About the Reserve
Florence Cotton Reserve is a beautiful and relatively large reserve that is approximately 17 hectares (42 acres) in size. There is a "Loop Walk" that shows off the various zones, including a number of stairs to navigate the steep bits. The site is mostly comprised of tall open forest dominated by Blackbutt, Sydney Blue Gum, Red Bloodwood, Smooth-Barked Apple, Turpentine trees and Allocasuarina. A fairly steep valley dominates the reserve with a unique warm temperate rainforest-type community present alongside the creek (named after Jimmy Bancks, the creator of Ginger Meggs) at the base of the valley. The Reserve is a regionally significant area and is one of Hornsby Shire's Wildlife Protection areas. The bush regeneration works throughout the reserve have been funded through the Bio-Banking scheme.
About Florence Cotton
Florence Cotton (née Channon of "Pakenham" in Hornsby, later demolished to make way for Westfield), married Leo Cotton in 1910. Leo moved to Hornsby in 1907, and was a student of Hornsby resident Edgeworth David, succeeding him as Professor of Geology at the University of Sydney. A portion of their property became Florence Cotton Reserve. Lisgar Gardens (further up the valley) were established by Leo's brother, Max.
References
http://www.dragonflyenv.com.au/projects/bush-regeneration/florence-cotton/
https://hornsbyshire.recollect.net.au/nodes/view/1864
Congratulations to crash2079 for the FTF!