Wallumatta Nature Reserve is a small reserve, only 6.195 hectares
in size, located in the Sydney suburb of East Ryde. It was
dedicated in November 1990 over land previously owned by the New
South Wales Department of Health and cared for by the nearby
Macquarie Hospital. It is located within suburban Sydney, only 10
kilometres from the Central Business District, and surrounded by
residential development, hospital facilities and sealed
roads.
Although small in area, the nature reserve conserves a rare example
of open forest on Wianamatta Shale soil. The reserve is also
important because it includes species from both wetter and drier
shale forests as well as Hawkesbury Sandstone vegetation.
Wallumatta Nature Reserve protects one of the last remaining areas
of native forest (turpentine-ironbark) on shale soils within
Sydney. Practically all fertile shale soils were cleared for
farming in the nineteenth century, and as a result the majority of
bushland reserves within Sydney are situated on the less fertile
Hawkesbury sandstone soils, which support markedly different
vegetation.
A loop walk explores the transition zone between the wetter shale
forests of Sydney's north shore and the drier shale woodlands west
of Parramatta.
Stop and enjoy the tranquility of this important bushland
remnant and take time to appreciate some of the 35 species of birds
that have been recorded in the reserve.
DO NOT LEAVE THE PATH to find the cache, there is no
need. Please do not trample the vegetation.
This cache is being monitored by NPWS.
Entrance to the park is in Cressy Road.