lichen that coastal damp encourages.

Key figures

1940s

Redhead's suburban streets are developed

2009

the old railway reopens as the Fernleigh Track

92.5%

of occupied dwellings were separate houses in 2021

Sources

• Wikipedia, Redhead, New South Wales
• ABS 2021 Census QuickStats, Redhead
• SafeWork NSW, Asbestos
• NSW Spatial Services, Administrative Boundaries (postcode, council, distance, neighbours)