Middle Head - Gubbuh Gubbuh and Georges Head walking track link to the Sydney Harbour Scenic Walk

The National Parks and Wildlife Service is constructing a new walking track in the Sydney Harbour National Park linking Middle Head – Gubbuh Gubbuh and Georges Head to the Sydney Harbour Scenic Walk. The link will connect the headlands and create a seamless walking experience for visitors.

This project is being delivered as part of the largest visitor infrastructure program in national park history.

What the project involves

The new walking track, with story-telling along the route and, improvements to Chowder Bay Road are identified in the Sydney Harbour National Park, Middle Head & Georges Head Masterplan.

Middle Head – Gubbuh Gubbuh is a jewel within the stunning array of foreshore open space and beaches that adjoin Sydney Harbour. The combination of natural and cultural qualities at Middle Head – Gubbuh Gubbuh and Georges Head is unique to Sydney and Australia. Intrinsic to this is a sense of retreat and release from urban Sydney that is enabled by the place’s largely undeveloped and low-key character. The master plan seeks to reconcile these fundamental values with improved and safer access for visitors.

The most important strategy for enhancing the community experience of Middle Head – Gubbuh Gubbuh and Georges Head is its effective integration into the Sydney Harbour Scenic Walk. At present, the headlands are not linked effectively to the broader Harbour Scenic Walk with key connections difficult and unclear. The new walk will connect the headlands to deliver the missing link along and create a seamless experience for visitors.

Across Middle Head – Gubbuh Gubbuh and Georges Head there are points of interest focussed on natural and cultural features from various phases of Sydney's history. The state-registered military fortifications at Middle Head – Gubbuh Gubbuh and Georges Head are significant as a collection of defence structures which date from 1801 to the Vietnam War. Conservation works to the significant military fortifications will also occur along with an interpretation of the area's history to create a highly layered recreational and educational experience.

Interpreting Georges Head and Middle Head – Gubbuh Gubbuh

A significant component of this project is the interpretation of Georges Head and Middle Head – Gubbuh Gubbuh, particularly the state-significant military fortifications.

We will be installing new interpretation so visitors can learn more about the area's history. Digital interpretation also forms part of this, and we have commissioned a second animations which depicts the powerful defences of Sydney Harbour.

The new animation describes the perceived threats to Australia during World War II and the twin 6-inch guns which were installed to protect Sydney's harbour in 1942. These guns were installed at Georges Head and Obelisk Bay in Sydney Harbour with a third gun near South Head. It's main purpose was to cover the harbour from attack by torpedo boats. This emplacement includes a magazine, where ammunition was stored, and crew room linked by underground passages. The 3 storey building was the control tower, observation point and searchlight.

The first animation shows the 'disappearing guns' installed in 1889 at the Inner Fort, Middle Head. The fortifications at this location were first constructed in 1871 to hold 5 80-pounder rifled muzzle loading guns. In 1889, these were replaced with 2 more advanced breech-loading 6-inch guns on 'disappearing' carriages. A technological marvel for its day, the gun would recoil into a pit to be reloaded as hydraulic rams powered the gun back into the first position. The gun emplacements were connected to the subterranean magazine via stone trenches and underground tunnels.

Watch the video below to see these guns in action protecting Sydney's harbour.