Bass Point Reserve is one of the jewel’s in the Illawarra’s crown.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Our region is blessed with many beautiful, natural wonders and Bass Point is right up there with the best of them.
Just a stone’s throw from the centre of Shellharbour, this little paradise is now surrounded by the rapidly expanding populations of the southern Illawarra suburbs.
It is protected as a place of significance for its natural and heritage aspects. It’s hard not to be taken by the beauty of the place.
Historical evidence indicates the aboriginal people occupied the lands of Bass Point some 20,000 years before the arrival of European settlers.
Indeed, Aboriginal people regarded the area as a traditionally important camping and meeting place.
In fact, even Captain James Cook made note of the area and its aboriginal occupants as the Endeavour sailed past the coastline in April 1770.
The rocky landscape of Bass Point is lapped by waters rich in marine life.
On the eastern side of Bass Point is Bushrangers Bay Aquatic Reserve which is home to a host of life including being a critical habitat for the endangered Grey Nurse Shark.
There has been a number of shipwrecks in the area, most notably the Cities Service Boston in 1943 which cost four people their lives during the rescue operation.
Yet it appears the area is not being respected as it should and locals are calling for tougher measures to be taken to protect the nature and the heritage of the reserve.
Social media lit up across the Easter weekend with claims Bass Point was being “raped”.
Those are strong words.
Locals, who have used and respected the area, expressed frustration visitors to our region were not showing the same care and appreciation and in many cases were breaking the rules there to protect the reserve.
The Shellharbour Council has been proactive in response and has pledged to look into the issues and to examine measures for better protecting Bass Point.
As the population push expands south as as more visitors discover the wonders of our region, ensuring they stay that way is paramount.
Once the wonders that make this area unique are lost, they are gone forever.
The environment of Bass Point is indeed a pristine one and we need to keep it that way.