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The fishing fleet moored at Eden's harbour
 

Eden (plus Ben Boyd National Park, Nadgee Nature Reserve and Wonboyn Lake).
A particularly beautiful area of the New South Wales far south coast originally settled by whalers and now a fishing port and a popular, but relatively undeveloped, holiday resort town.
Eden, located 476 km south of Sydney, is the last town of any significance before crossing the border into northeastern Victoria. With a population of 3277 it is situated 50 m above sea level upon undulating land on a point that juts out into Twofold Bay. This idyllic coastal town is bounded to the north and south by national park and by woodland to the west.

It is thought the area was inhabited by the Thawa Aborigines prior to white settlement. George Bass noted Twofold Bay in December 1797 as he travelled south down the New South Wales coast. On his return in early 1798 he entered the bay where he named Snug Cove for the security to shipping it afforded. It is here that the Eden Wharf now stands.

Later in 1798 Bass set off again for Van Dieman's Land with Matthew Flinders, this time making a detailed and accurate survey of Twofold Bay. It was during this survey that Bass and Flinders made contact with the local Aborigines. Flinders offered them some biscuits and received some fat (probably whale fat) in return. After tasting it Flinders recorded that while 'watching an opportunity to spit it out when he should not be looking, I perceived him doing precisely the same thing with our biscuit'.

The early history of the bay is closely tied to the whaling industry and it is in recognition of this that the inaugural Eden Whale Festival was held in October 1996. The first whales were killed as early as 1791. The migration of these animals (mostly right whales) to and from the Antarctic waters took them past Twofold Bay between May and November of each year.

Commercial exploitation commenced in the early years of the nineteenth century when whaling ships took shelter in the bay from inclement weather, subsequently using it as a base for operations. It is, however, a rather sobering fact that between 1800 and 1950 a total of 65 ships were lost off the coast between Montague Island and the Victorian coast.

The first white settlement was made by John Raine in 1828 when he established the first shore whaling station on mainland Australia.

In the early 1830s the three Imlay Brothers followed suit, training local Aborigines as whalemen. The brothers, major pioneers of and landowners in the district, moved to Australia from Scotland between 1829 and 1833. Peter, the oldest and second to arrive, first visited Twofold Bay around 1833 and decided to live there. Followed by George they soon turned to cattle rearing, which they shipped to Tasmania, South Australia and, later, New Zealand. They erected Eden's first, albeit modest, building, a small slab and bark hut at Snug Cove. Unfortunately the depression of the 1840s broke the family financially. The Walker Brothers, merchants of Sydney, foreclosed on the Imlays and acquired the land.

Eden became famous for its killer whales. In the 1920s and 1930s Twofold Bay and the area around Eden was the home for a group of killer whales led by a whale who became known to locals as Tom. The locals became familiar with all the whales in the pod and gave them all names. Perhaps the most remarkable thing was that the whales actually helped the whalers. They would hunt whales travelling up and down the coast and herd them into Twofold Bay.

The killer whales hunted in packs like wild dogs, driving the whales into shallow water, preventing their escape to deeper waters and attempting to frustrate their attempts to take in air. Apparently the killer whales, if they detected whales about, would travel to the whaling station, make a great deal of noise, wait for the boats to launch then lead them to the whales.

The combination of whalers and killer whales ensured a kill. This was mutually beneficial as the killer whales fed on the lips and tongue of the whales, leaving the blubber etc for the whalers.

Eden was named after the British Secretary for the Colonies, Baron Auckland, whose family name was Eden. Although permission was given for the establishment of a township at Twofold Bay in 1834 the town was not laid out until 1843.

Boydtown, initially a more substantial township at the south of the bay, declined after Benjamin Boyd encountered financial troubles, and this, coupled with the discovery of alluvial gold at Kiandra in the 1850s, led to the development of Eden, which was the logical port for the trek to the goldfield. However, the rush had ended by 1866, the population declined and the town never progressed as planned.

