Kellys Bush Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kellys Bush Park |
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| Location | Nelson Parade, Hunters Hill, Municipality of Hunter's Hill, New South Wales, Australia |
| Owner | Department of Planning and Environment |
| Official name: Kellys Bush Park; Weil Park; The Smelting Company | |
| Type | State heritage (landscape) |
| Designated | 2 April 1999 |
| Reference no. | 1391 |
| Type | Reserve |
| Category | Parks, Gardens and Trees |
| Builders | N/A |
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Kellys Bush Park is a special bushland area in Hunters Hill, New South Wales, Australia. It's listed as a heritage site, meaning it's important to history and should be protected. Part of the park used to be a place where metal was melted down, called a smelting works. This park is also known as Weil Park or The Smelting Company. The New South Wales Department of Planning and Environment now owns it. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on April 2, 1999, because of its important history and natural beauty.
Contents
A Look Back: Kellys Bush History
First People: Indigenous History
Long ago, before Europeans arrived, the Wallumettagal Clan lived in the Kellys Bush area. They spoke the Guringai language. Their main foods were fish and shellfish. They also ate vegetables, small animals, birds, and grubs. They often used fire to clear the bush. This helped them reach the water and find animals. We don't know much about their social customs or religious beliefs.
Hunters Hill: How it Grew
In 1788, Captain John Hunter explored and mapped Sydney Harbour. He was later the Governor of the Colony from 1795 to 1800. Hunters Hill is named after him.
Around 1855, people started building houses in Hunters Hill. Four special Swiss-style houses were put together there. Hunters Hill became known as a French area. Many early buildings were built by French people. These first planned houses helped Hunters Hill become Australia's oldest "Garden Suburb." This means it was designed with lots of green spaces and gardens.
Kellys Bush: A Community Fight
Kellys Bush gets its name from Thomas H. Kelly. He owned a large piece of land along the water in Hunters Hill. In 1892, he started The Smelting Company on about 7.7 hectares (19 acres) of waterfront land. He kept another 6.9 hectares (17 acres) of bushland next to it. This bushland was meant to be a buffer zone. It was zoned as "open space" to protect nearby homes. The company allowed people to use the foreshore for fun. The bush changed depending on how much wood was used for the smelters.
In 1956, about 2.8 hectares (7 acres) of this "open space" became Weil Park. The Hunters Hill Council and Cumberland County Council bought it. They cleared the bush and made a grassy oval for sports. The Council wanted to buy more land for open space.
In 1967, The Smelting Company moved away. A company called A. V. Jennings wanted to buy the 4.8-hectare (12-acre) site. They wanted to build 147 apartments, including three tall eight-story buildings. The Council did not like this plan. They wanted the State to buy the whole area as open space. But the State Planning Authority said no. Jennings then tried different building plans. The Hunters Hill Trust, a local group, strongly spoke out against the Jennings plan.
The State Planning Authority then bought 2.3 hectares (5.6 acres) of the bushland from Jennings. This part was on a slope near the water. In 1969, the Council agreed to change the land's zoning. This would allow 56 townhouses to be built. Later, this was changed to 25 single houses. This decision was made without asking the public.
The Battlers for Kellys Bush
On July 25, 1970, a local resident named Betty James wrote an article. She described how local children pulled up survey pegs in "their bush." This was their way of protesting. Her article showed how much she loved Kellys Bush. She wrote about its deep fern gullies and special trees. She also called it an outdoor laboratory and a living museum. There were Aboriginal middens (old shell heaps) and carvings in the sandstone.
In September 1970, Betty James and 12 other neighbors met. They called themselves the "Battlers for Kellys Bush." The Hunters Hill Council called them "13 bloody housewives." Betty James became their president. Most of these women had never been involved in politics before. But they all wanted to save the bush. Miriam Cunningham, one of the women, said Kellys Bush was "the lungs of Sydney." She saw it as the only green spot from the top of Australia Square.
The Battlers became a model for future protest groups. They wrote many letters. They set up a "phone tree" to share news quickly. They invited reporters to "boil the billy" days in the bush. They gave them homemade treats. They held essay contests for kids about saving the bush. They made badges and banners. Their teenagers hung them around Hunters Hill. The local school band marched to Kellys Bush. They called for "browsing not housing." They even got a local writer, Kylie Tennant, to write protest poems.
