Wattamolla

Wattamolla
Unpatrolled beach
Wattamolla lagoon, looking towards the Tasman Sea, with Wattamolla Beach in the distance and the waterfall in the foreground
Location	Royal National Park, New South Wales, Australia
Coordinates
Access	Wattamolla Road (transport) Royal National Park Coast Track (foot)
Beach length	150 m
Beach number	NSW 343
Hazard rating	4/10 (moderately hazardous)

Wattamolla is the name of a cove, lagoon and beach on the New South Wales coast south of Sydney, within the Royal National Park.

History

Wattamolla is the local Aboriginal name of the area, meaning "place near running water". That name was recorded as Watta-Mowlee by Matthew Flinders, but is today spelt Wattamolla.

Flinders, George Bass and a boy, William Martin were exploring in a small boat named the Tom Thumb when they were forced by a southerly gale (known as a southerly buster in Sydney), to seek shelter on the evening of 29 March 1796. They had been travelling northwards after having explored as far south as where Wollongong now is and in the darkness were using the cliffs and the noise of the surf to steer parallel with the coast.

At ten 'o'clock, the wind, which had been unsettled and driving electric clouds in all directions, burst out in a gale at south, and obliged us to get up the anchor immediately, and run before it. Matthew Flinders

Flinders, "steering with an oar", thought the dark outline of cliffs ended and believed he saw breakers, so he turned the boat towards shore. Catching a large wave, they "shot across a sandbar" and in moments were in the calm sheltered water of the lagoon, which in relief they named Providential Cove.

Gallery

• 

  Panorama of Wattamolla. Click to enlarge.

See also

• Sydney Cove (ship)

External links

• Historical images of Wattamolla on Trove