Area 11 ha | Established January 1972 (1972-01) Phone +61 2 8448 0400 | |
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Managing authorities Website Dalrymple-Hay Nature Reserve See also Protected areas ofNew South Wales Hours Open today ยท Open 24 hoursThursdayOpen 24 hoursFridayOpen 24 hoursSaturdayOpen 24 hoursSundayOpen 24 hoursMondayOpen 24 hoursTuesdayOpen 24 hoursWednesdayOpen 24 hours Management National Parks and Wildlife Service Similar National Parks and Wildlife S, Gamilaroi Nature Reserve, Bird Island Nature Reserve, Castlereagh Nature Reserve, Gumbaynggirr State Conserva | ||
The Dalrymple-Hay Nature Reserve is a protected nature reserve that is located in the northerns suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The 10.768-hectare (26.61-acre) reserve is situated in the suburb of St Ives, 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from the Sydney central business district.
Contents
The reserve is the most significant remnant of the eucalyptus Blue Gum High Forest which dominated much of the shale based forests north of Sydney. Only 1% of the original forest remains.
Features
Average annual rainfall is a relatively high 1,400 millimetres (55 in).
Bush regeneration programs have been implemented for many years. Invasive weeds such as privet, large leave privet, trad, lantana and camphor laurel continue to be troublesome.
Richard Dalrymple-Hay, proposed that this forest area should be preserved, in the 1920s. The area was originally part of the hunting grounds of the Kuringgai people. Dalrymple-Hay Nature Reserve is listed on the Register of the National Estate.
Flora
180 native plants have been found in this reserve. Blackbutt is the dominant canopy species, other trees occurring include Sydney blue gum, grey ironbark, turpentine and rusty gum. Many of the blackbutt are in excess of 40 metres (130 ft) tall. Interesting smaller plants include false bracken, maytenus, downy chance and muttonwood.
Fauna
Ringtail possums, sugar gliders, brushtail possums and grey-headed flying foxes are common. There are occasional sightings of wallabies. Birds such as rainbow lorikeets, Australian king parrots, crimson rosellas, currawongs, variegated wrens, black-faced cuckoo-shrikes, superb fairy wrens and silvereyes are some of the many birds found here.