Lake Parramatta, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Lake Parramatta is the name of both the body of water
that is the dammed Hunt Creek, and the nature reserve that surrounds it, in City of Parramatta
, Western Sydney
, New South Wales
, Australia
. The catchment area for the Lake is bounded by North Rocks Rd, Pennant Hills Rd and Hunt's Creek. Entry to the reserve is from Lackey Street, North Parramatta. The reserve is a popular recreational site.
The dam wall is 15 metres high and has created a lake holding 485,000 cubic metres of water, approximately equivalent to 9,700 backyard swimming pools, with a surface area of approximately 10 hectares.
Aborigines
used Lake Parramatta Reserve area, prior to European colonisation of the Parramatta area, extensively on a semi-permanent basis due to the abundance of fresh water and diversity of food types available. Evidence still remains of Aboriginal occupation within the Reserve in the form of remnant shelters, hand stencils, flaking scars and deposits. As far back as 1804 records exist of the Reserve's use as a pleasure ground, specifically around Hunt’s Creek.
By 1840, as Parramatta’s population was growing, and likewise its demand for fresh water, Hunt's Creek was advocated for damming. In 1855 the foundation stone for the dam was laid with all sandstone
used for construction quarried from Hunt's Creek, thereby allowing for completion in the following year.
Completed in 1856 this was the twelfth engineered dam built in the western world, the first in Australia, and the second arch built universally that involved calculations for its construction.
The masonry arch dam
wall, designed by Lieutenant Percy Simpson, builder of the Great North Road
, and cost of £17,000. The land had been supplied by James Pye, a local orchardist and owner of the Lamb and Lark Inn at Baulkham Hills
at nominal cost.
Water from this dam was not reticulated until 1881 when it was required to augment the then dwindling water supply.
When the water supply became insufficient for the town’s use, it was entrusted with its surrounds in 1909 to Parramatta Council as a recreational area. In the 1920s and 30's the lake was a popular swimming hole with at one point the largest inland freshwater lifesaving club in Australia.
By the late 1980s lack of consistently good water quality led to “No Swimming” signs being erected.
In June 2006 Parramtta City Council voted to reopen the lake to limited swimming. After investigating different options the Counil has for now decided to allow swimming only on special event days. The first of these, called the Freshwater Festival, was held on 3 December 2006 featuring competitive swimming races from 10am till 12pm and public swimming from 1pm till 3pm, supervised by the Royal Life Saving Society Australia
.
.
The Reserve's boundaries to the west are cut off by suburban development along North Rocks Road, to the north by Hunt's Creek, to the east by the private bushland and playing fields of The King's School
, and to the south by James Ruse Drive
.
Geologically, the Lake is located on the margins of Wianamatta shale
and Hawkesbury sandstone formations, with a resulting variation in vegetation communities. Vegetation communities present at the site include sandstone blue-gum forests, iron bark, Cumberland Plain
Woodland vegetation communities and some coastal species such as Banksia serrata
.
– tucked away as it is.
Take Bourke Street off Church Street, Parramatta
. Then onto Lacey Street then Illawong Drive, passing under James Ruse Drive
. Illawong Drive passes into the reserve and follows the eastern edge of the lake.
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
that is the dammed Hunt Creek, and the nature reserve that surrounds it, in City of Parramatta
City of Parramatta
The City of Parramatta is a Local Government Area in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia.Initially in 1861 it was formed as Municipality of Parramatta...
, Western Sydney
Western Sydney
Western Sydney is a major region of Sydney, Australia. It has a number of different definitions but one consistently used is the region composed of the 11 councils which until recently were all members of the Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils:* Auburn Council* Bankstown City Council*...
, New South Wales
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...
. The catchment area for the Lake is bounded by North Rocks Rd, Pennant Hills Rd and Hunt's Creek. Entry to the reserve is from Lackey Street, North Parramatta. The reserve is a popular recreational site.
The dam wall is 15 metres high and has created a lake holding 485,000 cubic metres of water, approximately equivalent to 9,700 backyard swimming pools, with a surface area of approximately 10 hectares.
History
In earlier times, this area was extremely important to Aboriginal people because of the abundant fresh water and diverse range of food types.Aborigines
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
used Lake Parramatta Reserve area, prior to European colonisation of the Parramatta area, extensively on a semi-permanent basis due to the abundance of fresh water and diversity of food types available. Evidence still remains of Aboriginal occupation within the Reserve in the form of remnant shelters, hand stencils, flaking scars and deposits. As far back as 1804 records exist of the Reserve's use as a pleasure ground, specifically around Hunt’s Creek.
By 1840, as Parramatta’s population was growing, and likewise its demand for fresh water, Hunt's Creek was advocated for damming. In 1855 the foundation stone for the dam was laid with all sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
used for construction quarried from Hunt's Creek, thereby allowing for completion in the following year.
Completed in 1856 this was the twelfth engineered dam built in the western world, the first in Australia, and the second arch built universally that involved calculations for its construction.
