In 1818, explorer Dr Charles Throsby was taken through the wild and rugged Bundanoon Creek Gorge by Aboriginal guides, who knew it as 'Bantanoon', and in 1824 the locality was gazetted as a reserve.
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![WATCH YOUR STEP: Descending to the base of Fairy Bower Falls in the Bundanoon Gullies, c1900. Photo: Bundanoon History Group. WATCH YOUR STEP: Descending to the base of Fairy Bower Falls in the Bundanoon Gullies, c1900. Photo: Bundanoon History Group.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/hFr6g9patBg6iG57tGHW5M/26405b5f-6b36-4d9e-bca1-d50febb9ba09.jpg/r0_0_553_767_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Several sawmills and coal mines opened on the edge of the Gorge in the 1860s to meet the demand of the Great Southern Railway being built through the area, but it was the Gorge's beauty that became, and still is, a drawcard for visitors and holiday-makers to Bundanoon.
In March 1877 a correspondent to the Moss Vale Scrutineer wrote: "Just a few hundred yards from the (Amos timber) mill, is a dense scrub containing some splendid sassafrass, beech, musk, cedar and lillypilly trees. Along the edge of this scrub, which is filled with fern trees and vines, there runs a creek of cool and clear water. The place would make an excellent resort for excursionists and holiday folks, for a more pleasant place for a picnic I have not seen between Mittagong and Goulburn." The article also described the spectacular views: "After mounting a hill not far distant, a landscape unsurpassed for grandeur in this district meets the eye. It is called the Bundanoon Gorge. Range upon range, thickly timbered, now and then abruptly terminating in huge perpendicular rocks some hundreds of feet in height, while deep gullies and ravines make up the picture."
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State authorities gave official recognition to the significance of these scenic attractions. The Reserve on the village side of Bundanoon Creek was enlarged three-fold and gazetted in 1877 as the Bundanoon Gullies Recreation Reserve, generally referred to as the 'Bundanoon Gullies' or just 'The Gullies'.
Being located a short distance from the village, the Gullies attracted holiday-makers from Sydney in ever increasing numbers. They were enticed by the proximity of scenic spots along bush tracks already formed for the timber and coal workings.
From the 1880s numerous boarding houses opened at Bundanoon to provide country-style accommodation. They were the backbone of the town's tourist trade, a trend that continued until the 1960s. Special trains ran to Bundanoon on the Friday night of a long weekend, returning to Sydney on Monday evening.
The holiday-makers were met at the railway station by boarding house operators with large seven-seater, canvas-hooded motor cars, or by a 'sociable' - a large, horse-drawn cart in which passengers sat knee-to-knee. When their stay finally came to an end, they would leave Bundanoon refreshed by the healthy exercise and laden with flowers and fresh produce, and even meat from the local butchery.
While bushwalking in the Gullies was a popular activity for anyone seeking strenuous exercise and adventure, others preferred a more sedate game of tennis or golf. Picnics were also a regular feature. Some who embarked on a picnic in the Gullies were taken in a horse-drawn buggy, while others reached the sights by trekking, cycling or horse-riding.
![NATURAL SHELTER: A picnic at the Amphitheatre in the Bundanoon Gullies Recreation Reserve. Photo: Bundanoon History Group. NATURAL SHELTER: A picnic at the Amphitheatre in the Bundanoon Gullies Recreation Reserve. Photo: Bundanoon History Group.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/hFr6g9patBg6iG57tGHW5M/0cac56cd-cd65-430f-aa9a-62dd95f3af0b.jpg/r0_0_1110_760_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
At first the Gullies Reserve was under the administration of an Honorary Trust and much of the work of making tracks and opening up the various lookouts was done voluntarily by local people. Shelter sheds were built, water tanks provided and protective fences erected. Paths were gradually extended to lookouts including at Bonnie View and Echo Point, with tracks also leading to the scenic Amphitheatre sight and to the picturesque fern bowers and waterfall at Fairy Bower Falls.
By the 1880s the Gullies Reserve was accessed directly from Church Street in the village by heading down Constitution Hill to an amenities area and from there tracks were further improved to Echo Point, Fairy Bower, Erith Coal Mine Falls, Fossil Beds and other sights.
In 1970 Bundanoon Gullies Recreation Reserve was gazetted as part of Morton National Park, the stewardship of which had been given to the National Parks and Wildlife Service in 1967. Stretching from Fitzroy Falls to the Shoalhaven River, the extensive park preserves the habitat of a diversity of native animals and plants, and has a scenically magnificent landscape. Another of Bundanoon's natural attractions, Glow Worm Glen, will feature next week.
- Berrima District Historical & Family History Society - compiled by PD Morton. Part 1 of a 2-part series.
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