London Bridge Walking Track

Located south of Googong Foreshores, the London Bridge walking track displays the features of Burra Creek and its landmarks.

This two hour circuit walk takes you from the London Bridge woolshed and shearers quarters, across London Bridge Arch and along Burra Creek to the homestead. The return trip from the homestead is via the fire trail and back to the woolshed.

The homestead is protected by a security fence but is clearly visible from outside the fence. Many of the out-buildings, including the remains of the original woolshed are outside this fence and may be explored at any time.

If you would like to inspect the homestead, open days are held regularly. Please contact the Googong Foreshores Ranger Station for details.

London Bridge Homestead (  PDF 1.7Mb )

London Bridge Arch

The limestone of London Bridge Arch began to form as sediment and coral remains deposited on an ancient ocean floor 420 million years ago. These sediments and coral remains were subjected to intense pressure to form the limestone seen today. Over time the ocean receded and erosion shaped the landscape.

The arch was formed by water slowly leaching through the limestone, enlarging cracks until a passage became large enough for Burra Creek to pass through. It reached its present size about 20 000 years ago.

The arch was first recorded by Europeans in 1823 by explorer Captain Mark Currie. He had been directed to the arch by an Aboriginal guide. Currie described it as ‘a natural bridge of one perfect Saxon arch, under which the water passed.’

The First People in the Burra Valley

Aboriginal people maintained a hunting and gathering lifestyle around this region for thousands of years. Long before Captain Mark Currie’s journey of exploration this valley was occupied by Aboriginal people. Aboriginal camps in this area have been dated by archaeologists to be at least 800 years old.

The remains of these camps are now covered by sediments or have been disturbed by floods. The camps contained stone artefacts and the remnants of fires on which a wide variety of bush foods were cooked.

Extinct Animals

Remains of locally extinct native rats, mice and small marsupials have been found around the arch. These animals may have become extinct in the mid 1800s when European settlers cleared and farmed the surrounding land.

Along Burra Creek

Europeans first settled in this area about 1834. As you walk along the track you can see how much this landscape has been altered by their land uses. Originally this area was grassy woodland. When Europeans arrived with their grazing flocks many trees were ring-barked to create more pasture, while others were cut down for building or firewood. The most common trees remaining are apple box. This species has survived as its timber is not preferred for building or firewood. Its interwoven grain makes it difficult to split and hard to burn. Some of the small native plants which formed the understorey in the original woodland can still be seen in the area. Examples of these are Prickly Moses Wattle and Early Nancy which you might see carpeting the ground in early spring.

As you walk down the track you might see Eastern Grey Kangaroos resting in the shade of the trees. They move out into the grasslands to graze in the late afternoon. If the weather is cold or wet, you might see them grazing in the middle of the day.

Many species of birds can be seen at Googong Foreshores. If you see a bright green and yellow flash it is likely to be an Eastern Rosella. They have a very distinctive chatter when feeding and a loud screech when alarmed. Australian Kestrels, one of the few birds which hover, are also seen in this area. They are commonly seen, hovering with rapid wing beats and their tail fanned, looking for prey such as young rabbits and small birds.

Since the 1980s the ACT Parks and Conservation Service with the help of community groups has been planting trees in much of this area. Species such as Red and Yellow Box have been planted to increase the mix of species. Work is also undertaken to control the spread of Willow, Hawthorn, Poplars and Briar Roses, all of which were introduced to this area. However, the area around London Bridge Homestead is managed to maintain its rural context and while the spread of exotic regrowth is controlled, the older exotic trees will remain to allow visitors to appreciate the area for its rural history and landscape.

The London Bridge Property

In 1857, John McNamara, an Irishman from County Clare, paid 30 pounds for 30 acres of land in the Burra Valley. ‘London Bridge’ became one of the first properties in the area.

As you look at the collection of buildings which make up this homestead you can see at least five architectural styles and different uses of building materials. The styles and construction varied according to the costs of materials and labour. Corrugated iron and weatherboard replaced stone and pisé as mass produced materials became available with the arrival of the railway at Queanbeyan.

The stone cottage was built in about 1860 from stone quarried from a nearby hill. Additional buildings were constructed over the years in response to the needs of a growing family—John and his wife had thirteen children although not all of the children lived at the homestead all the time.

The significance of the diversity of this site and the rural setting of the area are recognised by the listing of the homestead on the Register of the National Estate and its classification by the National Trust of Australia.

The McNamara family owned the London Bridge property until 1920. During the later years of this ownership, it was leased to James Moore until the property was purchased by the Noone brothers in 1921. By that time the estate had been extended to 9000 acres.

In 1928, it was sold to the Douglas family with whom it remained until the Commonwealth resumed most of the property in 1973, to protect the catchment of the dam.

Public Open Days are held regularly at the homestead when rangers are available to talk to visitors about the history of the area and the construction of the buildings. Access for groups can also be arranged by contacting the Googong Foreshores Ranger Station on 02 6207 2779.

A Fragile Heritage

Please protect this area by adhering to the following conditions—

• Do not rock climb on the arch or enter the caves—they are extremely fragile and take thousands of years to recover from disturbance.
• Keep to the tracks and protect this special environment.
• Googong Foreshores is a wildlife refuge so please leave your pets at home.
• Take your rubbish home—there are no bins at Googong Foreshores.
• Use the toilets provided in the car parks.
• Swimming and camping are not permitted.

Location

Googong Foreshores is located 10 kilometres south of Queanbeyan, NSW. The London Bridge area is a further 10 kilometres south towards Burra. The area is managed by the ACT Parks and Conservation Service for water catchment, recreation and as a wildlife refuge.

The London Bridge Walk has a number of interesting features including a limestone arch and historical sites. These are listed on the Register of the National Estate.

Further information is available at the Ranger Station at the northern end of Googong Foreshores.

London Bridge Walking Track Brochure (  PDF 956Kb )