Warners Bay - Warners Bay High School Project

Many Hands is a joint undertaking of Warners Bay High School and the Lake Macquarie City Council initiated in 2013 by WBHS teacher, Mr Phillip Thompson. This project showcases students abilities whilst assisting the community to learn more about the wonderful features of the Lake Macquarie foreshore and its environs.

Warners Bay is located on the Northern side of Lake Macquarie and boasts a relaxed waterside lifestyle with boutique shops, casual eateries and cafes. Take a stroll along, ride your bike or fish along the foreshore!

History of Warners Bay

Have you ever wondered what Warners Bay was like before the foreshore was reclaimed? Before Coles opened for business? Before the roads were sealed, and the schools were established? Picture if you will, a eucalypt forest inhabited by abundant wildlife. This was how Warners Bay looked before European settlement in the 1830s.

The First Inhabitants

The first inhabitants of Warners Bay were the indigenous Awabakal people or people of the flat surface; a reference, perhaps to Lake Macquarie and its relatively flat surrounding land. While little evidence remains of their habitation in Warners Bay itself, a midden estimated to be 8,000 years old, has been identified in Swansea, 16 kilometres to the south.The Awabakal people would have found Warners Bay to be quite a bountiful area with its fertile soils, plentiful animals, fresh water creek and abundant marine life. The lake was their main source of food. It offered them fish and shellfish, while the bush offered them meat, wild berries and native plants. The Awabakal country covered ten thousand acres stretching from Swansea Channel all the way around the lake.

European Settlement

In January 1825, a representative of the London Missionary Society, Reverend Lancelot E. Threlkeld, decided to establish a mission among the Awabakal at Lake Macquarie. The site he chose was known as Biddaba or silent resting place. One theory suggests that Biddaba was a sacred ceremonial site. This might explain why the mission did not experience success. In 1827, Jonathan Warner, a former officer from the New South Wales Royal Veteran Corp and Assistant Surveyor of Roads and Bridges in the Wisemans Ferry District travelled to Lake Macquarie on official business. His task was to establish the feasibility of a road from the Hawkesbury to Maitland via Lake Macquarie. He was so taken by the beauty and potential of the land that in July 1829 he selected a land grant that incorporated Threlkelds original mission site. His grant incorporated land near the present day Warners Bay Public School, bounded by Mills Street, Jones Avenue, Beryl Street and Urban Lane.Warner took possession of the property with his wife, Mary, and their children on 8 February, 1831.

He proceeded to establish a farm and an orange orchard, and built a two storey weatherboard house which he called Biddaba. In 1833 Warner was appointed Police Magistrate for Brisbane Waters. In this role he was required to travel to Gosford every fortnight to attend court.In August, 1840 Warner sub-divided part of his property, naming the proposed settlement Lymington, after his hometown in the United Kingdom. An economic depression undermined the success of this initial attempt and a second attempt to sell the land in 1855. It was not until 1885 that the blocks began to sell. Jonathon Warner died in 1842 leaving his wife, Mary, to manage the estate which had become something of a showpiece in the Newcastle area. Biddaba was demolished in 1932. Around the time of Warners death the family commenced the operation of a coal mine located on the waterfront below their house. It experienced moderate success, but ceased operations in 1884.

Transport

During the early years of settlement transport was mostly by horse or boat. The roads were predominately gravel or dirt. The Esplanade from Boolaroo to Warners Bay was the only sealed road. It was not until 1931 that a private bus company opened for business offering a single round trip service every day. The bus, the Olive May, and her driver, James Alexander Feighan, (better known as Tony), became a familiar sight as she travelled the route from Speers Point to Broadmeadow via Warners Bay and Charlestown. In 1937 a Government service took over the route and it was extended into Newcastle. The fate of Olive May is unknown, however, Tony Feighan prospered. He established a successful Wine Bar on the Esplanade and his descendants still reside in the area.
Provision was made in early town plans for the building of a railway. The land designated for this purpose is the parkland between King and Queen Streets.

Warners Bay in the 1950s

Warners Bay developed slowly and it was not until the 1950s that development gathered pace. In 1953 the population was less than a thousand people. There were a few of houses on the hill overlooking the lake. The shopping centre was comprised of a bakery, a general store, a fish and chip shop, a milk bar and a wine bar.The foreshore had not yet been reclaimed and as a result The Esplanade was subject to periodic flooding.

