Dangar Island
Encyclopedia
Dangar Island is a small forested island
in the Hawkesbury River
, just north of Sydney
, New South Wales
, Australia
. It has a permanent population of about 250, which swells dramatically during holiday seasons. The island is serviced regularly by the Dangar Island Ferry
service that departs from Brooklyn
and takes about ten minutes. The Brooklyn ferry is itself adjacent to the CityRail
station of Hawkesbury River. The ferry service is in operation 7 days a week.
Aborigines
for thousands of years. The first European to visit the area was Governor Arthur Phillip
, who explored the lower river by small boat in March 1788 within weeks of the First Fleet
's arrival. He named it Mullet Island, for the abundance of fish in the local Hawksbury River. At first the local people were friendly towards him, but when he returned a year later, they would not come into contact. By 1790, over half the Guringai people had succumbed to the smallpox
the British had brought with them.
The island was purchased in 1864 and renamed by Henry Carey Dangar, the son of Henry Dangar
,a surveyor, pastoralist and parliamentarian
.
Dangar leased the island to the Union Bridge Co of Chicago for the construction of the original Hawkesbury River Rail Bridge between 1886-1889. About 400 Americans and their families lived there and the island boasted a large social hall, school, library and its own newspaper.
In the 1920s the island, which is barely a five-minute walk across, was divided into residential plots, though space was reserved on the beach, the flat and the top of the hill for recreational use.
, Dangar Island is relatively heavily inhabited. This was not always so. The island has several tarmacked tracks that have recently been closed off to all but the community fire truck, the council ute
and vehicles with special permits.
There are no private cars on the island. At one stage a couple of golf carts were imported, but due to protests from some of the island's residents, they have been phased out. The wheelbarrow
is the main method used to haul goods from the ferry. The island has one shop/café
, and a bowling club for members/visitors which has a bar. The island also has a community hall that supports several community groups, including a children's film workshop, and mains water.
Until recently, Dangar's flavour was that of an artists' colony. In recent years, however, the accessibility and charm of the location have meant an explosion in house prices to the point that only the wealthy can now consider purchasing homes there, which many now do as weekend retreats. New building on Dangar also continues, contributing to the changing character of the island.
The island was connected to the water supply system by the then Sydney-based Water Board in the 1980s. The island has recently been connected to the Sydney sewerage system by Sydney Water, via a sub-marine pipeline to the mainland and a state-of-the-art treatment plant in Brooklyn. Septic tanks are being quickly phased out by most residents, providing a boost to the Hawkesbury waterways surrounding Dangar Island.
Anyone travelling by road from the south, from either Sydney
or Hornsby
can take the F3 expressway
. The F3 expressway can be accessed from Pennant Hills Road
or the Pacific Highway
, coming up from North Sydney
. Drive across the Hawkesbury River Bridge and follow the Brooklyn-Mooney Mooney
turnoff just after you cross the river.
Anyone travelling by road from the north coming from either Newcastle
or Gosford
can take the F3 expressway. As you approach the Hawkesbury River you can exit the expressway via the Brooklyn-Mooney Mooney turnoff on your left hand side. Follow the signs to Brooklyn and drive through the village. At the end of the road you will find a public car park and the Dangar Island Ferry Wharf.
Rail travelling can catch a train from Central
or Strathfield railway station. The train departs from the Sydney Terminal (country) section at Central Station. Alight at Hawkesbury River Railway Station (after Cowan railway station). The Dangar Island ferry can be seen on your left as you leave the station.
The island has a community owned shop next to the ferry wharf that serves light snacks, coffee, breakfast and lunch. It also sells groceries and has a good supply of meat. On the weekend the Dangar Island Bowling Club, which is licensed, serves meals and you can play bowls.
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
in the Hawkesbury River
Hawkesbury River
The Hawkesbury River, also known as Deerubbun, is one of the major rivers of the coastal region of New South Wales, Australia. The Hawkesbury River and its tributaries virtually encircle the metropolitan region of Sydney.-Geography:-Course:...
, just north of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It has a permanent population of about 250, which swells dramatically during holiday seasons. The island is serviced regularly by the Dangar Island Ferry
Hawkesbury River Ferries
Hawkesbury River Ferries is a ferry and cruise boat operator based at Brooklyn on the Hawkesbury River in the northern suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
service that departs from Brooklyn
Brooklyn, New South Wales
Brooklyn is a small suburb of northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Brooklyn is located 51 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Hornsby Shire and is part of the North Shore region...
and takes about ten minutes. The Brooklyn ferry is itself adjacent to the CityRail
CityRail
CityRail is an operating brand of RailCorp, a corporation owned by the state government of New South Wales, Australia. It is responsible for providing commuter rail services, and some coach services, in and around Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong, the three largest cities of New South Wales. It is...
station of Hawkesbury River. The ferry service is in operation 7 days a week.
History
Dangar Island has been known to the local GuringaiKuringgai
Kuringgai is a name referring to an Indigenous Australian people of New South Wales....
Aborigines
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
for thousands of years. The first European to visit the area was Governor Arthur Phillip
Arthur Phillip
Admiral Arthur Phillip RN was a British admiral and colonial administrator. Phillip was appointed Governor of New South Wales, the first European colony on the Australian continent, and was the founder of the settlement which is now the city of Sydney.-Early life and naval career:Arthur Phillip...
, who explored the lower river by small boat in March 1788 within weeks of the First Fleet
First Fleet
The First Fleet is the name given to the eleven ships which sailed from Great Britain on 13 May 1787 with about 1,487 people, including 778 convicts , to establish the first European colony in Australia, in the region which Captain Cook had named New South Wales. The fleet was led by Captain ...
