|
| View from Mt Ettalong
lookout over Umina Beach with Brisbane Waters in the
distance |
Gosford (including Wyoming, Ourimbah, Brisbane Water
National Park, Erina, Hotham, Matcham)
Major commercial centre on the Central Coast surrounded
by important and interesting attractions
Located at the northern end of Brisbane Water, 10 m above
sea-level and 79 km north of Sydney via the Newcastle
Freeway and Pacific Highway, the town of Gosford is the
commercial and administrative and centre of the City of
Gosford which covers 1029 sq km. The population is in excess
of 100 000 and climbing as the city attracts retirees,
commuters and young families drawn by the mild climate, the
ocean beaches, the bushland and forests and the easy access
to Sydney by means of the freeway and the electric train
service.
Gosford is characterised by steep hills and valleys with
extensive state forests to the west and north-west and the
Tuggerah Lakes to the north. Tourism, plus citrus orchards,
pigs, chickens, prawning, fishing, oysters, vegetables,
plant nurseries, forestry and a number of secondary
industries are the basis of the city's economy.
The Guringgai Aborigines once occupied the land from the
Hawkesbury River in the south to Lake Macquarie in the
north. It is known that the tribe wore possum hair belts (in
which they carried their few possessions) and, occasionally,
possum skin clothing. The men carried spears, boomerangs,
stone axes, boomerangs and shields and hunted large prey
such as kangaroos and fish which they speared. The women,
however, provided most of the food - fish (caught on fishing
lines), shellfish, fruit, tubers, insect larvae, snakes,
lizards and small mammals. The number of Aborigines
occupying the land of the present Gosford and Wyong shires
was probably never more than about 360.
Governor Phillip and a party of officers and seamen
entered Broken Bay in a whaleboat in 1788, five weeks after
establishing the settlement at Sydney Cove. They passed Lion
Island at the mouth of Brisbane Water and sheltered from
heavy rains behind the rocky headland of Green Point.
Phillip observed 'the land is much higher than at Port
Jackson, more rocky and equally covered with timber; large
trees which grow on the summits of mountains'.
Friendly relations with the indigenous inhabitants got
under way with camp fires and sing-songs. Apparently they
were impressed with the fact that Phillip had a missing
front tooth, as it was an initiation rite amongst them to
knock out the front tooth of young men.
Bass and Flinders visited Broken Bay in the 1790s and
recruited Bungary from the indigenous population. Bungary
accompanied them on a number of journeys, including the
circumnavigation of Australia.
The first land grant on the Central Coast was made to
ex-marine of the First Fleet, William Nash, in 1811 but he
did not settle there. The proximity of a penal colony at
Newcastle discouraged settlement and the rugged terrain made
the area a haven for smugglers, moonshiners, escapee
convicts and ticket-of-leave men.
The first white settlers were drawn by the possibilities
of exploiting the local supplies of cedar, forest oak, blue
gum and other hardwoods. Boat building also began at this
time and continued until World War I.
Small settlers took up land on the ocean shores, growing
small plots of maize, onions, potatoes and hay. Others began
dairying or gathered cockle shells which were loaded on to
ketches and sent off for lime-burning. The gentry purchased
the timbered areas along Erina and Narara Creeks.
A survey in 1829 listed about 100 persons (half of them
convicts assisting the timbergetters) living along Brisbane
Water, with 916 cattle, 7 horses and 205 acres under
cultivation. A courthouse was built on the Gosford site as
early as 1827. By 1833 there were 315 people.
A private township was established by Samuel Peek at what
is now East Gosford in the 1830s but it was slow to develop.
A government township was eventually surveyed and laid out
in 1839 on and between Narara and Erina Creeks and an
Anglican church erected between 1838 and 1843. It was called
the Township at Point Frederick on the survey submission, in
honour of Frederick Hely who had died in 1836, but Governor
Gipps crossed this out and wrote in Gosford, in honour of
Archibald Acheson, 2nd Earl of Gosford (1776-1849), who had
served with Gipps as a commissioner in Canada from 1835 to
1837.
