City of Canada Bay Nature Trail

Learn about the local flora and fauna in Quarantine Reserve

Bring the kids outdoors to explore the City of Canada Bay's Nature Trail at Quarantine Reserve in Abbotsford! Did you know Quarantine Reserve is home to over 5 species of Eucalyptus trees? Did you know that native grasses like Poa can sometimes be mistaken for weeds but they provide food for butterflies and seed-eating birds?

Download and print the Nature Trail Guide now!

The Nature Trail

Follow the map and look out for 19 signs and tags along the trail to learn more about Quarantine Park's plant and animal species.

History

Quarantine Reserve in Abbotsford is a beautiful, historic park on the Parramatta River, which was once home to Sydney’s animal quarantine station. Since becoming a parkland in 1980, the Reserve has undergone one hectare of native revegetation, with existing canopy vegetation including Eucalyptus trees and Figs, it is now reminiscent of a Coastal Sandstone Foreshore Forest.

Between 1917 and 1930, works began on the Abbotsford Animal Quarantine Station. The station housed farm animals such as sheep, pigs, horses and cattle that arrived from overseas to ensure they were disease-free before being released to their owners.

Local species

Hardenbergia violacea

Also known as the Happy Wanderer, the Hardenbergia is a member of the pea family that blooms purple or white flowers in late winter to spring.

Aboriginal people had many uses for the plant:

The flowers were used as a seasonal indicator, a signal for warmer weather where certain fish in the river were ready to be caught and eaten.
Leaves can be crushed and boiled to make a tea similar in taste to green tea.
The vine was used as rope or twine, woven together to make nets or traps.

Tawny Frogmouth

Tawny Frogmouths are nocturnal birds that often gets confused with owls. During the day, you will often find them low down on tree branches, camouflaged as part of the tree. They usually eat insects, worms, slugs, snails and sometimes they also eat small mammals, reptiles and frogs. In Quarantine Park you will find them camouflaged in paperbark trees.

Melaleuca stypheloides by John Tann

The Melaleuca stypheloides, commonly known as the Prickly-leaf Paperbark, is a small native tree that grows well along costal areas. They produce small creamy white flower spikes in spring and are drought-hardy once established.

Traditionally, maleleuca or paperbark have many uses:

The soft bark have been used as bedding because it's soft and can keep you dry. They would often use it to cradle babies in.
Softer pieces of paperbark were soaked in water and wrapped around food, such as fish, emu or kangaroo and placed on the fire to cook.
Medicinally the oil found in the leaves is used as an antiseptic with the bark used as a bandage.

Protecting biodiversity

1. Join Canada Bay Bushcare

Bushcare is a volunteer program that enables community members to participate in the restoration, enhancement and maintenance of natural areas within the City of Canada Bay. Current areas where Bushcare groups work include:

Concord Bushcare: Queen Elizabeth II Park, Concord, Lovedale Place, Concord West and Quarantine Reserve, Abbotsford
Cabarita Bushcare: Prince Edward Park, Cabarita
Sisters Bay Bushcare: Drummoyne and Russell Lea
Yaralla Bushcare: Concord West.

Joining Bushcare is easy and we are always welcoming new volunteers. All you have to do is contact Council's Bushcare Team Leader on 9911 6555 or email council@canadabay.nsw.gov.au.

2. Get involved in community clean-ups

Help keep our environment clean by joining Council's Love Your Place program. You can adopt your own site or join an existing group that is working at one of the following sites:

Rodd Park, Rodd Point
Halliday Park, Five Dock
Hen & Chicken Bay, Wareemba
Quarantine Reserve, Abbotsford
Concord Hospital Foreshore, Concord West
Half Moon Bay, Drummoyne
Cabarita Park, Cabarita

Visit the Love Your Place page to find out more about joining the program or how you can get involved in other community clean-ups in the local are.

3. Be a Riverkeeper

The Riverkeeper Program aims to connect organisations, volunteer groups and individuals to develop opportunities for the community to learn more about and care for waterway health and the conservation of the local environment in the Parramatta River catchment.

Name	Sustainability Team
Phone	9911 6555
Email	council@canadabay.nsw.gov.au

Collaborate Canada Bay

Canada Bay Nature Trail

Learn about the local flora and fauna in Quarantine Reserve

The Nature Trail

History

Local species

Hardenbergia violacea

Tawny Frogmouth

Melaleuca stypheloides by John Tann

Microlaena stipoides by Tony Rodd

Protecting biodiversity

1. Join Canada Bay Bushcare

2. Get involved in community clean-ups

3. Be a Riverkeeper

Contact

Locations

Civic Centre

Postal address

Email

Website

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