The Battlers met with the Premier of New South Wales, Robert Askin. They asked him to help save the bush. Askin called them "middle-class matrons." The Battlers also asked trade unions for help. They were sent to the Trades and Labour Council.
The First Green Ban
In 1971, the Minister for Local Government changed the land's zoning. It went from "Reserved Open Space" to "Residential." This meant houses could be built there. The Builders Labourers' Federation of Australia (BLF) met with The Battlers. The BLF leaders decided to support them.
On June 16, 1971, the BLF put a "black ban" on the land. This was the first time a union stopped work to protect a piece of land. These "black bans" later became known as "green bans." They were used to protect green spaces. Six hundred people came to a rally in August 1971 to support Kellys Bush.
Because of the union's green ban, A.V. Jennings had to sell the land to the Hunters Hill Council. But the Council still voted to keep the land zoned for housing.
In 1977, the new Premier, Neville Wran, announced that no building would happen at Kellys Bush. They also found radioactive waste on the site. This made it very unsafe for homes. Then, in 1983, Neville Wran announced that Kellys Bush would be kept as a public park forever. He said it was a "victory for environmentalists." He added that people would be able to enjoy the natural bushland by the Parramatta River.
The green ban movement inspired many people. It even influenced activists overseas, like Petra Kelly in Germany. She helped start one of the world's first Green political parties. Jack Mundey and the BLF led 42 green bans in the early 1970s. These bans stopped billions of dollars worth of construction.
It took the 13 women 13 years to save Kellys Bush. When the government bought the land, the women celebrated with a simple ceremony and tea. They invited Jack Mundey, who had become their friend. Today, kids still play and explore in Kellys Bush. Some of the women who fought to save it have had their ashes scattered there.
Kellys Bush Park: What It Looks Like
Kellys Bush is a 4.8-hectare (12-acre) bushland area. It is located near the Parramatta River in Sydney. It is part of a group of natural open spaces along the Sydney Harbour waterways. It is the only large area of natural bush on the lower Parramatta River. Kellys Bush is the biggest natural bushland on the Hunters Hill peninsula. It connects to Weil Park, Nelson Parade, and homes. It also connects to the Parramatta River and Woolwich Marina.
The park is on the south side of the main ridge of the Hunters Hill Peninsula. There are five main types of plants found here:
- Eucalyptus trees (most common)
- Heath and dense shrubs
- Dense rainforest plants
- Banksia trees and low dense forests
- Dense scrub and weed areas
A special type of moss called Racopilum cuspidigerum also grows here.
Park Condition
As of January 1999, the park was in good shape. It was still mostly natural bushland, just as it was when it was saved in 1983.
Changes Over Time
Here are some changes that have happened at Kellys Bush:
- 1892: The Smelting Company started on 0.8 hectares (2 acres). The other 6.9 hectares (17 acres) of bush were kept as "open space." People could use the foreshore for fun.
- 1956: About 2.8 hectares (7 acres) of the "open space" became Weil Park. The bush was cleared to make a grassy oval for sports.
- 1967: The Smelting Company moved. A.V. Jennings tried to buy the land for building.
- Later: The State Planning Authority bought 2.3 hectares (5.6 acres) of bushland for a "foreshore reserve."
- 1971: The Minister for Local Government changed the land's zoning to "Residential."
- 1977: The Premier stopped all building on the site. Radioactive waste was found, making it unsafe for homes.
- 1983: Premier Wran announced that Kellys Bush would be a public park forever.
- 1983-1999: Some improvements were made. These included a carpark, paths, a foreshore park, and a viewing platform.
Why Kellys Bush Park is Special
Kellys Bush Park is very important locally. It is a piece of natural bushland on the Parramatta River in Hunters Hill. It is important for the whole state of New South Wales. This is because it was the site of the first "green bans" in the 1970s. Local residents worked with unions to stop building on the land.
Kellys Bush Park was officially listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on April 2, 1999.
Images for kids
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Kellys Bush Park today
