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| The fishing fleet moored
at Eden's harbour |
Eden (plus Ben Boyd National Park, Nadgee Nature
Reserve and Wonboyn Lake).
A particularly beautiful area of the New South Wales far
south coast originally settled by whalers and now a fishing
port and a popular, but relatively undeveloped, holiday
resort town.
Eden, located 476 km south of Sydney, is the last town of
any significance before crossing the border into
northeastern Victoria. With a population of 3277 it is
situated 50 m above sea level upon undulating land on a
point that juts out into Twofold Bay. This idyllic coastal
town is bounded to the north and south by national park and
by woodland to the west.
It is thought the area was inhabited by the Thawa
Aborigines prior to white settlement. George Bass noted
Twofold Bay in December 1797 as he travelled south down the
New South Wales coast. On his return in early 1798 he
entered the bay where he named Snug Cove for the security to
shipping it afforded. It is here that the Eden Wharf now
stands.
Later in 1798 Bass set off again for Van Dieman's Land
with Matthew Flinders, this time making a detailed and
accurate survey of Twofold Bay. It was during this survey
that Bass and Flinders made contact with the local
Aborigines. Flinders offered them some biscuits and received
some fat (probably whale fat) in return. After tasting it
Flinders recorded that while 'watching an opportunity to
spit it out when he should not be looking, I perceived him
doing precisely the same thing with our biscuit'.
The early history of the bay is closely tied to the
whaling industry and it is in recognition of this that the
inaugural Eden Whale Festival was held in October 1996. The
first whales were killed as early as 1791. The migration of
these animals (mostly right whales) to and from the
Antarctic waters took them past Twofold Bay between May and
November of each year.
Commercial exploitation commenced in the early years of
the nineteenth century when whaling ships took shelter in
the bay from inclement weather, subsequently using it as a
base for operations. It is, however, a rather sobering fact
that between 1800 and 1950 a total of 65 ships were lost off
the coast between Montague Island and the Victorian coast.
The first white settlement was made by John Raine in 1828
when he established the first shore whaling station on
mainland Australia.
In the early 1830s the three Imlay Brothers followed
suit, training local Aborigines as whalemen. The brothers,
major pioneers of and landowners in the district, moved to
Australia from Scotland between 1829 and 1833. Peter, the
oldest and second to arrive, first visited Twofold Bay
around 1833 and decided to live there. Followed by George
they soon turned to cattle rearing, which they shipped to
Tasmania, South Australia and, later, New Zealand. They
erected Eden's first, albeit modest, building, a small slab
and bark hut at Snug Cove. Unfortunately the depression of
the 1840s broke the family financially. The Walker Brothers,
merchants of Sydney, foreclosed on the Imlays and acquired
the land.
Eden became famous for its killer whales. In the 1920s
and 1930s Twofold Bay and the area around Eden was the home
for a group of killer whales led by a whale who became known
to locals as Tom. The locals became familiar with all the
whales in the pod and gave them all names. Perhaps the most
remarkable thing was that the whales actually helped the
whalers. They would hunt whales travelling up and down the
coast and herd them into Twofold Bay.
The killer whales hunted in packs like wild dogs, driving
the whales into shallow water, preventing their escape to
deeper waters and attempting to frustrate their attempts to
take in air. Apparently the killer whales, if they detected
whales about, would travel to the whaling station, make a
great deal of noise, wait for the boats to launch then lead
them to the whales.
The combination of whalers and killer whales ensured a
kill. This was mutually beneficial as the killer whales fed
on the lips and tongue of the whales, leaving the blubber
etc for the whalers.
Eden was named after the British Secretary for the
Colonies, Baron Auckland, whose family name was Eden.
Although permission was given for the establishment of a
township at Twofold Bay in 1834 the town was not laid out
until 1843.
Boydtown, initially a more substantial township at the
south of the bay, declined after Benjamin Boyd encountered
financial troubles, and this, coupled with the discovery of
alluvial gold at Kiandra in the 1850s, led to the
development of Eden, which was the logical port for the trek
to the goldfield. However, the rush had ended by 1866, the
population declined and the town never progressed as
planned.
