Sydney Branch: Yurulbin: a ‘Green Necklace’ Sydney Harbour park – Walk to Wyoming
10 May @ 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm AEST
Join Colleen Morris, Christine Hay and James Quoyle, for another stroll around this second Birchgrove headland as they guide us to unfold its secrets.
A long narrow headland on the harbour’s southern shores, Yurulbin (its Indigenous name recorded in 1832) has continuing significance to First Nations people. Known as Long Nose Point Park, its landform was modified as part of coopering and the ship building industries on Sydney’s working harbour. In the 1960s its potential as parkland was recognised by planner Nigel Ashton, Chairman of the State Planning Authority (SPA) who inspiration ensured its purchase. Bruce Mackenzie, at the forefront of Landscape Architecture in Australia, designed its landscape scheme in 1973–76 for the SPA and Leichhardt Municipal Council. With a desire to create informal recreational parklands, Mackenzie’s theme took cues from surviving harbour bushland such as Balls Head opposite (also an AILA nomination).
A revegetated ‘bush park’ on the harbour, Yurulbin is a re-imagining of a lost Indigenous landscape. It also retains
recycled remains of its European colonial maritime industry – wharf structures, terracing, footings of structures. It is a continuation of his work at Iloura Reserve (Peacock Point), East Balmain in 1970. These two ‘alternative parklands’ were radical, a departure from formality. And set a lot of ideas on end about inner city and modern parks. They were influential and much copied. Both went on to win design awards.
Yurulbin meaning ‘fast flowing water,’ is located at one of Sydney Harbour’s narrowest points. Across the harbour are Badangi (Berry Island and the Wollstonecraft Foreshores), Waverton Coal Loader (both state heritage listed) and Balls Head Reserve (about to be on public exhibition for possible listing. Beyond it is Berrys Bay Reserve (Carradah Park), which is recommended for State listing too. In the western harbour, these headlands centre on Me-mel, listed on the State heritage register as Goat Island, a significant place for Aboriginal people.
Like Balls Head, both Birchgrove parks have been nominated by AILA NSW for state heritage listing. Yurulbin Park will be out on public exhibition soon and AGHS will be making a submission in support of its listing. After the walk through Yurulbin Reserve, we’ll finish up at lovely Wyoming, Birchgrove, enjoy its terraced harbourside garden outlook and hear garden details from Dr James Broadbent. Wyoming is State heritage listed. We look forward to joining our hosts Janette and Colin Sullivan in appreciating the harbour sunset.
Cost: $25 AGHS members; $30 non-members; Students $5; includes light refreshments.
Bookings: to be finalised.