Coxs Creek (Belfield, New South Wales) facts for kids

Coxs Creek is a small stream, or watercourse, located in the Inner West area of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It's part of the larger Cooks River system. Even though it's called a "creek," much of it has been changed over time.

What is Coxs Creek?

Coxs Creek starts near the Punchbowl railway station and flows generally towards the north. It eventually joins the Cooks River in Strathfield South. The creek is about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) long.

Over many years, people have changed the creek a lot. It now mostly acts like a storm drain, which means it carries away rainwater from streets. Before the area was developed, the creek flowed through natural swamps filled with Melaleuca trees, also known as paperbarks.

How the Creek Has Changed

Because of all the building and development, the creek's path has been changed and rerouted. Like many other drainage channels in the area, much of Coxs Creek has been lined with concrete. This helps control the water flow. The area that Coxs Creek drains, called its catchment, covers about 8.8 square kilometres (3.4 sq mi).

Plants and Animals of Coxs Creek

Even though much of the creek is a storm drain, parts of it are still open and natural. One important area is the Coxs Creek Wetland. This is a 1.84 hectares (4.5 acres) reserve. It has important natural bushland, including a special type of forest called Cooks River Castlereagh Ironbark Forest.

Special Trees and Plants

This forest is home to several types of ironbark trees, like mugga ironbark (Eucalyptus sideroxylon), narrow-leaved ironbark (E. crebra), and broad-leaved ironbark (E. fibrosa). You can also find tallowwood trees (E. microcorys). This forest is considered an endangered ecological community, meaning it's very important to protect.

Other special plants found here include the Acacia pubescens, also known as Downy Wattle, which is a vulnerable plant species. The locally endangered Tadgell’s Bluebell (Wahlenbergia multicaulis) also grows here.

Frogs and Wildlife

The endangered Green and Golden Bell Frog (Litoria aurea) used to live in Coxs Creek. Special frog ponds were even built as part of the creek to help them. However, these frogs haven't been seen in the creek itself since 1995. Luckily, they are still found in nearby wetlands at the Juno Parade Brick Pit.

In 2005, the Sydney Ports Corporation suggested building special pathways for animals, like "frog ramps," to help the frogs return to the creek.

Looking to the Future

Today, much of Coxs Creek flows through covered channels or open concrete trenches. But in the reserve area, the creek is open. A plan from 2010 aims to restore this part of the creek and the land right next to it, called the riparian zone. This will help make the creek a healthier place for plants and animals.