Perhaps Captain Phillip felt the same excitement we do now. He first landed in Sydney Harbour right here at Camp Cove. Imagine stepping onto this shore after months at sea.
Camp Cove. This bay is more than just a pretty beach. It’s a place where the story of modern Australia began. It is a place where Aboriginal history goes back millennia.
Before 1788, the Cadigal people thrived here. They used the freshwater pond behind Camp Cove. It was a vital resource. They fished and collected shellfish here. Camp Cove was their launching place for canoes. Some even believe the name Cadigal comes from “Cadi” the Aboriginal name for Camp Cove. However, there is no real evidence of that.
In January 1788, Captain Phillip’s First Fleet sailed into Port Jackson. Jacob Nagle’s journal describes their landing. They pitched tents for the night at Camp Cove. Marines guarded the camp while sailors fished. This camp gave Camp Cove its name. The next day Phillip explored Sydney Cove.
Camp Cove became a regular spot for First Fleet officers. Hunter and Bradley visited just two days after settling Sydney Cove. They met the local Aboriginal people there. Relations soon soured. David Collins noted conflict between the First Fleet and the Cadigal. Escaped convicts were deemed responsible.
Bradley’s later visit paints a grim picture. He found a starving man and children. They eagerly ate the salt beef offered. The man roasted a root for the children. Women fished offshore but wouldn’t come ashore.
The smallpox epidemic of 1789 devastated the Cadigal community. Aboriginal settlement at South Head ended. Half a century later, people from northern Sydney tribes camped here. They met ‘Queen Gooseberry’, Bungaree’s widow. Angas described them spearing fish by torchlight at Camp Cove. They waded into the water and used bark torches to attract fish.
Watsons Bay soon overshadowed Camp Cove. This happened after the lookout was established at Outer South Head in 1790. The water police used Camp Cove as a base. They had offices and residences here.
Look at Green Point the small promontory at the southern end of Camp Cove. It was a key marker for ships entering Port Jackson. A navigation obelisk was built here in the 1850s. During World War II, a boom net stretched from here to Georges Head. It caught one of the Japanese midget submarines in 1942.
Today Camp Cove beach is a popular spot. People come to relax and enjoy the view. As you stand here, remember its rich past. Camp Cove is a place of first encounters, survival, and resilience. A place where the story of a nation began.