I remember as a kid the shark warning signs at Picnic Point on the George's, they have always been about.
Spending my school holidays at Bundeena we were fishing at Bonnie Vale and couldn't believe it when a couple of guys rocked up shark fishing and caught one !. This was near the huts, not out near the spit, biggest fish i ever caught there was a 30 cm flathead but sharks were definitely possible anywhere.