Sydney Harbour is studded with little bays and coves. One of the most beautiful of these and the most accessible (not that it’s hard to get to any of them) from the City is Lavender Bay, on the North Shore, just across the Harbour Bridge and to its west.
On a lovely sunny day the moored boats bobbling on the sparkling blue water of the bay is a delight to behold as are the views across the Harbour to the City skyline, with the superstructure of the Harbour Bridge just a few hundred metres to the east and clearly visible.
Given its proximity to the City centre and how easy it is to get to, I am always surprised how few people make the effort to walk a couple of hundred metres beyond Luna Park to enjoy the lovely bay, but then again there are no cafes, fast food outlets, playgrounds and the like in here and long may that continue.
The other big deterrent for many people is that, unless you make your way up stairs and though suburbia – albeit very exclusive and expensive suburbia, you cannot continue round to McMahons Point wharf on the west side of the bay. The very exclusive residential properties (famous Aussie cricketer Sir Donald Bradman once lived here) on the west side of the bay come right down to the waters edge denying access to mere mortals like me. Accordingly you must retrace your steps back to Milsons Point.
Leaving Milsons Point and heading towards the bay you pass by, or preferably though, Luna Park, a beautiful old fashioned funfair with its iconic ‘entrance face’, leaving the crowds behind. Continue on and within a couple of hundred metres, wedged into a few metres between the railway siding and the bay you will pass through Art Barton Park (seperate review) where you should keep an eye out for the lovely quirky figurine sculptures scattered among the banksias, flowering gums, angophoras, grevillieas and native grasses. This tiny park is a memorial/tribute to Art (Arthur Barker) resident artist at Luna Park for over thirty years.
Interestingly, at least to railway buffs like me, on 30 May 1915 Lavender Bay railway station opened and was declared the terminus of the North Shore line (there was no bridge in those days) while empty trains continued 300 metres to the former Milsons Point station to reverse. Seven weeks later, Lavender Bay station closed and was dismantled as passengers refused to alight there, demanding to continue on to Milsons Point. In 1924 a second Lavender Bay Station was opened and again became the terminus of the North Shore line. This time it was a success as Milsons Point station and the track were cleared, the land being required for workshops associated with the construction of the Harbour Bridge. Post completion of the bridge, Lavender Bay station II closed and the track became sidings for the new North Sydney station.
Moving on into the head of the bay you will encounter a very small piece of land (Quibaree Park) and a tiny beach, again wedged between the railway and the water.
Here lie the remains of an old slipway, a reminder that Lavender Bay (named after Boatswain George Lavender, from the prison hulk “Phoenix”, which was moored here for many years) was formerly a working waterway. This slipway, one of the largest privately owned slipways in the Harbour, formerly belonged to Neptune Engineering which launched vessels from the late 1800s right up to 1989 from Lavender Bay. Also here at the head of the bay, until they were demolished in 1972, where Cavill’s Lavender Bay public baths and bathing enclosure – now marked by a small plaque. Today’s well heeled local residents have no need for public baths as they all have their own private swimming pools!
Today the former hustle, bustle and noise of the slipway and the public baths has given way to relative peace and tranquillity and this is a great little spot to sit and relax, perhaps enjoying a bite to eat (that you have brought in with you) and certainly enjoying the view, before heading back to Milsons Point or onwards into suburbia. There are a couple of other small parks in this area, Clark Park and Watt Park. As I have not visited them yet I cannot comment on them.
The easiest and fastest way to get to Lavender Bay is to take to ferry from Circular Quay to Milsons Point wharf. From here it is a couple of hundred metres walk to the bay. Alternatively you can catch the train to Milsons Point station and walk from there, or if you have time, walk across the Harbour Bridge and along the Harbour’s edge to Lavender Bay.
Please note that Sydney Ferries do not service the small wharf in Lavender Bay.
For my next Sydney – NORTH SYDNEY review click HERE.
For other Sydney reviews click HERE.
The Rambling Wombat 
Might had been a reminisce by someone over lavender?
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