Menu
Rocky Beginnings - an early history of tourism at Berowra
Expand/collapse
About
TypeOther
DetailsTourism in Berowra has a surprisingly long history, though early reviews were not always favourable. The earliest visitors were white Europeans and not formal tourists, seeking a pleasurable holiday, but explorers looking for land to settle. Some of Australia’s most famous explorers, including John Hunter (later Governor), William Romaine Govett (surveyor) and William Dawes (cartographer) were early visitors. None were particularly impressed with what they found, dismissing the area as unsuitable for settlement and seeing the rugged beauty as a barrier.
The first real tourist we know of to visit was Sarah Felton Matthews. Her husband, Felton Mathews, was a surveyor and she often accompanied him, acting as his secretary and note taker. She visited in 1833, travelling up Berowra Creek by boat and recording her experiences in one of her journals, this one known as ‘Her Majesty’s Trees’. She described the area as rugged and desolate, but it was this rugged beauty which was to become an attraction to so many later tourists.
The next visitors to come to Berowra, like those who had come before, were not simply visiting to holiday in the natural beauty, though this undoubtedly played a significant role, but had a purpose in mind, to paint the surrounding environs. The Collingridge brothers, Arthur and George led the way, exhibiting paintings of Berowra Creek in the 1880s, which perhaps helped attract not only other artists, but tourists. George Collingridge went on to settle in the area which he so loved.
It was the beauty of the area, as seen from the railway, which drew one of the more famous early pioneer figures in Berowra’s tourism trade, Edward Windybanks. He had been working on the new railway when he caught a glimpse of Cowan Creek. Entranced by the beauty of the area, Windybanks took up a lease in Waratah Bay in 1886/1887and set about establishing a tourist business, in which he leased boats, houseboats and even accommodation. Tourists would arrive by train, taking the walking track from Berowra Station to Waratah Bay.
The tourist trade in Berowra revolved around the railway station. Berowra Village sits between the two beautiful creeks, Cowan and Berowra and the railway station was perfectly situated to allow visitors to explore and enjoy either, or indeed both. Droves of visitors arrived by train, especially in the era before cars became the common mode of transport. In these early years, many chose to walk to Waratah Bay and enjoy the extensive facilities provided by Windybanks.
Berowra was also situated along the main road North, Peats Ferry Road which ran adjacent to the railway, and when cars became more common, many came by road, especially after the Harbour Bridge opened up the North of the harbour to city residents in 1932. There were even local facilities allowing visitors to garage their car safely whilst on holidays.
Both the road and railway journeys were lauded as beautiful trips, which were included in newspaper articles of the day. The section near The Hawkesbury River, including the Berowra Ridge was particularly famed.
The centre of the tourist industry in Berowra was Berowra Creek in the area now known as Berowra Waters, but visitors arriving by train had a long walk to the creek which was their objective. Although many chose to walk to Berowra Creek, it was not long before a supporting industry in transporting people to and from the waterside developed. A road to the waterside had existed, in a basic form, since at least 1895, but in 1902 it was upgraded allowing carriages known as ‘sociables’ to carry people from the train station to the ‘Waters’. Later, a coach service was established, run by the Corrigan family. Of course, the road could also be used by tourists visiting by car, or in organised tour groups.
Some visitors to Berowra arrived as part of an organised pleasure trip. Some of the most popular were run by Arthur Lubeck, who collected passengers from the Hawkesbury Railway Station and conveyed them to Berowra Waters by boat, giving them a pleasant cruise. Passengers would call at one of the guest houses, now known as Berowra Waters Inn, for a seafood and oyster lunch, before being collected from Berowra Waters by a Corrigan coach, run by Lubeck’s son-in-law Roy Corrigan. Corrigan would then convey passengers back to the railway station, or continue the journey through Dural, finishing at Koala Park!
These were not the only tours organised to Berowra. As early as 1895 cruises were organised on both Berowra and Cowan Creeks, allowing visitors to the area to admire these spectacular waterways. Other pleasure trips were organised by social clubs and organisations, including church groups.
Being such a beautiful area, well serviced by roads, many tourist publications suggested self- guided day trips throughout the Berowra area. Often these brochures suggested visitors drive to Berowra, pause for an hour or two to enjoy the scenic beauty of the area and then continue across the punt to Galston and Dural, a picturesque rural area not far from Berowra. Alternatively, it was suggested that the day out could be finished with a visit to Koala Park, or by continuing onto Parramatta. Other trip destinations prescribed stopping at Berowra for morning tea or lunch before continuing onto Brooklyn.
From an inauspicious start, by 1900 Berowra was beginning to build a very successful tourist industry. The Hawkesbury was a popular place for people to holiday and was known as ‘The Rhine Of Australia’, but its tributary creeks were thought by many to be equally if not more majestic. According to a 1906 article the traffic to ‘Beautiful Berowra’ was equal to half the traffic of people to the Hawkesbury area in general!
