| Pittwater | |
|---|---|
 A view of the southern portion of Pittwater. | |
 | |
| Etymology | William Pitt the Younger[1] |
| Location | |
| Country | Australia |
| State | New South Wales |
| Region | Greater Metropolitan Sydney |
| Municipality | Northern Beaches Council |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | McCarrs Creek |
| • location | north ofChurch Point |
| • coordinates | 33°38′38.3994″S151°16′55.2″E / 33.643999833°S 151.282000°E /-33.643999833; 151.282000 |
| 2nd source | Cahill Creek |
| • location | Mona Vale |
| • coordinates | 33°39′59.3994″S151°18′41.3994″E / 33.666499833°S 151.311499833°E /-33.666499833; 151.311499833 |
| Mouth | Broken Bay |
• location | West Head andBarrenjoey Head |
• coordinates | 33°34′47.9994″S151°18′57.6″E / 33.579999833°S 151.316000°E /-33.579999833; 151.316000 |
| Length | 10 km (6.2 mi) |
| Basin size | 50.8 km2 (19.6 sq mi) |
| Basin features | |
| River system | Hawkesbury–Nepean |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Bilgola Creek |
| • right | McMahon's Creek, Careel Creek |
| Island | Scotland Island |
Pittwater is a semi-maturetide dominateddrowned valleyestuary,[2] located about 40 kilometres (25 mi) north of theSydney central business district,New South Wales,Australia; being one of the bodies of water that separates Greater Metropolitan Sydney from theCentral Coast.
Pittwater has its origin from the confluence ofMcCarrs Creek, to the west ofChurch Point and a number of smaller estuaries, the largest of which isCahill Creek, that joins the Pittwater north ofMona Vale. The Pittwater is an open body of water, often considered abay orharbour, that flows north towards itsmouth intoBroken Bay, betweenWest Head andBarrenjoey Head, less than 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) from theTasman Sea.
The total area of the Pittwater is 18.4 square kilometres (7.1 sq mi) and around ninety percent of the area is generally administered by the Hawkesbury–Nepean Catchment Management Authority, in conjunction withNorthern Beaches Council.
The land adjacent to the Pittwater was occupied for many thousands of years by theKuringgai peoples, anAboriginal Australian grouping of uncertain origin. They used the river as an important source of food and a place for trade.[3]
Pittwater was namedPitt Water in 1788 in honour ofWilliam Pitt the Younger, the thenPrime Minister ofGreat Britain.[1]
Pittwater extends from Mona Vale andWarriewood in the south, along the eastern ridge of the Barrenjoey Peninsula leading toPalm Beach and along the western ridge of the Lambert Peninsula leading to West Head. The eastern parts of the catchment are largely urbanised whilst the western parts are primarilyKu-ring-gai Chase National Park.[3] Within the Pittwater liesCareel Bay, Refuge Cove, Saltpan Cove, Horseshoe Cove, Crystal Bay,McCarrs Creek, Browns Bay,Elvina Bay,Lovett Bay, Towlers Bay, Portuguese Bay,Coasters Retreat andThe Basin.[1]Scotland Island is located within the estuary.
Pittwater contains a diversity of estuarine habitat types includingmangrovewetlands,saltmarsh,sand flats andseagrass meadows,[3] including threatened areas of coastal saltmarsh.
The Dharug peoples were the traditional inhabitants of the land and waterways north and south ofSydney Harbour, from Botany Bay in the south, inland along the Parramatta River and through theLane Cove River and across Broken Bay and beyond toBrisbane Water. Amongst the Dharug there were many smaller units called clans, of which theGarigal were most prominent in the area surrounding Pittwater and the Northern Beaches.[4] During 1789 the impact ofsmallpox on aboriginal peoples led to extensive mortality, with the death rate estimated at somewhere between 50% and 90%. Conservatively, between 500 and 1000 Aboriginal people died on the coastal strip bounded byBotany Bay and Broken Bay. A significant proportion of these were Garigal.[5]
The waterway was surveyed by crew members ofHMS Sirius in 1788, and named Pitt Water after William Pitt the Younger, the then Prime Minister of Great Britain.[1][6] The first regular water transport across Pittwater was thecutterFrancis which carried settlers and farm produce from Sydney between 1793 and 1800.[7] By 1803 a fleet of privately owned coasters had begun operating between Pittwater,Cowan Creek andBerowra Waters, usually travelling in convoy to reduce the risk of piracy by escaped convicts living along the shore. These vessels were generally built onScotland Island and were not sufficiently seaworthy to leaveBroken Bay. A customs house operated from Pittwater between 1843 and 1900, and a government-built sandstone lighthouse was completed atBarrenjoey in 1881.[7] Both the Old Customs House and the lighthouse are listed on theRegister of the National Estate.[8][9]
Shipping declined as a transport medium following road and rail construction through the region between 1850 and 1890, especially the construction of a rail bridge over the Hawkesbury River in 1899. The last locally constructed shipping vessel was launched from a shipyard atBlackwall in 1912, and scheduled shipping services ceased in 1914.[7] However, since the 1950s, Pittwater has become predominantly residential in character and is a suburban region of Sydney.[10] The greater Sydney metropolis has extended to Palm Beach, Church Point and offshore communities in Pittwater, however its early character has been largely retained.[6]
Today, the Pittwater is a popular water recreation, such assailing andfishing. The area is an important natural heritage area that compriseswetlands,bushland,lagoons, awaterway, rock platforms andbeaches.[11]
The Pittwater toCoffs Harbour Yacht Race is held in January annually, and has been since 1981. However, in 2016 the race was held as Pittwater to Southport (in Queensland) since the facilities at Coffs Harbour had been badly damaged by East coast storms.[12]
The area gives its name to:
ChefPamela Clark resides in Pittwater.
Hawkesbury River region, New South Wales, Australia | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Islands | |||||||||
| National parks andnature reserves | |||||||||
| European explorers of the region | |||||||||
| Bridges andferries |
| ||||||||
| Adjoining rivers,bays, reservoirs, andcreeks |
| ||||||||
| Local government areas | |||||||||
| Education | |||||||||
| Major attractions | |||||||||
