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This reserve, which contains Ingleburn Weir, was one of the first locations on the Georges River to be dedicated for recreational purposes, and the setting is as tranquil today as it was in the 1870s when it was first set aside. The weir was constructed sometime between 1939 to 1940 to provide a local swimming facility and quickly became a very popular picnic area used by many of the local residents. The locality has full picnic facilities including barbecues.

Simmos Beach, in the neighbouring suburb of Macquarie Fields, is popular local picnic spot created around a natural arc of white sand on the banks of the Georges River. An artificial lake on the upper ground has extended the reserve s capacity to handle the growing number of visitors. A walking trail from the lower car park leads up the river gorge through picturesque bushland. A number of examples of Aboriginal rock art including hand stencils and animals can be seen in caves and overhangs in the less frequented northern section. The 75 ha. reserve's name recalls Bob Simmonds who illegally mined beach sand here in the 1950s.
Facilities: barbecues, picnic tables, grassed area, toilets, bus parking, wheelchair access along riverside boardwalk. Fifth Avenue, Macquarie Fields.

Bardia Barracks, contained within the Ingleburn Army Camp, was purpose built in 1940 for the Australian Army on the west side of the railway on the Campbelltown Road. The army already occupied the site, having set up tents on 8 October 1939. The land was originally part of the Denham Court Estate. During World War II, the camp became the major army training facility in New South Wales. Many important army units who, having trained at the camp, served in some of the major engagements of World War II. Following the outbreak of the Korean War during the 1950s, Battalions destined for Korea were stationed at the camp.

The training of National Service recruits was the main function of the camp from 1951 until 1972, when the Commonwealth Government abolished National Service. The Camp began was wound down in mid-1990s with units gradually being transferred to other locations. Many buildings were demolished or destroyed by fire in the late 1990s. The Military Heritage Precinct was established in 2002 as a representative example of a command precinct for a large Army training site in NSW and Australia. Major points of interest include Mont St Quentin Oval, Bardia Barracks and numerous memorials, of which the most imposing is the memorial wall, located west of the guard house.

Bull Cave, near the Georges River at nearby Kentlyn, is one of the most historically significant examples of Aboriginal rock art in the Sydney region. As well as kangaroos, human figures and 11 mundoes (footprints) in red ochre, the cave paintings here depict a group of large mammals which resemble bulls. Researchers believe the paintings are genuinely Aboriginal, that they were drawn after 1788 and depict the progeny of cattle which escaped from the colony of Sydney in 1788. These cattle were found at Cowpastures by the first white settlers in the Macarthur district 15 years later after their escape. The cattle would have gone in the vicinity of the cave on their way to the place where they were eventually found. The location of the cave has not been publicised in order to protect it. Sadly, the policy has not worked, as the art in this and other overhangs in the area has been badly damaged by vandals, no doubt unaware of its significance.

Long Point is a peninsula surrounded by the Georges River on three sides, near to Ingleburn, with the Holsworthy Military Reserve on the opposite bank. The entrance to the fire trail leading down to the river is found by driving to the end of Wills Road, turning left into Kingdon Parade (not Kingdom)and walking through the gate found across the end of the road, the walk down only takes a few minutes, with the walk back up the hill taking a little longer because of the gradient, but stop awhile as you pass by and admire the rock formations and woodland. Who knows you may even spot a koala, as there is a healthy population living along the Georges River within the Campbelltown region.

A loop track passes through bushland and along the river meeting up with the beach and fire trail back to the road, but as it is not marked on the map, or by any signage.

Long Point has a sandy beach beside the river, and over the years this has been a popular place for a swim, nowadays this is subject to river water quantity and quality, Long Point is a good place to start learning about the river and local bushland. Frogs call in season, native fish and eels are seen quite often, but one has to sit quietly to see or hear them.

Kentlyn's Basin Reserve, in which the Bull Cave is located, is a popular, secluded waterhole, reached from a steep, downhill walking track which starts at the end of Georges River Road, Kentlyn. The scenic location is a stunning example of a typical Georges River gorge landscape, and offers striking views in the late afternoon sun.

The pool at the end of the walk is probably one of the largest along the stretch of the Georges River within the Campbelltown Council area, and is very popular in summer, without the over crowding found in other parts of Sydney. The waterfall is a delight for photographers and painters, but once again care must be taken when paddling or swimming in the river above the falls as there are large sink holes caused by many years of natural erosion caused by eddies in the river.

In season flannel flowers (Actinotus helianthi) carpet the plateau among the typical Hawkesbury Sandstone Woodland trees and understory, and Gymea Lilies (Doryanthes excelsa) wave their large red flowers like sentinels along the cliff lines.

