Iron Cove
{{short description|Bay on the Parramatta River in Australia}}
{{Use Australian English|date=July 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2017}}
{{Infobox body of water
| name = Iron Cove
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| image = Iron Cove 1.JPG
| alt =
| caption = Iron Cove information plate
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| coordinates = {{nowrap|{{Coord|-33.862425|151.154812|format=dms|type:waterbody_region:AU-NSW|display=title,inline}}}}
| type = Estuarine bay
| etymology =
| part_of = Port Jackson
| inflow ={{bulleted list|Hawthorne Canal|Iron Cove Creek}}
| rivers =
| outflow = Parramatta River
| oceans =
| catchment = Sydney Basin
| basin_countries = Australia
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| frozen = never
| islands = Rodd Island
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| cities = Sydney
| pushpin_map = Australia Sydney
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| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Sydney
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Iron Cove is a bay on the Parramatta River, in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is approximately {{convert|5|km|mi}} due west of Sydney's central business district. It is surrounded by the suburbs of Birchgrove, Balmain, Rozelle, Lilyfield, Haberfield, Five Dock, Rodd Point, Russell Lea and Drummoyne. The bay extends from Longnose Point to the south-west and is fed by the Hawthorne Canal and the Iron Cove Creek.
History
William Dawes recorded the name of this place as Go-mo-ra in the language of the local people.{{Citation|author1=Dawes, William|title=William Dawes : notebooks on the Aboriginal language of Sydney : a facsimile version of the notebooks from 1790-1791 on the Sydney language written by William Dawes and others|publication-date=2009|publisher=SOAS|isbn=978-0-7286-0390-5|author2=Rayner, Susannah|author3=Brown, Stuart|year=2009}}{{Cite book|title=Living Language: Country, culture community [exhibition booklet]|publisher=State Library of New South Wales|year=2019}}
In the early days of the colony of New South Wales, the area was sometimes known as Long Cove, presumably for its long narrow shape. The origin of the name 'Iron Cove' is unclear. On the 1822 survey map of Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour) by John Septimus Roe, Lieut. R.N. it is noted as Iron-stone Cove.{{Cite web|url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-230978734/view#contrast-down|title = A survey of Port Jackson, New South Wales [cartographic material]}} Iron Cove appears to be a shortening of this name that perhaps referred to the reddy coloured iron oxides in the stone, known as laterites.{{Cite web|url=http://adderley.net.au/geology/exhibition/04/04_02.html|title = Hawkesbury Sandstone}} In his book on Sydney Harbour, P.R. Stephensen suggests that the name is derived from the iron shackles worn by convicts from Cockatoo Island who were forced to work in the area around the bay from 1839. However, he goes on to note that this is merely "a surmise".Stephensen, Percy Reginald History and Description of Sydney Harbour. Adelaide, S.A.: Rigby, 1966. page 244. Another possible explanation for the name is that it was derived from the Ironbark trees that used to grow there.{{Citation needed|date=February 2007}}
The island in the middle of the bay is called Rodd Island, in honour of Brent Clements Rodd. Iron Cove is crossed by the Iron Cove Bridge, which was first opened in 1882 and links Rozelle and Balmain to Drummoyne. The original bridge was replaced in the 1950s. The Australian warships HMAS Ballarat and HMAS Goulburn were broken up for scrap in the bay in 1953.{{fact|date=October 2021}}
There are a number of smaller bays with Iron Cove, such as Sisters Bay and Half Moon Bay on the northern shores. The concrete channelised Iron Cove Creek runs into the western end of the bay, and Hawthorne Canal runs off the southern part of the bay.{{fact|date=October 2021}}
The land around the bay is mostly made up of publicly accessible foreshore or parkland. This forms a {{convert|7|km|mi}} jogging circuit known as The Bay Run.{{fact|date=October 2021}}
Pollution
According to the University of Sydney's School of Geosciences, this bay and its catchment area are the most heavily polluted in Sydney Harbour.{{Cite web |url=http://www.geosci.usyd.edu.au/future/pg/fundedresearch.html |title=Postgraduate Research Opportunities> School of Geosciences > University of Sydney > Australia |access-date=6 December 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051219091153/http://www.geosci.usyd.edu.au/future/pg/fundedresearch.html |archive-date=19 December 2005 |url-status=dead }} In particular, very high levels of copper, zinc, and lead have been detected in the bay. Some of this pollution is contained in road dust, which is washed into the bay in stormwater. Iron Cove Creek (Dobroyd Canal) also suffers from organic and hydrocarbon pollutants.
A proposal has been put forward for a water filtration device to be installed at Iron Cove Creek. According to Professor Gavin Birch from the University of Sydney's School of Geosciences, "This device is specifically designed to stop those contaminants [heavy metals, organic pollutants and hydrocarbons] actually reaching Sydney Harbour."Berick, Dave. Dobroyd test for filter of future. The Inner West Courier, Tuesday 6 December 2005. Volume 121 No 49. Page 3.
Gallery
Image:Iron Cove from Francis Street, Lilyfield.JPG|Dobroyd Point, Iron Cove from Francis Street, {{NSWcity|Lilyfield}}
File:Iron Cove 3.JPG|View of Iron Cove from King George Park, {{NSWcity|Rozelle}}
Image:Rodd Island, Iron Cove.JPG|Rodd Island looking north from Rodd Point
Image:Iron Cove Bridge.JPG|Iron Cove Bridge with Lilyfield in background, taken from Birkenhead Point
File:Iron Cove at dusk.JPG|Looking over Iron Cove from Callan Park at dusk
File:Head of Iron Cove and Cockatoo Island.JPG|Looking towards the head of Iron Cove with Cockatoo Island in the distance
References
{{reflist}}
Further reading
{{commons-inline|Iron Cove (New South Wales)}}
- Blaxell, Gregory. The River: Sydney Cove to Parramatta. Eastwood, N.S.W.: Brush Farm Historical Society, 2004. {{ISBN|0-9751419-1-0}}.
{{Geography of Parramatta River}}