There were 53 persons in the town by 1848 when a new
courthouse was built. Christ Church was erected in 1857-58
and is extant. The first school wasn't started until 1865 as
the population of Gosford was still only 193 in 1871.
In the 1880s tourism got under way particularly with the
completion of the Sydney to Newcastle railway in 1889 and a
new focus on leisure and health in the culture. The Central
Coast quickly became a primary tourism destination of
Sydneysiders, fishing being the main drawcard, though
sightseeing and hunting were also attractions. Holiday homes
began to appear. The train line also facilitated the
expansion of existing industries.
Gosford was declared a municipality in 1886,
incorporating the two towns. Since World War II it has
virtually become a part of metropolitan Sydney with the
construction of the freeway in the 1960s and the improvement
of the rail service in the 1970s. Agriculture and
horticulture have declined in importance as Gosford has
developed as a commuter, holiday and retirement centre. It
was proclaimed a city in 1980.
Things to see:
Information Centre
The Gosford Visitors' Information Centre is located on the
corner of Mann St (the name given to the Pacific Highway as
it passes through town) and Burns Crescent, adjacent the
train station. It is clearly signposted and the obvious
place to start an investigation of the area.
Old Courthouse
There are very few historical remnants to be seen in
Gosford. One is the former Gosford courthouse. The oldest
public building on the Central Coast, it was designed by
colonial architect Mortimer Lewis and built in 1848-49 of
local sandstone to replace the original 1827 watch-house
which had fallen into disrepair. Located on the elevated
land near the corner of Mann St and Georgiana Tce it
consists of three linked single-storey elements made
principally of sandstone. The original shingle roof has been
replaced. It now houses the Central Coast Music
Conservatorium.
Christ Church
A little further south along Mann St, on the same side of
the road, is Christ Church. An attractive building, it was
built in 1857-58 at the corner of Webb and George Sts in
East Gosford which was then the busiest part of Gosford due
to the ease of access by boat. The move to its present site
took place in 1906 and reflects the shift in the
settlement's centre of gravity. It became a rectory when
rebuilt and is now a church hall.
Pioneer Park
Pioneer Park is a pleasant and tranquil park facing out into
Brisbane Water. It contains a number of historic
gravestones.
Gosford City Art Centre
The Gosford City Art Centre has a beautiful Japanese garden
established by Gosford's sister Japanese city, Edogowa. The
pond is full of bright koi, some of them enormous. The
centre is open seven days, contact (02) 4325 0056. It is
situated in parkland with a walking track nearby that leads
to the showroom of Central Coast Potter's Society in nearby
Russell Drysdale St (open Friday to Sunday). Art lovers may
wish to have a look at Central Coast Galleries at 87 Mann
St.
Erina
The first land in what is now called Erina was granted to
newly-arrived free settler William Bean in 1824. It was then
full of thick scrub and gigantic trees. Apparently some of
the tree stumps served as sheds and temporary homes when
hollowed out. This natural resource meant the area became
important as a source of hardwood, especially after the
building boom in Sydney in the late 1860s.
Katandra Reserve
Together with Rumbalara Reserve, Katandra constitutes 53 ha
of outstanding bushland very close to the centre of Gosford.
The two areas are very similar in their physical features
though Katandra is perhaps more striking and distinctive
with steeper cliffs. Together they constitute one of the
town's major attractions.
One of the reserve's finest walking trails, the Waterman
Walk (1.2 km), commences from the Katandra Rd entrance and
winds along the northern edge of the reserve. It is easy
going and makes a fairly dramatic transition from pleasant
forest to dense canopied and very beautiful rainforest by
Seymour Pond, which it circles.
