About the Hawkesbury

The Hawkesbury City Council covers a huge area from Riverstone and Oakville to the South,  along Bells Line of Road as far as Bilpin and Berambing to the West, far along the Putty Road to the north and St Albans and beyond to the East. See Hawkesbury City Area Profile.

Geographically it is located about an hour and a half's drive to the north-west of the Sydney CBD and is dominated by the Hawkesbury River, also known as Deerubbun, one of the larger rivers in New South Wales. A large percentage of it is National Park. It includes extensive flood plains that were once the food basket of Sydney and particularly scenic rolling foothills leading to rugged mountain ranges and deep gorges and valleys.

Historically the two main Aboriginal tribes inhabiting the area were the Dhurag people to the north and west and the Darkinjung peoples on the opposite side of the river covering the area of Gosford north to Lake Macquarie and west to Wollombi.

The Hawkesbury was settled within a few years of the arrival of Europeans in the late 1700s as the colonists sought better soils for growing vegetables and raising livestock. Many buildings of these early settlers still remain along with the cemeteries that mark their struggle for survival. The Windsor Courthouse and St. Matthews Anglican Church in Windsor, both designed by Sir Francis Greenway the convict architect, are excellent examples. The Hawkesbury River was one of the major transportation routes for transporting food from the surrounding area to Sydney during the 1800s.

From a cyclist's perspective, it provides a wide variety of possible rides to suit all levels of ability and interest.