Dharawal Resting Place track

Where

La Perouse area in Kamay Botany Bay National Park in Sydney and surrounds

Accessibility

Medium

Distance

0.2km one-way

Time suggested

10min

Grade

Grade 3

What to
bring

Drinking water, hat, sunscreen, snacks, sturdy shoes

Please note

• Dharawal Resting Place is a designated Aboriginal site, that holds special cultural significance to the Dharawal People. Please respect this important site.
• You can combine this walk with Cape Banks walking track. Cemetery trail is around 1km north-east of Cape Banks headland via the coastal fire trail and Cape Banks Road.

Discover a sense of place and cultural heritage as you explore the Dharawal Resting Place walking track, in Kamay Botany National Park. Located on a grassy slope near Cape Banks headland, this 200m walking track is short on distance but long on cultural significance.

A designated Aboriginal site, this area is an important site to the Dharawal People. In 2002, 2005 and 2018 Aboriginal ancestral remains were reburied here, in the Dharawal Resting Place, part of the Coast Hospital Cemetery. It continues to be a special place to the Aboriginal community.

You’ll also find crumbling tombstones in the cemetery—a window into lives lived and lost during colonial times. From the late 1800s to the early 1900s, the Coast Hospital Cemetery was Sydney’s main burial ground for people who died of infectious diseases.

As you follow the old stone path through the area, take time to read the headstones and information boards to learn more about the Aboriginal and colonial heritage. Don’t miss the Dharawal Resting Place Monument on the site’s east side.

If you’re after a longer walk try nearby Cape Banks or Henry Head walking tracks. History buffs can head to Bare Island Fort or La Perouse Museum.

For directions, safety and practical information, see visitor info