Signposts to the Past

Signposts to the Past explores the fascinating ways places and streets have acquired their names within the Bouddi Peninsula, a coastal region bordering Broken Bay in New South Wales. Associated stories are told of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. Historical images and present-day photographs illustrate the lives of people within this stunning coastal landscape.

The Bouddi Peninsula lies on the north side of the entrance to Broken Bay where the majestic Hawksbury (Deerubin) River joins with the sea, on the east coast of Australia. The history begins with some place names given to the area by Indigenous Australian people before white settlement. Then, subsequent place names were given in the twentieth century. Only a few places named by the original Aboriginal people of the Bouddi area survive. In the twentieth century some Bouddi streets were named using Aboriginal words which were not of the area. Place names and street names all have a story to tell. For instance, Turo Park was named after Turo Downes a much-loved Aboriginal man who lived in the area for many years. The Peninsula includes the small communities of Hardys Bay, Killcare, Killcare Heights, Pretty Beach and Wagstaffe. Most of the area, however, is taken up by the 1532-hectare Bouddi National Park which begins at south MacMasters Beach and stretches to Box Head, about 10 kilometres in distance. Street names and places are presented alphabetically with historical details about their beginning and subsequent history.