Education

Warners Bay Primary School was established in 1892 and became a government school in 1904. Until 1966 students who wished to access a secondary education were initially compelled to travel each day into Newcastle and then to Cardiff, Gateshead or Belmont. St Marys Primary School was opened by the Sisters of St Joseph in 1959. It originally catered for 41 students, but now has more than 400 students. Warners Bay High School was opened in January 1966. It currently has a student population of approximately 1300 students and celebrates 50 years of public education in 2016.

Warners Bay Plants and Animals

The Warners Bay foreshore has some of Australia's most interesting and unique flora and fauna. Sadly, some of these species are becoming endangered. They need us to look after them and their environment.

Learn about the steps we can take to preserve their environment.

Australian Magpie (Cracticus tibicen)

The Australian Magpie is a medium sized bird that is commonly found in the Warners Bay area. It has a black head, belly, and tail tip, with white splashes on their wings, lower back, tail, and the back of its head. Its wedge-shaped beak is blue-grey and its eyes are golden brown. Magpies are omnivorous and they primarily feed on small insects and animals that live on the ground or in trees. Magpies are territorial and will attack when they have babies. To avoid this, walk quickly and quietly away from where they are nesting, and do not disturb them.

Bandicoot

Bandicoots are small omnivorous marsupials that are nocturnal. They are a little smaller than a rabbit, have large ears, strong hind legs and a long pointy nose. They eat a diet of insects, worms, insect larvae, spiders and plant tubers. Bandicoots are often mistaken for rodents; however, they help farmers and gardeners by eating pests. Bandicoots are an endangered species. This has been brought about by the clearing of land for farming purposes, the encroachment of domestic housing and the introduction of exotic species such as cats, dogs and foxes. You can help prevent these creatures from becoming locally extinct by keeping your pets inside at night and growing native plants in your garden.

Seagull

Seagulls are medium to large seabirds of the Laridae family. They are usually white or grey and have black markings on their heads and wings. They have harsh squawking calls and are ground nesting carnivores. Seagulls are extremely talented and intelligent birds but are very mean to other species. They can adapt to almost any environment and are learning more skills all the time. Seagulls are extremely common in the Warners Bay area due to its proximity to the coast. They can often be seen being fed by people along the foreshore. This practice is not encouraged as it makes the birds dependent on humans for food, and encourages anti-social behaviour.

Plover

The plover is a wading bird that belongs to the subfamily Charadriinae. Plovers are found throughout the Warners Bay area and are renowned for being aggressive and swooping people during the mating season. Plovers are ground nesting birds that can make their nests in the most inconvenient of places like car parks and playgrounds. Plovers will defend their young at all costs and will swoop anyone who comes near. Sadly, there is little you can do about this. Find another route, or walk on the opposite side of the road or street until the danger passes. You may see some unmown grass with a plover sitting on the eggs within. The council workers leave the plovers alone during the nesting season.

The Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae)

The Laughing Kookaburra is the largest species of kingfisher, and is white, brown, blue and black in colour. It can be identified by its distinctive call which sounds like hysterical laughter. The kookaburra is carnivorous and it eats mice, fish, snakes, lizards and insects. Humans have negatively impacted this species by removing the trees in which they nest, live and wait for prey; and by using pesticides to kill the insects on which they feed.

Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus)

The Pelican is a large water bird, which has a long, pale pink beak and large throat pouch that is used to catch and hold fish. The Pelican has a predominately white plumage with black feathers along the primaries. They mainly eat a diet of fish, with some consuming species that are up to 30cm long!!! Pelicans begin breeding at 2-3 years of age, and nest in flocks.

You can help the Pelicans by ensuring you don't leave fishing lines unattended as Pelicans can cruise along the shallows looking for fish and become entangled in fishing line.

Plants Overview

Rough-barked Apple

The Rough-Barked Apple is a large, widely spread woodland and forest tree that grows to around 30 metres high. It grows in soil on floodplains and watercourses. Unfortunately a lot of the soil upon which it relies has been cleaned out by humans. The trunk of the Rough-barked Apple is often gnarled with brown bark appearing in patches. The leaves are dark green and appear on opposite sides of the stem. The flowers are white and they appear between November and March in the Australian summer.

