Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating is a robust method for reconstructing the depositional history of Holocene sedimentary deposits along the coast. This study presents an overview of approximately 10 years of OSL dating of coastal barrier deposits along the southern New South Wales coastline. At 12 separate sites, sampling of foredune ridges comprising prograded barrier systems affords the opportunity to consider rates of shoreline advance through the Holocene, compare neighbouring sites, and explore regional patterns. While the timing of Holocene sea level attaining near present elevations exerts a higher-order control on the age of barrier initiation, local inherited factors (embayment accommodation space, sediment availability) and internal morphodynamics (e.g. shoreface evolution in response to energy regime) appear to be most important in explaining the observed patterns. A case study of the Moruya-Broulee region showcases coastal change over a range of spatial and temporal scales and supports the assertion that local rather than regional factors are most critical in controlling shoreline responses. This spatial and temporal variability needs to be appreciated when looking to understand shoreline vulnerability to future change.