Location
7R Old Ferry Road, Illawong
Facilities
- Boat ramp
- Bubbler
- Disabled access
- Parking
- Small craft launch facility
- Dogs on leash
Old Ferry Road Reserve is located at the northern end of Old Ferry Road, Illawong, on the edge of the Georges River. The reserve is a popular recreational destination for boaters and families with 100 metres of river frontage. Facilities include a picnic area, kayak launching ramp, fixed wharf, boat pick-up and drop-off point, car park with roadway and roundabout and pedestrian path.
Reserve History
The Dharawal people are the traditional custodians of the lands on the southern side of the Georges River. Of all the tributary creeks and the river itself, the only recorded Aboriginal names are Guragurang (now Mill Creek) and Woronora.
There has been a ferry service at this site since 1843, when a hand-operated punt began operating from what is now the Albert Delardes Reserve. The punt service was not profitable and ceased in late 1860. In 1887 the State Government re-established the Lugarno river crossing, utilising a hand-winched ferry operating from a ferry landing, located some 400 metres west of the former punt site. The regular ferry service steadily attracted visitors and the site soon became a popular recreational area for swimming, boating, river cruises and fishing.
A launching ramp which provides a safe access point for recreational users of small craft such as kayaks, surf skis and paddle boards at foreshore areas.
