After walking at high altitude in the mountains last Friday Hill View walkers descended to sea level this week. From Lewisham Station our route followed the Hawthorne Canal pathway now part of the ‘Greenway’ an urban corridor linking Parramatta River at Iron Cove to the Cooks River via the Hawthorne Canal and the Rozelle Goods Line Corridor. Along the way we came across the extensive Hawthorne Canal Community Artwork in a railway tunnel underpass. This was produced by volunteers and local school students and depicted the history and environment of the Hawthorne Canal. This colourful mosaic mural told the story of the canal and of both aboriginal and local residents over the years. The canal was originally a natural waterway known as Long Cove Creek. The first stage of the construction of the canal began in the 1890s eventually having a ferry service before becoming impractical to run and maintain in competition with the tramway.
At the footbridge at the end of the canal now at Iron Cove we followed the loop known as ‘The Bay Run’ around the cove on footpaths through parks and reserves to the Iron Cove Bridge with views over the cove to Rodd Island and Rodd Point stopping for morning tea on the way.
Once across the bridge on the other side of Iron Cove we joined the walkers, joggers, cyclists and dogs along Henry Marine Drive where mangroves lined the shore walking past Sisters and Half Moon Bays to Rodd Point. We learned about Louis Pasteur the French biologist and the Pasteur Institute scientists who lived on Rodd Island for a time and were attempting an experiment to find a way to rid the colony of rabbits.
At Rodd Point we had lunch at the picnic tables beneath shady trees with views across and up and down the cove. Rodd Point was named after the Rodd family who contributed to the area for many years. The memorial in the park at the point was originally the Rodd family mausoleum later removed to Rookwood.
On our way back to Lewisham Station we stopped for afternoon tea at ‘The Bones’ cafe joining the dogs (remarkably well behaved dogs of all sizes and shapes) and dog walkers sitting at tables beneath shady trees the dogs sitting on the grass of course. Some walkers even indulged in eating huge slices of raisin toast.
Happy group of walkers ready to set off.....
Modern railway tracks (six) above Hawthorne Canal (built from 1895), previously Long Creek, west of Lewisham. These replaced the 1885-6 "whipple truss" bridge two track canal crossing which replaced the original 1854-55 single track over Long Creek.....
from Barbara
Figtrees Ficus microcarpa var hillii
Part of the Hawthorne Canal Community Artwork mosaic decoration
in Lords Road pedestrian tunnel , near the Hawthorne Canal
Richard Stanton Memorial Garden at Haberfield 'The Gioninazzo Grove' of Swamp She-oak Casuarina glauca
Art at the northern end of Hawthorn Canal Rodd Family Mausoleum (bodies removed 1903) at Rodd Point
Iron Cove Bridge
Lunch at Rodd Point
Rodd Island from Rodd Point
Our smiling leaders View south up Hawthorne Canal from Dobroyd Point
Silver gulls Chroicocephalus Big bird Qantas metallus!!
Koel at Leichhardt: The Koel can be heard calling for hours throughout the day and night. Its breeding strategy is similar to the Channel-billed Cuckoo. Once the chick hatches it kicks out other hatchlings and eggs from the nest and is raised by the host-bird before it flies to its Indonesian homeland.....from Barbara
Jill and Rhondda led sixteen walkers Nick, Clive, John B, Don B, Wendy C, Anne G, Celia, Kas, John M, Barbara, Guenter, Deidre, Sue S, Lyn, Judith and a first time visitor.
Words by Jill
Photos by Wendy C (1, 3, 9, 11), Barbara (2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 13, 16), Sue S (6, 12, 14, 15)
Sue S provided tree and bird names