Pittwater Council Website

Pittwater Council Vision - To be a vibrant sustainable community of connected villages inspired by bush, beach and water.

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Main Content

History of the Park

North Narrabeen Reserve has been a major sporting facility for the Pittwater peninsular since the 1970s.  Before this, much of the Reserve had been used as a landfill site (from the mid 1950s). 

The adjacent Lakeside Caravan Park has been used as a camping/caravanning destination for the majority of the twentieth century.  As such it has a level of cultural significance to both the local area and to Sydney as a whole, visitors to the area traditionally coming from suburban Sydney.

The historic and social significance of North Narrabeen Reserve on the other hand is derived more from the recent past and largely relates to its use for sport by the community of the Pittwater Peninsula.  The Reserve also has historic significance for local residents who have witnessed the changes that have occurred and have used the area for less formal recreational activities.

One current use that predates the post 1970 development of the site is equestrian activities.  This dates back to the 1950s, when the Boots and Saddles Riding School was established.  The school utilised a large proportion of the site at times and equestrian activities have since become consolidated into the Clive Rogers Equestrian Ground in the southern portion, where pony activities occur.

The Warringah Rugby Club established a home ground at North Narrabeen Reserve in 1971.  Facilities have progressively been added, most notably, a grandstand, clubhouse and training field.  The ground was originally called Warringah Rugby Park, but was changed to Pittwater Rugby Park in 1993.  It was more colloquially known as "Rat Park".
The Golf Driving Range was established on the site in 1981 and since that time, along with the rugby park, has been the most intensively used section of the Reserve.

The other playing fields were established in the 1970s and have been subject to only minor improvements since.

The potential for the site to be used extensively for walking and other passive recreational activities has really only eventuated since the development of the sporting fields on the site.