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===Post 1857===
===Post 1857===


The area of 50 acres was advertised by the Crown as Lot 2 on the 4th February 1857 and was selected by William Gannon. A land grant was issued to him on the 5th September 1877. Following his death, his widow, Helena Gannon sold the land to Minnie Edith Rofe (Minnie Edith Hilder, 1870 – 1949).
The area of 50 acres was advertised by the Crown as Lot 2 on the 4th February 1857 and was selected by William Gannon. A land grant was issued to him on the 5th September 1877. Following his death, his widow, Helena Gannon sold the land to Minnie Edith Rofe (Minnie Edith Hilder, 1870–1949).<ref name="Percy Rofe">{{cite journal |last1=Ku-ring-gai Historical Society |title=Rofe Park-Turramurra |journal=The Historian Official |volume=5-8 |issue=1976-1979 |pages=8-9}}</ref>
Source; The Historian Official / Journal of the Ku-ring-gai Historical Society <ref>https://khs.org.au/</ref> / Vol 5-8, Page 8, 1976 – 1979


According to the NSW Land Registry, Certificate of Title Volume 313 Folio 155, the land comprising 50 acres, was purchased by Minnie Edith Rofe on 20 July 1904. Minnie subsequently declared that she held it in trust for her husband, Thomas Ernest Rofe (1869 - 1945) <ref>{{cite book | chapter-url=https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/rofe-thomas-ernest-8254 | title=Australian Dictionary of Biography | chapter=Thomas Ernest Rofe (1869–1945) | publisher=National Centre of Biography, Australian National University }}</ref>. The two of them joined in a transfer of the land to the Council of the Shire of Ku-ring-gai on the 13th April 1927 ( NSW Land Registry Services <ref>https://www.nswlrs.com.au/</ref>, Transfer No B502449).
According to the NSW Land Registry, Certificate of Title Volume 313 Folio 155, the land comprising 50 acres, was purchased by Minnie Edith Rofe on 20 July 1904. Minnie subsequently declared that she held it in trust for her husband, Thomas Ernest Rofe (1869-1945) <ref>{{cite book | chapter-url=https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/rofe-thomas-ernest-8254 | title=Australian Dictionary of Biography | chapter=Thomas Ernest Rofe (1869–1945) | publisher=National Centre of Biography, Australian National University }}</ref>. The two of them joined in a transfer of the land to the Council of the Shire of Ku-ring-gai on the 13th April 1927 ( NSW Land Registry Services <ref>https://www.nswlrs.com.au/</ref>, Transfer No B502449).


===Gift to the public 1927===
===Gift to the public 1927===

Revision as of 06:49, 6 April 2024

  • Comment: You are using bare urls, please see WP:REFB for hep with better formatting of sources. Theroadislong (talk) 11:13, 5 April 2024 (UTC)
  • Comment: This draft is not a copyright violation (see talk page). GMH Melbourne (talk) 23:02, 3 April 2024 (UTC)

Rofe Park Turramurra.[1] is an area of natural native bushland of approximately 50 acres (20.23 hectares) gifted to the people of Ku-ring-gai by the Rofe family in 1927. Located on the northern shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The park is part of an unbroken three-kilometre-long stretch of bushland (Sheldon Forest, Rofe Park and Comenarra Creek Reserve) that connects the Pacific Highway with Lane Cove National Park [2] in South Turramurra. It is owned and maintained by Ku-ring-gai Council.

There are two Rofe Parks, Rofe Park Hornsby Heights is located in the Hornsby Shire Council LGA [3] . Both parks were donated to the public by Thomas Ernest Rofe and his family.

Aboriginal heritage

It is possible this area was where the indigenous clan of the Darramurragal lived and that their language was Darug coastal dialect or similar. [4] Val Attenbrow,(2010) Sydney’s Aboriginal Past. Investigating the archaeological and historical records 2nd ed, UNSW Press, Pages 30-34

Post 1857

The area of 50 acres was advertised by the Crown as Lot 2 on the 4th February 1857 and was selected by William Gannon. A land grant was issued to him on the 5th September 1877. Following his death, his widow, Helena Gannon sold the land to Minnie Edith Rofe (Minnie Edith Hilder, 1870–1949).[5]

According to the NSW Land Registry, Certificate of Title Volume 313 Folio 155, the land comprising 50 acres, was purchased by Minnie Edith Rofe on 20 July 1904. Minnie subsequently declared that she held it in trust for her husband, Thomas Ernest Rofe (1869-1945) [6]. The two of them joined in a transfer of the land to the Council of the Shire of Ku-ring-gai on the 13th April 1927 ( NSW Land Registry Services [7], Transfer No B502449).

Gift to the public 1927

Thomas and Minnie Rofe were living in Wahroonga, Sydney in 1927 when they gave the 50 acres of land to the Council of the Shire of Ku-ring-gai.

In the Sydney Morning Herald [8] article dated the 6 April 1927 [9], Councillor Thistlethwayte, president of Ku-ring-gai Shire said; “This generous act on Mr. Rofe’s part, is being consummated to-night in the transfer of the property to the council, and the execution of a deed of trust by the council, so that the area will for all time be an open space in which the preservation of the natural fauna and flora will be a dominant feature. The land is well wooded and includes a natural cave unsurpassed in the metropolitan area.”

According to the Deed held by Ku-ring-gai Council, (Deed-LD625516 Rofe Park - Off Warrigal Road Turramurra - Portion 32 - Volume 313 - Folio 155 - Includes Deed with Thomas Ernest Rofe). "Council should hold the said land upon the trusts hereinafter declared" and "upon trust for the public as a Public Park and reserve for the preservation of natural fauna and flora".

