Cultural sites
Cape Baily Lighthouse
The lighthouse is accessed via the Cape Baily Coast Walk. Built in 1950, Cape Baily Lighthouse is the youngest of the historic lighthouses managed by the NPWS, although its lantern enclosure was taken from an unknown late-19th-century lighthouse.
The lighthouse looks across the coastal heath of Kurnell Peninsula. It's surrounded by significant Aboriginal sites, sandstone cliffs and gorges, and several important wetland areas.
Captain Cook's Landing Place
Wheelchair access: medium
Assistance may be required to access this area.
- The Burrawang walk to the foreshore is accessible for wheelchairs from the Visitor Centre.
- There is a section that passes over the dunes that is not wheelchair accessible.
In 1770, Lieutenant (later Captain) James Cook landed at Botany Bay’s Inscription Point. He and his Endeavour crew stayed in the area for eight days and had a dramatic impact on Australian history.
Located near Silver Beach on the Kurnell Peninsula headland, Cook’s Landing Place is a popular Sydney attraction. Now heritage-listed, this reserve interprets the story of the meeting of European and Aboriginal cultures.
Visit Kamay Botany Bay National Park to discover Captain Cook’s Landing Place yourself. The best way to get there is along the Burrawang track that features a soundscape of Aboriginal children's laughter. As you pass over the dune you'll see views of the bay where the Endeavour was first sighted. A small plaque marks the location where Captain Cook landed.
Getting there: On entering Kamay Botany Bay National Park:
- Head to the southern section of the park on Captain Cook Drive, Kurnell
Road access: Sealed road - 2WD vehicles.
Coast Hospital cemetery
Over 2000 victims of Sydney's late-19th-century epidemics were buried here. The cemetery operated from the 1880s to 1952 for patients and staff of the Coast Hospital, as well as local residents. You can find out more by visiting the site, which is in the La Perouse section of the park, on the road to Cape Banks.
Location:
shown on La Perouse map
Father Pere Receveur's tomb
Pere Receveur was a Franciscan priest born in the village of Noel-Carneux in the French-Swiss border region. Described in the personnel listing for the Astrolabe as 'Cordelier (Franciscan), Naturalist ... chaplain', Receveur was both a religious man and an admired 'man of letters and genius'.
Receveur arrived at Botany Bay somewhat of an invalid as a result of injuries sustained in fighting in the Samoan Islands. It is uncertain as to exactly what afflictions affected the priest but he is known to have lost an eye and was possibly suffering the effects of prolonged scurvy.
Receveur was unable to recover from his wounds and died on 17 February 1788.
He was buried on the La Perouse headland in a simple grave with a 'common headstone' above. In the 1820s the grave site became part of the landscape of pilgrimage frequented by French travellers. In about 1829 an official memorial was erected over the site. The Receveur tomb is of considerable significance to people of the Catholic faith. The burial of Receveur by the Abbe Monges in 1788 is likely to be one of the earliest Catholic services (a requiem mass) conducted in Australia. A portable stone altar that may have been used on the occasion of Receveur's burial was found among relics recovered from the ill fated Lapérouse expedition wrecks at Vanikoro in 1986. The tomb has been the scene of a number of Catholic services since the 1870s.
Both the Laperouse Monument and the Tomb of Pere Receveur serve as a focal point for French visitors to the Sydney region.
La Perouse Museum
Wheelchair access: hard
Wheelchairs can access this area with some difficulty
- The downstairs section of the museum is wheelchair accessible, but there are steps involved so you'll need some assistance.
- The upstairs section is inaccessible due to a narrow stairway.
La Perouse Museum is located on Kamay Botany Bay National Park’s northern headland. The museum is housed within the historic Cable Station building, once Australia’s only link to the rest of the world. The La Perouse Monument is located nearby.
Almost 2,000 items across several rooms of exhibits document the 1787–1788 expedition of French explorer the Comte de Lapérouse. Items include the complete Atlas of the Voyage of La Perouse.
