Royal Australian Navy Archives - Page 2 of 8

20 July 202319 September 2023

Manly to North Head Walk

The walk from Manly to North Head takes you past some beautiful beaches with views over the coast, through coastal scrub and passes old fortifications. Finally ending at the entrance to Sydney Harbour, it has spectacular views of the city.

Getting There

The easiest way to get to Manly is to take the Manly ferry from Circular Quay. If you’re new to Sydney, this is an attraction in itself, because the Sydney Harbour ferries form an important part of the local public transport. During the ferry ride, you get some brilliant views of the Opera House and Harbor Bridge as well as all the other boat traffic on the water.

Sydney Ferry Collaroy — Manly Ferry Collaroy

Opera House From the Manly Ferry Sydney Australia — Manly Ferry Collaroy

Start of the Walk

Catching the Manly Ferry from Circular Quay, we arrived at Manly Wharf at 9:30 am. We planned our walk to take us along the shore to Shelly Beach where we would follow a track to the Barracks Precinct. Not only would this give us views over the coast but take us past some old fortifications and gun emplacements.

From the Manly wharf, we walked down The Corso, which is a pedestrian mall leading to the beach.

Manly Beach

One of the most popular Sydney beaches, Manly Beach is a great place for a swim or relaxing on the sand. We bought a coffee at a kiosk near the south end of the beach before starting the walk.

Manly to Shelly Beach

Starting at the south end of Manly Beach, the path follows the coastline, which is rocky until you reach Shelly Beach. There are plenty of places with places to look up and down the coast and back to Manly, giving you some amazing views.

Along the way look out for small metal sculptures of local wildlife. These have been placed on the rocks next to the path.

About halfway to Shelly Beach, Fairy Bower Pool is a protected ocean pool where you can swim. The pool is also decorated with a sculpture of two fairies.

Fairy Bower Sea Pool Marine Parade Manly Sydney Australia — Fairy Bower Sea Pool

Fairy Statues Fairy Bower Sea Pool Manly Sydney Australia Manly to North Head Walk — Fairy Bower Sea Pool

Shelly Beach

Shelly Beach is a secluded and serene crescent-shaped beach surrounded by nice shady trees. As well as a grassed area to relax on it has a kiosk where you can buy refreshments before continuing the walk.

From Shelly Beach, the track goes uphill to head along the cliffs to the south.

Shelly Beach Manly Sydney Australia — Shelly Beach

Shelly Headland Lookout

Perched on a rocky outcrop overlooking the ocean, this Shelly Headland Lookout provides an ideal spot for photographers because of the wonderful views along the coast. During the whale migration season, it’s also an ideal point to watch them swimming past.

Coastal view looking north back to Manly Manly to North Head Walk — Coastal view looking north back to Manly

Shelly Beach to the Barracks Precinct

After the flat walk from Manly the track becomes rougher and steeper. From here the track climbs uphill to reach the cliff tops. Winding through the coastal vegetation, it is not as busy as the first section because it is a more difficult walk. We loved this section, as the walk through the bush was much more peaceful.

At the top of the cliffs, old fortifications dating from the Second World War and earlier can be seen. The track even goes through one of the old walls built to defend the area.

The track south of Shelly Beach Manly to North Head Walk — The track south of Shelly Beach

Old fortification wall at North Head — The track south of Shelly Beach

Barracks Precinct

The Barracks Precinct at North Head is a historically significant site that served as a military base from the mid-19th century to the mid-20th century. It played a crucial role in the defence of Sydney Harbor and housed various military units over the years.

The Barracks Precinct has well-preserved sandstone buildings, which showcase the architectural style of the time. It includes several barracks, officers’ quarters, mess halls, and maintenance buildings. These structures provide a glimpse into the daily lives of soldiers stationed at North Head.

Today, the Barracks Precinct has been repurposed as a heritage site and is open to the public for exploration. Visitors can wander through the historic buildings, learn about the site’s military history through information boards which are dotted around the area.