Apart from whaling, which died off in the late 1920s,
wattlebark (a source of tannin) and, to a lesser extent,
dairying and brickmaking, were the main industries in the
early days of white settlement.
The exploitation of timber, now a principal source of
income for the town, came to prominence at the outset of the
twentieth century due to the demand for railway sleepers.
These were shipped to China from Snug Cove and, later, to
Germany and New Zealand as well as being used locally.
Commercial fishing, now another staple industry for the
township, had been carried on for many years but it was not
until tuna canning commenced in 1949 that business took off.
Things to see:
Killer Whale Museum
The Killer Whale Museum is one of the finest regional
museums in Australia. Located on the corner of Imlay and
Cocora Streets in Eden the building depicts the history of
whaling in the local area. Perhaps the highlight of the
exhibition is the skeleton of a killer whale known as 'Tom'
who was responsible for herding other whales into Twofold
Bay. He was found in the bay in 1930 and his skeleton has
been successfully preserved. The building contains other
items, details and booklets about this aspect of local
history and also takes bookings for water cruises. The
museum also offers fine views of the bay from the gallery.
It is open 9.15 a.m. - 3.45 p.m. Monday-Friday and 11.15
a.m. - 3.45 p.m. on weekends, with longer hours on school
and public holidays.
Whale Watching
The whale-watching season is October to November, though
sightings (usually of humpback whales) may also occur in
September and December. Listen for the siren which announces
the presence of whales in the bay. Twofold Dive Charter at
28 Bass St offer aquatic wildlife cruises in summer as well
as dive and fishing trips all year, tel: (02) 6496 3384.
Fishing
Eden offers superb individual fishing for the visitor. The
rocky headlands around the bay offer one possibility while
surf fishing can be pursued at Aslings Beach, the main surf
beach which runs along the northeastern perimeter of the
town. There is a beautiful rock pool at the southern end.
Other good fishing and swimming spots are Eden Wharf and
Shelleys Beach, off Imlay St, and Cannery Wharf, off Cattle
Bay Rd. A little further south, at the end of Ida Rood
Drive, is Cocora Beach, a safe spot with picnic and shower
facilities. Nullica Bay is just 5 km south of the town, off
the Princes Highway. It sports another tranquil beach with
rock pools, excellent rock fishing and visitor's facilities.
For those keen on boat fishing there is a four-lane boat
ramp at Quarantine Bay, 3 km south of Eden, off the highway.
There is a small, sheltered beach here for swimming and
snorkelling, as well as fish-cleaning tables and a picnic
area with toilets. Boats can be hired. Cat Balou Cruises
depart from Eden Wharf for a cruise around the bay.
Coastal and Bush walking
The beaches, bays and headlands of the coast are also ideal
for those keen on scenic walks. At the southern tip of the
peninsula, at the end of Imlay St, is Lookout Point, which
affords excellent views out over both the township and the
entire bay. There is also a memorial wall to commemorate the
lives lost to shipwrecks around the bay.
George Bass Park, with its barbecue facilities, can be
found around the corner, on the cliff top south of Aslings
Beach.
The Fisheries Beach Walk is an instructive one to
two-hour ranger-guided tour along beach, rocks and sand
dunes and through the adjacent state forest on the southern
shore of Twofold Bay. For more information on charges,
bookings and preparations, or for general information on the
area's state forests contact The Forest Shop, 44 Bass St,
Eden, tel: (02) 6496 1500.
Historic Buildings
The Great Southern Inn at the corner of Imlay and Chandos
Streets is very attractive. It is something of a centrepiece
in the town. The Surveyor's Office, diagonally opposite, and
the Hotel Australia at 60 Imlay St are also of interest. The
Court House over the road from the Police Station in Cocora
St, although built in 1857 of sandstone from Pyrmont in
Sydney, has been ruined with weatherboard and gloss paint
laid over the sandstone.
St George's Uniting Church, at the western end of Chandos
St, was opened in 1865. Then a Presbyterian Church its
foundation stone was laid by the Reverend John Dunmore Lang,
a social and political activist of considerable renown.
