The Coal Loader and Coal Loader Cafe, Waverton

The Coal Loader Centre for Sustainability and Coal Loader Cafe, Waverton

Table of Contents

The Coal Loader is an historic venue in North Sydney, including a large green space, community garden, elevated platform with harbour views, bush walks and the Coal Loader Cafe.

The Coal Loader Centre for Sustainability is located on the Waverton peninsula. It’s a fascinating place to delve into Sydney’s past and also learn about its sustainable future.

Coal Loader History

The Aboriginal Cammeraygal people called the peninsula home for thousands of years. A large rock engraving of a whale survives at the entrance to the Coal Loader site, and there is further evidence of the indigenous community carved into rocks on the bush walks.

The Coal Loader opened in the early 1920s to serve as a transfer depot for coal to be moved from bulk carriers to smaller coal-fired vessels or to be distributed by road. The elevated platform which is now a place for the community to gather as well as the face of North Sydney’s sustainability plan, once housed a large coal stockpile.

Underneath the platform are a series of tunnels through which coal was transported into coal ‘skips’. The site was decommissioned in the early 1990s. After being dedicated a public open space in 1997, North Sydney Council took over management of the site in 2003, working with a grant from the Australian and NSW Governments to transform the space into the Coal Loader Centre for Sustainability.

The site operated for over 70 years before being decommissioned. The Coal Loader Centre for Sustainability was opened in July 2011, and the Coal Loader platform opened in March 2018.

Today, the Coal Loader is a place for the community to gather and relax, dine, and learn about sustainable living practices.

Genia McCaffery Centre

The Genia McCaffery Centre, located inside the historic sandstone building onsite, is a place to visit and be inspired by sustainable concepts. Visitors can get information on how to “green up” their lives, participate in book swaps, and drop off batteries, compact fluorescent lightbulbs, toner cartridges, corks, soft plastics or mobile phones and their accessories for recycling.

Coal Loader Platform

The platform is one of Sydney’s largest publicly accessible green roof spaces. At one hectare in size (or seven Olympic swimming pools next to each other), the concrete and sandstone platform is a multipurpose recreational space displaying sustainable technology and community gardens.

Coal Loader Cottage Community Garden

Dotted around the Genia McCaffery Centre, cafe and platform are an array of community gardens and the native bush nursery. In total there are 40 raised garden beds, aquaponics facilities, fruit trees and herb planters. Visitors are welcome to admire the gardens and have a bit of a sniff at the produce as it grows – but must be a member of the community gardens to access any produce.

Aboriginal Bush Foods Garden

The ‘bush foods’ garden has a variety of edible and otherwise useful native plants from the local area.

Chook Run

While the chickens were on holiday when we visited, they usually live at the Coal Loader and visitors can learn how to keep their own chooks at home.

Coal Loader Cafe

The Coal Loader Cafe is currently open Wednesday to Sunday serving delicious light breakfast and brunch meals. Book a table or be prepared for a bit of a wait. The cafe has a kids’ menu and options for vegetarians.

Coal Loading Tunnels

Take the elevator or stairs down to the Coal Loader tunnels and explore tunnel 1, features the original coal feeder and cart, and tunnel 2, which takes visitors 160m through the dark to bushland of Balls Head.

Foreshore Park and Walks

Past the tunnels is the foreshore park with plenty of bush walks. You can also access the park by road if you won’t wish to go through the tunnel. The 2.8 hectare park features a native havens demonstration garden (habitat for fauna), wetlands, picnic areas, and foreshore walk. Along the walk are interpretive signs which talk about the site’s heritage and sustainable transformation. The walk to Balls Head Reserve traverses through the largest bushland remnant in North Sydney.

Digital Kids Trail

While our kid was easily entertained during our visit with scooting, exploring and bushwalking, families can also check out the free digital kids trail, which helps kids discover the Coal Loader’s history, sustainability features, native planting, food gardens, bats, chickens and more. Visit http://www.TheCoalLoader.com.au on your mobile device to begin.