The Macquarie Valley , also known as Albion Park, Rural West or Western Valley, is an area located in the Shellharbour local government area in the Illawarra region of New South Wales , Australia .
18-597: Albion Park is a suburb situated in the Macquarie Valley in the City of Shellharbour , which is in turn one of the three local government areas that comprise the Wollongong Metropolitan Area , New South Wales, Australia. Although it is surrounded by a 'green belt' of farms, Albion Park had a population of 13,316 at the 2016 census . The Illawarra escarpment is to the west, Dapto is to
36-407: A powerful or sooty owl . The Glenview walk is a two kilometre track, easy grade. It goes through tall forest past power lines and eastwards, ceasing at the park boundary. Birds here include variegated fairy-wren , brush cuckoo , fan-tailed cuckoo , crested shrike-tit , golden bronze-cuckoo . The Upper Cascade Creek Walk is a two kilometre track of moderate grade. The Brown Barrel Walk
54-730: A fee of $ 2.00 entry, to a pool paid for by the members of the town. Albion Park is also home to various sporting teams such as: Albion Park has the Tongarra Museum , which showcases the history of the region, and the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society Museum located at the Illawarra Regional Airport. There is a small Vicinity Centres shopping complex in Albion Park. In 2009, the local Council started
72-573: A large boulder. The track goes to a parking area after 3 kilometres. The track then deteriorates near a Turpentine grove. It then comes to a dilapidated concrete causeway over the rivulet. Crossing it, it goes to Rainbow Falls and a balancing rock. The rock is about 50 metres tall and the waterfall is behind it. Birds here include white-throated treecreeper , large-billed gerygone , Bassian thrush , topknot pigeon , brown cuckoo-dove , wonga pigeon , Australian king parrot , grey goshawk , Lewin's honeyeater, and nocturnal spotlighting may produce
90-474: A multi-purpose indoor basketball stadium, a turf cricket / AFL field, an athletics field, a BMX track, a remote control car racing track, and several tennis courts. A cycleway also courses its way through the Sporting Complex and links it to a polo field and a complex of soccer fields. Albion Park is also home to a Shellharbour Council Swimming Pool, which is open during the summer months and now costs
108-430: A parking area near a picnic area and rivulet. An old track continues on along the north side of the rivulet which is flat for several hundred metres, then becomes steeper, dropping back to the rivulet by a large boulder. Birds which may be seen here include dollarbird , azure kingfisher , sacred kingfisher , golden whistler , yellow-throated scrubwren , black-faced monarch and rufous fantail . The Cascade Falls Walk
126-622: A program to revitalize the town centre and it has attracted more tourists to the town. Macquarie Valley (Shellharbour) The valley includes the towns of Albion Park Rail , Albion Park and Tullimbar , as well as the Macquarie Pass National Park . Its first made reference in Council documents, and has since become somewhat of a district within the region. The valley differs from other areas in Illawarra, as
144-472: Is a major power line running east–west through the park. As well as a diverse array of birdlife the park has swamp wallabies and wombats . The area was heavily logged for cedar in the first half of the 19th century. Picnic facilities are provided at two sites at the bottom of Macquarie Pass . Barbecues are provided at two other picnic areas. The Macquarie Rivulet track is two kilometres long and easy to medium grade. A track goes along 30 metres to
162-454: Is a one kilometre track, easy grade. It goes beside Cascade Creek at the base of Macquarie Pass to a small waterfall. Birds found here include green catbird , rose robin , red-browed finch , yellow-throated scrubwren , brown gerygone , Lewin's honeyeater , crimson rosella . Fungi are apparent here. Clover Hill Road is a 3.5 kilometre track, easy grade. It follows a maintenance trail to Macquarie Rivulet and several waterfalls and
180-445: Is an easy to moderate grade track half a kilometre in length that goes from Nurrewin past power lines and through rainforest and moist eucalypt forest. Birds here include superb lyrebird , pilotbird , cicadabird , logrunner , rose robin, golden whistler, king parrot, topknot pigeon. Its name derives from Eucalyptus fastigata , or brown barrel. The Mount Murray Road Track is a one and a half kilometre track of easy grade. It follows
198-539: The pass of the same name, which is on the Illawarra Highway and part of the Illawarra escarpment . Macquarie Pass National Park was established in 1970 and protects a range of eucalypt forests and rainforest , including one of Australia's most southerly stands of subtropical rainforest. The pass was opened in 1898. It has been a major route into and out of the Illawarra coastal plain ever since. There
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#1732783786286216-601: The railway line in 1887, and the completion of the road through Macquarie Pass to the Southern Highlands hastened the town's growth. Albion Park has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: The term " Albion " is an ancient name of Great Britain. The name was given to the area by John Terry Hughes after originally being known as the Terry's Meadow Estate. According to the 2021 census of Population, there were 13,826 people in Albion Park. In order to avoid
234-594: The LGA and Illawarra, with only roughly 20,000 people living in the valley, as compared to other areas in Shellharbour LGA. This New South Wales geography article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Macquarie Pass National Park Macquarie Pass National Park is a national park in New South Wales , Australia , 90 km southwest of Sydney . It is located around
252-484: The escarpment heads inland forms several hills along with it, thus creating the area known as the Macquarie Valley. The area also experiences a greater range of temperature forecasts compared to other areas in Illawarra. The Macquarie Valley has had the Illawarra's hottest and coldest temperatures recorded and also experiences significant rainfall each year. It is also less populated compared to other areas in
270-508: The highest parts of the ridge between Albion Park and Minnamurra , the railway needed to keep closer to the shore of Lake Illawarra . After the opening of Albion Park railway station two kilometres to the east in 1887, a new town began to develop next to it, now known as Albion Park Rail . The Illawarra Highway runs through Albion Park and joins the Princes Highway just north of the suburb. This road brings many people through
288-481: The north, Jamberoo is to the south and Shellharbour is to the east. On 9 January 1821 the area around Albion Park was part of a grant of land of over 2000 acres given to Samuel Terry , a former convict who became one of the richest men in New South Wales. Terry owned and operated the Terry's Meadows Estate, which operated as a cattle stud. In 1834, Terry suffered from a stroke and died in 1838. The land
306-657: The region. Albion Park is also on the most direct link between Jamberoo Action Park and Sydney via the Princes Motorway and thus is directly on the route for those travelling south. There are currently 4 Primary Schools and 3 High Schools in Albion Park: Albion Park is home to the Shellharbour Regional Sporting Complex, which consists of two all-weather hockey fields, several football (rugby league) fields,
324-480: Was inherited by Samuel Terry's nephew, John Terry Hughes. Hughes renamed the site to Albion Park. The township began to grow around the centre of the estate. For European settlers, this had been a natural meeting place as it was where the road from Wollongong in the north crossed the road from the timber industry in Calderwood and Tongarra in the west as it ran out towards the port at Shellharbour. The arrival of
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