BPARRAMATTA Burramattagal Dah Bulwarra-Ba-Di Yenma Nura-Wa
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ushwalks of BPARRAMATTA Burramattagal dah bulwarra-ba-di yenma nura-wa. Nura-nin dah murray duloo garungarung dane Darani bulga wallamedagal be-mul, badu ma-wergal yuu garagarang bundi. Dah nura-ga Guyanayalung. Ngyini bayjah murri murri murray-ga Iyura dutrali; murray-diwa dharug Buruberongal nangami. Wugal yura; Ngyini-bu gubana Yellamundie yibbun-da weeree-ga gitji-ma. Englanda-ra yuu guwuwi butu dullai magung nin yabun-wa bayjah. Parramatta is a wonderful place to walk, with its diverse natural beauty ranging from Blue Gum- forested hilltops to rainforest gullies, freshwater river flats and saltwater estuaries. It is a land of antiquity and ancestors. Throughout Parramatta you can sense 200 million years of geological and evolutionary change and more than 60,000 years of dreaming by our local First Australians, the Darug people. Walking these tracks will also bring you in contact with Colonial history dating back to European settlement in 1788 as well as a multitude of shifting colours and textures that will enhance your spice of life. Darug translation by Uncle Richard Green Please note that the stated walking track times should be viewed as a guide to how long should be allowed to complete each walk, with leisurely walkers taking longer and faster walkers completing the www.discoverparramatta.com same route in a shorter timespan. Settler Walk Length 3.0 km 0 100 200 400 Metres OLD WINDSOR ROAD FITZWILLIAMS ROAD TOONGABBIE STATION) Settlers Walk Toongabbie to Northmead WALK - 3KM, DURATION 2HR 10MIN RETURN Settlers Walk starts near Toongabbie Railway Station and continues to Oakes Road, Winston Hills where it joins the Pemulwuy Loop. VEGETATION Following the natural creekline through a tract of Cumberland Icon Species: Eastern River Flat Forest, the track winds past majestic Forest Red Gums Long-necked Turtle, (Eucalyptus tereticornis), constant reminders of the height and Chelodina longicollis breadth of the once mighty forests supported by the rich alluvial soils of the area. Nesting hollows in these remnant trees provide shelter for many species of birds, possums and native bees. Sydney and Parramatta, the site of a government farm and barracks consisting of mud and slab wood huts for the military and hollow tree HISTORY trunk shelters for the convicts. The traditional lands of the Darug Tooga clan, the expansive wetlands The Hawkesbury Road opened in 1794 linking Parramatta to the (now known as McCoys Basin) once provided a diverse range of Hawkesbury (now Old Windsor Road) passing through the town of abundant resources to the First Australians. From 1791 to 1803 the Toongabbie. The construction of the Toongabbie railway siding in land now traversed by the Settlers Walk was progressively cleared, 1860 attracted a new settlement to the current location and Old with Old Toongabbie, the third Australian mainland settlement after Toongabbie ceased to expand. MOXHAMS ROAD OAKS ROAD REILLEYS ROAD OLD WINDSOR ROAD Pelmulwuy Loop Walk Length 5.4 km 0 75 150 300 Metres HAMMER ROAD Icon species: Pemulwuy Loop Rakali (Hydromys Northmead, Winston Hills and Old Toongabbie chrysogaster) meaning ‘water- WALK - 5.4KM, DURATION 2HR 30MIN LOOP mouse with The Pemulwuy Loop travels from Moxhams Road in Northmead, to golden belly’. Hydro water, Edison Avenue, Winston Hills. It crosses Toongabbie Creek at Oakes mys mouse, Road, Old Toongabbie, continues along the south bank to Hammers chryso golden, Road, Northmead, then heads back up the east bank of Quarry Branch gaster belly. Creek to Moxhams Road. The track surface includes a mixture of natural earth, underlying rock and wooden stairs. HISTORY VEGETATION Pemulwuy (c.1750 – 1802) was a Darug First Australian man who led The gullies and reserves along this walk are home to Cumberland the resistance against the incoming Europeans who were taking up Shale Plains Woodland, Cumberland Riverflat Forest and Sydney and clearing land west from Sydney Cove. He speared a gamekeeper Turpentine-Ironbark Forest. Forest Red Gums (Eucalyptus tereticornis) John McIntye in retaliation for his shooting and killing many of the dominate the western reserves where Toongabbie Creek runs down to First Australian peoples. Pemulwuy was regarded as a great warrior Quarry Branch Creek and give way to Sydney Blue Gums (Eucalyptus by both the Darug and Europeans alike for his spirited defence of saligna) in the more fertile gullies. As the trees mature and limbs his people and traditional lands. The cleared area was farmed and drop, the resulting hollows provide homes for many birds, micro bats, remained as a mosaic of orchards and bushland up until the 1950s possums and native bees. when urbanisation transformed the area into the residential suburbs we are so familiar with today. CHURCHILL DRIVE CHURCHILL Icon Species: Water Dragon Icon Species: Water Physignathus lesueurii crayfish and attracted a variety of wildlife including wallabies. Dotted throughout the bushland are the remains of