Northern Beaches Council will seek community input on the proposal to change the name of three geographical features on council managed land and Council will assist the Geographical Names Board (GNB) investigate a further five located on land not managed by Council to acknowledge the discoveries of naturalist and explorer George Caley.
Mr. Caley collected specimens for Joseph Banks, also a naturalist, botanist and a passenger on board the HMS Endeavour Captain James Cooks commanded on his voyage to Australia.
The proposal is sought by a local resident through the Geographical Names Board as the locations are referred to in Mr Caley’s journal Journey to the Sea written in 1805.
Northern Beaches Mayor Michael Regan commended the resident who has put forward this proposal to capture our history.
“Discovering our past is so important to understand our beginnings and to celebrate the achievements of those before us.
“The proposed naming of the geographical features preserves the heritage of our area and commemorates George Caley’s journal.”
As per Council policy, adopting a new name of a reserve, facility or road requires community consultation prior to being endorsed.
If the location is not under Council’s care, control and management, the GNB will gauge support from the property owners of the five locations as well as the community as to whether the proposal be endorsed prior to Council providing any comments.
From 1805 Mr Caley documents a journey from Pennant Hills to Narrabeen and unofficially refers to eight geographic features within the Northern Beaches Local Government Area. These include:
Council managed sites:
- Rename Belrose Reservoir as Sea Sight Reserve
- Officially name Oxford Falls Cascades as Caley Falls
- Name the reserve along Wakehurst Parkway, Narrabeen, unofficially known as Middle Creek 2 as Thick Brush Reserve
Additional sites are:
- Southern Sister – Hill with the summit, located approximately 300m south-west of the Northcott Road and Macquarie Street intersection in Cromer.
- Northern Sister – Hill with the summit located approximately 330m west of the Northcott Road and Macquarie Street intersection in Cromer.
- Thick Brush Hill - Hill with the summit located approximately 1km north west of the Wakehurst Parkway overpass of Deep Creek, Ingleside.
- Sea Sight Hill - Hill with the summit located approximately 300m south east of the Forest Way and Crozier Road intersection in Belrose.
- Saw the Sea Hill with the summit located south of the Garigal Road and Forest Way junction, on the western side of Forest Way, in Belrose.
The proposal will be on public exhibition from 1 -14 October and locals are encouraged to have their say online.