Balls Head Reserve

Balls Head Bushland Reserve History

The Aboriginal name for Balls Head is \'Yerroulbine\'. This reserve contains many Aboriginal sites including archaeological deposits/middens, art sites and rock engravings. It is thought that Balls Head Reserve was a site where men came to perform sacred corroborees to honour their ancestors of the Dreamtime.

Named after Lieutenant Henry Lidgbird Ball, Commander of the ship Supply in the First Fleet of 1788, Balls Head was the original foreshore land included in the large Wollstonecraft Estate, which remained largely undeveloped at the beginning of the 20th century.

In 1912 the Quarantine Depot was established in Berrys Bay to service the boats operating to and from the Quarantine station at North Head. This is now the National Maritime Museum\'s working depot.

There was some debate in the earlier part of the 20th century as to the use of the location for commercial and residential purposes versus open public space. Strong public protests resulted in it being declared public parkland in 1926.

European industrial sites dating back to the 19th century were located north of the Quarantine Depot and these featured the original stone store (house),