Bass Point Reserve

Item details


Name of item:	Bass Point Reserve
Other name/s:	Long Point
Type of item:	Complex / Group
Group/Collection:	Landscape - Natural
Category:	Coastal environment
Primary address:	Bass Point Tourist Road, Bass Point, NSW 2529
Parish:	Terragong
County:	Camden
Local govt. area:	Shellharbour

All addresses

Street Address	Suburb/town	LGA	Parish	County	Type
Bass Point Tourist Road	Bass Point	Shellharbour	Terragong	Camden	Primary Address

Statement of significance:


	Bass Point Reserve is of exceptional significance for a variety of natural, Aboriginal and European cultural reasons. It is a foremost cultural landscape along the NSW coastline and within the Illawarra. It has a spectacular visual, aural and sensory interplay of bush, beaches, headlands, cliffs, rocks, sea and sky, which together create very high scenic, natural and cultural importance. Bass Point Reserve contains remnants of the natural environment which supports headland vegetation and littoral rainforest (probably the most diverse of the south coast of NSW). The land is an important repository of Aboriginal occupation over thousands of years, and of intangible value. Bass Point is important from a technical perspective as it was one of the first Aboriginal archaeological sites excavated on the NSW south coast. Particularly pertinent to Aboriginal values is the RNE entry: "Excavations of midden deposits in the Bass Point area have provided valuable archaeological evidence about coastal occupation in Australia, and in particular south-eastern NSW. Bass Point is one of the oldest dated coastal sites in NSW. Excavations at Bass Point provided evidence for technological and economic changes over the last 16,000 years. In particular, the transition between different types of stone artefacts and fisihing tool technologies, and related changes in exploited fish species. The adjoining marine reserve 'The Bass Point Marine Area' (Bushrangers Bay) provides a relatively undisturbed example of temperate fringing reef community. It contains significant flora and fauna, including an important Grey Nurse Shark Critical Habitat. It continues to be a popular dive site. Early European settlement historic themes and archaeology, relate to quarrying, shipping and farming. Bass Point has historic associations with colonial naval explorer George Bass, and district pioneer and landowner, George Laurence Fuller. Social significance is evident through regional tourism, and as a highly valued and important recreational resource. Aesthetic views and vistas relate to its retained natural coastal setting. The scenic quality and diversity of natural species found here, have made it one of the most popular sites in New South Wales. Bass Point Reserve is of state heritage significance for both its Aboriginal and European values; its pre and post-contact history; and its natural and maritime heritage. The Reserve was placed on the State Heritage Register on 18 January 2013.
	Date significance updated: 14 Jan 19
	Note: The State Heritage Inventory provides information about heritage items listed by local and State government agencies. The State Heritage Inventory is continually being updated by local and State agencies as new information becomes available. Read the Department of Premier and Cabinet copyright and disclaimer.

Description

Physical description:

A four kilometre long natural promontory approximately 100ha in size and about 20 kms south of Wollongong. It is the most prominent coastal headland in the Illawarra. The point has a complicated jagged coastline and complex subsurface topography.

Bass Point Headland remains the largest area of vegetated coastal land within Shellharbour Council area, containing littoral rainforest areas, as well as a range of coastal vegetation communities. Coastal, scrub, and central rainforest remnants have many species represented. Coast 'Banksia' and Coastal Tea Tree with marked wind pruning on foreshore.

Major coastal landform and marker. Promontory notable as scenic focus in surrounding landscape, with impressive views and vistas into, and from the point. Large volcanic rock shelf around the eastern end.

Bass Point contains important Aboriginal archaeological sites, with ecological significance, entered onto Register of the National Estate in 1984. Partly disturbed through historic European uses, such as pastoralism and quarrying. Quarry and jetty exist to the south of reserve.

Sited on the foreshore is the monument to the World War Two rescue of persons aboard the "Cities Service Boston" oil tanker that ran aground during a storm in May 1943.

The land is largely undeveloped, other than some unformed roads with small side car parks, walking tracks, and picnic area.

See also RNE entries for Bass Point and adjoining Bass Point Marine Area. South east of the headland is Bushrangers Bay Aquatic Reserve, declared in 1982, extending 1 kilometre seaward of the foreshore. A narrow foreshore reserve links the Point with Killalea State Recreation Area and lagoon.


Current use:	Recreation and quarry
Former use:	Recreation and quarry

History

Historical notes:

Bass Point is a rocky headland. It is one of the few littoral rainforest areas in the Illawarra, and the only headland between Stanwell Tops and Shoalhaven, to support headland vegetation. The landscape is dominated by coastal Tea Tree scrub, with the vegetation of the southern slopes dwarfed by the salt laden winds.

The adjoining Bass Point Marine Reserve (Bushranger's Bay) is of exceptional significance, and contains a Grey Nurse Shark Critical Habitat, and Sea Grass Habitat.

Indigenous occupation is well documented, with middens and artefacts uncovered, displaying technical adjustments.