Swamp Oak (Casuarina glauca)

The Swamp Oak, also called the Casuarina, is an evergreen tree which is commonly found in NSW. It has long stick like leaves and has thin stems. They grow up to 35m tall, and have slender trunks and branches. The flowers appear in spiky cylindrical balls and only the female flowers can produce the cone like fruit. Swamp oaks have grey-brown bark and this species has the ability to produce new trees with its root sockets. They are a salt tolerant plant and so are well suited to growing along the shore line of a salt water lake.

Forest Red Gum (Eucalyptus tereticornis)

The Forest Red Gum is native to Australia and grows to between 20 and 50 metres high. The trunk is very straight and usually has no branches until half way. The bark appears in irregular shapes, resulting in grey and white patches along the trunk. The Forest Red Gum has thin green leaves that are between 10 and 20 centimetres long and about 3 centimetres wide. It features groups of seven to twelve flowers along its branches. The Forest Red Gum is a popular source of timber due to its strong, hard, durable wood and its beautiful colour. Its leaves are also used to make Eucalyptus oil.

Prickly-leafed Paperbark (Melaleuca styphelioides)

The Prickly-leafed Paperbark is a small to medium sized tree that grows up to 20 metres high. It has spongy, white, papery bark that peels in large strips; the shiny, prickly leaves are about 15 mm long and 6 mm wide and have sharp edges. The Prickly-leafed Paperbark has white bottle brush-like flowers from late spring to early summer which are 5 cm long and 2cm wide.

Broad-Leafed Paper Bark (Melaleuca quinquenervia)

The Broad-leafed Paper Bark tree is a small to medium sized tree that can grow up to 20 metres; it has thick, brown-white, papery bark, and grey-green, broad leaves. The tree is commonly known as the Paperbarked Teatree. The leaves are creamy white and bottle brushes appear from late spring to autumn.

Dolphins of Lake Macquarie

Lake Macquarie is the largest coastal salt water lake in Australia, covering an area of 110 square kilometres. It is home to a wide variety of wildlife including the majestic Common Dolphin or Delphinus Delphus. Whilst many people, including the locals, believe that the dolphins they see breaching in the lake are bottlenose Delphinidae Truncates, they are mistaken.The Common Dolphin is not native to Australia; however, sightings are frequently reported along the Australian coastline. Whilst these sightings mainly occur in the south-eastern Indian Ocean and the Tasman Sea, a sizable pod has made the warm temperate waters of Lake Macquarie its home.There are two species of Delphinus Delphus: the Long-beaked Common Dolphin and the Short-beaked Common Dolphin. Both are of medium size, typically between 1.9 and 2.5 metres long, and have a long, thin beak that protrudes the face and forehead. They have a slender body shape that is streamlined for swimming. The dorsal fin is high and curves backwards. Males are generally larger than their female counterparts. The Common Dolphin is easily distinguished from other dolphin species by the criss-cross, coloured pattern that appears on the top of its body. The pattern consists of four colours: dark grey, black, pale yellow and light grey. This unique pattern is created by the interaction of the cape and dorsal overlay. Common Dolphins are warm-blooded mammals which can breed at any time throughout the year, depending on the location of the pod. Lake Macquaries dolphins tend to calve during the warm summer months from December to March. Dolphins typically reach sexual maturity between 7 and 8 years old. They can continue to give birth until they are approximately 25 years old. Calves have a gestation period of 11.4 months and a female usually produces a calf every 2.1 years.

Fun Dolphin Facts

1. The Common Dolphin can be found in warm temperate and tropical oceans around the world including the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

2. Two species of the Common Dolphin - the Short-beaked and the Long-beaked - are currently acknowledged. However, scientists are currently investigating whether a third species, the Arabian Common Dolphin, (found in the Indian Ocean and Red Sea), should be recognised.

3. The Common Dolphin is considered to be one of the hardest animals to keep healthy and happy in captivity.

4. Common Dolphins are not usually migratory, unlike many of their relatives. They will move around to find food if necessary, but will then return home as soon as possible.

This work by Lake Macquarie City Library is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License