Lapérouse arrived in Botany Bay a week after the First Fleet. His expedition was last seen in what is now national parkland before mysteriously vanishing.
The fascinating exhibits in La Perouse Museum also tell stories of the local area, including Aboriginal stories.
For information or to book a guided tour, contact Cadmans Cottage.
Activities: school/university excursions, exploring cultural heritage
Location:
shown on La Perouse map
Getting there: La Perouse Museum is located in the Cable Station building on the headland in the northern precinct of Kamay Botany Bay National Park. To get there, follow Anzac Parade to the La Perouse end of the road.
On weekends, public transport to La Perouse is recommended, as it can be a busy place. Regular bus services operate to La Perouse from Circular Quay. Please visit the public transport info website for more information.
Opening hours: La Perouse Museum is open to the public on Sundays only.
Facilities: flush toilets
Contact:
La Perouse Museum (Botany Bay National Park), Phone: 02 9311 3379
Events, activities and alerts at this location
| School excursion | La Perouse Museum - Human Society and its Environment - Stages 2 & 3
- History and Geography - Stage 5
On 26 January 1788, the French explorer Laperouse arrived in Botany Bay, six days after the First Fleet. It was to be the last port of call before the expedition vanished forever. Housed in the historic Cable Station building, many relics and artefacts retell this fascinating tale.
Difficulty: easy
Park: Laperouse Museum (Botany Bay National Park)
Meeting place: La Perouse Museum
Cost: $5.50 per student, teachers free of charge
Bookings: bookings are essential More info: Sydney Harbour, Phone: 02 9253 0888 | dates arranged on booking; 1.5 hours duration |
Laperouse Monument
The Laperouse Monument serves to mark the arrival of the French Expedition lead by Lapérouse, which entered Botany Bay and landed at Frenchmans Bay on 26th January 1788. The French camped in Botany Bay for six weeks and established a garden and fortified enclosure where they constructed two small boats to replace others lost earlier in the expedition.
When the Astrolabe and Boussole sailed out through the Botany Heads on 11th March 1788 it was the last time the respective crews were seen alive. The wrecks of these vessels were later found on the reefs of Vanikoro. The loss of the Lapérouse Expedition in the Pacific Ocean drew French mariners to the last known anchorage here in Botany Bay and lead to the establishment of an enduring cultural relationship between France and Australia.
In August 1825 Baron de Bougainville’s expedition visited the site of Lapérouse’s encampment and proposed that a permanent monument be erected to mark the site.
Location:
shown on La Perouse map
Macquarie Watchtower
This tower was built in 1822 to watch for smugglers entering Botany Bay. It's the oldest building in the area, and is near to the Lapérouse Museum.
Location:
shown on La Perouse map
Military fortifications
You can explore some of Sydney's military history at Bare Island, Henry Head and Cape Banks. Bare Island Fort is particularly worth visiting. Built in 1885, it was designed to protect Botany Bay, the 'back door' of Sydney, from attack. On a guided tour of the fort, you'll cross a 100-year old wooden bridge into a world of scandal, military pride, secret tunnels and fine engineering.
Guided tours are run most Sundays at 1:30pm, 2:30pm and 3:30pm - bookings not required. Tickets can be purchased from the Laperouse Museum. Private group tours are available on weekdays; to make a booking, contact Cadmans Cottage.
Cultural heritage: Overlooking the sheltered, inner harbour waters of Botany Bay, the headland (and associated Bare Island) is a spectacular historic landscape. The human history of the headland dates back thousands of years to when Aboriginal people were the sole guardians and users of this resource-rich maritime locality.
The La Perouse site and Bare Island were among the first sites in the Sydney Region visited by Europeans. Both Captain Cook and Joseph Banks noted the area, particularly Bare Island, and the First Fleet anchored near the site. Most notably the first recorded European occupation was by a French expedition led by La Perouse.
The La Perouse peninsular is also associated with defence works. It was occupied by a battery of 40 pounder Armstrong guns in 1871, then construction of the fortress on Bare Island commenced in 1881. It was an integral element of the Sydney defence strategy. The fortress occupies a large part of Bare Island, a low rocky islet of Hawkesbury sandstone 100m south of the headland and separated from it by a narrow channel.
