The Lane Cove River, a northern

tributary A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage ...

of the

Parramatta River The Parramatta River is an intermediate tide-dominated, drowned valley estuary located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. With an average depth of , the Parramatta River is the main tributary of Sydney Harbour, a branch of Port Jackson. Seco ...

, is a

tide Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravity, gravitational forces exerted by the Moon (and to a much lesser extent, the Sun) and are also caused by the Earth and Moon orbiting one another. Tide t ...

-dominated,

drowned valley A ria (; gl, ría) is a coastal inlet formed by the partial submergence of an unglaciated river valley. It is a drowned river valley that remains open to the sea. Definitions Typically rias have a dendritic, treelike outline although they ca ...

estuary An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environment ...

west of

Sydney Harbour Port Jackson, consisting of the waters of Sydney Harbour, Middle Harbour, North Harbour and the Lane Cove and Parramatta Rivers, is the ria or natural harbour of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The harbour is an inlet of the Tasman Sea (p ...

, located in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. The river is a tributary of the Parramatta River, winding through a bushland valley. It joins Parramatta River at

Greenwich Greenwich ( , ,) is a town in south-east London, England, within the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is situated east-southeast of Charing Cross. Greenwich is notable for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich ...

and

Woolwich Woolwich () is a district in southeast London, England, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich. The district's location on the River Thames led to its status as an important naval, military and industrial area; a role that was maintained throu ...

, where together they form an arm of

, and serves as a border along with Middle Harbour separating Sydney's North Shore.

Ecology

The Lane Cove River rises near

Thornleigh Thornleigh is a suburb in the Northern Sydney region, or Upper North Shore of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Thornleigh is located 22 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local governme ...

and flows generally south for about . Its catchment area is approximately . The upper reaches are in a narrow, forested valley eroded into the North Shore Plateau.

Fiddens Wharf ''Fiddens Wharf'' or ''Killara Wharf'' was a former wharf on the Lane Cove River in Sydney, Australia. Named after the convict Joseph Fidden, the wharf was primarily used for the transport of timber and supplies to and from Sydney in the 19th ce ...

was the site of early 19th century logging. The middle reaches are impounded by a weir just upstream of

Fullers Bridge Fullers Bridge, officially called the Fullers Creek Bridge, is a road bridge that carries Delhi Road to Millwood Avenue across the Lane Cove River, in , Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The concrete beam bridge is located northwest of the ...

. Sections of the valley are forested and are protected within the

Lane Cove National Park The Lane Cove National Park is a protected national park that is located within metropolitan Sydney, in New South Wales, Australia. The national park is situated about north-west of the Sydney central business district and features various ve ...

, an area of , formerly a State Recreation Area. The lower reaches of the Lane Cove River, downstream from the weir near Fullers Bridge, are tidal and merge into Sydney Harbour at

and

. There are significant areas of

mangrove A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows in coastal saline water, saline or brackish water. The term is also used for tropical coastal vegetation consisting of such species. Mangroves are taxonomically diverse, as a result of convergent evoluti ...

communities along the shores. The

confluence In geography, a confluence (also: ''conflux'') occurs where two or more flowing bodies of water join to form a single channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main stem); o ...

of the river is with Scout Creek in Lane Cove National Park at

Cheltenham Cheltenham (), also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a spa town and borough on the edge of the Cotswolds in the county of Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort, following the discovery of mineral s ...

. At North Epping, still within the confines of the national park, it is joined by

Devlins Creek Devlins Creek, an urban watercourse that is part of the Parramatta River catchment, is located in Northern Suburbs region of Sydney, Australia. Course and features Devlins Creek rises about south south-west of the suburb of ; with its headwa ...

from the south and Terrys Creek near

Macquarie Park Macquarie Park () is a suburb in the Northern Sydney region of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Macquarie Park is located 13 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Ryde. ...

. Southwest of

Killara Killara is a suburb on the Upper North Shore of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia north-west of the Sydney Central Business District in the local government area of Ku-ring-gai Council. East Killara is a separate suburb and ...

and Lindfield, the width of the river expands, continuing south through Lane Cove River National Park, towards the suburbs of Linley Point and Riverview, before finally reaching its mouth between Greenwich Point and Woolwich, where it merges with

and soon after becomes part of

Port Jackson Port Jackson, consisting of the waters of Sydney Harbour, Middle Harbour, North Harbour and the Lane Cove and Parramatta Rivers, is the ria or natural harbour of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The harbour is an inlet of the Tasman Sea (p ...

, more commonly known as Sydney Harbour. Devlin Creek was named after the Devlin family, who lived in

Willandra Willandra is a heritage-listed former service station and homestead and now community facility located at 782 Victoria Road, Ryde, New South Wales, Australia. Its design is attributed to William Weaver and built from 1841 to 1844 by James De ...

, a historical house in

Ryde Ryde is an English seaside town and civil parish on the north-east coast of the Isle of Wight. The built-up area had a population of 23,999 according to the 2011 Census and an estimate of 24,847 in 2019. Its growth as a seaside resort came af ...

Register of the National Estate

The area surrounding the river, no more than wide, is called Lane Cove National Park, and is a site of ecological importance, listed on the Australian

Register of the National Estate The Register of the National Estate was a heritage register that listed natural and cultural heritage places in Australia that was closed in 2007. Phasing out began in 2003, when the Australian National Heritage List and the Commonwealth Heritag ...

. It contains an endangered community of fungi, some species of which have still not been classified. A popular caravan park and campground known as

Lane Cove River Tourist Park Lane Cove River Tourist Park is a caravan park and campground in the Australian state of New South Wales located in the suburb of Macquarie Park within the boundaries of the Lane Cove National Park and about north of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. ...

is located on the western side of the valley above the river.

