Rozelle Bay & Blackwattle Bay

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Route: Rozelle Bay, Federal Park, Bicentennial Park, Glebe Point, Blackwattle Bay Park, Sydney College, Bridge Road, Pyrmont Bridge Road, ANZAC bridge, James Craig Road, The Crescent

Date: 03/05/2020
From: Federal Park

Parking: Federal Park
Start Point: Federal Park
Region: Sydney

Route length: 3.4 miles (5.5km)
Time taken: 01:19
Average speed: 2.6mph
Ascent: 47m
Descent: 50m

Other points of interest: Glebe Point, ANZAC bridge

Like Iron Cove (the subject of last weeks walk) Rozelle Bay and Blackwattle Bay are another of Sydney's inner harbour bays. While perhaps not quite as picturesque as Iron Cove, the circuit of the two bays includes crossing the ANZAC bridge - an impressive structure itself but overshadowed by the more famous Sydney Harbour Bridge.

This walk starts from Federal Park, located on the Glebe foreshore. A combination of four parks make up the Glebe Foreshore Parks, Federal Park being joined by Jubilee Park, Bicentennial Park and Blackwattle Bay Park to create 17ha of open space and sports facilities in the heart of Sydney. Immediately, the foreshore has an impressive view of the ANZAC bridge and the Sydney CBD skyline.

The busy Rozelle Bay

We passed through Federal Park, crossing Johnstons Creek via a footbridge. The creek is currently undergoing a transformation with the aim of restoring much of the old wetlands that once existing along the shore of Sydney Harbour. The naturalisation aims to add a further 6ha of parkland in addition to the saltmarshes. While it is a bit of a building site at the moment, I imagine it will be much improved in a few years time.

The ANZAC bridge and (currently under construction) Crown Sydney hotel

Palm trees in Jubilee Park

Across the wooden bridge, we entered Jubilee Park. Jubilee Park and the neighbouring Bicentennial Park are essentially one large area split into two parks, with the foreshore path making its way through the latter. The park, created in 1988 to celebrate the Bicentenary of white settlement of Australia, was the result of a fifteen-year campaign by the Glebe Society. In the early twentieth century, there was a public wharf here with a ferry service from Glebe Point -  until 1988 this small reserve was the only public access to the waterfront on Rozelle Bay.

Bicentennial Park

Bicentennial Park and one of the ANZAC bridges pylons

There are two large Moreton Bay fig trees in this Reserve that are illuminated at twilight. This is one of three public artworks in Glebe Point Road commissioned by the City in 2008. The path continues along, past the trees to Glebe Point which has a view directly beneath the ANZAC bridge and marks the separation between Rozelle Bay to the west and Blackwattle Bay to the east.

Glebe Point

ANZAC Bridge and Sydney Harbour bridge

Glebe Island bridge

Around from the point, a short set of steps lead down to a level stone flagged area on the waterfront backed with a stone retaining wall. This is the earliest part of Blackwattle Bay Park and has magnificent views of the city skyline. Pyrmont Point, behind the pylon of the Anzac Bridge, is dominated by the old Colonial Sugar Refinery distillery site, now mostly covered by high-rise apartments.

ANZAC bridge and the old distillery site

Blackwattle Bay

Panorama from Blackwattle Bay Park

Blackwattle Bay Park

Blackwattle Bay

Along the Sydney skyline, from left to right, you can see Sydney Tower at Market Street; the World Square Tower at Liverpool Street; the Market tower over Paddy’s Market; and the University of Technology tower in Broadway.

Sydney's skyline

The path leads along the foreshore, passing the site of the old Sydney incinerator (now apartments) to reach Bridge Road. On the opposite side of the road is Wentworth Park, created from Blackwattle swamp in 1880-82 and named after the Father of Representative Government in NSW, W.C.Wentworth. It predated Centennial Park and was once elaborately landscaped. Now, it is mainly used for social sports.

The Sydney Fish Markets

We followed bridge road to enter Sydney Fish Market, which has operated on this site since 1966. The large blue building was once the Australian Paper Mill warehouse but was taken over for the wholesale auction and to house more retail outlets. We wound around the outside of the main market hall and the car park to the dark underpasses below the Western Distributor, one of Sydney's arterial motorways. At the end of Saunders Street is the sweeping path up to the ANZAC bridge.

The curving path up to ANZAC bridge

ANZAC bridge

There is a combined bike and footpath on the north side of the bridge, though the scenery leaves a little bit to be desired. Johnstons Bay is one of Sydney's cruise ship ports and consists of little more than a series of ugly concrete docks. ANZAC Bridge is a fairly modern structure, opened to traffic on 3 December 1995 as the Glebe Island Bridge.

ANZAC bridge

The huge supporting pylons

The bridge was given its current name on Remembrance Day in 1998 to honour the memory of the soldiers of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (the ANZACs) who served in World War I. An Australian Flag flies atop the eastern pylon and a New Zealand Flag flies atop the western pylon. A bronze memorial statue of an Australian Anzac soldier ("digger") holding a Lee–Enfield rifle in the "rest on arms reverse" drill position was placed on the western end of the bridge on Anzac Day in 2000.

ANZAC memorial

The memorial and bridge

The rest of the walk peters out a bit after the ANZAC bridge. We followed James Craig Drive which passes the Sydney Boathouse to the top of Rozelle Bay and the car park where we'd left the car.

Sydney Boathouse

ANZAC bridge once again

So, not a bad outing considering travel restrictions and its proximity to home, though probably not a walk I'd repeat in a hurry. While the foreshore parks are very pleasant and have fine views of the bays, the areas on either side of the ANZAC bridge leave a bit to be desired in terms of interest. An extension of the walk to include Darling Harbour would be a great addition and one I may try in the future.