It was named by Thomas Higgins, the chap who was granted land in the area in 1824 (not granted by the Dharug people though, who happened to be the previous owners). He named it after a large old kangaroo who also lived there.
Old Man's Valley is notable also for the huge, disused quarry, which Hornsby Council was forced to buy (at exhorbitant cost) a few years ago, and has little idea what to do with or how to remediate. It's also the location of a rather spectacular and extremely scary mountain bike track, that I've (sort of) circumnavigated a couple of times, though at less than half the speed of many of its visitors.
I actually thought I knew the area quite well, but recently discovered an extra little secret. It has a little known and well hidden heritage cemetery; the Higgins family cemetery, no less. It's fenced in, and to find it you have to bush-bash through about 100m of quite dense scrub. It's completely invisible from any of the easily accessible bits of the valley, and there are no signs or clues of any sort about its existence, until you are right upon it.
Many happy days spent here through the clean up and restoration of the cemetary that is my family's history.
ReplyDeleteA definite secret part of Hornsby. Very much loved and visted by the family.
That's great Kelly! It must be really nice to have that 'secret' family connection to the area. Hope the future developments in the area don't impinge negatively on it.
Delete