Apart from whaling, which died off in the late 1920s, wattlebark (a source of tannin) and, to a lesser extent, dairying and brickmaking, were the main industries in the early days of white settlement.

The exploitation of timber, now a principal source of income for the town, came to prominence at the outset of the twentieth century due to the demand for railway sleepers. These were shipped to China from Snug Cove and, later, to Germany and New Zealand as well as being used locally.

Commercial fishing, now another staple industry for the township, had been carried on for many years but it was not until tuna canning commenced in 1949 that business took off.

Things to see:   

Killer Whale Museum
The Killer Whale Museum is one of the finest regional museums in Australia. Located on the corner of Imlay and Cocora Streets in Eden the building depicts the history of whaling in the local area. Perhaps the highlight of the exhibition is the skeleton of a killer whale known as 'Tom' who was responsible for herding other whales into Twofold Bay. He was found in the bay in 1930 and his skeleton has been successfully preserved. The building contains other items, details and booklets about this aspect of local history and also takes bookings for water cruises. The museum also offers fine views of the bay from the gallery. It is open 9.15 a.m. - 3.45 p.m. Monday-Friday and 11.15 a.m. - 3.45 p.m. on weekends, with longer hours on school and public holidays.

 

Whale Watching
The whale-watching season is October to November, though sightings (usually of humpback whales) may also occur in September and December. Listen for the siren which announces the presence of whales in the bay. Twofold Dive Charter at 28 Bass St offer aquatic wildlife cruises in summer as well as dive and fishing trips all year, tel: (02) 6496 3384.

 

Fishing
Eden offers superb individual fishing for the visitor. The rocky headlands around the bay offer one possibility while surf fishing can be pursued at Aslings Beach, the main surf beach which runs along the northeastern perimeter of the town. There is a beautiful rock pool at the southern end.

Other good fishing and swimming spots are Eden Wharf and Shelleys Beach, off Imlay St, and Cannery Wharf, off Cattle Bay Rd. A little further south, at the end of Ida Rood Drive, is Cocora Beach, a safe spot with picnic and shower facilities. Nullica Bay is just 5 km south of the town, off the Princes Highway. It sports another tranquil beach with rock pools, excellent rock fishing and visitor's facilities.

For those keen on boat fishing there is a four-lane boat ramp at Quarantine Bay, 3 km south of Eden, off the highway. There is a small, sheltered beach here for swimming and snorkelling, as well as fish-cleaning tables and a picnic area with toilets. Boats can be hired. Cat Balou Cruises depart from Eden Wharf for a cruise around the bay.

 

Coastal and Bush walking
The beaches, bays and headlands of the coast are also ideal for those keen on scenic walks. At the southern tip of the peninsula, at the end of Imlay St, is Lookout Point, which affords excellent views out over both the township and the entire bay. There is also a memorial wall to commemorate the lives lost to shipwrecks around the bay.

George Bass Park, with its barbecue facilities, can be found around the corner, on the cliff top south of Aslings Beach.

The Fisheries Beach Walk is an instructive one to two-hour ranger-guided tour along beach, rocks and sand dunes and through the adjacent state forest on the southern shore of Twofold Bay. For more information on charges, bookings and preparations, or for general information on the area's state forests contact The Forest Shop, 44 Bass St, Eden, tel: (02) 6496 1500.

 

Historic Buildings
The Great Southern Inn at the corner of Imlay and Chandos Streets is very attractive. It is something of a centrepiece in the town. The Surveyor's Office, diagonally opposite, and the Hotel Australia at 60 Imlay St are also of interest. The Court House over the road from the Police Station in Cocora St, although built in 1857 of sandstone from Pyrmont in Sydney, has been ruined with weatherboard and gloss paint laid over the sandstone.

St George's Uniting Church, at the western end of Chandos St, was opened in 1865. Then a Presbyterian Church its foundation stone was laid by the Reverend John Dunmore Lang, a social and political activist of considerable renown.