Rofe Park opened on 24 May 1927, Mr and Mrs Rofe were present. Thomas said that his decision to dedicate the area as a park was as a result of reading a report of the Society for the Preservation of Wildlife and of the impression he received while travelling through the USA where parks had been donated to local communities.[10]

The Rofe Park bushland

Rofe Park Turramurra has a combination land zoning of C2 (Environmental Conservation) and RE1 (Public Recreation). It is rated as Bushfire Prone Land. Soils are classified Acid Sulphate category 5.[11]

It is an existing Biodiversity Stewardship Site within Ku-ring-gai [12]. The natural bush corridor that includes Sheldon Forest, Rofe Park and Comenarra Creek Reserve form a State BioBanking site [13]. The Avondale Creek flows through the park, there are two waterfalls (from different branches of the creek) and natural caves.

Geology

Rofe Park is a typical Hawkesbury Sandstone (Sydney sandstone) valley, 70 metres deep with steep rocky sides and spanning the upper third of the approximately 230 metre thick Hawkesbury Sandstone formation. The sandstone is overlain by the alternating thin sandstones, siltstones and laminites of the 2-10 metre thick Mittagong Formation which survives on the valley shoulders, notably around Mimosa Oval.

Vegetation

Coachwood Ceratopetalum apetalum forest follows the rocky creek lines of the narrow valley bottoms and ravines. Accompanying tree species include Grey Myrtle Backhousia myrtifolia, especially upstream from Avondale Dam. The cool, highly shady character means ground flora is limited to ferns or is absent altogether, though there is a notable wealth of seasonal fungi. Fern species are quite diverse, especially around the two waterfalls where at least five species grow. The dominant tree species of the valley sides is Blackbutt Eucalyptus pilularis, locally exceeding 30 metres in height. It is accompanied by scattered Turpentines Syncarpia glomulifera and Sydney Red Gums Angophora costata, also Sydney Peppermints Eucalyptus piperita and Black Sheoaks Allocasuarina littoralis on higher slopes. Some of the large Blackbutts are more than 100 years old. The park includes Critically Endangered Blue Gum High Forest that is mainly located in Sheldon Forest to the north-east of Rofe Park.

Animal species

Regular Australian native bird visitors include, Yellow-tailed black cockatoo, Sulphur crested cockatoo, Galah, Australian king parrot, Rainbow lorikeet, Crimson rosella, Red wattlebird, Laughing kookaburra, Australian magpie, Pacific koel, Grey butcherbird, Pied currawong, Tawny frogmouth, Southern boobook, White-headed pigeon, Channel-billed cuckoo and the Superb fairywren.

Land based Australian native animals include, Common brushtail possum and ringtail possums Pseudocheiridae, Sugar glider, Long-nosed bandicoot, Bush rat, Swamp wallaby, Short-beaked echidna, eastern Australian water dragon, Red-bellied black snake, Eastern brown snake and the Green tree snake Dendrelaphis punctulatus.

Several threatened species are known to live in the area, such as the Red-crowned toadlet, Gang-gang cockatoo, Powerful owl, Eastern bent-wing bat, Eastern freetail bat Micronomus, Yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat and Grey-headed flying-fox. The Powerful Owl can roost in the dark, protective canopies of coachwoods and turpentines.

References; John Martyn - Field Guide to the Bushland of the Lane Cove Valley, Pages 1-82 and 100-105, STEP Inc Published 2010.[14] Ku-ring-gai Council[15]

Walking tracks

There are several walking tracks through Rofe Park [16] and nearby Sheldon Forest. They vary in grades from easy around Mimosa Oval to more difficult heading up to Warragal Road and Sheldon Forest or across to Troon Place in Pymble.

Sport and recreation at Mimosa Oval

Mimosa Oval is a sportsground and an informal recreational space used by the community. It is the home ground for amateur clubs Kissing Point Cricket Club [17] in summer and West Pymble Football Club [18] in winter. The ground includes public toilets and a childrens playground. South Turramurra Scout hall is located nearby at the end of Kate St, the home of 2nd Turramurra Scouts [19].

References

  1. ^ "Google Maps".
  2. ^ "Lane Cove National Park".
  3. ^ https://www.hornsby.nsw.gov.au/
  4. ^ https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/catalog/4652241Attenbrow,
  5. ^ Ku-ring-gai Historical Society. "Rofe Park-Turramurra". The Historian Official. 5–8 (1976–1979): 8–9.
  6. ^ "Thomas Ernest Rofe (1869–1945)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
  7. ^ https://www.nswlrs.com.au/
  8. ^ https://www.smh.com.au/
  9. ^ "Gift to Public". Sydney Morning Herald. 6 April 1927.
  10. ^ "People's Parks". Sun. 6 April 1927.
  11. ^ https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/propertyreports/3e4eaf78-73ac-41e9-9fac-0c1a4f3a4b00.pdf
  12. ^ "Bushland plans and policies".
  13. ^ https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/bimsprapp/AgreementDetails.aspx?ID=132
  14. ^ "Field guide to the bushland of the Lane Cove Valley / John Martyn - Catalogue | National Library of Australia".
  15. ^ "Wildlife galleries".
  16. ^ "Rofe Park and Sheldon Forest Track".
  17. ^ https://www.kissingpointcc.com.au/
  18. ^ https://www.wpfc.com.au/
  19. ^ https://2nd-turramurra.group.scoutsnsw.com.au/