Before 1788, the year in which the British colony of New South Wales was established, the area we now know as the Sydney Basin (from Pittwater in the north to Port Hacking in the south; and from the Blue Mountains in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west) was virgin bushland populated by a number of Aboriginal family groups whose impact on the environment was minimal.
Today, pockets of natural vegetation scattered throughout the metropolitan area as well as untouched bushland on the outer perimeter give us a glimpse of what each area was like in its natural state and the wildlife that lived there.
Over 70 different species of native mammals are known to have inhabited the pre-colonial bushland of the Sydney region. Koala, Platypus, Wombat, common Ring-Tailed Possum, Common Wallaroo, Bandicoot, Echidna, Dingo, Water Rat and various species of Bats and Gliders, Quoll, Wallabies and Bandicoots were commonplace throughout the Sydney region. Today, only the Bats and Gliders have retained their numbers though some smaller animals like Possums and Reptiles have survived and can still be found throughout the metropolitan area. The further out from the city you go, the more common larger mammals such as Kangaroos and Wallabies become. A few Koala colonies have survived in the outer suburbs but all but one of these is under threat. Platypus and Lyrebirds are known to exist in the northern section of Garigal National Park but sightings are rare. Dingoes and Emus haven't been sighted for over a century.
Though it is impossible to identify all bird species that were once prolific in the Sydney region, it is believed they number well over 200, of which more than half have survived. Galahs, Sulphur Crested Cockatoos, Corellas, Noisy Miners and Magpies are the most common and can be seen regularly across Sydney, particularly in the riverside and bushland suburbs. Many waterbirds have survived but some, like the Black Swan and certain species of honeyeater, are rare. Summer and winter migrants continue to visit Sydney and waterbirds continue to occupy the remaining remnants of Estuarine wetlands around the rivers and harbours. Bird communities common to the sandstone scrubland remain and have maintained good numbers due to the large national parks in Sydney's north and south where this type of vegetation is predominant. As limited stands of Cumberland plain woodlands have survived, bird colonies are restricted to these areas and are very limited in number.
The best places to view Australia's unique fauna are the numerous zoos and wildlife parks dotted around the perimeter of the metropolitan area. Most of these have been created within tracts of natural bushland which ensure that visitors can view the animals at close range in as close to their natural habitat as it is possible. The Sydney Aquarium at Darling Harbour and the Oceanarium at Manly both display a broad cross section of sea creatures found in Sydney Harbour and the Pacific Ocean off Sydney. Garigal National Park is one of the best places to see a cross section of birdlife typical of the Sydney region in their natural habitat.
Where to go and what to look for is detailed below. Also detailed are Sydney's flying fox and koala colonies. To locate and see other native mammals in the wild, readers are advised to contact the Australian Museum, National Parks & Wildlife Service or a local council for further assistance.

Koalas

Koalas were once common in the bush of the Sydney region but extensive clearing of their habitat combined with hunting in Sydney's colonial years, road kills and predation by domestic dogs in more recent times has seen their numbers drastically reduced to the point where they have all but vanished. The Koala in NSW is therefore listed under the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act as a species vulnerable to extinction.
There are only three remaining Koala colonies within in the Sydney district, one of which is in a restricted military area. This is the only colony deemed as not being under threat because of its location. If you want to see Koalas in their natural habitat as opposed to those in captivity, there are no specific places within those locations were one can guarantee seeing Koalas as they move through areas at night, travelling from tree to tree in their search for food. Nature reserves and strands of virgin bushland are the most likely places to find them. Remember that if you do find any, it is illegal to touch the animals or to disturb their habitat.

