The
Awabakal people are the first people of this area. Early travel to the peninsula was quite difficult, and it was only accessible by
ferries. Among the ferries operating to allow travel to Wangi were the Wangi Wangi, the Azile and the first Wangi Queen . The Wangi Queen currently on
Sydney Harbour started out as a double decker built in 1922 as the Ettalong for use at
Ettalong, and subsequently renamed Profound, and renamed in 1975 as the second "Wangi Queen" for use
Lake Macquarie, where it remained until 2012. Wangi is also well known as the former home of artist
William Dobell. Dobell's 1948
Wynne Prize winning landscape
Storm Approaching Wangi depicts the locality. The suburb is also home to the retired
Wangi Power Station, which operated from 1956 to 1986.
Pulbah Island lies to the south of the peninsula. Wangi Wangi also has its own
Rugby league team over the years being the Wangi Warriors. There are also a number of bushwalking tracks around the bushland. Some of which are host to gun emplacements, stationed during the course of
World War II.
Wangi Wangi and its people : a local history was published in 1987. The name Wangi Wangi is
aboriginal for either Water Water, many night owls or many trees. ==Heritage listings==