Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park

Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park is a national park on the northern side of Sydney in New South Wales, Australia. The park covers 14,977 hectares and is located about 25 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district. It stretches from the Pacific Motorway in the west to Pittwater in the east, and from Mona Vale Road in the south to the Hawkesbury River in the north. Barrenjoey Headland is part of the park on the eastern side of Pittwater.

The park is a popular place for visitors because of its beautiful views, plants, animals, and important Aboriginal and European historical sites. People can enjoy picnics, boating, and fishing there. There are also many walking tracks to explore. Several small villages such as Cottage Point, Elvina Bay, Lovett Bay, Coasters Retreat, Great Mackerel Beach, and Bobbin Head are inside the park.

Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park was officially created in 1894, making it the third oldest national park in Australia. It is cared for by the NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service and was added to the Australian National Heritage List in December 2006. The park’s name comes from the Guringai Aboriginal people, who were once thought to be the traditional owners of the area, although newer research tells a different story.

Geology

Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park is part of the Hornsby Plateau, a large area made mostly of sandstone that slopes upward toward the north. The park sits on a flat area that is usually between 150 and 200 meters above sea level.

Long ago, between 250 and 200 million years ago, sand, silt, and mud were laid down by rivers on flat lands. These materials formed the layers of stone called shales, flagstones, and sandstones that we can see along the edges and ridges of the park today. The higher parts of the park have layers of pink, white, and orange Hawkesbury Sandstone mixed with some shale. There are also shales from the Wianamatta Group on the highest points.

The shape of the land in the park comes from how these layers of sediment were arranged. Other types of rocks are less common but can be found in places like around Elvina Bay and Lovett Bay. Some areas have soils that support different kinds of trees, like spotted gums and forest oaks. There are also places where old volcanic activity created different rocks, such as at Resolution Picnic Area near West Head.

The park’s flat area is split into sections by deep valleys formed by streams like Cowan Creek, Coal and Candle Creek, and Smiths Creek. During icy times long ago, these valleys were carved deep into the sandstone. When the ice melted about 10,000 years ago, sea levels rose and filled these valleys, turning some areas into bays and inlets.

The most common rock in the park is Hawkesbury Sandstone, which shapes the land and affects the plants that grow there. Sandstone cliffs, rocky areas, and worn caves can be found all around the park. Indigenous people also carved designs into flat sandstone surfaces. The highest point in the park is 246 meters above sea level, located at Willunga Trig near West Head Road.

History

Pre-European history

The name Ku-ring-gai refers to the Indigenous Australian peoples who lived in the area between the southern borders of the Gamilaraay and the area around Sydney. There is little information about these original inhabitants because their communities were soon affected by disease and conflicts after European settlers arrived.

The national park has many places that show evidence of Aboriginal life before Europeans came. These include rock engravings, cave drawings, occupation sites, paintings, stencils, axe grinding grooves, and middens, which help us understand how the Guringai people lived.

Park history

In 1788, when the first English settlers arrived in Sydney, Governor Arthur Phillip explored the area but was not interested in the steep and rocky land because he was looking for good farming ground.

The park was not developed much by early settlers because it was hard to reach and the soil was not very fertile. Some trees like Sydney blue gum, blackbutt, turpentine, and coachwood were taken from the area, and red cedar was taken in large amounts. Sawmills were built in the 1830s, including one at the upper part of Cowan Creek where Duffy's Wharf was made to move logs.

The Pacific Highway and Main Northern railway line were built along the top of the ridge, which is now the park's western border. This gave access to Cowan Creek where some people settled. In 1894, after many years of asking by a local citizen named Eccleston Du Faur, about 13,500 hectares of land was set aside as Ku-ring-gai Chase to protect nature. Du Faur helped make walking paths and a road to Bobbin Head.

Picnic areas were made at places like Appletree Bay, Bobbin Head, Illawong Bay, and Akuna Bay between 1910 and 1940. The area around West Head was added to the park in 1951. Ku-ring-gai Chase became a national park in 1967 under the National Parks and Wildlife Act. It is the third oldest national park in Australia, after the Royal National Park. The park is now managed by the NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service and was added to the Australian National Heritage List in 2006. The word "chase" means it was a natural bush area not fenced in. Ku-ring-gai Chase is also officially a suburb.

The television show Skippy the Bush Kangaroo was filmed in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and nearby Waratah Park.

Locations, access and facilities

Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park has many special places you can visit. Most of these spots can only be reached by walking trails, but you can also explore by boat along Broken Bay, Pittwater, and Cowan Creek. There are railway stations at Mount Colah, Mount Kuring-gai, Berowra, and Cowan to help you get there. All the roads in the area are paved and have gates where you need to pay a daily fee.

Some of the park’s highlights include Bobbin Head on Cowan Creek, which has a marina, picnic areas, a small store, and a restaurant. Appletree Bay offers a place to picnic with a boat ramp, jetty, toilets, tables, and barbecues. The Basin is a lagoon with a beach where you can camp, reached by road or ferry. West Head has a lookout with great views and old buildings from World War II. Barrenjoey headland features a historic lighthouse built in 1880. The Sphinx Memorial honors soldiers from World War I. Cottage Point is a tiny locality with a old kiosk and boat hire. Jerusalem Bay is a beautiful spot along the Great North Walk with forests and a popular place for boating and fishing.