Barrenjoey: A small remnant of the Koalas which once occupied the whole of the Barrenjoey Peninsula and northern beaches has been given special legal protection as part of a last ditch effort to see if it is possible to recover the population from what otherwise would be certain extinction. This is the first instance anywhere in Australia that a specific Koala population has been given special legal protection.
The population occurs between Elanora Heights in the south and Palm Beach to the north, on the Barrenjoey Peninsula. In the thirty years between the 1940s and the 1970s, the population was estimated to be around 123 animals, the largest in the Sydney area, but in 1993 the number was estimated to have dwindled to as little as six.
The primary reason for the decline is the same as for the whole Sydney region, that of habitat loss and fragmentation as the Peninsula has become increasingly urbanised. Only 125 ha of natural bushland remain from the 705 ha on the peninsula in 1946. This has been compounded by road kills and predation by domestic dogs. The building of a retirement village along Avalon Parade at a time when there were not specific planning laws to protect Koala habitat was a major blow to the Barrenjoey Koalas. Local residents have planted 2,000 tress to maintain a food source for the colony. Sighting Koalas is never guaranteed but the most likely places to see them are Attunga and Hewitt Parks, Bilgola. (UBD Map 118 Ref Q 6) and McKay Reserve, Palm Beach.
UBD Map 98 Ref Q 4).

Wedderburn: Wedderburn, to the south of Campbelltown in the Macarthur district, is home to the largest and best known koala colony in the Sydney region. In recent times, moves have been made by the local council to allow the human population of Wedderburn to double. This has raised concerns by conservationists who warn that such action would intensify the threats to the koala colonies which survive on the edges of Wedderburn as well as the individual koalas which move through Wedderburn during mating season. The Koalas in the area are unusually disease free but very vulnerable to the clearing of bush, household pets, pollution of waterways and road traffic.
Koala colonies have survived as well as they have in the O'Hares Creek catchment area thus far because it is cut off from many aspects of urbanisation by natural boundaries. Cubbitch Barta National Estate area forms both the Northern and Eastern boundaries. The O'Hares Creek National Estate Area and The Wedderburn State Forest mark the Southern boundary while the Georges River is the southern boundary. The only functioning entry by car is over a causeway which is occasionally cut off by flooding of the Georges River.
Wedderburn is not serviced with mains water, sewage, shop, post office, public telephone, school or a doctor although it is connected to Sydney's telephone and electricity grids. With views to the Blue Mountains and to Centre Point, pristine creeks and gullies and swimming holes such as Minerva Pool, not to mention its Koalas, Wedderburn is only of the Sydney region's best kept secrets.
UBD Map 366 Ref N 13

Holsworthy: The Holsworthy Military Area contains what is the last remaining colony of healthy Koalas in Sydney which at present is not under threat. They make their homes in the majestic grey gums around O'Hares Creek. Holsworthy is now the only area in Sydney where koalas not only survive but are continuing to breed. Researchers from the University of Western Sydney, Macarthur, have tagged a number of young koalas and fitted them with special tracking collars so their progress can be monitored.
One Koala which has joined the Holsworthy colony is a youngster who was named Sarah by researchers from the University of Western Sydney, Macarthur. Sarah was first spotted at Wedderburn as a young koala clutching the back of her mother. The researchers had tagged Sarah and fitted a special tracking collar so they could monitor her progress. She had travelled many kilometres to her new home and what could be her breeding ground on the Holsworthy Army Range. Tragically, her home will be razed to make way for runway lights if the Federal Government proceeds with a proposal for an airport at Holsworthy. As the Holsworthy Koala colony is in a restricted military area, they cannot be accessed by the general public.
UBD Map 348

Pennant Hills: After an absence of at least half a century, a colony of wild Koalas appears to have taken up residence in Cumberland State Forest in the heart of suburban Pennant Hills (UBD Map 172 Ref A 3). If they are truly wild rather than introduced or escaped, it would be the closest Koala colony to the Sydney city centre. Evidence of the colony first came to light in 1998 when a female Koala and a joey were found in the 40-hectare reserve, feeding in the largest remaining stand of blue gum high forest in the metropolitan area. The nearby Koala Park claimed the pair as theirs but there was dissatisfaction with the decision to hand them over because State Forests staff and scientists believed they were wild.
Koalas bred in captivity are meant to be microchipped, and the mother and joey were not. In 2002, Koalas were heard calling in the nearby Darling Mills State Forest (UBD Map 171 Ref N 12). More animals were sighted in the Cumberland Forest recently. Rangers now regularly observe koalas in a stand of grey gums beside one of the main bushland walks in the Forest.