At the end of Georges River Road are the relics of one of the oldest roads in the area and one of three historical routes crossing the upper reaches of the Georges River. The road, which was constructed in the 1890s as part of an employment programme, brought access to the settlements of Eckersley and Holsworthy from Campbelltown and Minto. The settlements on the eastern side of the Georges River were established in 1884 and were the site of numerous vineyards and orchards until 1913 when the land was resumed for the Holsworthy field firing range. The remnants of the settlement are today within the Holsworthy Military Area.

The road was surveyed in 1886 and constructed between 1889 and 1891. Many of the cuttings, box culverts, sandstone dish drains and buttresses built to support the road as it winds its way through a picturesque wooden valley still exist though the causeway/bridge across the river has long gone. Drill hooks are evident in the rock face where quarrying and blasting took place. An illegal whiskey still operated near the ford across the river. The road continues up the hillside on the eastern side of the Georges River though public access to this section of road is denied as it is within the Holsworthy Military Area.

What is today termed the Old Ford Road is part of the original Georges River Road (the section which passes through Holsworthy Army Reserve was later named National Park Road), parts of which still exist. It began near the corner of Liverpool Road (Hume Highway) and Henry Lawson Drive, Milperra and passed in a south westerly direction through the middle of what is now the Holsworthy Military Area to a ford at the junction of Peter Meadows Creek and the Georges River. The section of the road beyond the ford has retained its original name, becoming Broughton Street when it reaches Campbelltown.

A more substantial ford across the Georges River was later built at Frere's Crossing to provide access for a number of families living in that part of the settlement. This deviation quickly replaced the original section of road now contained in the Georges River Nature Reserve. Frere s Crossing got its name from George Pierre Frere, a Frenchman who took up land at Eckersley between the Georges River and Punchbowl Creek. Here he built a house and established a vineyard that later supplied his wine cellar in Sydney. The remains of George Frere's two houses and wine vats at Eckersley still exist.

Freres Crossing entrance is at the end of Freres Road, Kentlyn, no vehicular entry is allowed, but walkers are welcome to wander down the fire trail to the Georges River.

The track was originally made so that coaches could access the village of Eckersley and beyond, but whether a coach ever did travel down is a question much discussed, but never resolved, and once residents of Eckersley were moved out of the village to allow the area to become part of the Military Reserve, the track was allowed to fall into disrepair.

The Old Ford Track is one of the easier walks along the Georges River within the Campbelltown City Council region, and can be found at the end of Georges River Road at Kentlyn within the Keith Longhurst Reserve. Pass through the gate and follow the track, turn right at the junction and walk down the track to the river. Walkers will notice that trees growing on the plateau at the start of the walk are quite short and scrubby, but as they walk further down into the gully the trees get taller, fighting each other to reach the light.

The Georges River flows through some of our beautiful bushland. Along the river there are many easily accessible walking tracks filled with native flora and fauna. These include gymea lilies, fuscia heath and grevilleas among other nestled between scribbly gums and grey gums. If you are lucky you might see or hear one of the local Koalas, wallabies, or a few of the birds species in the area.

The walk starts at the end of Derby Street that can be accessed through a locked gate across Duncan Street, Minto Heights. Walk from the gate down Duncan Street which becomes Derby Street. Follow it to the end of the road, the steps are located at two o'clock or the top right hand corner of the cul-de-sac.

The 100 steps walk follows a set of old steps that meander down the side of the gorge to the Georges River, hence its name. In sections these steps are in good condition, however in parts they have been eroded or are completely missing. The track makes its path around rocks overhangs, surrounded by grass trees and gymea lilies and shaded by magnificent angophoras which often seem to by growing out of bare rock. There is very little chance of a sighting of the river on the way down, but the large pool at the bottom is worth a visit.

This is not a walk we would recommend for families or large groups, as there is no beach or flat area to sit on once the river is reached, it is more a place for a few friends or quiet reflection. Also in sections the track can be steep.

The suburb of Macquarie Fields is located in the corridor between Liverpool and Campbelltown, to the north of Ingleburn, 42 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district. Macquarie Fields was named by early landholder James Meehan in honour of the Governor of New South Wales, Lachlan Macquarie. The area was surveyed by Meehan in the early 19th century. Transported to Australia as a convict for his role in the Irish Rebellion of 1798, Meehan had trained as a surveyor in Ireland and in 1803 was appointed assistant to NSW Surveyor-General Charles Grimes. In 1806 he was granted a full pardon and in 1810 became Surveyor-General. For his work, he was granted a number of parcels of land including 2,020 acres in what is now Macquarie Fields and neighbouring suburbs. He used the rich soil to grow cereal crops, fruit trees and to graze livestock. In 1883, then owner William Phillips subdivided the land, expecting a large town to spring up.

