Early History
Before the coming
of the Europeans, Brisbane Water was home of the coastal Guringai (Ku-ring-gai)
people. The Guringai lived upon the natural resources of the area, collecting
shellfish, fish, birds and bush plants. Further inland, the Darkingung
people relied on hunting small marsupials, digging yams and other vegetables
for their livelihood. Tools and food sources were traded each year between
tribes, and relations in the local area were apparently quite cordial.
In early March 1788, Governor Arthur Phillip led a small party of officers
and marines on an exploratory voyage along the coast to the north of Sydney
Harbour.
The Hawkesbury River was discovered by the party during the 1789 voyage,
and this was to provide the colony with good farming European settlement
of the Gosford district began in the 1820s with the main points of entry
being Brisbane Water in the east and Mangrove Creek (a tributary of the
Hawkesbury River) in the west.
Estuary Type
Lake
Estuary Characteristics
- Catchment Area: 170 km2
- Waterway Area: 27.2 km2
- Entrance Characteristics: Open and untrained
- Location (Lat-Long): 151°20'E 33°32'S
- Location (from Sydney): 50 km N
Physical Features
A broad and shallow estuary with depths of generally 5 to 6 m in the main water body. Bottom sediments are principally sands and silts. The catchment includes the growing Gosford Area. Brisbane Water enters into Broken Bay.
Significant Estuarine Tributaries
- Brisbane Water
- Woy Woy Inlet
- Narara Creek
- The Broadwater
- Kincumber Broadwater
Population and Holiday Centres
- Gosford
- Woy Woy
Special Attributes
General
- Significant recreational use for water-based activities, particularly boating and fishing.
- Scenic focus for many suburbs of the City of Gosford.
- A principal source of fresh oysters for Sydney.
- Catchment contains parts of Brisbane Water and Bouddi National Parks.
Estuary Vegetation
Type Area (sq km) Mangroves 1.635 Seagrass 5.490 Saltmarsh 0.918 Commercial Activities
Fishing, Prawning, Oysters