 

Arts and Crafts Shops
There are several arts and crafts shops in town, including the McCulloch Campbell Gallery, at 62 Princes Highway, just north of Eden. Turn right at the roundabout in Imlay St and after 500 m you will come to Eden Shells. A little further along, at the corner with Bimmil St, is Eden Wood Turning Gallery. If you drive through the roundabout and continue south along Imlay St, opposite the Fishermen's Club is Wharf Road Pottery.

 

 

National Parks in the Area
 

1. Ben Boyd National Park
One of the great advantages Eden possesses is its proximity to a wealth of attractive national parkland. The superb Ben Boyd National Park, covering nearly 9000 hectares, consists of a series of recessed beaches and promontories stretching north and south of Twofold Bay along a rugged and colourful coastline of cliffs, caves, jagged rocks and sweeping beaches. The park is named after Benjamin Boyd (see the entry on Boydtown).

Containing the Wonboyn Dune System and a variety of fauna, including the rare ground parrot, white-breasted sea eagles, lyrebirds, yellow-tailed black cockatoos, grey kangaroos, goannas and, less frequently seen, marsupial mice, wombats and yellow-bellied gliders, the park is used for both recreational and scientific purposes. Fishing, swimming, diving, camping, canoeing, boating and bushwalking can all be pursued, though caravans are not permitted.

The section of parkland north of Eden can be accessed by heading north along the highway for 8 km and then turning right into Haycock Road. After 500 m there is a turnoff to the left which heads out to Pambula Lake. Just beyond it the road splits in two. The northern route will take you to Haycock Point, at the north-eastern tip of the park, and the road that heads due east will take you to the Pinnacles. Both sites have day-use facilities but there is no camping permitted in this section of the park.

The views from Haycock Point are excellent and it is a good spot for fishing and scuba diving. There is a leisurely and enjoyable 6 km walk from the Point out to the headland overlooking the mouth of the Pambula River. A 1-km nature trail which departs from The Pinnacles site provides a view of the colourful and interesting layers of red soil and white sand at the mouth of the gully. There are 11 pegs which correspond to information contained in an NPWS booklet available from the visitors' centre at Eden.

To reach the southern section of the park drive south from Eden for 18 km and turn into Edrom Road. Details on this section of the park are included in the entry on Boydtown.

 

2. Nadgee Nature Reserve
Nadgee Nature Reserve, one of the largest in NSW, covers the area between the southern tip of Ben Boyd Park and the Victorian border. It contains an outstanding area of unspoilt coastal habitats of differing stripes, including freshwater swamp, woodland, scrub, open forest, heath and a little rainforest. Birds, wallabies and kangaroos are plentiful amidst the beaches, estuaries, creeks, headlands and salt lake. There is no vehicular access but it can be explored on foot.

 

3. Mt Imlay National Park
32 km southwest of Eden is Mt Imlay National Park (3764 ha), which surrounds Mt Imlay itself (886 metres). It is heavily forested (mostly eucalypt though it contains some of the most southerly subtropical rainforest on the east coast) and is home to numerous birds (lyrebirds, currawongs, wedge-tailed eagles) and a variety of mostly nocturnal animal life in a number of habitats.

Drive south along the Princes Highway to the Edrom Road-Princes Highway junction, 5 km south of Kiah. After passing this intersection look for a gravel road to the right signposted 'Burrawang Forest Road'. This 9.5 km road ends at the edge of the park where there is a picnic area and a signposted track which leads to the summit. It is a strenuous three-kilometre, three-hour climb to the top of the mountain, requiring good shoes and your own supply of water. However the walk and the view from the summit is worth the effort. On a clear day you can see as far as Mallacoota in Victoria, Narooma to the north and the southern tablelands to the west. There are no facilities or designated camping sites in the park so a visit should be considered a day trip. Given the lack of facilities and the rough terrain prospective visitors should first notify the Merimbula office of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), tel: (02) 6495 4130, who can also supply maps, pamphlets and further information about access to, features of, and walks within, this site or any other national parkland within the area.

 

 

 

 

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Broadwalk Business Brokers

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Eden