In this area and continuing to North Head, the walking tracks are generally well paved and often consists of boardwalks or paved roads. When we visited, the banksias were in flower adding a touch of colour to the walk.

Main barracks building and parade ground

Banksia in flower — Main barracks building and parade ground

Fortifications

Many of the original fortifications were dismantled and the guns sold for scrap when they were no longer needed. Fortunately, some are still in place so that visitors can see them. Several large gun emplacements are open to the public, but when we visited others were being repaired.

A great way to get a feel for the area’s past is to take the underground tunnels tour. We did this several years ago and highly recommend it. You walk through the tunnels and underground sections of the fortifications as well as getting into areas the general public cannot access.

Old Fortifications Manly to North Head Walk — Old Fortifications

Old Fortification undergoing restoration — Old Fortifications

Memorial Walk

Winding through the coastal vegetation, the Memorial Walk commemorates Australia’s military heritage. Not only are there great sandstone memorials but the path is inlaid with bricks commemorating individuals or military units.

Memorial for Australian Peacekeeping Operations — Memorial Walk

Fairfax Lookout

The end of our walk took us to Fairfax Lookout with its stunning views of Sydney and Sydney Harbour. The site was named after Sir James Fairfax, a prominent Australian businessman and philanthropist.

Other Places to See in North Head

If you have time, Q Station, the old Sydney Quarantine Station is worth a visit. We did a guided tour here some time ago, which took us through the history of the site and most of its buildings. The old quarantine station cemetery is also a great place to see.

Getting Back

After finishing our walk, we decided to catch the bus back to the wharf as it stops right outside. Alternatively, you could walk back via Q Station. We had an excellent tour there a few years ago and highly recommend a visit.

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To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.

27 May 202327 May 2023

Headland Park Walking Track

The Headland Park Walking Track is a scenic and historic trail that runs from Balmoral Beach to Georges Head in Mosman, Sydney, Australia. The walking track is approximately 4.5 kilometers in length and offers stunning views of the harbour and surrounding coastline. The portion we walked was approximately 2 kilometers long.

Starting at Balmoral Beach the track winds its way along the coast, passing through beautiful parks and natural landscapes. As you make their way along the trail, you pass several historic landmarks as well as outstanding views of Sydney and the Harbour.

How to Get There

We parked at Balmoral Beach where we found a long duration park area. This was great because most of the parking there had a 2 hour limit which is not long enough. Sign posts placed along the track give direction to the differing destinations you can get to. Well maintained, the track varies from flat sections to very steep ones. The climb up from Balmoral takes in around 300 steps. Although more spaced out on the other side of the ridge, it descends another 300 steps. Remember you will need to climb them all again on the return walk.

Spectacular Views

If the going starts to get tough, there are many places to stop , relax and take in the spectacular views over Sydney Harbour. If you take some snacks and drinks, it’s a great place to stop and refuel.

Georges Head Battery

The Georges Head Battery is a historic military installation that dates back to the early 1900s. It was built to protect Sydney Harbour from possible attacks during times of war. The battery features a range of structures, including gun emplacements, ammunition stores, and command posts. Visitors can explore the site and learn about its history through interpretive signs and displays.

There are more great views from here too, with the main CBD area and Circular Quay in Sydney visible.

Cannon emplacement overlooking Sydney Harbour at Georges Head

View Over Sydney Harbour from Georges Head — Cannon emplacement overlooking Sydney Harbour at Georges Head

Gunners’ Barracks

Another significant feature of the Headland Park Walking Track is the Gunners’ Barracks, which is a historic building built in the early 1800s. The building served as a barracks for soldiers stationed at Georges Head Battery, and later as a residence for military officers. Today, the Gunners’ Barracks has been restored and transformed into a luxury restaurant and event space, offering visitors a unique dining experience with stunning views of the harbor.

From Georges’ Head you can look down onto the restored buildings before continuing along the track.

