Sydney Harbour National Park (1980 Boundary), Manly, NSW, Australia - Australian Heritage Sites on Waymarking.com

Sydney Harbour National Park is one of the finest harbour foreshore parks in the world. The 392-hectare (970-acre) national park lies within the Sydney metropolitan area and was created progressively, from 1975. The massive sandstone headlands with cliffs rising to 90m at North and South Heads give way to gentle slopes at Ashton and Neilsen Parks. The exposed headlands support a hardy vegetation stunted by salt sea winds which, despite poor soils, is surprisingly rich in wild flowers and shrubs. By contrast, in protected gullies on Bradley's Head and Dobroyd Head remnant forests have survived. Here bottle brush, casuarinas, acacias and a variety of wild flowers occur. In some areas the natural vegetation of woodland, heath and scrub is relatively unaltered and others have been cleared and landscaped to form urban parkland. With walking trails, look out points, beaches and picnic areas, the park is a prime recreational facility in an urban environment. The National Park lands owe their survival in the Heart of Sydney to their importance in the past for defence. An arc of land was kept free of buildings and guns were mounted to protect Australia from the feared entry into the Harbour of the Russian fleet during the Crimean War. Now the old fortifications on Middle Head and Bradley's Head are a historical feature of the park. The park is also historically connected with the foundation of European settlement in Australia, as the fine harbour was one reason why Captain Phillip chose it for the first settlement.

Sydney Harbour headlands consist of Hawkesbury Sandstone. Some areas have natural vegetation (woodland, scrubs), other areas have been landscaped as urban parkland. These green areas on the Harbour receive heavy recreational use. The winding nature of the Harbour results from its formation by the Parramatta River during the Great Ice Age. Fortifications on Middle Head and Bradley's Head date from the period of the Crimean War. Other defence complexes exist within the park, such as the former officers mess and armory located high on the land between Watson's Bay and The Gap.
Source: Australian Heritage Database.

Register of the National Estate (Non-statutory archive)
Class Natural
Legal Status Registered (25/08/1981)
Place ID 2584
Place File No 1/12/041/0097

List: Register of the National Estate Place ID: 2584 Place File No: 1/12/041/0097 URL database reference: [Web Link] Status: Registered Year built: From 1975.

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