The masonry arch dam
Arch dam
An arch dam is a type of dam that is curved and commonly built with concrete. The arch dam is a structure that is designed to curve upstream so that the force of the water against it, known as hydrostatic pressure, presses against the arch, compressing and strengthening the structure as it pushes...
wall, designed by Lieutenant Percy Simpson, builder of the Great North Road
Great North Road (Australia)
The Great North Road is a historic road in Australia built by convicts between 1825 and 1836, being New South Wales's first road to traverse the rugged terrain hindering early agricultural expansion, effectively linking Sydney with the fertile Hunter Valley.The road is of such cultural...
, and cost of £17,000. The land had been supplied by James Pye, a local orchardist and owner of the Lamb and Lark Inn at Baulkham Hills
Baulkham Hills, New South Wales
Baulkham Hills is a suburb in the north-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Baulkham Hills is located 31 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of The Hills Shire...
at nominal cost.
When the water supply became insufficient for the town’s use, it was entrusted with its surrounds in 1909 to Parramatta Council as a recreational area. In the 1920s and 30's the lake was a popular swimming hole with at one point the largest inland freshwater lifesaving club in Australia.
By the late 1980s lack of consistently good water quality led to “No Swimming” signs being erected.
In June 2006 Parramtta City Council voted to reopen the lake to limited swimming. After investigating different options the Counil has for now decided to allow swimming only on special event days. The first of these, called the Freshwater Festival, was held on 3 December 2006 featuring competitive swimming races from 10am till 12pm and public swimming from 1pm till 3pm, supervised by the Royal Life Saving Society Australia
Royal Life Saving Society Australia
Royal Life Saving Society Australia has been serving Australia for over 110 years and is the leading water safety, swimming and lifesaving education organisation in Australia. It is active all over Australia. Its branches, members, volunteers, trainers and lifesavers are found in almost all...
.
Location
Lake Parramatta Reserve is located 2.2 kilometres north of Parramatta’s central business district. The Reserve totals 93.23 hectares in the area, with approximately 10.5 hectares (11.3%) of it being water surface. The main watercourse entering the Reserve, Hunt's Creek, is a tributary of the Parramatta RiverParramatta River
The Parramatta River is a waterway in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The Parramatta River is the main tributary of Sydney Harbour, a branch of Port Jackson, along with the smaller Lane Cove and Duck Rivers....
.
The Reserve's boundaries to the west are cut off by suburban development along North Rocks Road, to the north by Hunt's Creek, to the east by the private bushland and playing fields of The King's School
The King's School, Sydney
The King's School is an independent Anglican, day and boarding school for boys in North Parramatta in the western suburbs of Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1831, it is Australia's oldest school and forms one of the nine "Great Public Schools" of New South Wales. Situated within a site, Gowan Brae,...
, and to the south by James Ruse Drive
James Ruse Drive
James Ruse Drive is a main thoroughfare route around Parramatta, in Western Sydney. It stretches from Windsor Road, Northmead in the north to Great Western Highway , Granville in the south. It formed a section of the State route 55...
.
Geologically, the Lake is located on the margins of Wianamatta shale
Wianamatta shale
Wianamatta Shale is the uppermost outcropping unit in the Sydney Basin in New South Wales, Australia. It dates from the Triassic Period and generally comprises fine grained sedimentary rocks such as shales and laminites with less common sandstone units...
and Hawkesbury sandstone formations, with a resulting variation in vegetation communities. Vegetation communities present at the site include sandstone blue-gum forests, iron bark, Cumberland Plain
Cumberland Plain
The Cumberland Plain is a region in the Sydney Basin of New South Wales, Australia. The plain extends from 10 kilometres north of Windsor in the north, to Picton in the south; and...
Woodland vegetation communities and some coastal species such as Banksia serrata
Banksia serrata
Banksia serrata, commonly known as Old Man Banksia, Saw Banksia, Saw-tooth Banksia and Red Honeysuckle, is a species of woody shrub or tree of the genus Banksia in the Proteaceae family. Native the east coast of Australia, it is found from Queensland through to Victoria with outlying populations on...
.
Getting There
Road access to the Lake is by a convoluted journey down a number of innocuous suburban streets that means the lake is a feature unknown to a great many SydneysidersSydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
– tucked away as it is.
Take Bourke Street off Church Street, Parramatta
Parramatta, New South Wales
Parramatta is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in Greater Western Sydney west of the Sydney central business district on the banks of the Parramatta River. Parramatta is the administrative seat of the Local Government Area of the City of Parramatta...
. Then onto Lacey Street then Illawong Drive, passing under James Ruse Drive
James Ruse Drive
James Ruse Drive is a main thoroughfare route around Parramatta, in Western Sydney. It stretches from Windsor Road, Northmead in the north to Great Western Highway , Granville in the south. It formed a section of the State route 55...
. Illawong Drive passes into the reserve and follows the eastern edge of the lake.