The Tingle Factor Box

Roaming Roy Crosses A Bridge To A Secret History - Cockle Creek Bridge

This week, Roy decided he really wanted to check out a bridge. Roy loves bridges. There is just something about them which grabs his attention. Whether it is a stone bridge, metal, wooden, big, small, they just fascinate him. So, he was looking for an interesting bridge to visit, which was close to home. When he found one at Bobbin Head in Kuringai Chase National Park he was stunned. He must have driven over the Cockle Creek Bridge hundreds of times, but he never knew it was particularly significant!

If you would like to visit the bridge over Cockle Creek, it is located in Bobbin Head, not far from Hornsby. To get there you can enter from Bobbin Head Road in North Turrumurra or from Kuringai Chase Road in Mount Colah (enter from the Old Pacific Highway into Yirra Road, then turn into Belmont Parade and from there into Kuringai Chase Road). While you are at the park, why not go for a bushwalk, enjoy a meal or take in the mangroves!

The bridge over Cockle Creek at Bobbin Head is very significant, though the reason why seems to be little known. Certainly, Roy and I had no idea the bridge was the first of its kind in Sydney, or that it was heritage listed by the RTA. This bridge, which while it’s a nice bridge doesn’t appear particularly exciting, was the first pre-stressed concrete bridge to be built in Sydney. So what is a pre-stressed concrete bridge and why is it important? Pre-stressed concrete is a way of making concrete which overcomes its natural weakness. Concrete which is normally reinforced, with metal bars, cannot be used to make a long spans because it’s weak over such a long distance. Pre-stressed concrete has pre-tensioned ‘tendons’ put in it, which are usually cables. The cables are pre-tensioned and then the concrete is poured over them and this gives much greater strength. Following the success of the Cockle Creek bridge this method of bridge construction became popular in Sydney.

Why go to such effort for a small bridge in an out of the way place like Bobbin Head? At the time the bridge was built, 1956, Bobbin Head was a popular pleasure ground. There was a swimming pool, play equipment, a miniature train, restaurant, boat sheds amongst other attractions and people loved to visit. Bobbin Head was named a National Park in 1894 and from this time onwards the area was popular with visitors. The problem though was that Cockle Creek ran through the pleasure ground area, so a bridge had to be built to enable people to come from both directions, and to utilise both sides of the pleasure ground. The first attempt was made in 1902 and 1903 when a causeway was built, but this was washed away in 1915. A new bridge was the built of timber but by 1925 the bridge and a wharf had been washed away. A temporary bridge was built, and then a proper one was constructed in 1930.  Yet again, it was washed away in 1942. Storms were a real problem when it came to building a lasting bridge. It was important that people could pass under the bridge in boats, as this was one of the main pastimes, but the bridges just didn’t seem to be strong enough to survive the storms which hit the area. Then, in 1956, a new type of bridge was trialled, the pre-stressed concrete one. It’s still there today.

Roaming Roy Peers At Pyrmont Bridge

This week, Roy was having a look at old photographs and postcards he has collected when he found a picture of Pyrmont Bridge. It wasn't the Pyrmont Bridge Roy recognised though, and Roy has visted the bridge and walked over it many times. He wondered what the story was, and whether the bridge was another which shared the name in Sydney, but didn't think this was likely. It seemed that there was another, older Pyrmont Bridge and Roy wanted to find out more.

Roaming Roy Goes Shopping For History - Birkenhead Point

This week, Roy decided that he wanted to tell you about some of Sydney’s industrial history. Roy loves places which are part of Sydney’s industrial past, because they are such fascinating insights into Sydney’s history. The question was, where to go. Sydney has many industrial sites, some of them largely intact and some with only a few stones or a ruined building to tell the story. One place which has always fascinated Roy though is the Birkenhead Point Outlet Centre. This spectacular building clearly has a history, and Roy wanted to tell you more.

If you would like to visit the Birkenhead Point Outlet Centre, it is located in Drummoyne and is only about 10 minutes away from the Sydney CBD (if the traffic is good!) The Outlet Centre is located in Roseby Street and you can easily get there by car (there is parking available), or by public transport. You can even take a Water Taxi! There is plenty to see at the centre, with beautiful industrial heritage, and of course shops and cafes to explore. You could even enjoy a Gozleme or two as Roy has been known to do (to read the post click here)

Birkenhead Point has had many owners, and been home to many different businesses, beginning as early as the 1800s. The land around Birkenhead Point was originally granted to Mr Harris in 1800, and he sold the land in 1836 to Mr Lyons who subdivided the original grant and sold off the individual plots. Two years later, in 1838, the 50 acre lot which included what we now know as Birkenhead Point was purchased by Mr Dutton and a brick making business was established. By 1841 though Dutton was being sued because he was bankrupt and his business and land were sold to pay his debts.

The next business to operate on the site was Abercrombie’s Racecourse, but soon Abercrombie redeveloped the site into a boiling down and salting works. By 1855 though the boiling down and salting works was not making enough money and Abercrombie sold the land in 1866 to Mr Caird, who then resold the land to the Excelsior Land Investment Company and Bank. In 1885 the land was again sold to the Perdriau brothers, who set up a business making rubber engine packing to use on their ferry service. The rubber business was lucrative though and in 1899 Henry Perdriau established the Perdriau Rubber Company. The business was so successful that it eventually expanded over the whole of the 7.7 hectare site. In 1928 the Perdriau Rubber Company merged with the Dunlop Rubber Company, and the site became known as the Dunlop Rubber Factory. This was the last factory to operate on the site and in 1976 the site was sold again to David Jones who converted the factory into a shopping centre. Since then the site has changed owners many times, but has remained a shopping centre.

Roaming Roy Finds A Salty, Adaptable Plant - Mangroves

This week, Roy decided he felt like a nice walk. We have some beautiful walks not far away from us, some of which are difficult, but some of which are very easy. Roy wasn’t feeling particularly energetic, so we decided to walk somewhere which was not too strenuous. When I reminded him that he had not told his online friends about mangroves yet, he decided one of the local mangrove boardwalks would be perfect. He often visits the fascinating mangroves and they are one of his favourite places to walk. Unfortunately, he forgot to take his camera, but luckily he took some photos last year in the cooler months which he could share!

Roy is lucky to live close to several mangrove boardwalks, with one at Brooklyn, another at Bobbin Head and one at Crosslands Reserve. The boardwalk in these pictures is at Bobbin Head and is one of Roy’s favourites, as it is in one of his favourite National Parks, Ku-ring-gai National Park. To get to Bobbin Head you can come from either Bobbin Head Road in North Turrumurra or from Kuringai Chase Road in Mount Colah (enter from the Old Pacific Highway into Yirra Road, then turn into Belmont Parade and from there into Kuringai Chase Road). There is plenty to see and do in the park, with a popular playground, cafes, the boardwalk, other walking tracks, fishing, boating and so on. You can even hire paddle boats on weekends and holidays!

Mangroves may not smell fantastic, but they are amazing plants and important ecosystems – Roy thinks they are possibly one of the most amazing plants around. They don’t only occur in Australia, but Australia does have the third largest area of mangroves in the world, providing a home for various species from fish and crabs to birds and rodents. As much as 75% of the commercial fish species in Australia spend part of their lives in the mangroves, especially when first born.They are known as the fish nursery!

So what are mangroves and why are they so amazing? Mangroves are a type of tree which grow in the salty waters along Australia’s coastline and river systems and are specially adapted to survive these difficult conditions. Some store salt in their leaves until the levels get too high and then the leaf falls off, while others secrete it through their leaves, leaving a glinting layer of salt crystals behind. They also have to conserve their fresh water so they can turn their leaves to reduce the area exposed to the sun and evaporation.  The leaves aren’t the only adaptations the mangroves have made to enable them to live in the salty conditions though. They live in salty, soft, oxygen poor soils and have adapted their roots to suit. They have far reaching, often expose roots which support them in soft soils and special roots which grow above ground which take in oxygen and transfer it to the roots below ground. The roots are even adapted to stop the mangroves from taking in a lot of salt from the water!  

Roaming Roy Finds A Not So Shark Proof Net - Edwards Beach

This week, with Summer holidays in full swing and many people flocking to the beach for a swim, as well as lots of people talking about sharks, Roy decided it was time to investigate a little more about the history of sharks and shark proof pools in Australia. Roy thinks it is sad that so many of his friends are frightened by sharks, because really there are a lot less people who die from shark attacks than who drown because they don’t recognise rips or can’t swim very well. So this week, Roy decided to visit Balmoral and Edwards Beach in Sydney, a beach with a long history and an historic shark net.

Roaming Roy Goes Boating Without Leaving Dry Land – Ballast Point Park

This week, with the weather finally clearing up and a few warmer days on the horizon, Roy thought it was time to go picnicking. Roy loves to go on picnics, and explore the interesting parks and reserves which are just perfect for such activities. He is always surprised by the number of historic parks to be found in Sydney, and one of his new favourites is Ballast Point Park. Not only is this park steeped in history, it has an amazing secret – it is shaped like a gigantic boat!

Roaming Roy Finds A Fishy Rock - Berowra Waters Aboriginal History

This week, Roy was very busy, and didn't have a lot of time to go out and about, so we needed to find somewhere nearby which we could visit. One of the nearby places which has fascinated him for many years is Berowra Waters. Years ago, Roy was wandering along the beautiful, riverside walks when he realised that he was walking on, and through, thousands of years of history with the path cutting through extensive midden deposits. Over the years he has also discovered several of the Aboriginal carvings in the area. Being close by, Roy thought this would be the perfect place to visit for a quick, beautiful walk.

If you would like to visit the Aboriginal Sites in Berowra Waters, you will need to first drive through Berowra itself. To get there, take the Berowra exit on the F3, follow the Pacific Highway to the Berowra turn off, then follow Berowra Waters Road and the signs to Berowra Waters. You can also come from the Galston/Dural side and catch the vehicular ferry across. All of the sites which Roy visited are on the Eastern side of the Ferry. Roy has written more detailed descriptions of how to find the sites at the bottom of this post. Remember, these are protected cultural sites so look, but don't disturb them. While in Berowra Waters, why not catch the ferry to the other side of the 'river' (it's actually Berowra Creek), and stop for fish and chips or a play on the equipment. Perhaps you might even like to bring a picnic and your fishing line!

The Berowra area has a very long history dating to long before Europeans settled in the area. Some say that Aboriginals had been using the area along the creek for up to 47000 years (though Roy thinks this is very unlikely). The dating of the sites is somewhat controversial though, with many others, including Hornsby Council, saying Aboriginals have only been in the area for about 20000 years. Berowra Creek is a fascinating place, and was very important in the history of Aborigines. It seems that the valley through which Berowra Creek passes was not 'owned' by either the Ku-ring-gai or Dharug people, but instead marked the boundary between their territories. The Ku-ring-gai people lived to the West and the Dharug lived to the East. The Berowra Creek area was used by both tribes, and would have been a place where they came into contact. It may even have had ceremonial importance. Whatever the case, the massive shell middens which are found along the side of the creek shows that the Aboriginal people were using the area!

Soon after Europeans arrived though the Aboriginal population began to decline. The first contacts between Aborigines and Europeans in the area were friendly, but as they began to compete for resources, there were cases of Aborigines and Europeans being killed. More devastating to the Aborigines though were the diseases which were brought out with the Europeans. The Aborigines had no immunity against terrible diseases like smallpox and influenza and even against western 'childhood diseases' like measles and mumps. Soon they started to catch the diseases and to die. In fact, some of the early explorers to investigate Berowra Creek noted in their diaries seeing dead Aborigines along the banks of the creek. As the Aborigines disappeared from the area they left behind evidence of their habitation in middens, and carvings like the ones found at Berowra Waters. The last of the local full blooded Aborigines thought to have lived in Berowra was 'Granny Lewis'. She was in the area in the 1820s, and obtained a land-grant in the area in 1835. When she died, it is thought that no local Aborigines were left.  

To get to the large rock with the man, and the upright rock with the fish on it: facing the river, turn right and walk along the road until you reach the entry to the bush walk (The Great North Walk). The large, vertical rock with the man on it is on your right as you enter the walk. The vertical rock with fish on it is more difficult to find. Walk along the track until you see an overgrown area on your right with overhangs and caves. Turn around, walk back along the path and look for a triangular rock on the right. The fish are very eroded, but there are lots of them on the rock!

To get to the fish engravings and grinding grooves on the horizontal rocks (Washtub Gully): facing the river, turn left, climb the few steps and follow the path behind the old building. Continue along the path until you come to a little 'grotto' type of area, where there is often water flowing over the path. In this area you will find lots of engravings of fish (which may or may not be 'real' Aboriginal engravings) and also a number of Aboriginal grinding grooves. If you continue along the path for a little longer, you will find one of the most obvious midden sites along the path on your left.

Roaming Roy Is Anti-Submarines - Anti-Submarine Boom Net, Green Point

This week, with the anniversary of the Japanese submarine attack on Sydney Harbour so close, Roy decided it was time to take his online friends somewhere related to submarines in Sydney. There were a few choices, the place where the torpedoes hit, the tunnel at Luna Park people hid in during the attack, but one stood out above the others, the anti-submarine net which stretched across Sydney Harbour.

Roaming Roy Is Across Land - Crosslands Reserve

This week, Roy decided he wanted to visit one of the places he knows about close to home, but which he had never visited. Although Roy loves to spend time in the great outdoors he, like so many others, doesn't always make the time to visit places in the local area, often going further afield. He had heard and read a lot about Crosslands Reserve, and had been told that it was a beautiful place, but he didn't remember ever visiting, so thought this would be a good time to change all that.

Roaming Roy Remembers The Kokoda Campaign

This week, with ANZAC Day just around the corner, Roy wanted to visit somewhere which would allow him to reflect on the people who have fought and died to protect our nation and our way of life. He knew it was the 70th anniversary of the Kokoda Campaign, and thought it would be nice to visit a memorial to these brave soldiers who worked and fought along the Kokoda Trail. The Kokoda Trail, a notorious track in Papua New Guinea, is the site of one of the most famous and bloodiest campaigns Australians were involved in during World War 2. Roy remembered seeing signs to a memorial in Concord, so went to investigate and was touched by what he found.