's arrival. He named it Mullet Island, for the abundance of fish in the local Hawksbury River. At first the local people were friendly towards him, but when he returned a year later, they would not come into contact. By 1790, over half the Guringai people had succumbed to the smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
the British had brought with them.
The island was purchased in 1864 and renamed by Henry Carey Dangar, the son of Henry Dangar
Henry Dangar
Henry Dangar was a surveyor and explorer of Australia in the early period of British colonisation. He became a successful pastoralist and businessman, and also served as a magistrate and politician...
,a surveyor, pastoralist and parliamentarian
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
.
Dangar leased the island to the Union Bridge Co of Chicago for the construction of the original Hawkesbury River Rail Bridge between 1886-1889. About 400 Americans and their families lived there and the island boasted a large social hall, school, library and its own newspaper.
In the 1920s the island, which is barely a five-minute walk across, was divided into residential plots, though space was reserved on the beach, the flat and the top of the hill for recreational use.
About the island
In contrast to much of the surrounding area, which is designated national parkKu-ring-gai Chase National Park
Ku-ring-gai Chase is a national park in New South Wales, Australia, 25 km north of Sydney located largely within the Ku-ring-gai, Hornsby, Warringah and Pittwater municipal areas. Ku-ring-gai Chase is also officially classed as a suburb by the Geographical Names Board of New South Wales...
, Dangar Island is relatively heavily inhabited. This was not always so. The island has several tarmacked tracks that have recently been closed off to all but the community fire truck, the council ute
Coupé utility
The coupé utility automobile body style, also known colloquially as the ute in Australia and New Zealand, combines a two-door "coupé" cabin with an integral cargo bed behind the cabin—using a light-duty passenger vehicle-derived platform....
and vehicles with special permits.
There are no private cars on the island. At one stage a couple of golf carts were imported, but due to protests from some of the island's residents, they have been phased out. The wheelbarrow
Wheelbarrow
A wheelbarrow is a small hand-propelled vehicle, usually with just one wheel, designed to be pushed and guided by a single person using two handles to the rear, or by a sail to push the ancient wheelbarrow by wind. The term "wheelbarrow" is made of two words: "wheel" and "barrow." "Barrow" is a...
is the main method used to haul goods from the ferry. The island has one shop/café
Café
A café , also spelled cafe, in most countries refers to an establishment which focuses on serving coffee, like an American coffeehouse. In the United States, it may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches...
, and a bowling club for members/visitors which has a bar. The island also has a community hall that supports several community groups, including a children's film workshop, and mains water.
Until recently, Dangar's flavour was that of an artists' colony. In recent years, however, the accessibility and charm of the location have meant an explosion in house prices to the point that only the wealthy can now consider purchasing homes there, which many now do as weekend retreats. New building on Dangar also continues, contributing to the changing character of the island.
The island was connected to the water supply system by the then Sydney-based Water Board in the 1980s. The island has recently been connected to the Sydney sewerage system by Sydney Water, via a sub-marine pipeline to the mainland and a state-of-the-art treatment plant in Brooklyn. Septic tanks are being quickly phased out by most residents, providing a boost to the Hawkesbury waterways surrounding Dangar Island.
Island access
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
or Hornsby
Hornsby, New South Wales
* Highest Maximum Temperature: 42 °C* Lowest Maximum Temperature: 4.9 °C* Warmest Month: January* Coolest Month: July* Highest Precipitation: February* Lowest Precipitation: July-Notable residents:...
can take the F3 expressway
Sydney-Newcastle Freeway
The Sydney-Newcastle Freeway is a stretch of motorway linking Sydney to the Central Coast, Newcastle and Hunter regions of New South Wales. It is part of the AusLink road corridor between Sydney and Brisbane, carrying the route designation....
. The F3 expressway can be accessed from Pennant Hills Road
Pennant Hills Road
Pennant Hills Road is a major highway located in Sydney, New South Wales. It runs from the suburb of Wahroonga, in the north, to the major central business district of Parramatta, Australia.-History:...
or the Pacific Highway
Pacific Highway (Australia)
The Pacific Highway is a major transport route along part of the east coast of Australia and is part of Australia's national route 1.It is 960 km long and links Sydney, the capital of New South Wales, to Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, along the coast, via Gosford, Newcastle, Taree, Port...
, coming up from North Sydney
North Sydney, New South Wales
North Sydney is a suburb and commercial district on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. North Sydney is located 3 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of North Sydney...
. Drive across the Hawkesbury River Bridge and follow the Brooklyn-Mooney Mooney
Mooney Mooney, New South Wales
Mooney Mooney is a suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, located on the north bank of the Hawkesbury River north of Sydney. It is part of the City of Gosford local government area.-Profile:...
turnoff just after you cross the river.
Anyone travelling by road from the north coming from either Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
or Gosford
Gosford, New South Wales
Gosford is a city located on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia, approximately 76 km north of the Sydney central business district...
can take the F3 expressway. As you approach the Hawkesbury River you can exit the expressway via the Brooklyn-Mooney Mooney turnoff on your left hand side. Follow the signs to Brooklyn and drive through the village. At the end of the road you will find a public car park and the Dangar Island Ferry Wharf.
Rail travelling can catch a train from Central
Central railway station, Sydney
Central Railway Station, the largest railway station in Australia, is at the southern end of the Sydney CBD. It services almost all the lines on the CityRail network, and is the major terminus for interurban and interstate rail services...
or Strathfield railway station. The train departs from the Sydney Terminal (country) section at Central Station. Alight at Hawkesbury River Railway Station (after Cowan railway station). The Dangar Island ferry can be seen on your left as you leave the station.
The island has a community owned shop next to the ferry wharf that serves light snacks, coffee, breakfast and lunch. It also sells groceries and has a good supply of meat. On the weekend the Dangar Island Bowling Club, which is licensed, serves meals and you can play bowls.