Hawkesbury River

The Hawkesbury River to the north of Sydney, one of the most beautiful rivers in Australia, played an important part in the early days of the colony of New South Wales. The first settlers arrived in the area in 1794, establishing farms which contributed to the survival of the colony, threatened with starvation by the shortage of food. In 1810 Governor Macquarie ordered the foundation of five towns in the upper Hawkesbury valley which became known as the 'Macquarie towns' - Windsor, Richmond, Castlereagh, Wilberforce and Pitt Town - which have preserved many historic old buildings.

The surrounding area is still farming country, and the river is flanked for considerable distances by unspoiled woodland and bush. The Hawkesbury River offers excellent facilities for water sports, particularly in its lower reaches between Brooklyn and Pittwater, where it becomes very wide. The best way of seeing it is by boat, and boats of all sizes can be hired in Brooklyn, near the Hawkesbury River Bridge, and also at Bobbin Head, Berowra Waters and Wisemans Ferry. The mailboat which sails upstream from Brooklyn, leaving at 9.30am, also takes passengers. There are also organized boat trips on the intricate river system and to Broken Bay.

At Wisemans Ferry the river can be crossed by boat. A road on the north bank runs along the boundary of Dharug National Park from Wisemans Ferry via Gunderman and Spencer and through the Mangrove valley to Mangrove Mountain (48 km).

The freeway from Sydney to Newcastle crosses the Hawkesbury and its tributary the Mooney (sheer sandstone cliffs and fascinating views).

The Hawkesbury River is surrounded by four national parks. It forms the northern boundary of the old-established Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, to the north of Sydney, and the southern boundary of Brisbane Water National Park. To the northwest is Dharug National Park, famed for its Aboriginal rock drawings, and to the north of Broken Bay (Marine Park) is Bouddi National Park.