Works to begin on new seawall for Sydney’s historic Nielsen Park

Work is to begin on 1st March on a replacement seawall at Nielsen Park in Vaucluse, part of Sydney Harbour National Park, designed to both protect the park and enable more people to enjoy its natural beauty.

NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service's Director Greater Sydney Deon van Rensburg said Nielsen Park will mostly remain open over the course of the year, however Shark Beach closes from the start of autumn while construction work is underway.

"The new seawall will be the same length as the current one and has been designed to both protect the park and enable more people to enjoy the natural beauty of this stunning spot," van Rensburg said.

"Detailed assessment of the site has been completed, with input from the local community, landscape architects, Aboriginal archaeologists, heritage historians, marine structural engineers and coastal managers."

Publicly exhibited from 2nd September to 1st October 2020, the design was approved by Sydney East Planning Panel in February 2021 and by Heritage NSW in April.

van Rensburg advised "while replacing the seawall, we'll also build a wheelchair accessible ramp to the beach, improve the stairs access and seating benches, slightly increase the lawn and beach area and resurface the promenade walk."

New lawns and irrigation system will be laid and advanced native trees will be brought in to complete the beachfront area.

Resumed from private ownership in the early 1900s, Nielsen Park was reserved as a public park and has been popular for swimming and picnicking ever since.

van Rensburg highlights “the first seawall at Shark Beach was destroyed by heavy summer storms in 1920, and the 160metre seawall you see here today was largely built in the early 1930s.

"However, following storm damage in 2016, the seawall was deemed to be at the end of its serviceable life by engineers, so a replacement was developed to protect the park in future."

"This much-loved park is listed on the NSW State Heritage Register for its long history of providing recreational access to Sydney Harbour, its high social values and Aboriginal cultural values.

"It also has colonial and military history, while Greycliffe House was once a baby and Tresillian hospital."

Shark Beach will be closed from March to December 2022, during which time swimmers can splash at harbour spots such as Milk Beach, Parsley Bay, Camp Cove Beach, Watsons Bay Beach and Murray Rose Pool (Redleaf Pool).

Concepts top and centre for Nielsen Park replacement seawall courtesy NSW Dept Environment; image above aerial view of Nielsen Park