| Things
to see in the park
Historical
buildings
Lane
Cove National Park has a rich history of Aboriginal and early European
settlements. Three early settlers' buildings still exist in the
Park, Bakers Cottage, Jenkins Kitchen and Schwartz Homestead.
Follow the
Heritage Walk to see them.
Bakers Cottage
Bakers Cottage, built in 1865, has been renovated in 2009.
The cost was
$40,000, coming from HAMP (the Heritage Asset Maintenance Program)
funding, and DECC internal funding.
The works included
the installation of windows and doors, repointing old mortar joints,
the removal of the concrete block and sink stand behind the building,
the replacement of timber lintels inside the building, the replacement
of barge boards and installation of new guttering, down pipes and
flashing; the stabilisation of one of the corners over building
to prevent subsidence and the restoration of the old chimney. All
work was supervised by Lane Cove National Park ranger Andrew Duffy
and DECC Cultural heritage officers.
Click
here to see more photos of the 'new' Bakers Cottage.
Stonework
The
Lane Cove National Park was officially opened in October, 1938.
Before this, much stonework construction was done to make the park
accessible and enjoyable.
The work began in
1937 on the construction of the weir and Riverside
Drive as an unemployment
relief project. Work
continued until 1940, with stone to construct the weir, boatshed,
ambulance room, Porters Bridge, Delhi Road and De Burghs Bridge
entrance gates, retaining walls and other facilities being quarried
on the park. The
stone came from quarries within the park, at Porters Creek, Carters
Creek, De Burghs Bridge and behind Jenkins Kitchen, as well as from
cuts in the road and other minor quarries.
Porters
Bridge
Porters
Bridge is a particularly impressive example of the stonework, with
the concrete road surface supported on piers of ornamental stone
with matching wing walls, parapet, and end piers.
The
Fish Ladder
In 1999 a fish ladder
was built at the weir to assist the migration of Australian Bass
between the upstream freshwater section and the brackish water below,
where they breed. It was extended in 2009.
Click
here for more details and photos of the fish ladder.
Flora
and fauna
You will usually find a range of water birds fishing in
the river, while large birds can be seen in any icnic area or along
the roads. If you venture quietly onto the bush tracks, especially
near the shelter of dense bushes, you will often find tiny birds
such as Blue Wrens and Red-browed Firetails, as well as the skinks
and 'dragons' that inhabit the park.
There are hundreds
of species of flowers in Lane Cove National Park. Habitats range
from deep shale soils where you'll find Sydney Bluegums and Blackbutts,
to semi-rainforest areas along creek gullies, to dry sandstone ridges
where the most colourful plants grow. There's always something flowering
in the park, even in the middle of Winter.
What's
flowering at the moment
Click here to find out
Top
of page
|
Bakers Cottage,
built 1865, revamped 2009
Example of stonework constructed during the Depression
Porters Bridge
|
