Royal National Park Coastal Cabin Communities facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Royal National Park Coastal Cabin Communities |
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Little Garie Beach
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| Location | Royal National Park, Lilyvale, City of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia |
| Built | 1930–1950 |
| Architect | Various. |
| Owner | Office of Environment and Heritage |
| Official name: Royal National Park Coastal Cabin Communities; Royal National Park Coastal Cabin Communities of Little Garie; South Era and Burning Palms; Royal National Park Coastal Shack Communities | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 27 April 2012 |
| Reference no. | 1878 |
| Type | Other - Recreation & Entertainment |
| Category | Recreation and Entertainment |
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The Royal National Park Coastal Cabin Communities are special groups of cabins found in the Royal National Park in New South Wales, Australia. These cabins are located in three main areas: Little Garie, Era, and Burning Palms. People built these cabins themselves between the 1930s and 1950s. They are now considered important historical sites and are protected by the New South Wales State Heritage Register since 2012.
Contents
History of the Cabin Communities
How Royal National Park Began
In the 1870s, the city of Sydney was growing very fast. The government wanted to encourage people to travel by train and enjoy nature. The Premier of New South Wales, John Robertson, helped create a large natural area south of Sydney. In 1879, this area became a national park. It was the second national park in the world, after Yellowstone in the United States. In 1955, after Queen Elizabeth II visited, it was renamed the Royal National Park.
Building the Cabins
The cabins at Little Garie, Era, and Burning Palms were mostly built between the late 1930s and early 1950s. People built them on private land with permission from the landowners. The land at Era, for example, was originally owned by Andrew Byrne in 1832. His family continued to use the land for cattle.
Aboriginal people had lived in this area for a very long time. Oral history says that the first hut at Era was built around 1910-1912 by an Aboriginal stockman named "Old Tom." He looked after the cattle. This hut is believed to be cabin No. 88 today.
In the 1910s and 1920s, people from the nearby mining town of Helensburgh often visited the coast to fish and camp. During the Great Depression, more people started staying for longer periods. They built simple huts, sometimes called "Tin Huts" at Little Garie. Landowners allowed these cabins to be built, and some even collected small rents.
Growing Communities and World War II
By the mid-1930s, more bushwalkers from Sydney discovered these hidden coastal villages. During and after World War II, even more huts were built. This was partly because people in New South Wales started getting annual leave from their jobs in 1944, giving them more free time.
By 1944, there were about 38 cabins at Era, 13 at Little Garie, and 15 at Burning Palms. Many famous Australian artists and photographers, like Margaret Olley and Max Dupain, visited and stayed in these communities.
Protecting the Cabins
In the mid-1940s, there were rumors that the land where the cabins stood might be sold. The cabin owners formed a "Protection League" in 1945 to try and buy the land or protect their communities.
In 1950, the State Government took over the land for public recreation. This meant the area became part of the National Park. The Lands Minister told cabin owners they could "remain in possession" of their huts. By 1953, there were 37 cabins at Little Garie, 116 at Era, and 43 at Burning Palms.
For many years, the National Park Trust collected rent from the cabins. Cabins were bought and sold, and the Park Trust was informed. Some current cabin owners bought their cabins during this time.
Surf Clubs and New Rules
Surf clubs were started at Era and Burning Palms after a drowning accident in 1938. Asher Joel, who worked for the National Park Trust, helped set them up. These surf clubs are still active today and are proud of their safety record.
In 1965, the government introduced "Permissive Occupancy" agreements. These were official documents that allowed people to stay in their cabins but prevented them from selling or transferring them in the future. Cabin owners were not happy but had to sign.
In 1967, the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) was created to manage national parks. They had a policy to remove cultural buildings, especially homes, from parks. Over the next 30 years, more than 55 cabins at Era, Burning Palms, and Little Garie were removed.
To stop this, families sometimes didn't tell the NPWS when an owner died, and they continued paying rent. Other times, older owners would let a younger community member, especially a surf club member, take over their cabin.
Saving the Cabins
In the 1980s, the cabin communities worked to get their cabins recognized as heritage sites. They were listed by the National Trust of Australia and the Australian Heritage Commission. This led to a plan in 1994 that recommended keeping all the cabin communities. A ban on demolishing cabins was put in place.
In 2006, after a court case, an agreement was made between most cabin owners and the Minister for the Environment. This agreement gave cabin owners licenses to stay for up to 20 years.
There are other cabin groups in the Royal National Park, like at Bulgo and Bonnie Vale. However, the Little Garie, Era, and Burning Palms groups are the largest and most important remaining recreational cabin groups in New South Wales. They are special because of their history with the Royal National Park and their beautiful locations.
Royal National Park is very popular, with millions of visitors each year. It is Australia's oldest national park and the second oldest in the world.
What the Cabin Communities Look Like
The cabin communities of Little Garie, Era, and Burning Palms are found near separate beaches in the southern part of Royal National Park. You can only reach them by walking, either along the coast from Garie Beach or down a ridge from a car park.
Each community looks a bit different, but they all have groups of cabins in open grassy areas. These areas are surrounded by dense rainforest and separated by rocky headlands.