The Waterman Walk links up with Toomeys Walk (2.3 km)
which will take you to St John Lookout at the western end of
the reserve, or you can take Graves Walk (1.4 km) which runs
along the southern end of the reserve from the Katandra Rd
entrance to the lookout. Situated atop a ridge it is the
apex of the 53 ha and offers panoramic views eastwards
across the Matcham Valley and Erina Heights towards Terrigal
and the ocean. It is located within a large grassed area
with picnic facilities off Taylors Rd. Take MacDonalds Rd
off the highway at Lisarow, turn right after 1.1 km into The
Ridgeway, right again after 700 m into Tapley Rd then left
after another kilometre into Taylor Rd. The Guringai Walk
(1.2 km) circles the picnic area. The Mouat Walk (5 km)
commences here and will take you to Rumbalara Reserve.
The Fragrant Garden
The Fragrant Garden (25 Portsmouth Road), a genuinely
pleasant and well-organised Victorian-style cottage garden
of herbs and sweet-smelling plants with an old-world feel.
It is situated on five acres with a nursery, waterfall,
young childrens' playground, a cafe and a large collection
of items including books, pottery, crafts, oils and gifts
housed in a mudbrick gallery. The 'Fairy Godmother' and her
theatrical friends tell stories for the children on Tuesdays
at 10.30 and every weekday in school holidays for $5, which
includes 'fairy food'. They are open daily, contact (02)
4367 7322.
Rumbalara Reserve
Rumbalara Reserve has an information board outlining the
walking trails, of which there are eight, ranging in length
from 450 m to 3 km. The Grass Tree Track (1.7 km) commences
here and joins up with the Mouat Walk (5 km) to Katandra
Reserve. If you don't wish to undertake one of the longer
walks then try the short and rather beautiful Orchid Track
(750 m) which starts from here, as does the longer Red Gum
Track which leads past a rock shelter believed to have
accommodated migratory Aborigines.
At the end of the roadway is a large roundabout which is
circled by the short Iron Bark Track, taking in Nurrunga
Point Lookout which gazes westwards, though the tree growth
obscures the view to a degree. There are bronze sculptures
of explorer Matthew Flinders and pioneer aviator Charles
Kingsford-Smith nearby. The Casuarina Track also departs
from here and links up with other tracks to the south,
taking in Ouranga Lookout and some remnant rainforest at
Capper's Gully.
Wyoming Cottage
On the corner of the Pacific Highway and Wyoming Rd, is
Wyoming Cottage (1842). Frederick Hely applied for the post
of police magistrate of the Lower Hawkesbury in 1832 and,
expecting to work from Wyoming, he commissioned a design for
a cottage from architect John Verge. However, the governor
found Hely too competent to permit his permanent departure
from Sydney and denied permission. Hely died in 1836, the
year the cottage's foundation stone was laid. It was
completed in 1842 for his widow. The homestead has been
extended over the years but the basic structure is intact.
Miniature Steam Trains
Just to the west is the suburb of Narara where you will find
the Central Coast Steam Model Co-op at Lot 10, Showground
Rd, contact (02) 4388 2416. They operate miniature train
rides from 11.00 a.m. - 4.00 p.m. on the first Saturday of
the month. There is a picnic area and refreshments are
available.
Forest of Tranquillity
4.1-km along Ourimbah Creek Rd is the turnoff to the
deservedly award-winning Forest of Tranquillity Rainforest
and Bird Sanctuary, undoubtedly one of the finest
attractions in the Gosford area.
The sanctuary is situated in a beautiful valley enfolding
subtropical and temperate rainforest. There are covered
picnic areas, a childrens' playground, a kiosk and a
walkway, beside which wallabies and brush turkeys tend to
congregate, that leads to the main attraction, some truly
exquisite rainforest walks.
Ourimbah represents the southernmost point at which a
number of rainforest species can be found in Australia.
There are literally hundreds of tiny handwritten signs
attached to the trees and bushes containing information
about the flora and fauna. There are native birds (including
lyrebirds, catbirds, satin bowerbirds, bellbirds, brush
turkeys, king parrots and eastern whipbirds), wombats and a
range of other smaller animals. The sanctuary is open
Wednesday to Sunday and public and school holidays from
10.00 a.m. - 5.00 p.m., contact (02) 4362 1855.
From mid-November to mid-December the Forest of
Tranquillity has the Firefly Festival where, every evening
between 6.00 p.m. - 8.00 p.m. from Friday to Sunday visitors
can watch the fireflies in the evening sky.