A railway station at Macquarie Fields was built on the Campbelltown line in 1888 but the depression of the 1890s meant the grand town failed to materialise with only a few small houses built on the lots. After World War II, a large Housing Commission development was built on the east side of the railway line. This led to a huge population growth and there was even talk of splitting the suburb in two with the newer Housing Commission area taking the name Glenwood but opposition to the proposal put an end to that idea. Private housing developments sprung up further around and the weight of population contributed to a larger town centre.

Ghost Haunting Australia claims the Macquarie Fields railway station is haunted, its members claim to have photographed ghostly figures watching them. Several people have reported seeing the ghost of a teenage girl who they say sits in the station with blood all over her body, then walks around screaming as the night approaches. The editor of this website lived at Macquarie Fields for a number of years and used the railway station frequently, and during that time did not see or hear anything to support these claims, nor meet anyome who did.

The suburb of Glenfield, to north of Macquarie Fields on the Macarthur railway line, was named after the property founded by early colonial surgeon and explorer, Charles Throsby. The property appears to have been named after the Glenfield in Leicestershire, England, where Throsby once lived. Many of the streets in the suburb have links to British names, such as Canterbury Road, Cambridge Avenue and Trafalgar Street. The name was first used when Glenfield railway station was built in 1869 although a village didn't begin to develop until 1881 when the first subdivision of the paddocks were marketed.

A public school opened in a tent the following year and a local post office was established in 1899. However, the suburb did not really develop until the 1950s and 60s. Glenfield railway station is a junction for the Revesby and Granville branches of the Airport, Inner West and South Line on the Sydney Suburban railway network and is an integral part of the new South West Rail Link. Glenfield is located 40 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district.

Ingleburn Weir

The land in the Ingleburn area was originally inhabited by the Tharawal people prior to the arrival of settlers from the First Fleet in 1788. The first land grants in the area were made in 1809 to William Hall, William Neale, Joshua Alliot and Timothy Loughlin, all previously soldiers in the NSW Corps. As such, the area became known as Soldier Flat. By 1826, Neale's 80-acre (30ha) grant was owned by an ex-convict called David Noonan who also purchased other sites, building up a farm of 193 acres (77ha) on the modern location of Ingleburn's town centre. Mary Ruse - the daughter of famous pioneer James Ruse - was Noonan's housekeeper and purchased the farm for herself in 1841. Mary held it until her death in 1874.

In 1869, a rail platform was built on the old Neale grant and given the name Macquarie Fields Station after a property to the north. However, in 1881 the Macquarie Fields estate was subdivided to become the new village of Macquarie Fields. That the station was a long way from the village caused confusion so a new name was sought for the station and Ingleburn was chosen in 1883. The village of Ingleburn was established in 1885 when the land was subdivided.

A public school was opened in 1887. Ingleburn Post Office opened on 15 November 1886. By 1896, the town was large enough to have its own municipal council. Town improvements such as street lights and water did not arrive until after World War I. In 1948 the Council was merged with the City of Campbelltown Council. In 1969, a large area west of the railway line was rezoned to become an industrial estate. Protests from local residents saw the plan halted temporarily but within ten years, the west side of the town had become largely industrial and remains so to this day. More housing subdivisions were made on the outskirts of town in the 1970s including Housing Commission developments.

Ingleburn has many themes for the naming of streets. Chester Road, Cumberland Road, Cambridge Street, Oxford Road, Suffolk Street, Carlisle Street, Norfolk Street Raglan Avenue, Belford Street, Salford Street and Phoenix Avenue were some of the first streets in the town and are named after English localities.

Birds are another theme with the main thoroughfares Warbler Avenue, Lorikeet Avenue, Currawong Street, Kingfisher Street, Oriole Place, Wagtail Crescent and Kookaburra Street, and smaller streets named after the Magpie, Jabiru, Falcon, Lark, Ibis, Dove, Egret, Kestrel, Swift, Heron, Miner, Jacana, Honeyeater, Lyrebird, Whistler, Fantail, Swallow, Sitella, Brolga, Swan, Owl, Quail, and Triller.

There is also a car theme with Lancia Drive, Lagonda Drive, Bugatti Drive, Mercedes Road, Maserati Drive and Peugeot Drive becoming main thoroughfares and Fiat, Ferrari, Cadillac, Ford, Alfa, Renault, Rambler, Vauxhall, Buick, Leyland, Delaunay, Daimler, Stutz, Morgan, Sunbeam Place, Pontiac Place, Chevrolet Place,Delage Place and Oldsmobile Place being named after cars too.