The National Parks and Wildlife Service is constructing a new walking track in the Sydney Harbour National Park linking Middle Head – Gubbuh Gubbuh and Georges Head to the Sydney Harbour Scenic Walk. The link will connect the headlands and create a seamless walking experience for visitors.
This project is being delivered as part of the largest visitor infrastructure program in national park history.
View from Middle Head of the north and south heads of Sydney Harbour
What the project involves
The new walking track, with story-telling along the route and improvements to Chowder Bay Road, is identified in the Sydney Harbour National Park, Middle Head and Georges Head Masterplan.
Middle Head – Gubbuh Gubbuh is a jewel within the stunning array of foreshore open space and beaches that adjoin Sydney Harbour. The combination of natural and cultural qualities at Middle Head – Gubbuh Gubbuh and Georges Head is unique to Sydney and Australia. Intrinsic to this is a sense of retreat and release from urban Sydney that is enabled by the place’s largely undeveloped and low-key character. The master plan seeks to reconcile these fundamental values with improved and safer access for visitors.
The most important strategy for enhancing the community experience of Middle Head – Gubbuh Gubbuh and Georges Head is its effective integration into the Sydney Harbour Scenic Walk. At present, the headlands are not linked effectively to the broader Harbour Scenic Walk with key connections difficult and unclear. The new walk will connect the headlands to deliver the missing link along and create a seamless experience for visitors.
Across Middle Head – Gubbuh Gubbuh and Georges Head there are points of interest focussed on natural and cultural features from various phases of Sydney's history. The state-registered military fortifications at Middle Head – Gubbuh Gubbuh and Georges Head are significant as a collection of defence structures which date from 1801 to the Vietnam War. Conservation works to the significant military fortifications will also occur along with an interpretation of the area's history to create a highly layered recreational and educational experience.
Interpreting Georges Head and Middle Head – Gubbuh Gubbuh
A significant component of this project is the interpretation of Georges Head and Middle Head – Gubbuh Gubbuh, particularly the state-significant military fortifications.
We will install new interpretations, including signage and other installations, so visitors can learn more about the area's history. Digital interpretation also forms part of this. We have created 3 animations that depict the powerful defences of Sydney Harbour.
The first animation shows how Outer Middle Head, with a network of gun emplacements, shelters and tunnels, changed over time. Originally established in 1870, this fortification gradually changed over time as defence technologies improved. You'll see what guns were installed in this location and how the landscape was modified between the 1870s up to the 1960s.
The second animation describes the perceived threats to Australia during World War II and the twin 6-inch guns which were installed to protect Sydney's harbour in 1942. These guns were installed at Georges Head and Obelisk Bay in Sydney Harbour. Its main purpose was to cover the harbour from attack by torpedo boats. This emplacement includes a magazine, where ammunition was stored and crew room linked by underground passages. The 3-storey building was the control tower, observation point and searchlight.
The third animation shows the 'disappearing guns' installed in 1889 at the Inner Fort, Middle Head. The fortifications at this location were first constructed in 1871 to hold 5 80-pounder rifled muzzle loading guns. In 1889, these were replaced with 2 more advanced breech-loading 6-inch guns on 'disappearing' carriages. A technological marvel for its day, the gun would recoil into a pit to be reloaded as hydraulic rams powered the gun back into the first position. The gun emplacements were connected to the subterranean magazine via stone trenches and underground tunnels.
Watch the video below to see these guns in action protecting Sydney's harbour.
Belvedere Georges Head
The section of track from the Cobblers Beach Road to Outer Middle Head via Inner Middle Head is complete.
The longest section of track from the 1801 Georges Head Battery to the WW2 Georges Head casemate via Obelisk Bay is complete.
The last and most difficult section of track, from the 1801 Battery to the Outer Middle Head via a bridge over the outer defensive ditch, will be completed by the end of September 2024.
A new pathway linking the whole track to Chowder Bay will be completed as part of a package of improvements to Chowder Bay Road, which will start in August 2024 and be completed by December 2024. This last pathway will connect Middle Head and Georges Head to the Bondi to Manly Walk.
Occasional closures may be necessary over the next 6 months for lifting of materials by helicopter and roadworks. Please check the current alerts for details before planning your visit.
Middle Head – Gubbuh Gubbuh and Georges Head are not linked to the broader Sydney Harbour area or Bondi to Manly Walk and walkers largely bypass the headlands. Establishment of a new track linking Middle Head – Gubbuh Gubbuh to Georges Head will create an iconic harbour experience that leads walkers to the unmatched cultural and visual environment of Middle Head – Gubbuh Gubbuh. This will enhance the visitor experience at Middle Head – Gubbuh Gubbuh and Georges Head and enable visitors to experience the natural and cultural features of this area.
We manage our national parks to protect their unique values and provide for sustainable visitor use and enjoyment. This includes providing visitor experiences and, where appropriate, new visitor facilities including tracks and trails.
Independent environmental and heritage assessments were carried out to examine the significance of any likely environmental impacts of the proposal and identify means to eliminate or mitigate any impacts to the natural or cultural values of the site.
Gubbuh Gubbuh ('gub-uh, gub-uh') is the recognised Aboriginal name for the area known as Middle Head. We are pursuing dual naming in our national parks in consultation with Aboriginal communities. This dual naming will be incorporated wherever possible as part of the acknowledgment of Aboriginal culture and heritage.
Within the Sydney Harbour National Park are Middle Head – Gubbuh Gubbuh and Georges Head which contain the largest collection of 19th and 20th-century coastal fortifications anywhere in Australia, demonstrating evidence of the continual response to the technological changes in warships and artillery and the nature of perceived and actual threats to Sydney. The headlands also contain Aboriginal sites, pockets of natural bushland and some threatened plant and animal species.
Developing rich and engaging interpretation will be a key focus to immerse the walker in the natural and cultural landscape creating respect, a strong connection and sense of place.
We engaged with community groups and stakeholders throughout development of the master plan and will continue to engage with stakeholders and interested community groups throughout this project. We will provide regular updates on this project website. See the NPWS Visitor webpage and on-site signage for any impacts on visitation during the construction phase.
Project updates