Lyrebirds

Lyrebirds inhabit the damp gullies of the northern section of Garigal National Park in Sydney's north. Evidence of these shy birds may only be a stray but beautiful pink tail feather or its distinctive "pilik-pilik" call. Mimicry of other bird species and mammals is a speciality of the Lyrebird.
The West Head and Resolute walking tracks of Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Parks are the most likely places to find Lyrebirds in this Park. Lyrebirds are often seen in Royal National Park. May to July is the mating season for Lyrebirds and the males can be heard during its territorial display at this time.

Bats / Flying Foxes

The most common Bat or Flying-Fox in the Sydney area is the Grey-headed flying-fox. These protected mammals play a vital role in the regeneration of eastern Australian rainforests as they pollinate the flowers of eucalypts and paperbarks and disperse the seeds of rainforest plants. The Ku-Ring-Gai Bat Conservation Society Inc. is the premiere group studying these creatures. The society holds Bat walks with an experienced bat speaker, including a talk about bats, meeting a hand-reared Flying-Fox and a conducted walk to watch the evening fly out. Book through Ku-Ring-Gai Chase Alive Volunteers; Ph.. 02 9457 9853.

Cabramatta Creek Flying Fox Colony: Jacqui Osmond Reserve, Hume Highway, Cabramatta.
Watch the evening exodus of Flying-Foxes (20 minutes after sunset) from the Cabramatta Creek Flying-fox Reserve. UBD Map 249 Ref K 12

Grey-Headed Flying Fox Colony, Gordon: Rosedale Road, Gordon.
The Richmond Park bushland reserve was established as a site for the study of Sydney's Grey-Headed Flying-Foxes. The colony have been recorded roosting in the valley of Stony Creek since the 1960s but have been reported in the valley since the early 1900s. The Ku-Ring-Gai Bat Conservation Society Inc. has been working to restore the roosting habitat in this reserve since 1985. Flying-Foxes can be seen up close at Kukundi Wildlife Shelter in Lane Cove National Park. Educational signs have been erected on the bridge on Rosedale Road, Gordon. You can watch the spectacular evening fly out from the Gordon Colony every evening from the bridge. Flying-Foxes begin leaving their colony 20 minutes after sunset to feed throughout the metropolitan area. This wonderful wildlife spectacle is best seen from October to March. The number of flying-foxes in the colony frequently changes because individuals move from one colony site to another. Sometimes in the winter there are none at this site. Watch for females carrying their infant in October and November, and juveniles practising flying in January.
The lower slopes of the reserve rainforest canopy contains coachwood, Lilly Pilly and turpentine with emergent blue gum and blackbutt. On the upper slopes and the open forest canopy species include red mahogany and Sydney red gum. The reserve has been the subject of conservation efforts which have included the removal of weeds and the regeneration of species native to the area.
UBD Map 174 Ref: P 5

Royal Botanical Gardens: Macquarie Street, Sydney
Grey-Headed Flying-Foxes can be seen roosting in the trees of the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney (right). Early records of flying-foxes in the Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens show an interesting pattern and raise a number of issues which are difficult to relate to the timing of recent invasions. Incursions of flying-foxes were reported camping in the Botanic Gardens in the 1916 and 1920 Annual Reports but these were the last records of flying-foxes in the Gardens prior to the establishment of the 1989 camp. Since December 1998 a small group of bat researchers, Botanic Gardens staff and other concerned groups have been attempting to develop a management plan in order to reduce damage to specimen trees without adversely impacting on the flying-foxes.
Researchers are also hoping one day to find answers to the questions, "Why did Flying-Foxes return to the Botanic Gardens site after 68 years absence? What is the mechanism that allows this species to recognise possible camp sites after an absence of so many generations? What were the factors that caused a group of flying-foxes to break away from the main colony and attempt to establish a new one?"
UBD Map 1 Ref: N 15


