Carrs Bush

Located within the precinct of Fagan Park in Galston, Carrs Bush is 8.5 hectares of networked short trails, exploring through many parts of a forest. With easy, level trails along with interpretive signage, Carrs Bush is a wonderful day trip for families – plus there’s the beautiful gardens, picnic shelters, BBQs and playgrounds just next door in Fagan Park for afterwards.

Due to areas of limited mobile coverage, remember to download this map (PDF) before you begin walking.

Carrs Bush map

This area once formed part of the seasonal range of family groups speaking the Dharug language. The surrounding landscape contributed to their food, medicine, shelter and other material and cultural needs. Signs that remain of their way of life could potentially include occupation sites, rock engravings, middens, scar trees, and artefacts. Please respect any sites or objects you may come across. Not only do they provide a tangible link to our countries ancient heritage, but they also hold a profound significance for present day descendants of these communities.

By 1817, colonial timber-getters were moving into this region harvesting the giant Grey Ironbarks, White Mahoganys, Turpentines, and White Stringybarks. As these disappeared, land grants were issued, and the rich, shale-derived soil proved ideal for growing crops. Orchards, market gardens, nurseries, and poultry farms sprang up. At first little more than islands in a sea of bushland, most of the vegetation was eventually cleared, until areas such as Carrs Bush became the islands. In the early 1900s, Fagan Park became the centre of a booming fruit industry, followed by a dairy, and it is remarkable that this Carrs Bush remnant survived!

The vegetation here is significant for another reason: it represents one of the largest areas of intact Turpentine-Ironbark Forest in northern Sydney. This extremely rare ecological community once covered much of the more fertile parts of Sydney. Due to past and current land practices, less than 0.5% of this community remains in existence, mostly in small patches such as this one. Consequently it is protected under both Commonwealth and New South Wales legislation.

Over 120 native plant species have been recorded within Carrs Bush, including rare or threatened species. The main canopy species are dominated by Turpentine (Syncarpia glomulifera), White Mahogany (Eucalyptus acmenoides), White Stringybark (E. globoidea), and Sydney Red Gum (Angophora costata). The older trees contain hollows which provide vital nesting sites for many native birds, mammals and insects. Can you see any currently being used?

Carrs Bush Discovery Walk

The Carrs Bush Discovery Walk is a 250m raised boardwalk loop, interspersed with signage about the animals and plants found in this extremely rare tract of Sydney Turpentine Ironbark Forest. The walk starts at the Carrs Bush Playground and is wheelchair and pram friendly.

Location

38-48 Arcadia Road, Galston 2159  View Map

-33.6405348,151.045227

38-48 Arcadia Road , Galston 2159

38-48 Arcadia Road , Galston 2159

Carrs Bush