Bass Point was the site of Mr. George Laurence Fuller's jetty, which was used in the 19th century, to load and transport blue metal extracted from his quarry. Part of the quarry was acquired by Shellharbour Municipal Council in 1968, from I.C.I. for use as a public reserve.

Bill Carwardine, (then President of the South Coast Conservation Society), became the first full time Ranger at Bass Point.

Historic themes

Australian theme (abbrev)	New South Wales theme	Local theme
1. Environment-Tracing the evolution of a continent's special environments	Environment - naturally evolved-Activities associated with the physical surroundings that support human life and influence or shape human cultures.	(none)-
2. Peopling-Peopling the continent	Aboriginal cultures and interactions with other cultures-Activities associated with maintaining, developing, experiencing and remembering Aboriginal cultural identities and practices, past and present.	(none)-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Environment - cultural landscape-Activities associated with the interactions between humans, human societies and the shaping of their physical surroundings	(none)-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Land tenure-Activities and processes for identifying forms of ownership and occupancy of land and water, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal	From Forest to Farm-

Assessment of significance


SHR Criteria a) [Historical significance]	Historical significance relates to natural history, Aboriginal and European culture.
SHR Criteria b) [Associative significance]	Historic associations with themes of shipping, dairying and quarrying, and with district pioneer G.L. Fuller. The name has historic associations with colonial naval explorer, George Bass.
SHR Criteria c) [Aesthetic significance]	A foremost cultural landscape along the NSW coastline and within the Illawarra. A key coastal land and sea marker with impressive views and vistas in and out from the point. Strong visual and sensory cohesion and appeal. Major significance as a natural environment supporting native vegetation, typical of its zonal characteristic.
SHR Criteria d) [Social significance]	Social significance with regional tourism and an important recreational resource. The adjoining Marine Reserve (Bushranger's Bay) continues to be a popular dive site. An estimated 50,000 people visit Bass Point for bushwalking, picnicking, bird watching, swimming and general recreational activities, plus 25,000 scuba divers.
SHR Criteria e) [Research potential]	Extremely high educational and research potential. Technical significance for its ecological, archaeological and marine aspects. Bass Point is important from a technical perspective as it was one of the first Aboriginal archaeological sites excavated on the New South Wales south coast. The littoral rainforest is probably the most diverse in southern NSW.
SHR Criteria f) [Rarity]	Rare for its scientific, Aboriginal and recreational elements. Rare for its landform, and land and sea views and vistas.
SHR Criteria g) [Representativeness]	Highly representative on a number of values and criteria.
Integrity/Intactness:	High degree of integrity unmatched by any other such sites along the NSW coastline.
Assessment criteria:	Items are assessed against the State Heritage Register (SHR) Criteria to determine the level of significance. Refer to the Listings below for the level of statutory protection.

Recommended management:


	Ensure Plan of Management remains sensivity to natural, Indigeneous and European heritage.

Listings

Heritage Listing	Listing Title	Listing Number	Gazette Date	Gazette Number	Gazette Page
Local Environmental Plan	Shellharbour Local Environmental Plan 2013	I056	05 Apr 13
Heritage study	Illawarra Reg Her St Review	SH 03-03	01 Sep 94

Study details

Title	Year	Number	Author	Inspected by	Guidelines used
Illawarra Regional Heritage Study Review	1994	SH 03-03	Department of Planning	WA	Yes
Aboriginal Heritage Study	2000		Navin Officer		No
Shellharbour Natural Heritage Study (draft)	2004		Mayne Wilson Pty Ltd		No

References, internet links & images

Type	Author	Year	Title
Written			State Environmental Planning Policy 26, littoral rainforest
Written	Federal Shipwrecks Act 1976		NSW Register of Shipwrecks
Written	Fisheries Management Act	1974	Bushrangers Bay Declared Aquatic Reserve
Written	Jim Derbyshire and Dianne Allen	1987	Land Between Two Rivers
Written	K Mills	1988	Littoral Rainforest in Southern NSW.
Written	L E Smith & C J Chafer	1987	Avifauna of Bass Point NSW
Written	Menidis Robert Pty Ltd	1999	Bass Point Plan of Management
Written	NSW Aboriginal Sites Register
Written	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service		Register of Aboriginal sites
Written	Register of National Estate	1998	Bass Point Marine Area (#19909 file 1/11/091/0006)
Written	Register of the National Estate	1980	Bass Point (#1522, file 1/11/091/0001)
Written	S Bowlder	1976	Hook, Line and Dilly Bag
Written	Scott Kane	1997	A Coastal Heritage: a Review of Indigenous Sites on the Australian Coastline
Written	Steve Brown		Comprehensive Coastal Assessment Report

Note: internet links may be to web pages, documents or images.

(Click on thumbnail for full size image and image details)

Data source


The information for this entry comes from the following source:
Name:	Local Government
Database number:	2380056

Every effort has been made to ensure that information contained in the State Heritage Inventory is correct. If you find any errors or omissions please send your comments to the Database Manager.

All information and pictures on this page are the copyright of Heritage NSW or respective copyright owners.