Hawthorne Canal facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hawthorne
Hawthorne Canal looking downstream near Lord St, Haberfield.
Other name(s)	Long Cove Creek
Country	Australia
State	New South Wales
Region	Inner West
Local government area	Inner West Council
City	Sydney
Physical characteristics
Main source	Lewisham / Summer Hill
River mouth	Iron Cove Dobroyd Point, Lilyfield 33°52′19″S 151°9′2″E / 33.87194°S 151.15056°E / -33.87194; 151.15056
Basin features
River system	Parramatta River
Designation	New South Wales State Heritage Register

The Hawthorne Canal is a special man-made waterway in Sydney, Australia. It's a smaller waterway, or tributary, that flows into the Parramatta River. You can find it in the western part of Sydney Harbour, passing through inner-western suburbs like Lewisham, Summer Hill, Haberfield, and Leichhardt.

The Hawthorne Canal and Iron Cove Creek both flow into Iron Cove. From there, the water joins the Parramatta River, which then connects to Sydney Harbour. The canal was originally a natural waterway called Long Cove Creek. Over time, it was made straighter and given artificial banks to control its flow.

History of the Canal

Work on the Hawthorne Canal began in January 1890. A team of thirty men, working for a government department that managed harbours and rivers, started by clearing the mangrove trees along the banks of Long Cove Creek. This was the first step in building the canal.

Within a year, a part of the waterway was ready for boats to travel on. This section stretched between Iron Cove and Marion Street. Some houses had already been built near the creek in the 1880s. People living nearby really wanted the canal to be made longer, all the way to Battle Bridge on Parramatta Road. This would allow the new waterway to reach more populated areas. However, the canal was never extended further.

A ferry service used to operate on the canal from 1903 to 1904. The Drummoyne - Leichhardt Ferry Company ran nine ferries on weekdays and twelve on Sundays. The ferry stop was on the eastern side of the canal, and a footbridge connected it to the western side. The ferry service eventually stopped because too much mud built up in the canal, making it hard for boats to pass. Also, new tram lines offered another way for people to travel, creating competition for the ferries.

Why is it Called Hawthorne?

When the canal was first built, people called it by different names, like Long Cove Canal or Leichhardt Canal. But it was officially named the Hawthorne Canal in 1974. It was named after John Hawthorne, a politician who strongly supported building the canal in the NSW Parliament in 1890.

The name "Hawthorne" is also used for other places around the canal:

• Hawthorne Canal Reserve is a park along the canal's banks.
• Hawthorne Parade is a street that runs next to the canal in Haberfield.
• Hawthorne is the name of a stop on the Dulwich Hill Line. This light rail line runs alongside the canal for most of its length.

Images for kids

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  Hawthorne Canal near Barton Ave, Haberfield

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  Hawthorne Canal looking upstream near Lord St, Haberfield.

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  Hawthorne Canal near Grosvenor Crescent, Summer Hill.