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Bobbin Head
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Bobbin Head
Bobbin Head, at the headwaters of Cowan Creek, is said to derive its name from the appearance of a large rock on the headland as a 'bobbing head'. [1] It lies within the Ku-ring-gai municipality on the boundary with Hornsby and Warringah shires. Archaeological evidence shows the area had long been occupied by Aboriginal people. [2]
In 1789, Captain John Hunter explored and mapped the area. A century later, in 1888, an amateur geographer, Eccleston du Faur, took up residence in nearby Turramurra, and began to campaign for the conservation of Cowan Creek. He built a road to Bobbin Head and arranged a visit by the NSW governor, the Earl of Jersey, who subsequently gave his support to the proposal. In 1894, the area was proclaimed as Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, the second national park in Australia, with du Faur as managing trustee. [3] Bobbin Head and neighbouring Apple Tree Bay became the main recreation areas in the park.
From the 1930s to the 1950s, major works were carried out, including the construction of picnic shelters, the pavilion and Bobbin Inn, and the reclamation of land from mangrove swamps. In the 1990s, the mangrove boardwalk and bridge were added. [4]
Notes
[1] John P Powell, Placenames of the Greater Hawkesbury Region, Hawkesbury River Enterprises, Berowra Heights NSW, 1994, p 11
[2] Conybeare Morrison International, Bobbin Head Masterplan, vol 1, prepared for Department of Environment and Conservation, East Sydney, 2006, p 35
[3] Claire Schofield, The Shaping of Hornsby Shire, Hornsby Shire Council, Hornsby NSW, 1988, pp 87–88
[4] Conybeare Morrison International, Bobbin Head Masterplan, vol 1, prepared for Department of Environment and Conservation, East Sydney, 2006, p 35
.