The Mayor's Column
I was amazed to hear recently that anyone can visit the grounds of Boronia House; indeed it is a Council requirement of any lease to keep the grounds open to the public, but I did not know. Did you?
This came up recently when the lease for the property was being renewed. Did you know that you can partake of lunch on the lawn or stroll around the grounds at leisure, remembering the time when this grand old home stood with extensive gardens and hosted great social events? Please feel free to do so.
Another virtually unknown small park in the hub of Spit Junction, a quiet and delightful place, is nearby Reservoir Park, so named for Mosman’s reservoir which served the community until the mid 1990s, when it was dedicated public space as part of the Bridlewood Gardens development.
Mosman is lucky to have a number of small public spaces, often hidden treasures, little known to most of the population.
McCauley’s Outlook in Upper Boyle Street is one, anecdotally named in memory of a young man who tragically took his life many years ago. It has wonderful views of the city and harbour, and is a lovely little retreat.
How many people know of Fig Tree Walk, which leads to Pearl Bay with its small beach and historic houseboats? During The Great Depression, and some even earlier, there were dozens of houseboats providing homes for people desperate for accommodation. There are three left. Along what is today the Beauty Point foreshore walk, even less fortunate people were living in caves and shelters, without the survival skills of the Aboriginal tribes who lived here before white settlement and left many traces of their presence, such as ochre handprints on the rock faces, which have sadly been obliterated in relatively recent times.
Little Curraghbeena Park, near the Musgrave Street wharf, is a green public space, lapped by harbour waters. The community has fought to keep it that way.
Ascend from busy Balmoral Beach to the tranquil beauty of Wyargine Point. Sit on a rock, surrounded by bushland and contemplate the view to the Heads and over to Manly.
Bradley Bushland Reserve, so named for the Bradley sisters who pioneered a natural way of regenerating bushland, offers a wildflower walkway.
Take time to discover these small pocket parks and reserves, which are precious little oases, spots where we can appreciate the beauty of nature and spend some quality time. Mosman has many more than are mentioned here, and some, but not all, are listed in Council’s brochure of parks and reserves.
Cr Denise Wilton, Mayor of Mosman