- Little Garie has 20 cabins. They are on the south side of Black Gin Gully and protected from strong winds.
- Era is the largest group with 95 cabins. They are grouped around different points on Era Beach. The cabins on Semi Detached Point are very close together because mining families from Helensburgh first built there.
- Burning Palms has 28 cabins. They are located near the headland at the northern end of the beach.
Cabin Design and Materials
A cabin is usually a small, simple building, bigger than a hut but smaller than a cottage. These cabins were built for temporary stays, like weekend getaways.
Typical cabins in Royal National Park have one or two rooms and are single-level. They have a light timber frame and are covered with materials like asbestos cement, corrugated iron, or weatherboard. The inside walls are often not covered. Most roofs are gable shaped, sometimes with a skillion part over an enclosed verandah. The roofs are usually corrugated iron.
Some cabins have unique designs. They use local stone and recycled materials found nearby, like driftwood. This gives them a special look.
Many cabins still use old technology from the 1930s, like kerosene fridges and stoves. Even with modern options like gas cooking and solar lighting, many owners keep these old items. This helps preserve the cabin's history and teaches new generations about the past. You might also see retaining walls made from beer bottles, pit toilets, and washing lines. The communities don't have fences or roads, which gives them a unique, natural feel.
Because the cabins are in isolated places, people had to carry in all their building materials. They also used recycled items and things found on the beach. The coastal weather means the cabins need constant repairs, which adds to their unique, mixed-material look.
Condition of the Cabins
Most cabins were in good condition as of 2011. Owners regularly maintain them. The current licenses require cabins to be kept to certain standards, with rules about how much they can be changed. Because of the ocean environment and simple construction, ongoing repairs and replacing parts are normal and important for the cabins' history.
The old sites and features around the cabins, including those from early farming, can tell us a lot about how the area was used over time. Things like old garbage pits, building methods, and materials show how people adapted their homes to the environment.
The cabin communities are still largely complete. About 55 cabins were removed between 1953 and 1990. However, these removals have not greatly affected the overall number or feel of the groups. Currently, one cabin at Era is a "stabilized ruin" because of a disagreement, and two at Burning Palms need to be removed due to ground issues.
Changes Over Time
Before the official agreements in the 1950s, many cabins were changed with small additions or by enclosing verandahs. Since then, their outside shape has mostly stayed the same. Current agreements control any changes. Repairs and material changes are necessary due to the remote, coastal location. This is part of what makes the cabins special. New technologies, like solar power, are also allowed. Rules against collecting firewood have led many cabins to switch from wood fires to gas BBQs and stoves.
Why These Cabins Are Important
The Royal National Park coastal cabin communities are very important to the history of New South Wales. They are the largest and most complete groups of simple coastal holiday cabins left in the state. These types of communities used to be common along the coast but are now rare.
Historical Importance
These cabins show a unique way of life connected to recreation in the mid-20th century. They show how simple holiday homes developed around Sydney from the 1920s and 1930s, starting as tents and becoming huts and cabins. They also reflect how people in Sydney started to appreciate the bushland. The increase in cabins after World War II shows how social changes, like getting annual leave, gave people more free time.
The cabins have been used continuously for over 60 years. They have strong links to the mining community of Helensburgh and to people from southern Sydney. The surf life saving clubs in each area also have strong historical ties to other clubs and rescue services. Many famous artists, musicians, writers, and poets have visited and stayed in these communities over the years.
Unique Look and Design
The cabin communities are beautiful and show creative design. They are like large villages of a rare type of building, set in dramatic landscapes of open grassy areas, cliffs, and rainforest. There are no other places in New South Wales quite like them in terms of size and setting. Many cabins have unique designs, using local stone and recycled materials, showing individual artistic tastes.
Social Connections
These cabin communities are socially important because of the strong connections people have to them. Families often have a continuous link to their cabins for four generations. The isolated location, not accessible by car, has helped create strong community ties and a unique lifestyle. People share responsibilities like maintaining tracks and supporting the surf clubs.
The cabins give a strong sense of identity to the families who own them. People now come from all over Australia to visit their cabins. The communities also feel a sense of loss for the families whose cabins were removed before 1990.
Research Potential
The cabin communities can help us learn more about their history, beauty, and social values. We can research how attitudes towards conservation and recreation in the park have changed, how cabin designs have evolved, and the social dynamics within the communities.
The Aboriginal sites in the area can also teach us about the history of Aboriginal people on the south coast of New South Wales. The cabins themselves can provide information on the development of the "weekender cabin" as an architectural style. They also show how communities developed their own water, power, and waste systems in remote areas without government services.
Rarity and Representation
These cabin communities are rare because they represent a type of recreational lifestyle and architecture that is becoming uncommon in Australia and very rare in New South Wales. Their visible historical layers, large size, and dramatic settings create unique cultural landscapes. There are no other groups of holiday cabins of this size left in New South Wales, except for the Bulgo group in the same park.
While they share characteristics with other mid-20th century holiday homes, their unique history, strong social connections, size, and settings make these cabin groups truly outstanding in New South Wales.
