The nature reserve was reserved on 25 June 1993 following its protection under an Interim Conservation Order in 1985 and the subsequent purchase by NPWS in order to conserve the exceptionally diverse subtropical rainforest, containing trees of record size in NSW.
Although the majority of the reserve is rainforest, the reserve contains a total of five distinct vegetation communities. These are subtropical and dry rainforest, wet and dry sclerophyll forests, and woodland. Eight threatened fauna species listed under the Threatened Species Conservation Act are known to occur in the reserve, while an additional sixteen species have been recorded near the reserve or are considered likely to occur within the reserve.