Gunners' Barracks Headland Park Walking Track — Gunners’ Barracks

6 Inch Gun Battery

Georges Heights 6 Inch Gun Battery was constructed in the early 1900s and was designed to protect the entrance to Sydney Harbour from naval attack. Steep sections around the gun emplacement are fenced off, but access available about 20m further along the track. This allows you to enter the emplacement and see the gun up close. If you miss the gun and see the sculpture park, you have gone too far. The gun site is almost directly in front of the Sculpture Park.

6-Inch guns emplacement Headland Park Walking Track — 6-Inch guns emplacement

Sculpture Park

The Headland Park Walking Track also features a sculpture park, which is home to a range of contemporary art installations by Australian and international artists. Scattered around a large grassed area, the sculptures are surrounded by buildings that used to house military personnel who manned the local guns.

Wooden Sculpture Headland Park Walking Track — Wooden Sculpture

Chowder Bay

We ended our walk at Chowder Bay on Sydney Harbour. Several cafés and restaurants with views of the harbour give you a choice of places to eat. We bought take away coffees and drank them overlooking the small beach before tackling the return walk.

Overall, the Headland Park Walking Track is a great place to visit for anyone interested in history, nature, and art.

4 April 20232 April 2023

Sub Base Platypus Sydney

Steps with the names of the six Oberon class submarines operated by Australia

Sub Base Platypus Sydney

Sub Base Platypus is a unique site located in Neutral Bay, Sydney, Australia. The site has a rich history dating back to the early 1900s when it was originally used as a gasworks site. In the early 1960s, the site was acquired by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and used as a submarine base until it was decommissioned in the 1990s. During this time, the bas was home to the six Oberon class submarines operated by the RAN.

Not only were the submarines themselves based here, but a torpedo factory, maintenance facilities and a school for submariners provided a complete support structure for them.

Although long retired, several of the Oberons still exist as museum displays. HMS Onslow is close by in Sydney at the National Maritime Museum, while HMS Otway sits in Holbrook.

Getting There

We chose to take public transport because parking in the area is limited. A small carpark on Kiara Close provides somewhere to park if you drive. When we visited, this area was being extended, so perhaps in the future more space will be available.

The closest train station is Milsons Point, so we got off there and walked for only 10 minutes to get to the old submarine base. On the way we passed plenty of cafes and eateries, so grabbing a snack or drink is not a problem.

We entered via an alleyway off High Street, but access is available from Kesterton Park, which has a walkway over the water and an interesting entrance sign. We exited this way, so got to see both. Future plans will have a more official entrance off High Street.

What you will Find at the Base

Today, Sub Base Platypus has been redeveloped and transformed into a public space for the community to enjoy. The site includes a range of facilities and features, including a playground, public spaces, and a memorial to submariners who lost their lives in service to Australia.

The playground is a popular attraction for families, with a range of equipment and play areas designed for children of all ages. The playground has been designed to reflect the history of the site, with play structures shaped like torpedoes and submarines. Stepping stones running through the gardens are labeled with the phonetic alphabet (alpha, bravo, Charlie etc.).

In addition to the playground, Sub Base Platypus is also home to the Submariners Memorial, which honors those who served on the Oberon class submarines, particularly the three men who lost their lives while serving. The memorial includes HMAS Oxley’s anchor and the names of the submarines on the steps.

Although currently closed, the old workshops and torpedo factory are, planned to re-open in the future. On High Street, a series of information boards show large photos of operations in these buildings.

Future Developments

Looking ahead, there are plans to further develop Sub Base Platypus into a cultural precinct that celebrates the site’s rich history and promotes community engagement. The development plans include a range of facilities, including a museum, art galleries, and performance spaces.

What Did We Think?

Overall, Sub Base Platypus is an important and unique site that has been transformed into a valuable community asset. Its history as a submarine base and gasworks site is honored through its public spaces and features, making it a significant and memorable part of Sydney’s cultural landscape.