Yurulbin Park, New South Wales

Yurulbin Park (formerly Long Nose Park) is a 1.5 acre (0.61 ha) public open space located at the end of Yurulbin Point on the Balmain Peninsula in the suburb of Birchgrove in the Municipality of Leichhardt in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Description

Yurulbin Point lies north east of Snails Bay and extends approximately 500 meters (1,640 ft) into Port Jackson at the northern end of the Balmain Peninsula. Louisa Road runs the length of the point and has spectacular views of Sydney City and the harbour.

At the end of the point lies the AILA award winning Yurulbin Park, an idyllic refuge transformed from a derelict industrial site in the early 1970s. The water frontage of the park offers panoramic views from Snails Bay, Goat Island, Sydney City and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

The park contains interpretative signs with information about traditional place names of sites in the harbour and the history of the area.

History

Prior to European occupation, the local area was close to the border of the Gadigal and Wanegal clans of the Eora nation and is believed to lie just within Wanegal land. Evidence of etchings and middens on nearby private land show the site was used for fishing and conducting feasts.

Following European settlement in 1792, George Whitfield was granted an area of land on the north eastern end of the Balmain Peninsular and in time it took the descriptive name "Long Nose Point". Given its location, it is believed to have been used as a landing point for water craft on the harbour.

The first industrial use of the 1.5 acre (0.61 ha) site at the end of Long Nose Point was as a galvanised iron works built by a cooper, Alexander Cormack. Further developed by the Wallace Powerboat Building Company took place between 1917 and 1920.

In 1923, Morrison & Sinclair Ltd transferred from Johnson's Bay in Balmain to the site and carried out a shipbuilding operation there until the company ceased trading in 1970. The company designed, constructed and repaired Government vessels, Naval, island trading and merchant ships and many Sydney Ferries and yachts. The yacht "Morna" (later "Kurrewa IV"), which won line honours 7 times from 10 starts in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, was built here. Morrison & Sinclair Ltd no longer exists but the records of the company are held by the State Library of New South Wales.

On 17th June 1971, the land was acquired by the State Planning Authority of New South Wales for A$185,000. Landscaping was carried out by Bruce Mackenzie & Associates and the site, now known as "Long Nose Park", placed under Leichhardt Council control in 1981. The park won the 1986 Australian Institute of Landscape Architects Award of Merit.

Both "Long Nose Point" and the park changed back to the traditional name of "Yurulbin", Aboriginal for 'Swift Running Water', on the 8th July 1994.

ee also

* Balmain Parks and Reserves
* The nearby suburbs Balmain and Rozelle both located on the Balmain Peninsula.
* Thomas Sutcliffe Mort, co-founder of the Dry Dock and Engineering Works at nearby Mort Bay.

References

* Gadigal Information Services, "Traditional Sites: Yurulbin Park", [http://www.gadigal.org.au/main.php?option=yurrulbin&itemid=94&parentid=traditional] , Accessed June 2006.
* Solling, M; Reynolds, P; "Leichhardt: On the margins of the city", Allen & Unwin, 1997, ISBN 1-86448-408-X.
* Lawrence, J; Warne, C; "A Pictorial History of Balmain to Glebe", Kingsclear Books, 1995, ISBN 0-908272-40-5.
* Leichhardt Municipal Council; "Leichhardt Development Control Plan Part-A", [http://www.lmc.nsw.gov.au/planning/files/A10.6%20Balmain%20all.pdf] , 2000.
* Leichhardt Municipal Council; "Sport and Recreation Matters", Autumn 2005.
* On-site Information Plaques; Yurulbin Park, Birchgrove, NSW.

External links

* [http://photosau.com/Leichhardt/scripts/home.asp Local Images at InnerWest ImageBank]
* [http://www.lmc.nsw.gov.au/libraries/07 Local History Collection, Leichhardt Council]
* [http://www.gadigal.org.au/main.php?option=yurrulbin&itemid=94&parentid=traditional Gadigal Information Services]