Long Island (Long Island)
Long Island is an elongated island of 73 hectares in the Hawkesbury River, about 50 km north of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is joined to the mainland at its south eastern edge by the railway causeway across Sandbrook Inlet. At the other end of this causeway is the Sydney suburb of Brooklyn in Hornsby Shire, to which Long Island belongs.
Other islands in the Hawkesbury River include Dangar Island, Spectacle Island, Milson Island, Peat Island and Lion Island.
As with Spectacle Island and Lion Island, Long Island is a nature reserve (73ha, notified in 1972), which means it is illegal to visit without permission from the N.S.W. Office of Environment and Heritage. The New South Wales Parks and Wildlife Service runs very infrequent guided tours of the island, for those who are interested in its flora, fauna, geology and Aboriginal history. Some of the best views of Long Island are from Lloyd Trigonometrical station, and Tipper's Lookout, both located to the west in nearby Muogamarra Nature Reserve. From these vantage points, it is possible to look down along the length of the island and see the mouth of the Hawkesbury River and Broken Bay in the far distance.
Long Island was added to the Australian National Heritage List in December 2006.
The area has been inhabited for thousands of years by the Guringai people, who left their mark on the land with hundreds of rock engravings, stone sharpening sites, cave paintings and shellfish middens. The first European to see the area was Governor Arthur Phillip, who explored the lower river by small boat in March 1788. At first the local people were friendly towards him, but when he returned a year later, they would not come into contact with him. By 1790 over half the Guringai had succumbed to the smallpox the British had brought with them.
Early settlers on the island included timber getters, and by 1873 there are known to have been two houses at either end of the low central saddle. These were owned by George Woods and Albert Nelson, a lime burner and boarding house operator respectively. In the late 1890s, the island was briefly dedicated as the site for an inebriates asylum that was ultimately built on nearby Peat Island several years later.
In 1911, the island was transferred to Hornsby Council for use as a recreation reserve, used mainly by fishermen. The bulk of the island that is not affected by the railway line was subsequently dedicated as a nature reserve in 1972.
Other islands in the Hawkesbury River include Dangar Island, Spectacle Island, Milson Island, Peat Island and Lion Island.
As with Spectacle Island and Lion Island, Long Island is a nature reserve (73ha, notified in 1972), which means it is illegal to visit without permission from the N.S.W. Office of Environment and Heritage. The New South Wales Parks and Wildlife Service runs very infrequent guided tours of the island, for those who are interested in its flora, fauna, geology and Aboriginal history. Some of the best views of Long Island are from Lloyd Trigonometrical station, and Tipper's Lookout, both located to the west in nearby Muogamarra Nature Reserve. From these vantage points, it is possible to look down along the length of the island and see the mouth of the Hawkesbury River and Broken Bay in the far distance.
Long Island was added to the Australian National Heritage List in December 2006.
The area has been inhabited for thousands of years by the Guringai people, who left their mark on the land with hundreds of rock engravings, stone sharpening sites, cave paintings and shellfish middens. The first European to see the area was Governor Arthur Phillip, who explored the lower river by small boat in March 1788. At first the local people were friendly towards him, but when he returned a year later, they would not come into contact with him. By 1790 over half the Guringai had succumbed to the smallpox the British had brought with them.
Early settlers on the island included timber getters, and by 1873 there are known to have been two houses at either end of the low central saddle. These were owned by George Woods and Albert Nelson, a lime burner and boarding house operator respectively. In the late 1890s, the island was briefly dedicated as the site for an inebriates asylum that was ultimately built on nearby Peat Island several years later.
In 1911, the island was transferred to Hornsby Council for use as a recreation reserve, used mainly by fishermen. The bulk of the island that is not affected by the railway line was subsequently dedicated as a nature reserve in 1972.
Map - Long Island (Long Island)
Map
Country - Australia
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The ancestors of Aboriginal Australians began arriving from south east Asia approximately 65,000 years ago, during the last ice age. Arriving by sea, they settled the continent and had formed approximately 250 distinct language groups by the time of European settlement, maintaining some of the longest known continuing artistic and religious traditions in the world. Australia's written history commenced with the European maritime exploration of Australia. The Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon was the first known European to reach Australia, in 1606. In 1770, the British explorer James Cook mapped and claimed the east coast of Australia for Great Britain, and the First Fleet of British ships arrived at Sydney in 1788 to establish the penal colony of New South Wales. The European population grew in subsequent decades, and by the end of the 1850s gold rush, most of the continent had been explored by European settlers and an additional five self-governing British colonies established. Democratic parliaments were gradually established through the 19th century, culminating with a vote for the federation of the six colonies and foundation of the Commonwealth of Australia on 1 January 1901. Australia has since maintained a stable liberal democratic political system and wealthy market economy.
Currency / Language
| ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUD | Australian dollar | $ | 2 |
| ISO | Language |
|---|---|
| EN | English language |