Five Ancient Lakes in the Southern Highlands

Overview

Thirlmere Lakes National Park protects a compact but unusually significant lake system in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, about 90 kilometres south-west of Sydney and close to Picton. The park covers 660 hectares and centres on five freshwater lakes known collectively as the Thirlmere Lakes: Gandangarra, Werri Berri, Couridjah, Baraba and Nerrigorang.

What makes this place stand out is the lakes themselves. They sit in an entrenched valley and form a wetland system of high geomorphological and biological significance, with an origin thought to date back about 15 million years. The park is also part of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area and within the Warragamba Special Area, linking its quiet bush and lakeshores to a much broader protected landscape.

Highlights

The character of Thirlmere Lakes National Park comes from the contrast between open water, reedy lake edges and the sandstone country that frames them. The lakes are set within a valley shaped by long geological processes, and that mix of still water, low ridgelines and bushland gives the park a softer, more intimate feel than many of the larger mountain parks nearby.

There is also real scenic variety packed into a small area. Reflections across the lakes, pockets of wetland vegetation and surrounding Hawkesbury sandstone slopes create a landscape that changes with light, season and water level. Because the lakes are spread through the park rather than concentrated in one basin, the area feels more like a chain of connected natural spaces than a single waterbody.

Best Time to Visit

Spring is one of the nicest times to be here, when bird activity lifts and the bushland around the lakes is at its freshest. Winter can be especially atmospheric too, with cold mornings, mist and still water giving the park a quiet, distinctive look.

The park can be rewarding at any time of year, but it tends to suit visitors who enjoy subtle landscape change rather than dramatic seasonal extremes. Water levels and seasonal conditions shape how the lakes present, so the feel of the place can vary quite a bit from one visit to the next.

Plants and Animals

Despite its modest size, the park supports a notably rich mix of terrestrial and aquatic life. More than 140 bird species have been recorded here, particularly around the lakes and wetlands, with waterbirds and raptors among the species seen in the area.

The surrounding vegetation is just as important. The park supports threatened species, three endangered ecological communities and one vegetation community found only here. Plant communities range from tall eucalypt forest on sheltered slopes to lake-edge and swamp vegetation, including Thirlmere Sand Swamp Woodland with Parramatta red gum and flax-leafed paperbark. Koalas have also been recorded in the park, which forms part of an important linkage between larger koala populations in the wider region.

Culture and Heritage

Thirlmere Lakes National Park forms part of Country for Aboriginal people and holds clear evidence of long cultural connection, including art sites, artefact scatters and shelters. The park is associated with the Tharawal Local Aboriginal Land Council, and park management for Aboriginal heritage involves consultation with the Dharawal and Gundungurra people, other Aboriginal community organisations and custodial families.

There is also a later layer of heritage tied to the railway era. From the nineteenth century, water from the lakes was pumped to nearby rail infrastructure to replenish steam locomotives on the old southern railway line, and remnants of that history remain in the park.