Terrigal, once spelt in varying fashions as Tarrygal, Tarrigal, is thought to be derived from the Aboriginal words for either little birds, or fig trees, both of which are plentiful in the district. In the early 1800's, Tarrygal Haven, was a welcome shelter for the sixty milers, the ships running between Sydney and Kingstown, now Newcastle.

Land grants in the 1820's saw grazing and settling. Visitors described the tall and cavernous rain forests as 'The Vales of Ambrosia. The many Turpentine trees, Syncarpia glomulosa, saw the establishment of timber and boat building industries.

The 1870's saw the Davis family establish their sawmill and boat yard at the Terrigal Haven. They shipped turpentine logs, which were resistant to the marine borer, as wharf piles to destinations all over the colony.

In latter years, Terrigal became a farming and fishing village, and then a seaside resort, popular with Sydney and Hunter Valley vacationers. Now Terrigal is a cosmopolitan seaside resort, with residents commuting to Sydney and Newcastle, or working in Gosford, Wyong, and other areas of the NSW Central Coast.

Things to do include fishing, golfing, riding, diving, jet skiing, sunbaking, and surfing, kite surfing . Central Coast tourist attractions include Old Sydney Town an 1820's theme park, Reptile Park where Australia's most deadly reptiles and spiders are on display, Askania Park - a remnant of Central Coast rainforest, open to the public.