Wattamolla


Wattamolla, also known as Wattamolla Beach, is a cove, lagoon, and beach on the New South Wales coast south of Sydney, within the Royal National Park.

History

Wattamolla is the local Aboriginal name of the area, meaning "place near running water". That name was recorded as Watta-Mowlee by Matthew Flinders, but is today spelt Wattamolla.
Flinders, George Bass and a boy, William Martin were exploring in a small boat named Tom Thumb when, on the evening of 29 March 1796, a southerly gale, forced them to seek shelter.
They had been travelling northwards after having explored as far south as where Wollongong now is and in the darkness were using the cliffs and the noise of the surf to steer parallel with the coast.
Flinders, "steering with an oar", thought the dark outline of cliffs ended and believed he saw breakers, so he turned the boat towards shore. Catching a large wave, they "shot across a sandbar" and in moments were in the calm sheltered water of the lagoon, which in relief they named Providential Cove.

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