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Chipping Norton Lake
Chipping Norton Lake
	Chipping Norton Lake
	Chipping Norton Lake
Location	Chipping Norton, Sydney, New South Wales
Coordinates	33°54′S 150°57′E / 33.900°S 150.950°E
Type	Artificial
Primary inflows	Georges River
Basin countries	Australia
Built	c. 1980
Max. length	1 km (0.62 mi)
Surface area	49 hectares (120 acres)
Surface elevation	0 m (0 ft) AHD
Frozen	never
Islands	4
Settlements	City of Liverpool

Chipping Norton Lake is a 49-hectare (120-acre) artificial lake and regional park located in the Sydney suburb of Chipping Norton, New South Wales, Australia. It is a part of the Georges River system. Chipping Norton Lake is managed by Liverpool City Council.^[1] The lake is an important recreational area for Liverpool, City of Canterbury-Bankstown and Fairfield City Council.

History

The Chipping Norton Lake area was inhabited by the Tharawal and Darug people before European settlement. The land where the lake is now situated, on the right bank of the Georges River, was granted to Thomas Rowley and George Johnston,^[2] with much of the land upstream given to Thomas Moore, an early settler and carpenter for the colony, who established farmland around the river. In the 1950s, sand mining on the point bar caused irreversible environmental destruction, and the area remained lifeless thereafter. In the late 1970s it was decided to flood the mine, leaving a large lake.^[3] Vegetation was planted around the lake to make a wildlife reserve.^[4]

Natural environment

There are over fifty different kinds of birds around the lake including pelicans, purple swamphens, egrets, maned ducks, pacific black ducks, sacred ibis, and pardalote; making birdwatching quite popular. The surrounding forests are filled with sedgelands, reeds and mangroves and the other native trees include the swamp oak, forest red gum, blue box, grey box, bangalay and rough barked apple. The alluvial woodland vegetation is another striking feature of the lake as it is an endangered ecological community.^[5]

The City of Liverpool, City of Canterbury-Bankstown and the City of Fairfield work together to manage the wildlife refuge and recreation areas of Chipping Norton Lake. There are four islands within the lake that serve as wildlife refuges for native birds and visitor access is prohibited. Bull sharks have been sighted in the lake.^[6]

Recreation

Chipping Norton Lake has a regional park located on Homestead Avenue, providing cycleways, barbecue facilities, picnic areas, playground equipment, boat ramps, sporting fields and the Georges River Environment Education Centre. There is also a beach in the lake called Grand Flaneur Beach at Homestead Park. Although swimming is permitted at the beach, it is not recommended because of poor water quality. The Chipping Norton Lake also have a number of walkways.^[1]

Watercraft are permitted on Chipping Norton Lake. however, a strict speed limit of eight knots applies. The Lake also features a community hall that can be hired by residents or community groups for birthday parties, christenings, barmitzvahs, weddings or any other type of function. The hall can accommodate up to 100 people and has an upstairs balcony with views across the lake and surrounding parkland.

Parks

The lake is surrounded by a number of parks, recreational areas and/or reserves:

East side:

Henry Lawson Reserve
Flinders Slopes
Lake Gillawarna
Rowley Park
Garrison Point Reserve
Liverpool Golf Club
Georges River Golf Course

West side:

Irelands Bridge Reserve
South Park
Angle Park
Homestead Park
Black Muscat Park
Heron Park
Riverside Park

References

^ ^a ^b Chipping Norton Lake (PDF). Liverpool City Council. 2006. Archived from the original (PDF brochure) on 10 March 2016. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
^ "Map of the Parish of Holsworthy, County of Cumberland". Parish Maps. Department of Lands, Sydney NSW. 1899. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
^ "Chipping Norton Lakes". The Dictionary of Sydney. City of Sydney. n.d. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
^ Tobin, Christopher. "The Dharug Story". Mananura Aboriginal Centre. Archived from the original on 13 October 2008. Retrieved 18 May 2008.
^ "Chipping Norton Lakes". Liverpool City Council.
^ "Three shark sightings in a month at Chipping Norton Lake". Daily Telegraph. Sydney. 8 April 2016.

External links

Bedford, Kerry; Stockton, Barbara; Michniewicz, Zenon; Elliott, Roger (September 1980). "Chipping Norton Lake Scheme: Planning and Development Study" (PDF). NSW Public Works Department. NSW Department of Environment and Planning.