historic convict quarries early buildings which supplied much of the sandstone for Parramatta’s Quarries, two of the largest and Moxham’s Hourigan’s and civil works. sandstone quarries in the area, were in production from early colonial Hourigan hit sandstone Robert times until the 1950s. While extracting a natural underground spring, accidentally creating a local swimming spot that is now a natural wetland. (Eucalyptus , and Blackbutt WINDSOR ROAD (Angophora costata) MOXHAMS ROAD . Despite its predominantly ‘built up’ character, Moxham Moxham character, . Despite its predominantly ‘built up’ Water Dragon Way 0 100 200 400 Metres Length 2.3 km Winston Hills, Quarry Branch Creek Water Dragon Way Dragon Water Smooth-barked Apple Smooth-barked Sydney Turpentine Iron Bark Forest which supports large stands of Turpentine Sydney The walk runs through stunning remnant bushland reserves of VEGETATION includes wooden stairs and is relatively level from south to north. Creek. The track is a mixture of natural earth and underlying rock, Goodin Road, Winston Hills along the eastern side of Quarry Branch Goodin Road, Water Dragon Way runs between Moxhams Road, Northmead and Road, runs between Moxhams Dragon Way Water WALK - 2.3KM, DURATION 1HR 40MIN RETURN - 2.3KM, DURATION WALK for good reason. It was a reliable source of rainforest fruits, freshwater proximity to this moist sandstone gully adjoining Quarry Branch Creek proximity The First Australian Tooga, Bidji and Burramatta clans lived in close Tooga, The First Australian HISTORY and birds. Reserve is still home to several endangered species of plants, bats Reserve pilularis) 0 125 250 500 Metres M2 Murru Yanna Walk in the area Length 3:7 km Tachyglossus aculeatus Tachyglossus Icon Species: Echidna sandstone gullies. Bidjigal Reserve bears the name of a Darug clan sandstone gullies. Bidjigal Reserve means ‘walking track’ in the Darug from The Hills area, and Murri-Yanna language. The early colonists harnessed the running waters of Darling Mills Creek including various types of water- to power local industries of the day, oldest continuing Australia’s North Parramatta driven mills. This makes built the Darling Flour Mills to process John Raine industrial estate. flour in 1826 and in later years a military rifle range operated traversed by this track. ese WINDSOR ROAD NORTH ROCKS ROAD PYE AVE SPEERS ROAD SPEERS Excelsior Reserve, North Rocks to Northmead North Rocks Reserve, Excelsior Murri-Yanna Track Murri-Yanna resources on offer in the rainforests and waterways adjoining th The First Australians made good use of the surrounding natural The First Australians HISTORY than 2.5km away. than 2.5km away. native animals despite the fact that the Parramatta city centre is less native animals despite the fact that the Parramatta and understorey plants in Excelsior Reserve support a wide range of Reserve and understorey plants in Excelsior through rainforest and sandstone escarpment vegetation. The trees Sandstone Moist Forest, Murri-Yanna track passes along river flats Sandstone Moist Forest, Murri-Yanna A mix of Coastal Enriched Sandstone Dry Forest and Coastal Enriched VEGETATION wooden steps. surface is a mixture of an uneven earthen track, rocky sections and the Hills Shire and City of Parramatta local government areas. The the Hills Shire and City of Parramatta Motorway to Spears Road, North Rocks and makes its way through and makes North Rocks Motorway to Spears Road, Murri-Yanna Track runs from The Hills Council above the M2 Hills Track Murri-Yanna WALK - 2.3KM, DURATION 1HR 40MIN RETURN - 2.3KM, DURATION WALK PARKLAND RD LESLEY AVE NORTHAM DR NORTHAM BAKER ST BECKY AVE Waterfall Walk Length 5.4 km 0 50 100 200 Metres Waterfall Walk Length 5.4 km Water Fall Walk Hunts Creek Reserve WALK - 2.3KM, DURATION 1HR 40MIN RETURN Waterfall Walk passes along Hunts Creek from Parkland Road, Carlingford to Statham Avenue, Carlingford. The walking surface varies from tracts of uneven earth to rocky sections and a set of wooden stairs that pass over the Hunts Creek Waterfall. VEGETATION As you walk along the Waterfall Track within Hunt Creek Reserve, Icon species: you will pass through three distinct vegetation communities. Coastal Superb Fairy Wren Enriched Sandstone Moist Forest grows closer to the creek. Tracts of Sydney Turpentine – Ironbark Forest and Coastal Enriched Sandstone settlers who amongst other things, used the crystal clear water to make Dry Forest occupy parts of the reserve as walkers move up the distil illegal peach cider. Bushranger Jack Donohue and his gang holed catchment and away from the creek. up in local caves near Hunts Creek during the 1820s and may have relied on the skills of the First Australians to live off the land. From the HISTORY late 1880s businessman, shipowner and philanthropist James Burns Hunts Creek lies at the junction off four Darug clan areas, namely the lived at Gowan Brae, and in 1910 he gave land at North Parramatta to land of the Burramattagal, Bidjigal, Terramerragal and Wallumattagal. It endow the Burnside Presbyterian Homes for Children.