Terrigal is a major coastal suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, located 12 kilometres (7 mi) east of Gosford on the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the City of Gosford local government area. Terrigal was first settled in 1826 by European Settler John Gray. The real meaning of the name "Terrigal" remains unclear but may be derived from Aboriginal word "Tarragul", meaning 'a place of little birds'. Although the names meaning may be unclear, the reasons why Terrigal was settled and then became an important local industry are clear: The clear skies, diverse bush and beautiful long beach. The town's long beach is highly popular with tourists. Of geographical significance are the Terrigal lagoons. There are in fact two lagoons at Terrigal, one of which has been filled in to make way for a traffic oval.