Ellyett's Herbal Gardens
On the eastern side of Ourimbah are Ellyett's Herbal
Gardens, where medicinal, and some culinary, herbs are
grown. There are guided tours, free herbal tea tastings, a
shop selling plants, teas and books, and several walking
trails through the bush. If you bring your lunch there are
pleasant spots for a picnic. Opening times are 10.00 a.m. -
5.00 p.m. on the first and last Sundays of the month, every
Friday, Saturday and Sunday in school holidays and other
times by appointment, contact (02) 4362 1626.
Carawah Reserve
An elevated boardwalk has been constructed through this
estuarine wetland. It passes through seagrasses, mangroves,
mudflats, swamp forests and salt marshes. Information boards
explain the nature of the plants. Unfortunately the illegal
dumping of oil has ruined a section. A detailed pamphlet
expanding on the information boards is available from the
visitors' centre.
Henry Kendall Cottage
West Gosford lies on the other side of Henry Kendall Bridge
which is aptly named as there is a cottage at West Gosford
which was temporarily home to Kendall, one of Australia's
most famous colonial poets, who was befriended by the
children of an important early settler in the district,
Peter Fagan.
Charles Fagan apparently encountered Kendall as a tramp
on the roadside. After initial success as a poet, Kendall
had been dragged down by the poverty that ensued from
supporting a drunken mother and brother, a disastrously
married sister and a wife (in what was a problematic
marriage), by the deaths of three close friends and
supporters (including the suicide of Adam Lindsay Gordon)
and by the death of his daughter, for which he felt terrible
guilt as he put it down to malnutrition. Increasingly
dependent upon alcohol and opium his wife left him and he
went insane. It was after his release from a mental asylum
that the Fagans encountered him, again a drunkard. With
their help he was returned to health, employment, his
family, writing and publishing. He was subsequently rewarded
with a job as inspector of state forests by his old admirer
and first publisher Henry Parkes. Unfortunately the work
contributed to the ruination of his health and he died in
1882 at the age of 43.
The Fagans put Kendall up from 1874-75 in the sandstone
cottage which was built of local sandstone for Peter Fagan
by convict labour between 1836 and 1840 and licensed in the
latter year as the Red Cow Inn. Situated in one hectare of
pleasant parkland (with picnic areas) it has been restored
and is located at 27 Henry Kendall St.
The museum retains a few of Kendall's possessions but has
generally been filled with items of local history. The bulk
of the extensive display is in an adjacent building. A slab
shed (recently built) features antiquated agricultural
items. The complex is open from 10.00 a.m. - 4.00 p.m.
Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays and public and school
holidays, or by arrangement, contact (02) 4325 2270. Nearby,
at Coorumbine Creek, is Kendalls Glen, a pleasant and
peaceful spot which inspired some of his poetry. His
initials are carved on a rock there (inquire at the museum).
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| A convict is lashed in a
reenactment at Old Sydney Town |
Old Sydney Town
Old Sydney Town, for decades one of the region's premier
attractions, is now closed.
The Koorie Trading Post
The Koorie Trading Post is located just outside Old Sydney
Town, facing the carpark. They sell Aboriginal arts and
crafts.
Australian Reptile Park and Wildlife Sanctuary
Located in a bushland setting they have Australia's largest
reptile collection. There are alligators, lizards,
crocodiles, giant galapagos turtles, kangaroos, koalas,
platypus, echidnae, Tasmanian devils, emus, dingoes and
snakes.There is alligator handling, the feeding of enormous
Eric the Croc, reptile demonstrations, a platypusary, a
noctarium and the milking of snakes (the venom is
distributed throughout the world for the creation of
antivenenes and for use in research). There are picnic and
barbecue areas, a nature walk, a playground, a swimming pool
and a kiosk. They are open daily from 9.00 a.m. - 5.00 p.m,
contact (02) 4340 1146.
