Bounded by tall unit blocks on both sides, its sheltered forest feel is added to by the buildings shadows. It is certainly an oasis in North Sydney. My daughters and I went to Balls Head Reserve last winter. Bus stop nearby: M20 and 252 bus routes stop at Bay Road near Woolcott Street and Woolcott Street near Waverton Park (please, always check updates prior your trip on Transport NSW web page). The platform, once covered in a large stockpile of coal, is now home to one of Sydneys largest publicly accessible green roof spaces. BP Australia also invested heavily in this transformation. Balls Head Reserve 4.5 65 #6 of 34 things to do in North Sydney Nature & Wildlife Areas Visit website Write a review About Features animals Learn more about animal welfare in tourism Suggest edits to improve what we show. Architecture Media acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land and waters of Australia. The Balls Head Bushcare Group carries out bush regeneration in the Reserve. If youve had enough, continue up the hill to return to Waverton Station or take a left into Horace Street to continue the walk. The reserve is home to various short bushwalking trails that combine natural beauty with great views across Sydney Harbour, taking in the CBD skyline, the Harbour Bridge, Goat Island, and the surrounding peninsulas. The first is concentrated in Balls Head, taking in the Caol Loader and the nearby park. Description:With Council support, residents came together to form Primrose Park Bushcare Group in 1994. For this reason, itis a well-known vantage point to watch the Sydneys New Years Eve fireworks, although it doesnt appear on the official web page of Sydney New Years Eve. Some practical tips before you start your walk: From all the tracks, I would recommend that you start with the Harbour View Walk. A stone tablet acknowledging Froggatt's work was unveiled in 1938. Australia hotels, motels, resorts and inns. Wollstonecraft Train Station is a short walk. "Balls Head: the excavation of a Port Jackson rock shelter. This area has improved greatly since this time and is home to many small native birds e.g., White Browed Scrubwrens. Trip Date (mm/dd/yy) 4.4 out of 5 stars 47. Along the different tracks, you can find several benches to have a rest, and picnic areas (some of them with barbecues and water taps). Mortlock Reserve is part of middle Harbour cluster of bushland reserves, an important wildlife corridor for North Sydney Council. Your Email. Entering the coal loader site youll pass an Aboriginal Bush Foods Garden and a large engraving of a whale with some faint figures inside. Description:Mortlock Reserve sits on the Long Bay foreshore, just east of Tunks Park. Weed infestation was a problem. Though discreet in size, the site of Balls Head Reserve is able to provide that rare thrill available to Sydney as a gift of its setting, delivering the sense that within the urban fabric there exists places spared the impacts of European settlement. The Balls Head Reserve is a forested headland nature reserve situated on Balls Head in Sydney. So grab your favorite fly fishing rod and reel, and head out to Brea Reservoir. End of Balls Head Drive, Waverton, NSW 2060. It's A, North Sydney Council Bushland Rehabilitation Plans 2019-2029, North Sydney Section 94 Contributions Plan, GO FISHING SYDNEY HARBOURS WHARVES, PIERS & PARKS Overview, Aerial Pho to of the S Ydne Y Harbour Highline 1, Strategic Business Plan for the Planning MinisterS Corporation OFFICE of STRATEGIC LANDS STRATEGIC BUSINESS PLAN November 2017 Crown Copyright 2017 NSW Government, What We Heard: Documenting the Stakeholder Workshops, PROGRAM October November December 2019, Aila Nsw Landscape Heritage Report Volumes 1 & 2, Goat Island Conservation Management Plan Volume 1. Its revealing to consider the nature of projects that come to mind when asked to review and critique. Primrose Park is an important link within the middle harbour cluster of bushland reserves, part of a wildlife corridor for North Sydney Council. Tunks Park East Bushcare Group look after the steep stretch of bush that starts on the corner of the Boulevarde and Rowlison Parade, Cammeray. The biggest ones are conveniently located close to the car park and the block of toilets. While not as popular as Circular Quay and The Domain, Balls Head Reserve does provide fantastic views of the Harbour and the fireworks, but without the large crowds. Also on the site is a community garden and bushland nursery as well as public meeting rooms and art studio spaces. Lush now, the site was earlier stripped of its vegetation, becoming almost bald by the 1930s, as its stands of timber answered the needs of the Great Depression. It is named after Lieutenant Henry Lidgbird Ball, a Royal Naval officer who commanded HMS Supply on the First Fleet. Take some time to stroll up, down and around the old BP site. Rehabilitation of this reserve has included a mixture of bush regeneration and revegetation with local provenance plantings grown by volunteers at the Bushcare Community Nursery. To start exploring, starting from the car park, its best to follow the path towards the north and go clockwise around the reserve. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Hello and welcome! It took years of dedicated work by the volunteers to restore this remnant of Angophora Foreshore Forest. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. It is an important south/north linkage for a wildlife corridor stretching toRawson Street and Anderson Park, called the Streets Alive Rawson Street Wildlife corridor. Trip Type. It is an important link within the middle harbours cluster of bushland reserves, a wildlife corridor for North Sydney Council. To read more about myself, my family and this website, just click here. Volunteers receive training and are invited to special events throughout the year. Australian homes to inspire the very best residential architecture and design projects. BP Australia ceased its operations there in 1993, and in 2005 the Waverton Peninsula was re-opened as public parkland. SI 56-5 grid ref. Cremorne Point (Stop ID 209035), Ferries: Cremorne Point Wharf F2 Taronga Zoo and F6 Mosman Bay, Meet:Sunday of the second full weekend of the month (see dates in table below). In the 1980s, the vegetation in this area included native canopy remnants, mostly Sydney Red Gums (Angophora costata) and a few Blackbutts (Eucalyptus pilularis), parts of it were quite degraded with exotic trees and invasive weeds. Bushcare helped rehabilitate areas zoned bushland, remnants of Angophora Foreshore Forest and Disclimax Sandstone Scrub through bush regeneration and revegetation with local provenance native plants. A sense of belonging as you return to your favourite holiday house. Even then, during a time we dont now perceive as being particularly ecologically sensitive, the sites destruction caused consternation, and the citys citizens, from the artists to the ordinary, responded in kind. The aim of this article is help you to plan your day. It functioned primarily as a transfer depot where coal was moved from bulk carriers to smaller vessels and trucks for redistribution. One of the last remnants of these dwellings is Toms Cabin and you can see it by taking the lower path just off the the Harbour View Walk. There are no signs pointing to these middens and though I looked, I was unable to find them. Balls Head Reserve has several short bush walking trails that are all connected. In the years following 1993, a transformation project changed the area from industrial to recreational. Evidence of their occupation includes art sites, middens and a spectacular petroglyph of a marine creature. As you turn the corner you will start what is known as the Midden Walk, named for the shell middens known to be in the area. Locations:First meeting of the month meets at Tryon Avenue and Cable Street. For example, the big circles in the park are where the big oil tanks used to be. Tunks Park is part of the middle Harbour cluster of bushland reserves, an important wildlife corridor and one of two biodiversity hotspots identified in Councils 2010 Natural Area Survey. Images: Dont wait until New Years to explore this extraordinary bushland reserve! Both are outlined here. It is bounded by Berry Creek to the west that flows into Gore Cove, Sydney Harbour. 2. Neutral Bay (Stop ID 208924), Nearest public toilet: Forsyth Park Community Centre, Meet:Sunday of the fourth full weekend of themonth (see dates in table below). The headland is in Port Jackson, 1.5 kilometres (0.93mi) west of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, between Berrys Bay to the east and Balls Head Bay to the west. American and Australasian Photographic Company. Middens, art sites and rock engravings are still present in the Reserve and surrounding area. How different it looks today! Description:The name Cremorne comes from the famous Cremorne Gardens in London. Heading down the hill you'll see a big carpark behind a high fence. Balls Head Reserve was named after Henry Lidgbird Ball, a Royal Naval officer and commander of one of the ships that was part of the First Fleet that arrived in Botany Bay in 1788. Youre nearly done now. Strong public protests in the early part of the 20th century resulted in Balls Head becoming public parkland (rather than being used for commercial or residential purposes as was mooted) in 1926. The walk around Balls Point offers many diversions and it can get a bit confusing. The park is accessed via Balls Head Drive, Waverton, New South Wales, Australia. They are not pram-friendly, except the Harbour View Walk, which is also suitable for wheelchairs and offers great views of the Sydney Harbour and the CBD. Once a significantly degraded site, impacted by coal dust that caused the soil to become hydrophobic, it has been regenerated and revegetated with local provenance native plantings. It is home to significant Aboriginal sites, Badangi is an Aboriginal word meaning Sydney Rock Oyster. Sydney.com is the official tourism site for Destination NSW. Join our architecture and design community for the latest news and reviews. We are always looking for further support, this group arguably provides the best morning tea. The northside of the y shaped- gully extends from Flat Rock Gully in Willoughby Council, the northside is in North Sydney Council. Turn right and youll find yourself among the buildings of the old Coal Loader which now houses the Genia McCaffery Centre for Sustainability. To read more about myself, my family and this website, just click here. Image: 2023 Getty Images. Here, the water curls into