DetailsWoodnutt's boatshed, teahouse and guest cabins at Apple Tree Bay.
In 1921, brothers Frank and Alf Woodnutt took over a small boatshed operation, on the shoreline of Cowan Creek, in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. A good track had already been cut, in 1903, between Mt Kuring-gai Railway Station to the Wootnutt’s boatshed’s location, which provided easy access for visitors arriving by train. Woodnutt's boatshed was located a short distance north of Appletree Bay, which was also linked with the boatshed by another good track. Importantly fresh water was available from a nearby spring which still runs today.
Things started well and by 1922 they had 14 row boats for hire, built at the boatshed by a skilled old craftsman, called Gus Green, who insisted on using old fashioned tools. However, it quickly became clear the business could not support both brothers and their families. Frank bought out Alf’s share and he then built tea rooms and a few cabins for short term visitors. His wife, Winnie, baked countless batches of teahouse scones every weekend, which proved to be very popular. Frank Woodnutt also connected a telephone to his boatshed to help with enquiries and bookings.
His fleet of hire boats was well known because of the highly varnished appearance of them. Powerboats were introduced in the mid-1930s and were in high demand. Many professional fishermen came down to hire a boat. The fish were abundant.
Woodnutts boatshed and tea rooms were popular with passing bushwalkers as well as both day trippers and short-term visitors. With their dual access they had an advantage over the larger Windybank’s boatshed, in Waratah Bay. This improved even further from 1937, when the road was constructed from Bobbin Head to Apple Tree Bay. Busloads of visitors and private motorists could get close to Woodnutt’s boatshed via Appletree Bay. Alternatively, visitors could still walk down from Mt Kuring-gai Railway Station. Frank’s son (Frank junior) remembers many mornings having to race down the steep bush track from the family home at 23 Harwood Avenue to get down to Cowan Creek in time to meet the first busloads of tourists at Appletree Bay.
Frank Woodnutt sold his boatshed and tearoom business to Alf Houghton who ran it from 1949 to 1961. Alf and his wife Mabel purchased a small general store from Alf Harvey located in Cowan Parade, Berowra (on the eastern side of the railway tracks).
The NPWS ranger lived and operated out of Woodnutt’s old boatshed from 1966, but the buildings were removed by NPWS in the late 1960s.
Remnants of the boatshed and teahouse operation can still be found today, as can some of the exotic flowering plants and trees established by Woodnutt.
