The area was known as "Bongin Bongin" by Aboriginal Peoples. The initial land grants in the district of Pittwater were not made until April 1813, and those sections which now comprise Mona Vale, first surveyed in May 1814, were granted to Robert Campbell. These were originally part of that extended northwards from Mona Vale to the end of Newport beach. Local lore suggests the name Mona Vale was chosen by Campbell in remembrance of a town bearing the same name in Scotland, however the exact location of this place remains a mystery. In 2005, Mona Vale became the administrative centre of Pittwater Council, after the council chambers moved from Warriewood. Since then, Pittwater Council has been amalgamated with Warringah and Manly to form the Northern Beaches Council.
Landmarks
Mona Vale has two primary schools and a high school, an RSL club, a park, public library, golf course, hospital, a world class skate park, a bus depot, three supermarkets, and a variety of shops and businesses. There are also a number of pathways and walking tracks around the area. Mona Vale Hospital is the localpublic healthcare facility, which has been undergoing a process of re-development since the opening of the newly built Northern Beaches Hospital. Mona Vale has a shallow beach which has a children's and lap pool at its northern end, with the main beach adjoining the golf course and a number of parks and reserves. There is a second beach north of this which is known as "The Basin" with a concentrated wave which, since the early 2000s, has been known as "Whomp" which is popular with body boarders. Mona Vale is a popular beach for surfing with beach breaks including "Main", "Suck Rock", and "Rip Bowl".
Population
In the 2016 Census there were 10,670 people domiciled in Mona Vale, of which 70.7% of these were born in Australia. The most common other countries of birth were England 8.0%, New Zealand 2.2% and South Africa 1.4%. The area is relatively linguistically homogeneous, with 84.8% of residents speaking only English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Serbian 1.1%, German 1.0% and Croatian 1.0%. The most common responses for religion were No Religion 30.6%, Catholic 24.5% and Anglican 20.7%.
Transport
Mona Vale is located at the junction of two major roads and is accessible by B-Line bus from central Sydney. There is a local bus depot located on Darley Street.
Whilst many of the outdoor activities which take place in Mona Vale are aquatic, the suburb is also home to a variety of sporting clubs and associations:
