The predicted cloudy weather, showers and a possible thunder storm, did not eventuate as Jill and Rhondda led 15 walkers from Summer Hill to Balmain.

After a short walk from Summer Hill Station along the Hawthorne Canal the group followed the foreshore of Iron Cove walking through parks including Callan Park (morning tea) and gardens with views across Iron Cove to Rodd Island and Rodd Point to Iron Cove Bridge and Birkenhead Point. The following sections of the walk began in Rozelle closely followed by Balmain and Birchgrove. Not so long ago walking the coastline would have been impossible because of the shipyards, wharves, stores ,factories and power plants sitting on the waterfront. Although built on, more of the coastline is now accessible where according to modern building codes a right of way and gardens must be allowed for below and in front of the apartments.
The Pump House on the waterfront is all that remains of the Balmain Power Station and apartments stand on the site of the Balmain Chemical Works.
Soon we climbed and descended the first of many steep steps leading up and down through a mix of homes of all sizes some with Victorian iron lace others large blocks of Housing Commission flats. At Somerville Point we returned to the waterfront before winding our way behind homes and flats through to White Horse Point and Elkington Park with views of Snapper, Spectacle and Cockatoo Islands.
The path behind the tidal Dawn Fraser Pool led to the cliff carving of Neptune where the steep steps offered a close up view of the work and good views of the harbour as we ascended only to shortly descend once again on steps leading steeply back down to the waterfront. Here the upmarket waterfront and marina development of Hopetown Quays replaced the Balmain Coal Mine, slipway and coal wharf. Even steeper steps led up through the development where there was a lift for residents (however Hill View walkers climbed the steps) to River Street and Louisa Road an exceptional mixture of cottages and Victorian/Federation/Queen Anne style homes. These were once the homes of timber and coal merchants, shipowners, orchardists and sawmillers. Today Louisa Road is known as millionaires row. Yurulbin Point where there is a viewing platform marks the start of the Parramatta River. Across the waterfront of Birchgrove Park around Snails Bay there is one of the many views we had of the harbour bridge.
We stopped for lunch at Ballast Point Harbour Park the former site of a quarry and the Texaco Oil Terminal with its many storage tanks now after much demolition and site remediation an area of pathways and viewpoints of the whole of Mort Bay. Mort Bay the site of the Mort Bay Dry Dock where Mort’s Engineering Company built steam trains, mining machines and countless other engineering equipment was then a workers town and Balmain one of the most important industrial suburbs in Sydney. During WW11 naval vessels were manufactured here. Now within Mort Bay Park the outline of the dry dock can be seen.
From the park up again as we re-entered Balmain walking along terraces a reminder of the old Balmain before descending to the shoreline in front of the
former Colgate-Palmolive plant. With the end of the walk in sight it was up once more to Darling Street and back via one of the many narrow paths we
had found to the waterfront from where there was a choice of a very steep street or steps uphill leading to Origlass Park and Simmons Point and
finally to Darling Street Wharf, ferry to Darling Harbour, coffee and train home.

'Jill and Rhondda led 15 walkers from Summer Hill to Balmain.'
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Morning tea at Callan Park provided
'views across Iron Cove to Rodd Island and Rodd Point to Iron Cove Bridge and Birkenhead Point'
and views of boats and planes








And after MT, in Rozelle a backward view of the Iron Cove Bridge

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'... cliff carving of Neptune'                                                                                      and a remnant of the Balmain Colliery
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'Across the waterfront of Birchgrove Park around Snails Bay there is one of the many views we had of the harbour bridge.'
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'We stopped for lunch at Ballast Point Harbour Park ....'                                            '....an area of pathways and viewpoints of the whole of Mort Bay.'
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'... former site [of the] Texaco Oil Terminal with its2015 09 18 Plus SueS9aIMG 1230
many storage tanks'.
What are these words at Tank 101? A sign nearby
explained the text is a line from 'The Death of Isaac Nathan' by Les Murray.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 





'and finally to Darling Street Wharf, ferry to Darling Harbour, coffee and train home.'
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On this walk Jill and Rhondda led John M, Susan, Wendy, Cherry, Sue S, Maurice, Clive, Nick, Bert, Don B, Kurt, Peter, Polly, Celia and a visitor.

Words by Jill; photos Susan (1,2,4,5,8,9) and Sue S (3,6,7,10,11).