secreted coves, carving a line more looping than linear, and peninsulas extend into the fray like hammers or fists: protruding, concealing, demanding. The Coal Loader Bushcare Community Nursery Group was formed to produce local native plants for the rehabilitation of Council's Bushland Reserves and to support our Bushcare Programs. Leaving the station, turn left on Bay Road and walk down, passing a few village shops and cafes along the way. Balls Head Reserve is situated on a prominent headland at the tip of the Waverton peninsula. There is a cafe which is open Wednesday to Sunday from 7am - 3pm, and importantly, there are toilets. Read more. Brightmore Bushcare Group has been working to regenerate this site since 1994, they meet at two locations, Little Young Street and Little Wonga Road on the First and third Sunday of the full weekend from February through November. The Phoenix Palms are relics of plantings from the early 1900s. In 1916, Henry Lawson penned a lament entitled The Sacrifice of Balls Head, decrying that The State is cutting down Balls Head To make a wharf for coal. Substitute coal for casinos or apartments and his protest becomes current, one voice in a long chorus contesting the citys northern foreshore in its endless tousle between public and private interests. With a cafe on-site and plenty of natural beauty, the parklands offer an interesting history and vantage point overlooking Sydney. Aboriginal fishing in Port Jackson, and the introduction of shell fish-hooks to coastal New South Wales, Australia. The highlight of The Coal Loader is the newly built Coal Loader Platform, a beautiful open green roof space. Native trees were reintroduced to the headland throughout the decade. Freedom as you dash into the waves. The headland is in Port Jackson, 1.5 kilometres (0.93mi) west of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, between Berrys Bay to the east and Balls Head Bay to the west. The walk begins and ends at Waverton Station. There are two options for this walk: The short (ish) one, or the long one. 1. Named after the RAN destroyer which sank off Tobruk in 1941, the base was used by the US and Australian navies in World War II. Tunks WestBushcare Group formed in 1999 propelled by the concern for the health of the bushfrom a single neighbour. Its still a bit of a hidden secret, so it usually doesnt get too busy there. Bodies of water and their banks provide compelling metaphors for ideologies staked to geography. Meet: Sunday of the first full weekend of the month (see dates in table below). The Aboriginal name for Balls . But if you have little children, you might prefer the ones that they are far away from the cars. Locations:End of Lambert Street, CremorneandFolly Point, entrance to Primrose Park Walking Track(locations of meetings are noted in table below). Tunks Park is one of the most striking reserves in the North Sydney LGA and part of the middle Harbour cluster of bushland reserves, an important wildlife corridor. Awe as you make it to the snowy peak. Generally considered an easy route, it takes an average of 23 min to complete. Locations:The group works at two sites on the peninsular,the Playground at Robinsons Point and Bogota Avenue entrance to Cremorne Reserve (locations of meetings are noted in table below). A little further down Balls Head Road youll be directed right toward to the Coal Loader via WaterhenDrive. The land has now become a public parkland offering stunning views over Sydney Harbour and Sydney CBD. At low tide you can pretty much skirt around the whole island at water level and once youve explored the bush track above, I recommend scrambling down to the sandy beach if the tide allows. Nearest takeaway coffee:The closest caf from Balls Head Bushland Reserve is the Coal Loader Caf. 5. Further volunteer support is needed. During the Depression, lots of people were forced to abandon their homes because they couldnt pay the rent or the mortgage repayments. At Balls Head Reserve, well-used concrete walkways follow the original paths laid down in the 1930s on this hybrid (both natural and designed) site. Description:Tunks Park is one of North Sydney Council's most striking reserves, it stretches for a kilometre through a gully from Hamilton Reserve down to Middle Harbours Long Bay foreshore. The northside of the y shaped- gully extends from Flat Rock Gully in Willoughby Council, the southside is in North Sydney Council. Tunnels being constructed for the Balls Head Coal Loader. Location:Opposite 7Vernon Street, Cammeray. Besides the stunning natural beauty, Balls Head Reserve is like going on a trip back into history, too. AM Publication. Fishing spots, fishing reports and regulations in. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. Friends of Balls Head (residents, and conservations) began regenerating the bushland reserve and beautifying its approaches in the late 80s, when 1993 their efforts were formally supported by Council with the supply of tools and equipment and professional supervision. Long-nosed Bandicoots were recorded here for the first time in 2013 after a long absence, a dividend of the volunteers ongoing bush regeneration work. It is a popular picnic and bushwalking site, with views of the city skyline and harbour. 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