Foxground, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Foxground is a locality in the Municipality of Kiama, in the Illawarra
Region of New South Wales
, Australia
. It is located two kilometres from the Princes Highway
, 10 kilometres south west of Kiama
. Broughton Creek flows through the valley.
The name Foxground is derived from the once abundant Grey-headed Flying Fox
es. Foxground was originally known as "The Flying Foxes Camping Ground". The indigenous people
of this area are from the Wadi Wadi and Yuin tribes. The first white men to explore the valley were likely to be Cedar
cutters in the 1820s or possibly earlier. As early as 1814, cedar cutters explored the area around nearby Gerringong. In 1890 explosions were detonated in an attempt to remove the Flying Foxes.
After clearing of the rainforest, the area was used mostly for dairy farms. The first white settler was John Blow. His original house was built from split timber slabs, with a bark roof. However, as his circumstances improved, he built a new home, "Willow Glen" which still stands today.
An attractive rural valley; now without the shops, school, churches, or the combined milk depot/post office of the past. The school closed in 1950. The Church of England
structure was built in 1873, and destroyed by fire in 1954. A Wesleyan
church was built in 1861, and sold in 1901.
The relatively fertile soils and generous rainfall produced high quality sub-tropical rainforest in the area. Significant species include Australian Red Cedar
, Camphorwood
, Yellow Ash
, Deciduous Fig
, and Illawarra Plum
. The rare Socketwood
occurs here in private property. Average annual rainfall at nearby Kiama is 1,256 mm. However, in 1950 Foxground received 4,263 mm, one of the highest annual rainfalls ever recorded in New South Wales.
Illawarra
Illawarra is a region in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is a coastal region situated immediately south of Sydney and north of the Shoalhaven or South Coast region. It encompasses the cities of Wollongong, Shellharbour, Shoalhaven and the town of Kiama. The central region contains Lake...
Region of 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 is located two kilometres from the Princes Highway
Princes Highway
The Princes Highway extends from Sydney to Port Augusta via the coast through the states of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, a distance of 1941 km or 1898 km via the former alignments of the highway ....
, 10 kilometres south west of Kiama
Kiama, New South Wales
-Transport:The town is served by Kiama Station on the South Coast Line. It is served by road in the form of the Princes Highway and the Kiama Bypass.-Attractions:...
. Broughton Creek flows through the valley.
The name Foxground is derived from the once abundant Grey-headed Flying Fox
Grey-headed Flying Fox
The Grey-headed Flying-Fox, Pteropus poliocephalus, is a megabat native to Australia.Members of the genus Pteropus include the largest bats in the world. The Pteropus genus has currently about 57 recognised species....
es. Foxground was originally known as "The Flying Foxes Camping Ground". The indigenous people
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....
of this area are from the Wadi Wadi and Yuin tribes. The first white men to explore the valley were likely to be Cedar
Toona ciliata
Australian Red Cedar , Toona ciliata is a forest tree in the family Meliaceae which grows throughout southern Asia from Afghanistan to Papua New Guinea and Australia. In Australia its natural habitat is now extensively cleared subtropical rainforests of New South Wales and Queensland...
cutters in the 1820s or possibly earlier. As early as 1814, cedar cutters explored the area around nearby Gerringong. In 1890 explosions were detonated in an attempt to remove the Flying Foxes.
After clearing of the rainforest, the area was used mostly for dairy farms. The first white settler was John Blow. His original house was built from split timber slabs, with a bark roof. However, as his circumstances improved, he built a new home, "Willow Glen" which still stands today.
An attractive rural valley; now without the shops, school, churches, or the combined milk depot/post office of the past. The school closed in 1950. The Church of England
Anglican Church of Australia
The Anglican Church of Australia is a member church of the Anglican Communion. It was previously officially known as the Church of England in Australia and Tasmania...
structure was built in 1873, and destroyed by fire in 1954. A Wesleyan
Wesleyan Methodist Church of Australia
The Wesleyan Methodist Church of Australia is a Christian denomination with its origins in Wesleyan Methodism. It is the organizational name for The Wesleyan Church in Australia.-Background and formation:...
church was built in 1861, and sold in 1901.
The relatively fertile soils and generous rainfall produced high quality sub-tropical rainforest in the area. Significant species include Australian Red Cedar
Toona ciliata
Australian Red Cedar , Toona ciliata is a forest tree in the family Meliaceae which grows throughout southern Asia from Afghanistan to Papua New Guinea and Australia. In Australia its natural habitat is now extensively cleared subtropical rainforests of New South Wales and Queensland...
, Camphorwood
Cinnamomum oliveri
Cinnamomum oliveri is a rainforest tree growing at the eastern coastal parts of Australia. It grows from the Illawarra district in New South Wales to Cape York Peninsula at the northern tip of Australia...
, Yellow Ash
Emmenosperma alphitonioides
Emmenosperma alphitonioides known as the Yellow Ash or Bonewood is a rainforest tree of eastern Australia. It grows from Clyde River, New South Wales near Batemans Bay , to Cape York Peninsula in at the most northerly part of Australia...
, Deciduous Fig
Ficus superba var. henneana
Ficus superba var. henneana is a strangler fig only occurring in Australia. It is a variety of Ficus superba which occurs in China, Japan and parts of South East Asia....
, and Illawarra Plum
Podocarpus elatus
Podocarpus elatus, known as the Plum Pine, or the Brown Pine is a species of Podocarpus endemic to the east coast of Australia, in eastern New South Wales and eastern Queensland....
. The rare Socketwood
Daphnandra johnsonii
Daphnandra johnsonii, the Illawarra Socketwood is a rare rainforest tree in the Illawarra district of eastern Australia.- Conservation & Threats:...
occurs here in private property. Average annual rainfall at nearby Kiama is 1,256 mm. However, in 1950 Foxground received 4,263 mm, one of the highest annual rainfalls ever recorded in New South Wales.