Prior to European settlement, the area was inhabited by the Awabakal people – the Awabakal named the area
Ngorrionba, meaning "where the emu breeds". The suburb was named for John Jewell, who used to lead hunting parties in Jewells Swamp, which was home to
waterfowl,
kangaroo and
emu. The
swamp and Jewells Beach were used for a commando training course in
World War II. The land was subdivided in the 1920s along with
Belmont North and
Floraville, but wasn't developed until the 1970s. A public school opened in 1977 and the local shopping centre opened in 1982. ==References==