Beyond the trees, a panoramic vista awaits us at Duffys Lookout. Duffys Lookout offers a tranquil escape. It is located on the Cardinia Creek near the South Pacific Ocean.
Duffys Lookout is 41km east-southeast of Melbourne. We stand at an altitude of about 147m above sea level. The nearest town is Beaconsfield Upper. It has a population of around 1,300 people.
Imagine Peter Joseph Duffy. He was an Irishman and major local landowner. The suburb was named for him. In the mid-1850s, Duffy built a wharf to transport local timber. Felled trees came down to the water’s edge by bullock. They were then loaded onto boats. A few rocks at the water’s edge mark where the wharf once stood.
Before Duffy, the Guringai people called this area home. They lived here for many years after too. Sadly, smallpox decimated their numbers after Europeans arrived. Over 800 Aboriginal sites exist in Ku-ring-gai National Park. These include rock art and shell middens. Traces of a midden are underfoot. It’s the very place Duffy built his wharf.
Duffys Forest has a unique history. Its soil is fertile. This results in taller trees and a grassier understorey. Red Bloodwood and Silvertop Ash trees thrive here.
The area saw little colonial settlement before 1850. The land didn’t offer immediate agricultural potential. However, there was extensive exploration. Surveyors like Cayley and Larmer mapped the area. Larmer created the track that became Booralie Road.
The discovery of gold in NSW brought many people from the United Kingdom. Peter Joseph Duffy received a land grant of 100 acres in 1857. He started felling trees to sell timber in Sydney. He created a bullock track to Cowan Water. There he established his wharf. Timber was loaded onto barges. They transported it up the Hawkesbury to Sydney Harbour. Duffys Forest was remote. It required a trip of over 100 kilometres by horse and cart to Sydney.
Even during the depression, the Ku-ring-gai National Park was declared in 1894. After World War One, soldier settlements were introduced. Unfortunately, they were not successful. Many ex-servicemen left their lots.
Increased car ownership after World War Two made the area more accessible. The Sunday afternoon drive became popular. Roadside stalls appeared catering to tourists. Volunteer fire services were established. Bushfires brought the community together.
Electricity arrived in 1967. A proposal to create an airport at Duffys Forest was defeated.
Today, Duffys Lookout remains a place of beauty. It gives us pause to reflect on the land’s rich history. From the Indigenous custodians to the European settlers, many have shaped this landscape. As you gaze out over the view, remember the stories. Remember the people who came before us at Duffys Lookout.