Arts and Crafts Shops
There are several arts and crafts shops in town, including
the McCulloch Campbell Gallery, at 62 Princes Highway, just
north of Eden. Turn right at the roundabout in Imlay St and
after 500 m you will come to Eden Shells. A little further
along, at the corner with Bimmil St, is Eden Wood Turning
Gallery. If you drive through the roundabout and continue
south along Imlay St, opposite the Fishermen's Club is Wharf
Road Pottery.
National Parks in the Area
1. Ben Boyd National Park
One of the great advantages Eden possesses is its proximity
to a wealth of attractive national parkland. The superb Ben
Boyd National Park, covering nearly 9000 hectares, consists
of a series of recessed beaches and promontories stretching
north and south of Twofold Bay along a rugged and colourful
coastline of cliffs, caves, jagged rocks and sweeping
beaches. The park is named after Benjamin Boyd (see the
entry on
Boydtown).
Containing the Wonboyn Dune System and a variety of
fauna, including the rare ground parrot, white-breasted sea
eagles, lyrebirds, yellow-tailed black cockatoos, grey
kangaroos, goannas and, less frequently seen, marsupial
mice, wombats and yellow-bellied gliders, the park is used
for both recreational and scientific purposes. Fishing,
swimming, diving, camping, canoeing, boating and bushwalking
can all be pursued, though caravans are not permitted.
The section of parkland north of Eden can be accessed by
heading north along the highway for 8 km and then turning
right into Haycock Road. After 500 m there is a turnoff to
the left which heads out to Pambula Lake. Just beyond it the
road splits in two. The northern route will take you to
Haycock Point, at the north-eastern tip of the park, and the
road that heads due east will take you to the Pinnacles.
Both sites have day-use facilities but there is no camping
permitted in this section of the park.
The views from Haycock Point are excellent and it is a
good spot for fishing and scuba diving. There is a leisurely
and enjoyable 6 km walk from the Point out to the headland
overlooking the mouth of the Pambula River. A 1-km nature
trail which departs from The Pinnacles site provides a view
of the colourful and interesting layers of red soil and
white sand at the mouth of the gully. There are 11 pegs
which correspond to information contained in an NPWS booklet
available from the visitors' centre at Eden.
To reach the southern section of the park drive south
from Eden for 18 km and turn into Edrom Road. Details on
this section of the park are included in the entry on
Boydtown.
2. Nadgee Nature Reserve
Nadgee Nature Reserve, one of the largest in NSW, covers the
area between the southern tip of Ben Boyd Park and the
Victorian border. It contains an outstanding area of
unspoilt coastal habitats of differing stripes, including
freshwater swamp, woodland, scrub, open forest, heath and a
little rainforest. Birds, wallabies and kangaroos are
plentiful amidst the beaches, estuaries, creeks, headlands
and salt lake. There is no vehicular access but it can be
explored on foot.
3. Mt Imlay National Park
32 km southwest of Eden is Mt Imlay National Park (3764 ha),
which surrounds Mt Imlay itself (886 metres). It is heavily
forested (mostly eucalypt though it contains some of the
most southerly subtropical rainforest on the east coast) and
is home to numerous birds (lyrebirds, currawongs,
wedge-tailed eagles) and a variety of mostly nocturnal
animal life in a number of habitats.
Drive south along the Princes Highway to the Edrom
Road-Princes Highway junction, 5 km south of Kiah. After
passing this intersection look for a gravel road to the
right signposted 'Burrawang Forest Road'. This 9.5 km road
ends at the edge of the park where there is a picnic area
and a signposted track which leads to the summit. It is a
strenuous three-kilometre, three-hour climb to the top of
the mountain, requiring good shoes and your own supply of
water. However the walk and the view from the summit is
worth the effort. On a clear day you can see as far as
Mallacoota in Victoria, Narooma to the north and the
southern tablelands to the west. There are no facilities or
designated camping sites in the park so a visit should be
considered a day trip. Given the lack of facilities and the
rough terrain prospective visitors should first notify the
Merimbula office of the National Parks and Wildlife Service
(NPWS), tel: (02) 6495 4130, who can also supply maps,
pamphlets and further information about access to, features
of, and walks within, this site or any other national
parkland within the area.
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Eden
