Leader: Regina Haertsch

Parramatta area: The Ponds and Hunts Creek

24 May 2019

An 80 leaders walk

Photos Steven Sim

Photo below Reguna Haertsch

Participants:

Regina Haertsch, Steven Sim, Jon Hestelow, John Hungerford, Walter Baer, Laurie Olsen and Margaret Rozea

Walk description:

We will start from Rydalmere station and follow Subiaco Creek to commence The Ponds Walk to Carlingford. A little street walking to Hunts Creek and a track to Lake Parramatta. The excursion is concluded with some street walking to Parramatta station. Map: Street directory.

Report:

To reach the start of our walk, the majority took the train to Rydalmere for their first ever trip on the Carlingford Line. Our walk followed part of Subiaco Creek upstream and then the entire length of The Ponds, tributaries of the Parramatta River. By 1791 former convicts were settled in the area and farming commenced. The Ponds ends at Mobbs Hill at Carlingford and the morning tea views were marred by the seasonal airborne burn-off detritus.

After a little street walking we joined Hunts Creek and its beautiful valley. In 1856 the Creek was dammed to provide a water supply for Parramatta. At 15 metres high, it was the first large dam constructed in Australia. The dam was decommissioned in 1909. Unlike Manly Dam it is not possible to walk across the dam wall. Quaint stepping stones below the wall enable continued hiking. Lake Parramatta Reserve, which was our lunch stop, is a beautiful place where there is even a lifeguard service in summer to support people to enjoy swimming.

Remnant vegetation can be seen along both creek corridors.

After leaving the Reserve we walked past the colonial gaol and Female Factory complex before joining the Parramatta River and green way to the railway.

We all had fun exploring further parts of hidden Sydney.