Perhaps, like the Dharawal people, you sense a connection to this place. They knew Thirlmere Lakes as couridjah a place of honey. Now we call it Thirlmere Lakes National Park. This protected area sits in the Macarthur region of New South Wales. It is about 70 kilometers southwest of Sydney.
Thirlmere Lakes National Park was established in 1972. It was first known as Thirlmere Lakes State Park. Later it was reclassified as a national park. In 2000, it became part of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Greater Blue Mountains Area. Thirlmere Lakes is the smallest and most southeasterly of the eight protected areas in this World Heritage Site.
The lakes here are the park’s main feature. They formed about 15 million years ago. Geological activity lifted the land cutting them off from the local river system. The outflow is now just Blue Gum Creek. This creek flows west into the Little River in Nattai National Park.
Thirlmere Lakes National Park is home to diverse flora and fauna. The rare freshwater sponge Radiospongilla sceptroides lives here. Oddly freshwater snails are absent. You can also find the rare watershield plant here. The edges of the lakes are lined with grey sedge and wooly frogsmouth lily. The park provides a home for the Australasian bittern and Latham’s snipe. Both are scarce birds.
The habitat around the lakes is open sclerophyll forest. Rough-barked apple trees grow nearby. Sydney peppermint and red bloodwood trees grow on higher ground. You’ll also see banksias acacias pea flowers and the New South Wales waratah. These are familiar Sydney sandstone flora.
Sadly two of the lakes have dried out since the mid-1980s. This is due to groundwater removal from coal mining at the Tahmoor Colliery. The local community is working to revive the lakes. It might take decades to do so.
Thirlmere Lakes National Park offers walking tracks for visitors. The Thirlmere Lakes walking track is a 6-kilometer loop. It takes about 1.5 to 2.5 hours to complete. The track goes around the three large lakes. It showcases the park’s landscape. You might find you are the only one on the trail.
For a long time, the white settlers did not value these lakes. Water was pumped from them to supply steam engines. Later they were used for water-skiing. Now the reed-fringed lakes offer peace. They are ideal for canoeing bird-watching swimming and picnicking.
Underground coal mining has risked disrupting the groundwater. Some evidence suggests this led to the near-drying of the lakes. Thirlmere Lakes can be disarmingly peaceful especially at dawn and dusk. On cool nights the warmer water creates a light fog. This drifts from the humid atmosphere. Remember the name couridjah a place of honey and let this serene landscape leave a lasting impression.