Little (Fairy) Penguins

Not many years ago, Little or Fairy Penguins were quite common on Sydney Beaches, and people living on the northern beaches actually used to place chicken wire underneath their houses to keep them out; subsequently they no longer nest there. Today, only two colonies survive, one on Lion Island in Broken Bay and the other at Store Beach, Manly. Senior citizens recall camping on Store Beach and remember them marching through their tents at night.
In 1952 there were a number of penguin colonies in the Manly area totalling about 500 birds. 300 birds were shot in the 1950s and their numbers have slowly been depleted by dogs alighting from boats, pollution and the advent of jet skis (these have been subsequently banned on Sydney Harbour). By 2000, the population had fallen to only 65 breeding pairs and less than 150 birds. When dogs destroyed the Little Penguin colony at Eden, those at Manly and Broken Bay became the last breeding colonies of Little Penguins on the mainland of NSW. Steps have been taken by concerned residents wildlife preservation groups and Government bodies to protect the Manly colony.
UBD Map 198 Ref: D 16


Animals of Sydney's National Parks

To see other birds and animals in their natural surroundings, you can't go past the National parks in and around the Sydney Metropolitan area. Here their natural habitat has been protected and it is possible to see many animals and birds in the wild without having to leave Sydney.

Garigal National Park

The heathlands of the central section of the park are the home of a similar variety of birds and animals as are found in Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park to the north. Nectar, pollen and insect eating birds such as honeyeaters and parrots are attracted by the abundance of flowering shrubs. Cockatoos, parrots, magpies and whip birds also abound. Lyrebirds occupy the damp gullies of the park. By the waters of Middle Harbour in the south, cormorants and sea birds are regularly seen foraging in the tidal mud flats for marine worms, crabs and stingrays. Mud cockles, whelks, oysters and barnacles can be found along the shore on the rocky, shell-encrusted ledges. Herons and honeyeaters inhabit the mangrove areas which are nursery grounds for crabs, whelks, prawns and juvenile fish. Throughout the park are a wide variety of insects, small reptiles and small mammals including the platypus, most of which are nocturnal.
UBD Map 176 Ref C 6

Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park
Predominantly rugged sandstone country, the park offers shelter to a wide variety of birds and animals. Possums, tiger cats, swamp wallabies, bandicoots and egg-laying spiny anteaters are common, but as most are nocturnal, are seldom seen during the day. Magpies, cockatoos, wrens, honeyeaters, red wattlebirds and a wide variety of parrots are commonly seen and heard.
UBD Map 98 Ref B 4

Royal National Park

Much of the park is a heath covered sandstone plateau shaped like a saucer rim. Over the centuries, streams have cut gullies and gorges through the sandstone and these valleys contain a totally different type of vegetation from that of the ridges. Just as the vegetation varies, so too does the fauna. Lyrebirds, wonga pigeons, green catbirds, satin bower-birds and eastern whip birds, which are among the rarer species of the park, occupy the lush, leafy forests and rainforests in the gorges along with parrots, scrub wrens and kookaburras. Honeyeaters and wattle birds are common in the heathlands. Larger birds such as ravens and sulphur-crested cockatoos are found in abundance in the tall open forests along with pied currawongs, rosellas and grey butcher birds. Large sea birds are frequent visitors to the rocky shoreline.
As with the other National Parks, the majority of animals here are nocturnal so the chances of seeing them during daylight hours is limited. Spiny anteaters or echidnas are the most common and can be seen throughout the park. Swamp wallabies are common in the heavier forested areas but have also be seen in the heathlands. Ringtail and brushtail possums are active through the night and leave untidy circular nests of twigs. Southern bush rats, swamp rats, the New Holland mouse and the insect-eating antechinus, all nocturnal, are among the many ground dwelling animals to which the park is home.
UBD Map 352 Ref K 6

Heathcote National Park

A close neighbour of Royal National Park, Heathcote is less frequently visited and is centred around the deep valleys carved out of the sandstone by Heathcote Creek and its tributaries. Kookaburras and New Holland honeyeaters are common in the wooden gullies while lyrebirds, yellow-tufted honeyeaters and spotted quail-thrush are less visible. Swamp wallabies, eastern native cat and platypus have been seen, but mainly in the early morning and evening. As with the Royal National Park, the majority of mammals are small and nocturnal and so are rarely seen. Possums are plentiful but are rarely seen other than at night.
UBD Map 351 Ref A 4


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