Gerard Mercator was born in Flanders ( now part of Belgium ) in 1512.
It is unlikely that he ever travelled more than 100 kms from where he was born.
Despite this, he devised a projection which resulted in maps of the then known world.
The book of maps he produced was named ‘An Atlas ‘. He gave us the word. His map projection was still in use 400 years later!
We spend so much time travelling to other places that we forget there is much to see and learn in our own surroundings. There is interest and comfort in the ordinary things in our lives.
I hope these podcasts will encourage you to engage in a bit of serendipitous , and happy, ambling in your area.
Mercator.
The Mouth of Hawkesbury: The Lambert Penninsula and Barrenjoey
AS you travel down from Brooklyn to the rivers mouth at Cowan Water you will see ahead a high ridge of land. This is the Lambert Penninsula. Behind it to the east is a tied island, Barrenjoey.
Both are N.ational Parks and provide stunning views of land and water. They are yet another example of Sydney’s gems.
The lower Hawkesbury has nearly all pristine land and bush on either side. Again , a rare gem.
This is partly due to topography and isolation, but , in the case of the Lambert , a lot of luck.
We also give a brief description of the life of Eardly Henderson McGaw and his wife on the Lambert.
17 May 2026
Brooklyn: A Great Hawkesbury Town.
Brooklyn is on Sydney’s northern edge, but is totally different to the rest of the city.It is a small isolated settlement on the Hawkesbury River. Arriving by train is like stepping back 100 years.
The Hawkesbury itself is somewhat ignored by Sydney residents, but it was described by a British traveller in 1873 as having scenery superior to that of the Rhine!!
Brooklyn was featured on the original 5 Pound note from 1913 to 1932. This was because of its connection with the Federation of the Australian Colonies.
To top it all off , it has the grave of Robert Buie which records that as a Lewis Gunner he was responsible for shooting down the ‘Red Baron ‘ on the 21st April , 1918. Not too many places could top that.
3 Mar 2026
The Greenway
An historic goods railway corridor becomes a link between the Parramatta and Cooks River.
If I had to choose only two words to describe The Greenway, then they would be “accessible” and “history”.
It is only a bit under 6kms long and is beside the light rail, so any level of capacity can be accommodated. There are also some playgrounds along the way. You can walk the lot, walk there and back, or 1km and then take the light rail.
It also gives us access to parts of Sydney we may otherwise never visit.
The rail line itself is an integral part of transport history as are the businesses which sprung up along it.
It is pretty flat and an ideal spot for an amble.
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