Sailors Bay Park

Area: 2.1 ha

Sailors Bay Park is a bushland reserve located at the eastern end of Rockley St in the suburb of Castlecrag. Situated on the north-eastern shore of Sailors Bay, it is surrounded by the waters of Middle Harbour on three sides.

A very steep single lane sealed track connects the carpark at the end of Rockley St with the marina and boat shed run by Castlecrag Marine and 1st Sailors Bay Sea Scouts club house. Mowbray Point, located at the tip of the Park, was dedicated for wharfage and recreational purposes during the 1880’s. The Castlecrag boatshed was a popular meeting place for families interesting in boating.

Sailors Bay Park was named and dedicated as a park in 1896. In 1994 a monument was placed at the end of Rockley St to honour Castlecrag resident and actor Leonard Teale for his contribution to performing arts and community work. The Cammeraygal clan of the Aboriginal people originally occupied the area.

Middens have been recorded nearby and a possible site within the park is being investigated. They are protected by State and Federal legislation. The reserve is a part of continual ecological linkage of habitat along the foreshore of Middle Harbour. Animals find refuge in the reserve, and the connectivity with other surrounding bushland allows species to move or migrate with less pressure from urbanisation. The reserve contains tall open Eucalyptus forest and rocky foreshore habitat suitable for small birds, reptiles and mammals.