Recognising that Berowra had the potential to become one of the prime tourist resorts of NSW, the Berowra community banded together in 1908 to further increase interest in the area. The Berowra Creek Tourist Association, which appears about this time, advertised the area through brochures and particularly through newspaper articles. Chaired by Mr Lubeck, with the Premier Mr Wade as patron, the association worked hard to increase the facilities and popularity of the area, with newspapers and other publications increasingly writing glowing reviews, enticing people to visit. From this time onwards, Berowra was known and advertised as ‘Beautiful Berowra’ or ‘Berowra The Beautiful’. Later the Berowra Tourist Bureau opened which became the central office for booking accommodation and tours, and providing tourist information.
The Berowra Creek Tourist Association and individuals involved in the tourist trade were active in promoting the area, not just through newspapers, but in tourist publications, dedicated brochures and in the use of souvenirs like postcards and concertina photo folders. Visitors to Berowra could buy a postcard from the Berowra Waters Kiosk, other local shops and even at the various guest houses peppered throughout the area. Those who came to Berowra as part of an organised tour had the opportunity to purchase photos to remember their trip, and those who were thinking of coming to the area, or looking for an appropriate holiday destination could find information about Berowra in many tourist guides, both general and specific to the area.
The natural beauty of Berowra was a great attraction for many tourists. Sydney residents looking for a short break in beautiful surroundings, where they could enjoy nature and rural pursuits had many choices available, but the unparalleled beauty of Berowra made it a popular choice. Being not far from the city, people could visit Berowra for a weekend or even just a day spent picnicking in the natural bushland surroundings. Wildflowers were a particular attraction and many came between August and September, at the height of the flowering season, to admire and even pick bunches to take back to the city. Concern about the number of flowers being removed from the bush was one of the reasons why J.D. Tipper established Mugomarra Nature Reserve, situated further north from Berowra Creek.
Some visitors chose to come for an extended period, using Berowra as a health resort where those who had been ill could recuperate. Indeed this is what first attracted Margaret Preston, the famous Australian artist, to the area. Berowra with its high altitude was advertised as a health resort with fresh mountain air, comparable with the air in the Blue Mountains. Being close to the salt water of the Hawkesbury River, it was also promoted as having fresh air similar to coastal health resorts. Berowra represented the best of both worlds, and with plenty of fresh food available, provided by local dairies, poultry farms and orchards it was the perfect health retreat.
PublisherBerowra Living History GroupKeywordsBerowra
DetailsTourism in Berowra has a surprisingly long history, though early reviews were not always favourable. The earliest visitors were white Europeans and not formal tourists, seeking a pleasurable holiday, but explorers looking for land to settle. Some of Australia’s most famous explorers, including John Hunter (later Governor), William Romaine Govett (surveyor) and William Dawes (cartographer) were early visitors. None were particularly impressed with what they found, dismissing the area as unsuitable for settlement and seeing the rugged beauty as a barrier.The first real tourist we know of to visit was Sarah Felton Matthews. Her husband, Felton Mathews, was a surveyor and she often accompanied him, acting as his secretary and note taker. She visited in 1833, travelling up Berowra Creek by boat and recording her experiences in one of her journals, this one known as ‘Her Majesty’s Trees’. She described the area as rugged and desolate, but it was this rugged beauty which was to become an attraction to so many later tourists.
The next visitors to come to Berowra, like those who had come before, were not simply visiting to holiday in the natural beauty, though this undoubtedly played a significant role, but had a purpose in mind, to paint the surrounding environs. The Collingridge brothers, Arthur and George led the way, exhibiting paintings of Berowra Creek in the 1880s, which perhaps helped attract not only other artists, but tourists. George Collingridge went on to settle in the area which he so loved.
It was the beauty of the area, as seen from the railway, which drew one of the more famous early pioneer figures in Berowra’s tourism trade, Edward Windybanks. He had been working on the new railway when he caught a glimpse of Cowan Creek. Entranced by the beauty of the area, Windybanks took up a lease in Waratah Bay in 1886/1887and set about establishing a tourist business, in which he leased boats, houseboats and even accommodation. Tourists would arrive by train, taking the walking track from Berowra Station to Waratah Bay.
The tourist trade in Berowra revolved around the railway station. Berowra Village sits between the two beautiful creeks, Cowan and Berowra and the railway station was perfectly situated to allow visitors to explore and enjoy either, or indeed both. Droves of visitors arrived by train, especially in the era before cars became the common mode of transport. In these early years, many chose to walk to Waratah Bay and enjoy the extensive facilities provided by Windybanks.
Berowra was also situated along the main road North, Peats Ferry Road which ran adjacent to the railway, and when cars became more common, many came by road, especially after the Harbour Bridge opened up the North of the harbour to city residents in 1932. There were even local facilities allowing visitors to garage their car safely whilst on holidays.
Both the road and railway journeys were lauded as beautiful trips, which were included in newspaper articles of the day. The section near The Hawkesbury River, including the Berowra Ridge was particularly famed.
