Part of the national park was an original First Fleet grant and the park contains important historic and archaeological resources, including a homestead built in the 1820s, ruins of a stone windmill which is thought to be the oldest industrial building in Australia, convict-built dry stone walls, and a range of other features which reflect changes in the place since the early nineteenth century.
The national park also contains a number of Aboriginal sites which are of importance to our understanding of the Cattai area prior to European settlement. This plan of management places a high priority on the protection and interpretation of the cultural values of the park.
Important remnants of vegetation communities that were once common in the Sydney area also remain in Cattai National Park, including valuable wetland areas, tall forests and gallery rainforest. Priority is given in this plan of management to protecting these remnant areas and to the regeneration of the native vegetation in many other places within the park.
Cattai National Park provides facilities for recreational pursuits such as camping, picnicking, bushwalking and horse-riding. The three sections of the park will continue be managed to provide complementary recreational opportunities. In addition, the plan provides for extension of the walking track system, improved information on the natural and cultural heritage of the park, and an increased emphasis on environmental education.
Photo: Steps down to wharf, Hawkesbury River, Cattai National Park / Rosie Nicolai
