Heathcote National Park
Encyclopedia
Heathcote is a national park in New South Wales
(Australia
), 34 km southwest of Sydney. It lies west of the South Coast Line and the suburbs of Heathcote
and Waterfall
.
. Access to the park can be found at several other points around Heathcote and Waterfall
.
Before this bush area became a park of any kind, a bushwalking group had a lease on much of the land in the area. They may have been responsible for the creation of some of the early tracks and camp sites. Later, the area became a state park and, later still, a national park.
Aboriginal people are known to have lived in the area and have left their mark at a number of known sites. In addition, a number of Europeans lived in rough huts in the park during the Great Depression of the 1930s, leaving behind meager ruins at places like Myuna Creek.
. The sandstone was formed 200 million years ago, and periods of uplift began about 94 million years ago. Each period of uplift caused stream erosion, which cut more deeply into the plateau surface. Heathcote Creek cascades down a number of rock pools and small waterfalls to the Woronora River at the northern end of the park.
The ridges and drier slopes are covered in forest dominated by angophora
s and eucalypt
s such as bloodwood, greygum, Sydney peppermint, and scribbly gum. Grass-trees are common. Low heath growth consists of shrubs, including ti trees, banksias, hakeas, and waxflowers. Gymea lilies
and forest oaks grow on the moister slopes. Blackbutts and grevillea
s grow in the Heathcote Creek Valley.
s, ring tail possums
, and possibly eastern pygmy possums
inhabit both Mirang Creek and Minda Gully. Swamp wallabies are also present. Honeyeater
s are often seen, as well as Superb Lyrebird
s.
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
(Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
), 34 km southwest of Sydney. It lies west of the South Coast Line and the suburbs of Heathcote
Heathcote, New South Wales
Heathcote is a suburb, in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Heathcote is located 36 km south of the Sydney central business district in the Sutherland Shire....
and Waterfall
Waterfall, New South Wales
Waterfall is a small suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Waterfall is located 38 kilometers south of the Sydney central business district in the Sutherland Shire....
.
Description
The park consists of 2250 hectares of eucalyptus forest and has no private vehicular access. Access to the park can be gained from Freeman Road Heathcote. A walking track is located at the rear of the Scout Hall in Freeman Road. Heading south along the track will take you past various watering holes and small waterfalls that can be found all the way along. Following this road all the way to end will eventually lead you to Woronora DamWoronora Dam
Woronora Dam collects water from the catchment of the Woronora River, which drains into the dam and then to Georges River. The dam supplies water to residents within the Sutherland Shire in Sydney's south and also the northern Illawarra suburbs of Helensburgh, Otford, Stanwell Tops, Stanwell Park...
. Access to the park can be found at several other points around Heathcote and Waterfall
Waterfall, New South Wales
Waterfall is a small suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Waterfall is located 38 kilometers south of the Sydney central business district in the Sutherland Shire....
.
History
Aboriginal people are known to have lived in the area and have left their mark at a number of known sites. In addition, a number of Europeans lived in rough huts in the park during the Great Depression of the 1930s, leaving behind meager ruins at places like Myuna Creek.
Landscape
The park consists of a deeply dissected Hawkesbury sandstone plateau, part of the Woronora Plateau The creek gorges include Heathcote Creek, a tributary of the Georges RiverGeorges River
The Georges River is a waterway in the state of New South Wales in Australia. It rises to the south-west of Sydney near the coal mining town of Appin, and then flows north past Campbelltown, roughly parallel to the Main South Railway...
. The sandstone was formed 200 million years ago, and periods of uplift began about 94 million years ago. Each period of uplift caused stream erosion, which cut more deeply into the plateau surface. Heathcote Creek cascades down a number of rock pools and small waterfalls to the Woronora River at the northern end of the park.
Flora
Angophora
Angophora is a genus of ten species of trees or large shrubs in the myrtle family , native to eastern Australia. It is closely related to Corymbia and Eucalyptus, and all three are often referred to as "eucalypts". The differences are that Angophora have opposite leaves rather than alternate, and...
s and eucalypt
Eucalypt
Eucalypts are woody plants belonging to three closely related genera:Eucalyptus, Corymbia and Angophora.In 1995 new evidence, largely genetic, indicated that some prominent Eucalyptus species were actually more closely related to Angophora than to the other eucalypts; they were split off into the...
s such as bloodwood, greygum, Sydney peppermint, and scribbly gum. Grass-trees are common. Low heath growth consists of shrubs, including ti trees, banksias, hakeas, and waxflowers. Gymea lilies
Gymea Lily
The Gymea Lily is a flowering plant indigenous to the coastal areas of New South Wales near Sydney.The plant has sword-like leaves more than a meter long...
and forest oaks grow on the moister slopes. Blackbutts and grevillea
Grevillea
Grevillea is a diverse genus of about 360 species of evergreen flowering plants in the protea family Proteaceae, native to Australia, New Guinea, New Caledonia, and Sulawesi. It was named in honour of Charles Francis Greville. The species range from prostrate shrubs less than 0.5 m tall to trees...
s grow in the Heathcote Creek Valley.
Fauna
Sugar gliderSugar Glider
The sugar glider is a small gliding possum originating from the marsupial family.The sugar glider is native to eastern and northern mainland Australia and is also native to New Guinea and the Bismarck Archipelago.- Habitat :Sugar gliders can be found all throughout the northern and eastern parts of...
s, ring tail possums
Common Ringtail Possum
The common ringtail possum is an Australian marsupial. It lives in a variety of habitats and eats a variety of leaves of both native and introduced plants, as well as flowers and fruits. These dietary factors have, over time, aided burgeoning introduced populations in New Zealand...
, and possibly eastern pygmy possums
Eastern Pygmy Possum
The Eastern Pygmy Possum is a diprotodont marsupial of south-eastern Australia. Occurring from southern Queensland to eastern South Australia and also Tasmania, it is found in a range of habitats, including rainforest, sclerophyll forest, woodland and heath.This species is very small, weighing...
inhabit both Mirang Creek and Minda Gully. Swamp wallabies are also present. Honeyeater
Honeyeater
The honeyeaters are a large and diverse family of small to medium sized birds most common in Australia and New Guinea, but also found in New Zealand, the Pacific islands as far east as Samoa and Tonga, and the islands to the north and west of New Guinea known as Wallacea...
s are often seen, as well as Superb Lyrebird
Superb Lyrebird
The Superb Lyrebird is a pheasant-sized songbird, approximately 100cm long, with brown upper body plumage, grayish-brown below, rounded wings and strong legs...
s.
Fact sheet
- Area: 23 km²
- Coordinates: 34°07′49"S 150°58′17"E
- Date of establishment: October 1, 1967
- Managing authorities: New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service
- IUCNWorld Conservation UnionThe International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources is an international organization dedicated to finding "pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges." The organization publishes the IUCN Red List, compiling information from a network of...
category: II