Here on Brisbane Water sits Rileys Island. It is a nature reserve with a captivating past. In 1855, John Riley purchased this island. Back then it was known as Shell Island. He paid 140 pounds, 17 shillings, and sixpence. The Riley family lived here. They built a house and started an oyster farm nearby.
But the house is long gone. Today Rileys Island is a sanctuary. It supports a diverse range of fish and bird life.
Rileys Island spans 45 hectares. That’s about 0.17 square miles. In 1878, a ship named Maggie Riley was built here. Two or three other ships were built in the 1860s. The Riley family’s oyster farm had large slabs of flat ashlar stone. They stood upright in the shallows near Riley’s Bay. The family also kept a few cattle and cultivated a banana plantation. They used seaweed for fertilizer.
Before European settlement, the island offered shellfish and fruit. Tubers, insect larvae, snakes, and lizards were also available. Small animals and speared fish supplemented their diet. Multi-pronged fish spears tipped with fish teeth or bones were used. Shellfish middens became so large that they were later excavated. This provided lime for building works in Sydney.
Look at the edges of Rileys Island. Mangrove swamps thrive here. The island’s interior is a dry schlerophyll forest. The mangroves are Avicennia marina, Grey Mangrove, and Aegiceras corniculatum, River Mangrove.
Efforts were made to develop canal subdivisions on Rileys Island. This was during the 1960s by Hooker-Rex Estates. The adjoining St. Hubert’s Island was developed for residential use in the early 1970s. A major environmental battle preserved Rileys Island.
Locals opposed the development. They had witnessed the environmental damage on St Hubert’s Island. Residents wanted Rileys Island saved as a nature reserve. The Gosford Shire Council supported them. They requested the State Government purchase the land.
Despite the opposition, Hooker-Rex began bulldozing. The Central Coast Environmental Protection Society reached out to the Builders Labourers Federation BLF. A green ban was placed on the site. The BLF recognized the island’s ecological significance. They knew the whole system could degrade rapidly if development proceeded.
Rileys Island officially became a park in June 1989. American opossums were once farmed here. They don’t like salt.
The island has changed shape a bit over time. Still, it remains. It is a testament to the power of community action. It shows what can be achieved to protect our natural heritage.
Some claim a priest built an illegal still here for distilling whisky. This was on the western side where the channel dividing the two islands ends. The foundations were visible in the early sixties. Others say it was boat building activities.
Today, Rileys Island stands as a protected nature reserve. It is open for all to appreciate its natural beauty. Take a moment to reflect on its past. Think about the families who lived here. Ponder on the battles fought to preserve it. Rileys Island remains a special place. It offers a glimpse into the history of Brisbane Water.