Great North Walk

The Lane Cove River is the site of many old trails and tracks, some of which have survived from logging days. They are now used for recreational purposes. Some of them have been incorporated into the

Great North Walk The Great North Walk is a walking track which runs from Sydney to Newcastle in New South Wales, Australia. The main track, in length, runs between the Obelisk in Macquarie Place in Sydney to Queens Wharf in Bicentennial Park in Newcastle and ...

, a long-distance walking trail from Sydney to Newcastle. This trail passes along the Lane Cove River between Boronia Avenue,

Hunters Hill Hunters Hill is a suburb of the lower north shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Hunters Hill is located north-west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area ...

, and Thornleigh Oval,

. On the east side of Thornleigh Oval, the trail makes use of Lorna Pass, a track built during the Depression of the 1930s to provide relief work. The pass was named after Lorna Brand, who raised money for the work. Another trail, the Lane Cove Valley Walk, stretches from Thornleigh to Lindfield.

Fairyland

From 1913 to the early 1970s, the Swan family operated a picnic area called

Fairyland Fairyland (''Faerie'', Scottish ''Elfame'', c.f. Old Norse '' Álfheimr'') in English and Scottish folklore is the fabulous land or abode of fairies or ''fays''. Old French (Early Modern English ) referred to an illusion or enchantment, the land ...

, which was located on the banks of the river, upstream from Epping Road. The area was originally a market garden, but the family turned it into a picnic area when they realized the commercial potential. Facilities were developed to the point where Fairyland had its own footbridge, BBQ fireplaces, boat swing, razzle dazzle ride, shelter, dance hall and wharf. The area has now returned to nature and is contained within the Lane Cove National Park. The Great North Walk passes through it.

Cultural items of significance

Harry Smith was a businessman who owned land in what is now the

Marsfield Marsfield is a suburb in the Northern Sydney region of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Marsfield is located 16 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Ryde. T ...

area. Smith created a picnic area in a section of his property he called Curzon Park, which bordered the Lane Cove River and consisted of eighty acres of bushland. The picnic area has long since returned to nature, but a set of stone steps can still be seen at the top of the escarpment above the river. It is almost certain that Smith had these steps built to provide access to the picnic area. This is supported by a news item from 1899, which states that a set of stone steps went down to the picnic area. Smith also had a quarry in the area, near the present location of Talavera Road, from which he obtained the stone to build his mansion, Curzon Hall. The latter was built circa 1899 and is located at the intersection of Balaclava and Agincourt Roads. The name Curzon came from his wife's name: Isabella Curzon Webb. The building was purchased by the Vincentian Fathers in 1922 and turned into a Catholic seminary. In 1983 it was acquired for business purposes and became a function centre. Curzon Hall is listed on the

New South Wales Heritage Register The New South Wales State Heritage Register, also known as NSW State Heritage Register, is a heritage list of places in the state of New South Wales, Australia, that are protected by New South Wales legislation, generally covered by the Heritag ...

as a site of significance. Smith is remembered as a philanthropist who allowed the public to use the picnic area free of charge, and who built the public school in Marsfield. He died in 1913. The river is known for being the site of the mysterious deaths of Dr Gilbert Bogle and Margaret Chandler on 1 January 1963. The cause of their deaths has never been established; but there is a strong theory that the two deaths may have been caused by accidental hydrogen sulphide poisoning, due to the build-up of the poisonous gas beneath the river bed that formed both naturally and by pollutants from nearby factories along the river.

Bridges

Four bridges cross the Lane Cove River: *

De Burghs Bridge De Burghs Bridge is a road bridge that carries the Lane Cove Road, part of the A3, across the Lane Cove River in Macquarie Park, Sydney, Australia. The bridge stretches from Macquarie Park in the south to West Pymble in the north. History T ...

on A3 which connects

North Ryde North Ryde is a suburb located in the Northern Sydney region of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. North Ryde is located 15 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City ...

and

West Pymble West Pymble is a suburb on the Upper North Shore of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia north-west of the Sydney Central Business District in the local government area of Ku-ring-gai Council. Pymble is a separate suburb to the ea ...

. *

on A38, which connects Chatswood and North Ryde. *Epping Road Bridge carrying

Epping Road Epping Road is a arterial road located on the North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Epping Road is a major route linking the lower North Shore and Sydney central business district to the north western suburbs of the upper Nor ...

traffic on the sides and

M2 Hills Motorway The Hills Motorway (also known as the Hills M2 Motorway, M2 Motorway or simply M2) is a tollway in north-western Sydney, Australia, owned by toll road operator Transurban. It forms majority of Sydney's M2 route and part of the 110 km Sy ...

in the centre, both of which connect Lane Cove to Ryde. *

Fig Tree Bridge The Fig Tree Bridge is a road bridge that carries Burns Bay Road across the Lane Cove River, and connects the suburbs of Hunters Hill, New South Wales, Hunters Hill in the south and Linley Point, New South Wales, Linley Point in the north, locate ...

on Burns Bay Road, which connects

Lane Cove West Lane Cove West is a suburb on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Lane Cove West is located 9 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipa ...

and Hunters Hill.

Gallery

Image:(1)steps_possibly_Harry_Smiths-1.jpg, Steps that provided access to Harry Smith's picnic area Image:Fullers Bridge & Bus.jpg, Lane Cove River at

Chatswood West Chatswood West is a suburb on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Chatswood West is located 11 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government areas of the Ci ...

. Image:(1)Curzon_Hall.jpg, Curzon Hall Image:Fairyland_Pleasure_Grounds.jpg, Archival photo of Fairyland Image:(1)Whale_Rock_formation.jpg, Formation known as Whale Rock outside Cheltenham Image:(1)Brushturkey_Lane_Cove_River_056a.jpg, An Australian Brushturkey in the national park