Remember Bilgola’s history. It is more than just sand and surf. This is the South Bilgola Headland Viewing Platform. The South Bilgola Headland Viewing Platform offers stunning coastal views.
Bilgola is said to mean “swirling waters” in an Aboriginal language. It was a popular fishing spot for the original custodians. Government Surveyor James Meehan first mapped it. He noted the word ‘Belgoula’ in his records of 1814.
The beach was named “Dalley’s Beach” after William Bede Dalley. He was a one-time Attorney General. He also served as Acting Premier of New South Wales. Dalley had a beach house named Bilgola House in the 1870s.
Bilgola Beach is 500m long. It faces southeast. It is bordered by Bilgola Head to the north. Newport Head is a lower, shaley headland to the south. The beach has a single sand bar. Two shifting beach rips cut through it. Permanent rips exist against the rocks at each end. The southern rip is called the “Newport Express”. It flows fast over the rocks. It carries the unwary south to Newport.
The landscape shows this alcove was once a deep tidal cove. The green reserve surrounding the Bilgola Bends is known as Hewitt Park. A sandstone escarpment drops over 75 metres. This forms a very steep slope.
A reserve at the south end has a constructed track. It winds around the headland through to Newport Beach. This reserve is named Hamilton Reserve. Attunga Reserve covers 7.95 hectares. It sits over the ridgeline separating Bilgola and Newport beaches. Arthur J Small Lookout has panoramic views. It is bounded by thick coastal scrubland at the north end. Two creeks drain from Bilgola plateau. One is at mid-slope. The other is at the northern end. The northern creek can become a waterfall.
The gully structure supports a Cabbage-tree Palm Forest. Lilly Pilly and Guioa trees are also present. Emergent eucalypts include Broad-leaved White Mahogany. The understory has Forest Oak and Veiny Wilkiea. Bolwarra and Bastard Rosewood also grow here. Mock Olive and Sweet Pittosporum are common. The ground layer is dominated by ferns.
Fruits attract species like the Topknot Pigeon. Seasonal migrants include the Koel and Channel-billed Cuckoo. Koalas lived along Bilgola Bends until 2000. Foxes have been seen at dusk. Raptors hunt in the ridgeline. Birdline NSW reported a white-tailed Tropicbird off the headland in May 2015. An Eastern Koel was on the ridge top in August.
Bilgola became smaller residential lots in the 1920s. Tom Gilbert remembered Bilgola valley being a dumping ground. This spoiled the landscape. Residents protested when Bilgola House was demolished.
The Bilgola Preservation Society formed Friends of Bilgola. This was after Bilgola House was demolished in 1989. Anne Spencer initiated Indonesian Language teaching at Bilgola Plateau Public School. She fought mobile phone towers. She worked to green the wildlife corridor. Anne and Colin Spencer protected Bilgola Beach. The Society aimed to preserve the area’s natural beauty. They promoted proper planning.
The South Bilgola Headland Viewing Platform allows you to overlook a place with a rich history. It is a history of natural beauty. It is also a history of community action. The Bilgola Development Control Plan set development controls for the area.
Walter Oswald Watt bought land in Bilgola in 1912. He was the first Australian to become a fully qualified pilot. He joined the French Foreign Legion during World War I. He later commanded Australian Flying Corps squadrons. Watt returned to Bilgola after the war. He was found drowned at Bilgola Beach in 1921.
Hannah Maclurcan, a hotelier, bought land in Bilgola. She was famous for her cookbook. She transformed the Wentworth Hotel into a fashionable establishment. She retired to Bilgola. She filled her house with curios and antiques.
Today five houses occupy the Bilgola House site. Owners preserve heritage items. These include cabbage-tree palms and stone walls. The flower urns with carved heads remain. From this South Bilgola Headland Viewing Platform you see more than a beach. You see a story of people and place.