Location:
shown on La Perouse map
Contact:
Sydney Harbour, Phone: 02 9253 0888
Site of Alpha Farm (Kurnell)
Alpha Farm was the first farm in the Kurnell area. In 1815 Governor Macquarie granted the farmland to Sydney merchant James Birnie. A cottage that was built for accommodation in 1902 now stands on the site of the original farm.
Site of the Happy Valley camp (Depression era)
The camp was set up in La Perouse for people evicted from their homes during the Depression. It operated from 1930 to 1939, and at least 330 people were living there by 1932. They built huts out of whatever they could find - mostly corrugated iron, hessian and earth. You can find out more from signs at the start of the Henry Head Track.
Wreck of SS Minmi
Location:
shown on La Perouse map
Historic roads and tracks
Burrawang walk
- 1.1km (loop)
Wheelchair access: medium
Walking (easy, 30 minutes)
General information
Like the Banks-Solander track, the Burrawang walk begins at the Kurnell Visitor Centre.
This easy walk tells the story of the first meeting of European and Aboriginal culture. A soundscape, featuring Aboriginal language, children laughing and clap sticks will have you feeling like you've stepped back in time and give you a sense of the strong Aboriginal connection to Country.
The Burrawang walk takes you past several of the area’s historic sites, including the welcome wall, the freshwater stream, the meeting place, Banks’ Memorial, Ferry Shelter Shed and Cook’s landing place.
Along the route, you’ll see several interpretive signs outlining the park’s cultural and natural history.
Read more about the walk in the Burrawang walk: botany and bush tucker brochure - including a map of the walk [PDF, 368KB].
Plant communities: grassy woodlands
Events, activities and alerts at this location
| School excursion | British Colonisation of Australia Kamay Botany Bay was the location of first contact between Aboriginal people and the crew of the Endeavour under the command of James Cook in 1770.
Students participate in a bush tucker walk, view the monuments along the Burrawang Walk and wander through the museum in the Visitors Centre where they can learn about the Eight Days that Changed the World.
Difficulty: easy
Park: Burrawang Walk (Kamay Botany Bay National Park)
Meeting place: Visitors Centre
Cost: $14 per student; minimum 25
Bookings: by arrangement More info: Sydney South Discovery School Coordinator, Phone: 02 9542 0649 | by arrangement |
Burrawang walk
- 1.1km (loop)
Wheelchair access: medium
Walking (easy, 30 minutes)
General information
Like the Banks-Solander track, the Burrawang walk begins at the Kurnell Visitor Centre.
This easy walk tells the story of the first meeting of European and Aboriginal culture. A soundscape, featuring Aboriginal language, children laughing and clap sticks will have you feeling like you've stepped back in time and give you a sense of the strong Aboriginal connection to Country.
The Burrawang walk takes you past several of the area’s historic sites, including the welcome wall, the freshwater stream, the meeting place, Banks’ Memorial, Ferry Shelter Shed and Cook’s landing place.
Along the route, you’ll see several interpretive signs outlining the park’s cultural and natural history.
Read more about the walk in the Burrawang walk: botany and bush tucker brochure - including a map of the walk [PDF, 368KB].
Plant communities: grassy woodlands
Events, activities and alerts at this location
| School excursion | British Colonisation of Australia Kamay Botany Bay was the location of first contact between Aboriginal people and the crew of the Endeavour under the command of James Cook in 1770.
Students participate in a bush tucker walk, view the monuments along the Burrawang Walk and wander through the museum in the Visitors Centre where they can learn about the Eight Days that Changed the World.
Difficulty: easy
Park: Burrawang Walk (Kamay Botany Bay National Park)
Meeting place: Visitors Centre
Cost: $14 per student; minimum 25
Bookings: by arrangement More info: Sydney South Discovery School Coordinator, Phone: 02 9542 0649 | by arrangement |
