QUEENSCLIFF - Lagoon Park

Lagoon Park

Manly Lagoon, Queenscliff, Sydney Australia

Manly Lagoon

Lying just behind the beach at Queenscliff is Manly Lagoon. This once massive wetland has mostly been reclaimed. Golf courses, sporting fields, factories and houses now cover most of it.

A surprising amount of fish and bird life survive despite these stresses. Efforts are now being made to remedy the problems that have been created and neglected for so long.

silver gulls, Manly Lagoon

In April 1788 Arthur Phillip attempted to follow Manly Creek from the Lagoon to its source. He was prevented from doing this by the swamps that have now been reclaimed and turned into Manly Golf Course and Nolan Reserve playing fields.

He returned to the coast and journeyed up the beaches to Curl Curl. From there he travelled west along Greendale Creek, up Beacon Hill and observed the aboriginal rock carvings near Bantry Bay.

The aborigines who lived in the area did not show themselves to Phillip and rock etchings were the only evidence he found of them.

Eventually he made his way to near where the Roseville Bridge now stands. From here he was picked up by a boat that had been sent to return him to Sydney Cove.

Egret, Manly Lagoon

Manly Lagoon

Earlier this century rifle shooting enthusiasts conducted their practice from the sand hills along the Ocean Beach. They placed their targets against the cliffs at Queenscliff.

As the population increased in the area the riflemen were encouraged to find a safer location.

In 1905 the Manly Rifle Club was formed and a range was set up at "Curl Curl" Lagoon (now Manly Lagoon). Targets were set up against the large sand dunes at the beach with the shooters firing from positions in what is now Lagoon Park towards the beach.

There were 350 members in 1914 and 180 enlisted for active service in World War 1.
In 1920 the "Curl Curl" range was closed by the Defence Department because of the danger to people on the beach.

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to Queenscliff

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