The centre of the tourist industry in Berowra was Berowra Creek in the area now known as Berowra Waters, but visitors arriving by train had a long walk to the creek which was their objective. Although many chose to walk to Berowra Creek, it was not long before a supporting industry in transporting people to and from the waterside developed. A road to the waterside had existed, in a basic form, since at least 1895, but in 1902 it was upgraded allowing carriages known as ‘sociables’ to carry people from the train station to the ‘Waters’. Later, a coach service was established, run by the Corrigan family. Of course, the road could also be used by tourists visiting by car, or in organised tour groups.
Some visitors to Berowra arrived as part of an organised pleasure trip. Some of the most popular were run by Arthur Lubeck, who collected passengers from the Hawkesbury Railway Station and conveyed them to Berowra Waters by boat, giving them a pleasant cruise. Passengers would call at one of the guest houses, now known as Berowra Waters Inn, for a seafood and oyster lunch, before being collected from Berowra Waters by a Corrigan coach, run by Lubeck’s son-in-law Roy Corrigan. Corrigan would then convey passengers back to the railway station, or continue the journey through Dural, finishing at Koala Park!
These were not the only tours organised to Berowra. As early as 1895 cruises were organised on both Berowra and Cowan Creeks, allowing visitors to the area to admire these spectacular waterways. Other pleasure trips were organised by social clubs and organisations, including church groups.
Being such a beautiful area, well serviced by roads, many tourist publications suggested self- guided day trips throughout the Berowra area. Often these brochures suggested visitors drive to Berowra, pause for an hour or two to enjoy the scenic beauty of the area and then continue across the punt to Galston and Dural, a picturesque rural area not far from Berowra. Alternatively, it was suggested that the day out could be finished with a visit to Koala Park, or by continuing onto Parramatta. Other trip destinations prescribed stopping at Berowra for morning tea or lunch before continuing onto Brooklyn.
From an inauspicious start, by 1900 Berowra was beginning to build a very successful tourist industry. The Hawkesbury was a popular place for people to holiday and was known as ‘The Rhine Of Australia’, but its tributary creeks were thought by many to be equally if not more majestic. According to a 1906 article the traffic to ‘Beautiful Berowra’ was equal to half the traffic of people to the Hawkesbury area in general!
Recognising that Berowra had the potential to become one of the prime tourist resorts of NSW, the Berowra community banded together in 1908 to further increase interest in the area. The Berowra Creek Tourist Association, which appears about this time, advertised the area through brochures and particularly through newspaper articles. Chaired by Mr Lubeck, with the Premier Mr Wade as patron, the association worked hard to increase the facilities and popularity of the area, with newspapers and other publications increasingly writing glowing reviews, enticing people to visit. From this time onwards, Berowra was known and advertised as ‘Beautiful Berowra’ or ‘Berowra The Beautiful’. Later the Berowra Tourist Bureau opened which became the central office for booking accommodation and tours, and providing tourist information.
The Berowra Creek Tourist Association and individuals involved in the tourist trade were active in promoting the area, not just through newspapers, but in tourist publications, dedicated brochures and in the use of souvenirs like postcards and concertina photo folders. Visitors to Berowra could buy a postcard from the Berowra Waters Kiosk, other local shops and even at the various guest houses peppered throughout the area. Those who came to Berowra as part of an organised tour had the opportunity to purchase photos to remember their trip, and those who were thinking of coming to the area, or looking for an appropriate holiday destination could find information about Berowra in many tourist guides, both general and specific to the area.
The natural beauty of Berowra was a great attraction for many tourists. Sydney residents looking for a short break in beautiful surroundings, where they could enjoy nature and rural pursuits had many choices available, but the unparalleled beauty of Berowra made it a popular choice. Being not far from the city, people could visit Berowra for a weekend or even just a day spent picnicking in the natural bushland surroundings. Wildflowers were a particular attraction and many came between August and September, at the height of the flowering season, to admire and even pick bunches to take back to the city. Concern about the number of flowers being removed from the bush was one of the reasons why J.D. Tipper established Mugomarra Nature Reserve, situated further north from Berowra Creek.
Some visitors chose to come for an extended period, using Berowra as a health resort where those who had been ill could recuperate. Indeed this is what first attracted Margaret Preston, the famous Australian artist, to the area. Berowra with its high altitude was advertised as a health resort with fresh mountain air, comparable with the air in the Blue Mountains. Being close to the salt water of the Hawkesbury River, it was also promoted as having fresh air similar to coastal health resorts. Berowra represented the best of both worlds, and with plenty of fresh food available, provided by local dairies, poultry farms and orchards it was the perfect health retreat.
PublisherBerowra Living History GroupKeywordsBerowraRelated
CollectionBerowra Living History GroupLocationBerowra
LocationBerowra
Click on the image to add
a tag or press ESC to cancel
a tag or press ESC to cancel
Rocky Beginnings - an early history of tourism at Berowra. Hornsby Shire, accessed 27/04/2026, https://hornsbyshire.recollect.net.au/nodes/view/3957