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The Ovens, Bangalley Headland - Careel Head -Whale Beach. Photos: Kevin Murray
A great night was had by all 55 members and visitors who attended the meeting of the Avalon Beach Historical Society on Tuesday night March 3 in The Annexe on Dunbar Park.
The focus for this meeting was on the history of the SEA CAVES below Bangalley Headland.
For years, locals have known them as THE OVENS and fishermen reckon, they provide the ideal grounds for some of the best fishing available locally. Access has always been difficult for most, and early fishermen cut holes into the sandstone for finger and toe holds, enabling a rope-assisted ascent and descent from the end of Raynor Road.
The term "Ovens" for certain caves comes from the way the ocean tide and waves have carved the coastal rock formations to resemble traditional baking ovens.
Mandy Temple's dad at The Ovens, circa 1940
Grace Brook, of North Avalon Beach, recalled in her journals:
''In a northerly direction is another cave named “The Ovens”. This has attracted the attention of divers and is also a safe haven for the shelterless and the hungry. There is a theory that the Pacific waters (might) link up with Pittwater but the channel becomes very narrow and so this theory has not been proved yet. It is true, however that these and other caves were used for the storing of contraband in earlier days when the Customs House was located on the Pittwater side of Palm Beach and demanded full details of all merchandise entering the country. Later the smuggled goods would be collected from the hideout.''
It is also a place where the unwary have lost their lives - with 8 having drowned from fishing there by the early 1930's. A father and son were lost, as recalled in this incident:
TWO MEN SWEPT TO DOOM FROM ROCKS AT WHALE BAY'S DEATH-TRAP
Bare Platform Lures the Unsuspecting Fisherman — Suddenly Comes The Wave That Sweeps Him Away
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Member and local historian Bill Goddard, who ran the Northern Beaches Cliff Training Team in earlier years, has visited the caves many times as a rock climber. His company, Total Height Safety, amongst other achievements was responsible for the Fall Arrest Harnesses used on the replica Endeavour.
After a small amount of General Business, the meeting began with some excellent drone footage, shot and edited by John Illingsworth of PITTWATER PATHWAYS. John took us into the Whale Beach sea caves with his drone, showing the full extent and height of the ‘Ovens’. The voices of member Felicity Davis and son Russ were appropriately woven in with the footage and later featured in some dramatic stills from inside the northern sea cave.
Bill Goddard and a couple of scouting mates, Mark and Greg Lintern, formed the Northern Beaches Cliff Training Team. One of their exploits involved securing their ropes to Mark’s Hillman Hunter before descending Serpentine headland at A. J. Small Lookout at North Bilgola.
Their ventures into the Ovens were no less sensational, climbing to the roof of the north cave and abseiling from the headland above. His presentation was accompanied by some great photos of their adventures.
Local, Simon Young, the youngest and most recent venturer into the caves, talked of his exploit and illustrated it with photos of the stunning colours in the clear water of the southern oven on an ideal day.
You can view the amazing drone footage of the caves by John Illingsworth below.
Geoff Searl OAM
President, Avalon Beach Historical Society