Glenrock Lagoon

Glenrock Lagoon
Looking east across Glenrock Lagoon from Leichhardt's Lookout on the Yuelarbah Track.
Location	Newcastle–Hunter, New South Wales, Australia
Coordinates	32°58′S 151°44′E / 32.967°S 151.733°E / -32.967; 151.733Coordinates: 32°58′S 151°44′E / 32.967°S 151.733°E / -32.967; 151.733
Lake type	Intermediate freshwater small coastal creek
Primary inflows	Flaggy Creek
Primary outflows	Tasman Sea, South Pacific Ocean
Catchment area	7.4 square kilometres (2.9 sq mi)
Basin countries	Australia
Surface area	0.1 square kilometres (0.039 sq mi)
Average depth	0.3 metres (1 ft 0 in)
Water volume	15.1 megalitres (530×10^3 cu ft)
Surface elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Settlements	Adamstown, Dudley
Website	NSW Environment & Heritage webpage
References

Glenrock Lagoon, an intermediate freshwater small coastal creek, is located within the Lake Macquarie local government area in the Newcastle and Hunter regions of New South Wales, Australia. The lake is located near the Newcastle suburbs of Adamstown and Dudley and is situated about 153 kilometres (95 mi) north of Sydney.

Drawing its catchment from Flaggy Creek within the Glenrock State Recreation Area and the Awabakal Nature Reserve, the small lagoon is quite shallow with an average depth of 2.4 metres (7 ft 10 in). It is connected with the Tasman Sea through a tidal channel. Glenrock Lagoon has a catchment area of 7.4 square kilometres (2.9 sq mi) and a surface area of 0.1 square kilometres (0.039 sq mi). The boundary of the lagoon is approximately 11 km (7 mi), length (east to west) of 4.1 km (2.5 mi) and width varying from 0.6 km (0.4 mi) at the coast to 0.35 km (0.2 mi) in the centre.

There are 3 sub-catchments areas, Little Flaggy Creek in the north, Flaggy Creek in the centre and a small unnamed creek in the southeast. Two of the main tributaries are, Flaggy Creek (approx 4 km (2 mi) in length) and Little Flaggy Creek (also shown on some maps as Glenrock Creek). On a Map of the Parish of Kahibah dated 1887, Little Flaggy Creek was named "First Flaggy Creek" and Flaggy Creek was known as "Second Flaggy Creek".

The catchment has mainly clay soils. Dry and Swamp Sclerophyll Forest and Rainforest vegetation exists in the bush areas.

Glenrock Lagoon came into existence 6,000 years ago when the sea level stabilised after the last ice age. The Lagoon is a small body of water approx 900 metres (3,000 ft) long and approx 100 m (330 ft) wide and covers an area of approx 8 hectares (20 acres). This area does vary depending upon the water level. The water levels can vary as much as 2 m (7 ft).

While the early European pioneers named it "Glenrock" because of the rugged nature of the glen, the area of Glenrock Lagoon was originally called Pillapay-Kullaitaran, meaning "The Valley of the Palms", because Cabbage Palm was common to the area. The Awabakal people are the traditional land owners of the area. Archaeological evidence has been found to date a campsite at Swansea Heads at 7,800 years, (Dept of Lands 1990). The remains of a tool making site mark the location of communal gatherings at the lagoon.