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| The entrance to the
Australian Reptile Park and Wildlife Sanctuary
|
Brisbane Water National Park
400 m further south along the old Pacific Highway is a
turnoff to the left into Girrakool Picnic Area, the main
access point for Brisbane Water National Park (11 372 ha)
which covers most of the land between the western shore of
Brisbane Water and the freeway. It consists of open woodland
with hanging swamps and well-established pockets of
subtropical rainforest in the steep sandstone gorges where
tree ferns, cabbage tree palms, elkhorns and rock orchids
thrive. There are numerous bushwalks to pursue, fishing and
photographic opportunities, picnic-barbecue areas and a
plenitude of birdlife.
The park contains the large tidal inlets of Mooney Mooney
Creek and Mullet Creek which connect with the Hawkesbury
River to the south. They were once river valleys that were
flooded when the sea-level rose after the last ice age.
Wildflowers bloom profusely in late winter and spring and
there are mangroves in the estuarine mudflats around Patonga
and the two main creeks. Animal life includes wallabies,
marsupial mice, bush rats, gliders, echidnae, platypus,
possums and 175 species of birds such as kookaburras,
parrots, cockatoos, lyrebirds, honeyeaters, coucals, owls
and thrushes.
Girrakool has fireplaces, amenities and numerous walking
tracks, including a 30-km trek to Patonga in the south. A
branch path near Patonga leads to Warrah Trig and Lookout.
Overlooking Broken Bay 200 m below, it is the best lookout
in the park with excellent views over Broken Bay, the mouth
of the Hawkesbury on the Bay's western side, Pittwater
receding southwards and Barrenjoey Head at the south-eastern
corner of the Bay. There are plenty of wildflowers from July
to October.
The Mooney Nature Walk (4 hours) also starts at the
Girrakool Picnic Area and runs along the sides of a deep
gorge over Piles Creek. There is some climbing involved.
There is a 30-minute loop track which takes you to a large
rock platform which features some historic Aboriginal
engravings, most clearly visible at dawn, dusk or when wet.
Hawkesbury sandstone proved ideal for the engravings of the
Gurringai tribe.
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| The walkway around the
edges of the the Bulgandry Aboriginal engravings
|
It is also possible to drive through the southern section
of the park. Turn off the Pacific Highway into Woy Woy Rd.
2.7 km along is a signposted turnoff to the carpark for the
Bulgandry Aboriginal Engravings site. It is a short walk
along a path to the flat rock surface which lies horizontal
at ground level. A pathway has been constructed around the
circumference of the site for optimum viewing and minimal
damage. There are good information boards nearby which look
at what is known of the Guringai and the etchings.
The figures are of men, women, marine life, kangaroos and
canoes. It is not known to what extent they form a
narrative. They probably started as a charcoal or scratched
outline that was then made permanent by 'pecking' holes
along the outline with a pointed stone with the area between
the holes later rubbed away. Although a good surviving
example, erosion has taken its toll and the figures are
sometimes indistinct, though the information boards are
helpful in providing clarity. Again, the engravings are
clearest at dawn or dusk or after rain.
It is another 2 km to Staples Lookout, on the left, which
affords a commanding view eastwards over the park to Woy Woy
Bay in the distance. The Tommos Loop Trail adjoins the road
at two points. From Woy Woy it is possible to take the Ocean
Beach Rd south to Mt Ettalong Lookout, then via Patonga
Drive past the Warrah Lookout to Patonga.
|
|
| View from Mt Ettalong
lookout over Umina Beach with Brisbane Waters in the
distance |
Another possibility is to access the park via train. Get
off at Wondabyne train station (check on the fire danger
with the National Parks and Wildlife Service before leaving,
inform the guard you wish to stop there and be aware of
return train times), and take the Pindar Cave Walk which is
clearly marked and which starts behind the station. For more
details on walking trails, there are publications available
from the NPWS, contact (02) 4324 4911. Visible from
Wondabyne Station are the results of the Wondabyne Sculpture
Symposium which involved twelve sculptors from six different
nations contributing monuments to the site.
