The area was discovered by George Bass and Matthew Flinders in 1796, whilst free settlers arrived in the nearby town of Shellharbour between 1817 and 1831.

Post WWII migration brought immigrants predominantly Dutch, and German to Oak Flats, and the town began to develop rapidly.

[2] In the early 1930s, Sydney newspapers invited holiday makers to the therapeutic waters of Lake Illawarra as an alternative to spas in the Blue Mountains.

Blocks were also purchased and small week-enders erected by visitors keen to return to Lake Illawarra as a holiday destination.

The shoreline was popular on hot summer days when families would congregate on the grassy banks to rest or swim in the Lake.

Similar concepts in the design include that the town centres around a round street (Bridge Ave) like Canberra does Parliament house.

Oak Flats is located in southeast New South Wales and had a population of around 6,840 (48.7% male, 51.3% female) at the 2021 census.

The students are drawn from the parishes extending from Port Kembla in the north to Kiama in the south.

Oak Flats has its own rail station on the NSW TrainLink South Coast line.