A Trip to Australia and New Zealand
Sydney - Watsons Bay
The small group of indigenous people who lived in the vicinity of Watsons Bay prior to the arrival of the Europeans called themselves the Cadigal clan and are part to the Darug Nation. The name of indigenous people living in the Sydney area is confusing - at least to me. Another name that one sometimes runs into for the Darug Nation is the Eora people. Apparently the word means "here" in the local language. When early Europeans asked local inhabitants who they were they answered that they were the people of here. In any case, these Gadigal people were the first folks to fall victim to European introduced diseases and many of the local people living near Sydney Cove died of small pox immediately after the Europeans arrived. Only three Cadigal clan members in this immediate area lived through the epidemic.
It was not until 1860 that Sydney City reached out to Watsons Bay. In 1903, a tram line connected the small community with Sydney City and since then it has been fully integrated into the general transportation system. We, of course, visited by ferry( and we recommend that you do as well when you get out this way).
The land behind Watsons Bay is but a slim sliver that sits between the open ocean on one side and Sydney Harbor on the other. The community is basically residential, but there is a legal nude beach nearby (we chose not to intrude), and there is a famous fish and chips cafe located at the ferry pier. A ten minute walk from the ferry takes the visitor to a bluff top trail that overlooks the Pacific Ocean and Port Jackson all the way to the central city. Below the trail is a cliff with crashing waves slamming into rocks with great force even on a day when the ocean was relatively calm. We were told that it is a popular place to commit suicide.
Watsons Bay is located at the tip of South Head which guards the southern side of the opening to Port Jackson. As early as 1892 defensive fortifications were built there and further developed during both World War I & II, and during the Cold War. There are a few remnants left for tourists to ponder over, but not much.
