West Pymble to Hunter’s Hill: Lane Cove on Great North Walk

There are a number of types of this iconic Australian bird -- the Kookaburra. This is a "laughing kookaburra' (Dacelo novaeguineae). All Kookaburras are among the larger members of the kingfisher family. These Kookaburras have become quite tame around humans and will readily accept scraps of meat from your picnic scarps. But beware -- their 'laugh' is actually a territorial call to warn others to stay away.

In 1855, a John Brown purchased 640 acres (260 hectares) from Lane Cove River, the one we just crossed but will have to re-cross to rejoin the trail, to Pearces Corner from a Thomas Hyndes. But the first recorded permanent settlement in this area was north of Blue Gum Creek (which joins Lane Cove River downstream of De Burgh’s Bridge) where, in 1814, William Henry established a vineyard. Wine was grown at Millwood Farm on the present Fullers Park. Between 1840 and 1880, people like the O’Connors and my husband’s family, the McIntoshs, who farmed in Gordon, regularly shipped their orchard produce to Sydney Town from Lofberg's Wharf, which is the most northerly wharf on the Lane Cove River, just downstream of De Burghs Bridge

Please watch your footing for the next couple of kilometres. Although the trail is mostly on fire trails and well-walked tracks, there are quite a few rocks and it’s easy to stumble and twist an ankle.
A famous local resident of historical note is Joseph Henry Maiden who lived in Turramurra. Maiden, English and a native of London and a graduate of its university, immigrated to Australia in 1880. He became a botanist of international acclaim and, despite bouts of ill health, served this country in its public service for many years, especially when he was appointed as the Director of the Botanic Gardens and Government Botanist in May 1896. He became an expert in economic botany by researching the properties of Australian timbers and essential oils. His publishing career began in 1889 with a book entitled The Useful Native Plants of Australia and Wattles and Wattle-Barks in 1890 but his major works were A Critical Revision of the Genus Eucalyptus, appearing in over seventy parts from 1903, in which he recognized 366 species, and his Forest Flora of New South Wales, in seventy-seven parts from 1904.

Aboriginal Australians are likely to have enjoyed roast or baked goanna. However, you may have seen TV shows in which cornered goannas really rear up and have a go at cameras with their claws and even get in a few blows with their tails. In fact, they are more likely to use you for food, not to eat you -- they scrounge a lot around campsites and so on. Maybe these days they also try their luck around dustbins and tips. Their usual food is eggs, insects and other small mammals especially mice. Sometimes, they will eat carrion (dead animals) and even other lizards.

De Burghs Bridge: Ernest Macartney de Burgh was an Irish immigrant who arrived in Australia in March 1885. He became a highly esteemed bridge designer. His original bridge over the Lane Cove River was a single 50 metre long ‘De Burgh’ truss and was the longest timber truss span ever built in Australia. The new De Burgh’s Bridge under which the Great North Walk passes was opened in December 1967 to support a six-lane highway across the river.

Boat Hire on Lane Cove River: hire rowboats, kayaks, canoes and pedal boats from Lane Cove Boatshed, located at Riverside Drive, North Ryde 4.5 km inside the park from the Lane Cove Road entrance. On the Great North Walk (but across the river).

Site of a double murder or at least two mysterious deaths. On New Year’s Day in 1963, two naked bodies were found near Fuller’s Bridge. The bodies had their clothes piled neatly on top and the presumed murders were never solved. The sight now hosts a geocache. The cries you hear today are most likely from sulphur-crested cockatoos (not ghosts) but look out for the brightly coloured crimson rosellas and kookaburras too.

Fairyland: The famous Fairyland Tea Gardens, also called Pleasure Gardens, was – for 1910s’ Sydney – a bit like Disneyland. It comprised around 17 acres of flat land covered in ti-trees, paperbarks, swamp oaks and brackens, with a small creek running across the site to the Lane Cove River. Robert Swan, who served as an alderman on Ryde Municipal Council from 1895 to 1900, developed this business from market gardening at ‘The Rest’ into purely recreational facilities that blossomed with the large number of visitors brought to Fairyland by charter boats between 1908 and 1918. Some of these boats were larger launches, with up to 60 or 70 passengers, and there were many, many rowboats as well. Swan acquired novel pleasure-ground equipment — six boat-swings were brought from Putney Park and the White City Pleasure Grounds at Rushcutters Bay supplied a razzle-dazzle, a flying fox and several ticket boxes. As well as the swings and slides, a big-wheel, shelters for picnics and a dance hall were all built.

After admiring what remains of the Fairyland site and imagining it in the 1910s to 1930s, the Great North Walk leads on to the Field of Mars, passing under the busy Epping Road but then having to walk alongside it for a couple of hundred metres, and then back across the river on a narrow bridge emerging in Magdala Park with its picnic tables and soccer fields.

Keep a watch out for cyclists who also enjoy this part of the Great North Walk trail. There is sometimes some jostling on the narrow bridges where cyclists should really dismount.

There are board-walks through many of the mangrove groves. These trees that breathe through their roots are well adapted to the salt marsh environment caused by tidal intrusions. Some of these beautiful, low-lying salt-marsh areas around Buffalo Creek were used as a rubbish tip until 1959. It was only the threat in 1965 of a re-opening and expansion of an old tip that galvanized enough vehement opposition to establish the Ryde–Hunter’s Hill Fauna and Flora Preservation Society. In 1975, the reserve was proclaimed as a Wildlife Refuge under the National Parks and Wildlife Act.”

There are very many so-called 'Fields of Mars' around the world. The name comes from the Roman god of war, Mars — as does the planet. So the whole title means ‘land of the soldiers’. Why here? Apparently it’s because when, in 1792, Governor Phillip granted this piece of land, it was to eight former British marines — so the field was literally for the soldiers, back then. Then, using that name, Governor King set the ‘Field of Mars’ Common aside — more than 2500 hectares — in 1804 for the local community. They had free range to graze their cows, sheep and goats and also to collect firewood. This area was over 2.2 km wide: along Lane Cove River from Boronia Park to North Epping. That didn’t last long in the face of Sydney’s rapid urbanization: between 1885 and 1900, it was almost all sold off for housing. Just 45 hectares between Stranger's Creek and Buffalo Creek were kept for public recreation by the newly formed Ryde Municipal Council.

As you approach the southern end of Lane Cove River there are some lovely houses dating back to earlier colonial periods of Sydney's history. Many river-front parks have information signs explaining a little about the history of this area.
You will glimpse (& hear) many of these sulphur-crested cockatoos as you walk. There raucous cry is mostly territorial. They are large birds with little fear of humans.

NSW Schoolhouse Museum of Public Education: this museum, housed in the first school building of North Ryde Public School, dates back to 1877. Located on Cox’s Road, North Ryde in the north-eastern corner of the grounds of North Ryde Public School (almost opposite Cox’s Road Mall). Appointments possible for special interest groups booked in advance (+61 2 9805 1186). About 3 km from the Great North Walk intersection with Delhi Road, North Ryde.