History of Bomaderry Creek

Because Bomaderry Creek Bushland is a natural Australian habitat, naturally, its history goes all the way back to before the days of when early European settlers walked the shores of our now heavily urbanized land. Its long natural history; and our luck at it still standing, beautiful and strong just show a responsibility that we should continue to guard the bushland from future city development.

Evidence of historical Aboriginal usage of the area is still present amongst a recorded more than 11 various sites all throughout the beautiful bushland. Aborigines have left evidence of art, cave paintings can be seen; stone artefacts; particular patterns dented into rocks known as grinding grooves; two shelter sites and various native plants found in the bushland known to be used by the Indigenous for food, sharpening tools etc.

The earliest shown evidence of European settlers is in evidence of damage to the bushland. Fortunately though, the bushland has naturally regenerated in areas where some damage has been, covering traces of past logging and grazing. Regeneration has also been able to cover up damage of some 1960s gravel extraction as well, although some of this area still remains damaged from heavy bike and motor vehicle use not helped with vehicle access being made in the 1960s. Other evidence of damage is with banks of sandstone but this has been used wisely and put to good use, one now holding the picnic area. Apart from negativity of damage, some positive outcomes have come from early European settlement.

Fourteenth of May 1938 the weir and Bomaderry’s first water supply was opened.The weir lost its use in the 1970s when a pipeline was installed and after a lack of Australian Bass and other fish swimming in the creek, a natural habitat of theirs, the weir then had a three-metre slot cut out of it in 1998.

But this was followed more ignorance towards the fantastic park as in between 1973 and 1984 Bomaderry Creek Bushland held an unsupervised community tip, this has needed 20 years of cleaning because of the unknown  dumping of noxious chemicals. The area where the tip was held now has a layer of clay holding down wastes to keep the bush safe and for protection of the clay, a thick top layer of mulch. Except, lucky enough Bomaderry Creek had a positive breakthrough in the 80s.

In 1984 the Bushland was recognised as a good use of education by Bomaderry High School this was closely followed by Bernie Johnston and Jim Walliss creating walking tracks which were built by the Deputy of Land and officially opened in 1985. This followed an educational loop station with information plaques, the picnic area and the camellia garden area set aside which recently in 2003 became available to restore with native plants. The same year (1985) Jim Walliss made a 60 paged booklet on the fauna, flora and geology of the Bushland. In 1988 a plant unique to Bomaderry Creek Bushland, the Bomaderry Zieria was rediscovered after not having seen it since 1943. Terry Barratt knows the inside and out of this very rare plant. Over the years he has done a thorough study on everything you can know about this plant.

In 1993 community members who love this bushland began to fight for a positive attitude and outlook towards the bushland, and by 1994 the Bomaderry Creek Landcare Group had been established to follow a positive attitude and to care for the land. The landcare group has put into action many plans to save this environment, including the building of a walking bridge to be builtover a wetland to reduce human impact which was done in 1996 by a training program, LEAP, which benefitted unemployed youth.

If you are thinking this finally reaches positivity you are very far from hitting the truth. In 1989 there was a proposal made by the council to put a North Nowra link road going right through our beautiful Bomaderry Creek Bushland. Of course, there was the point put across that this was to reduce traffic and have another option for drivers heading to and from North Nowraas well as clearing up traffic altogether. But, why on earth would you want to go attacking our natural native habitat which we are so lucky to have as an asset in our community for the measures of a road. Nowra is known for its rural bushland, we should be using Bomaderry Creek Bushland as an asset to draw tourists here, not wanting to destroy it for more urbanized use.

The point of saving it, was lucky enough, seen by fellow citizens like Terry Barratt, May Leach and Jim Walliss and many, many more. The councils want for a North Nowra Link was published in the South Coast Register in July 1990. Here, the newspaper’s view represents saving the Bushland. It is a key to point out that here, in 1990 there is mention of a different route “The Shoalhaven Bushwalkers Inc. have also condemned Council’s proposal as a very destructive one, and is writing to Council urging it to adopt the West Cambewarra alternative route.” The positive claim in this particular article, “Bridge to Threaten Bomaderry Creek Walking Track” would make you think it was a done-deal and the idea would slip away. But, again, that would be very wrong to think. A new group was made, Friends of Bomaderry Creek and alongside Bomaderry Creek Bush Landcare the battle of saving our precious bushland against the councils north nowra link road has lasted until now.

In 2001 the Bomaderry Creek Bushland Walks was made by Terry, Jim Walliss, May Leatch and illustrated by Trudi Last, this helped get the commutnity to see the beauty and become more intorduced to the area. In 2002 one third of the Bushland was dedicated as Bomaderry Creek Regional Park, but unfortunately the rest still remains property of the council. In 2006 part of the Bushland was destroyed for extension of the tennis courts. This showsa ‘same-old’ disregard for the Bushland and Bomaderry Creek Landcare Group are still fighting for a positive attitude towards the bush and they hope more of the land will be deicated as Regional Park.

Terry has kept newspaper articles from over the years of this very political battle. To talk about the time between then and now would be a whole other case study, that’s how deep it really digs it even went to a court case, which Bomaderry Landcare won. But lucky enough for us we can still enjoy its beauty. Its main points of saviour are the rare flower, Zieria, the Aboriginal heritage areas, the danger a road would present to native species of wildlife and plants and the big winner was the community fighting for their natural habitat.

Now, with the Nowra Link Road fight finally down, Bomaderry Creek Landcare Group and Friends of Bomaderry Creek can focus on important things within the bush, like weed care, putting in a new bridge after three have already fallen down from floods and loose logs.