Somersby Falls
Start from the intersection of Wisemans Ferry Rd and the
Pacific Highway, head north along the former for 600 m and
turn left into Somersby Falls Rd at the roundabout. Turn
left again after 2 km and it is 700 m down this last road to
the carpark and a lovely picnic area by the falls. A path
leads down alongside Floods Creek to three viewing
platforms, each a descent in altitude and into an
increasingly dense rainforest habitat. The last is the most
impressive so keep going.
Glenworth Valley Horse Riding
Glenworth Valley Horse Riding is located at Cooks Rd, Peats
Ridge, west of Somersby. To get there turn west off the
freeway at the Calga interchange along the Peats Ridge
Highway. They are open from 10.00 a.m. - 5.00 p.m. daily
with accommodation and free camping. The trails can be free
range or guided and they take you through 2500 acres of
rainforest, lush valleys, creeks and rock pools, contact
(02) 4375 1222.
Great North Walk
The area west of Gosford is part of the 250-km Great North
Walk from Sydney to Newcastle, a 14-day walk taking in a
wide range of environments and attractions, both natural and
man-made. It can be broken down into smaller subsections.
For more information contact the Dept of Lands on (02) 9228
6111.
Tours, Cruises and Other Services
A number of operators will pick up clients from their homes,
though this may depend upon whether there are sufficient
numbers. Central Coast Kayak Tours will pick people up from
most Central Coast train stations (there is also a daily
coach service from Sydney), contact (02) 4381 0342. Meals
are provided and no experience is necessary. Central Coast
Bushworks offer guided bushwalks in the area as well as
abseiling, all equipment supplied, contact (02) 4363 2028.
Alcheringa Tours at 20 Sierra Crescent, East Gosford,
offer tours for small groups of varying duration into the
local caves and national parks, contact (02) 4325 5966. It's
Easy Tours organise luxury coach holidays with day tours of
the Central Coast and out to Wisemans Ferry, contact (02)
4340 1037. Fresh Tracks Safaris specialise in 4WD tours of
the Central Coast, the Hunter Vineyards and Aboriginal
sites, contact (02) 4385 3024. Blunsdon Day Tours and
Charters run mini-coach day tours around the Central Coast
and other areas. They will pick you up by arrangement,
contact (02) 4328 1317. Aeroflite offer scenic flights over
the Central Coast for up to seven passengers, as well as
charter flights. They depart from Warnervale aerodrome, just
north of Wyong, contact (02) 4392 4199.
Starship Cruises offer cruises of Brisbane Water and
Broken Bay on the MV Lady Kendall. Built in 1901 it's
reputedly the oldest working vessel in Australia. The 2.5
hour cruises depart Gosford Wharf at 10.15 am and 1 pm
Saturday to Wednesday and every day in the school holidays,
contact (02) 4323 1655. Broken Bay Fishing Charters operate
within Broken Bay, the Hawkesbury and Pittwater, contact
(02) 4342 7207.
Buzzy Boats Watersports have mini speed boats, water
skiing and water toboggans. They operate from Charts Wharf,
off Dane Drive, by the Brian McGowan Bridge. So too do
Terrigal Sightsee Parasailing, contact (02) 4381 1563.
Gosford also has a golf club, deepwater boat ramps off Dane
Drive and Masons Parade, extensive cycleways, as outlined in
a pamphlet available from the information centre and
houseboat hire (02-4384 3499).
Broadwalk
Business Brokers
Broadwalk Business
Brokers specialise in General Businesses for Sale, Caravan Parks for
Sale, Motels for Sale, Management Rights & Resorts for Sale, Farms for
Sale, Hotels for sale,Commercial & Industrial Properties for Sale.
Phone:
1300 136 559
Email:
enquiries@broadwalkbusinessbrokers.com.au
AUSTRALIAN BUSINESSES FOR SALE
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Disclaimer
We advise prospective purchasers that we take no
responsibility for the accuracy of any information in the business
provided by vendors or their professional advisers and that they should
make their own enquiries as to the accuracy of this information,
including obtaining independent legal and/or accounting advice
Gosford
