Gossan Hill Nature Reserve

For after hours urgent public health matters including environmental health, radiation safety, food poisoning and communicable disease management phone:

1800 022 222

ACT State Emergency Service

Emergency help
during flood or storms

13 25 00

Gossan Hill Nature Reserve is a 47-hectare protected area located in south-eastern Belconnen.

The reserve has links to Bruce Ridge Nature Reserve (separated by Haydon Drive and Gungahlin Drive) and then Black Mountain Nature Reserve (separated by Belconnen Way).

Cycling is permitted on management trails and the Centenary Trail only.

Dogs are permitted on-leash on a track or trail only.

Natural values

Gossan Hill Nature Reserve protects:

a complex, well-exposed geology that includes unusual geological features and exposures of educational value – notable features include outcrops of gossan, a road cutting on College Street, and exposures of very old (Tertiary) soil profiles
part of the dry forest vegetation complex also found in Black Mountain Nature Reserve with high plant diversity and notable orchid species
open forest–woodland that is an important part of a wider landscape used by woodland species, including several threatened or regionally declining birds
a small area of critically endangered Yellow Box–Blakely's Red Gum Grassy Woodland (based on volcanic geology)

Gossan Hill Nature Reserve is protected under the Nature Conservation Act 2014. Thank you for taking care of the natural environment.

Add a sighting to the NatureMapr or visit the Canberra Birds website.

Things to do

Activities

Features

Dogs on-leash
NO BINS – take your rubbish with you
Walking track/s

Restricted or prohibited

Aircraft landing/take-off prohibited
Camping prohibited
Chainsaw use prohibited
Domestic animals (other than dogs) prohibited
Off-road driving prohibited
Driving on management trails prohibited
Drone use prohibited
Fires prohibited
Wood and timber collection prohibited
Horses prohibited
Metal detector use prohibited
Trailbikes prohibited except on public roads

Dogs are permitted on-leash on a track or trail only
Cycling is permitted on management trails and the Centenary Trail only

Ngunnawal People and Country

Gossan Hill Nature Reserve is located on Ngunnawal Country, an ancient and diverse landscape managed and cared for by Ngunnawal people for tens of thousands of years.

For time immemorial Ngunnawal people have maintained a tangible and intangible cultural, social, environmental, spiritual, and economic connection to these lands and waters.

The ACT Heritage Register lists an Aboriginal site , which highly valued by Ngunnawal people. A Ngunnawal pathway follows the ridgeline north-east from Gossan Hill to Gubur Dhaura in Franklin. Several stone artefact scatters have also been recorded in the reserve. The reserve is likely to contain further, as-yet-unrecorded, Ngunnawal heritage sites.

All Aboriginal places and objects in the ACT are protected under the Heritage Act 2004 and must not be disturbed. Aboriginal places and objects within reserves are additionally protected under the Nature Conservation Act 2014. Anyone finding an (unregistered) Aboriginal object or place has an obligation to report it to the Heritage Council.

European heritage

Gossan Hill was selected in 1865 by Samuel Shumack from the Emu Bank estate owned by William Davis and now beneath the waters of Lake Ginninderra. By 1888, the Parish of Canberra map showed that blocks covering the area of Gossan Hill were held by FJ Davis, EK Crace and J Southwell.

When the Commonwealth resumed the land in 1915 it was leased to World War I veteran Robert John Butt as part of the Soldier Settlement Scheme, until his accidental death in 1926.

Stock grazing continued until more recent times when the surrounding suburbs were developed.

Gossan Hill Nature Reserve was established in 1993.

Before you go/How to get there

Before you go

Prepare by understanding safety and checking alerts.

Respect Canberra Nature Park reserves by:

staying on the tracks to minimise your impact
taking your rubbish home with you
leaving what you find, including plants, animals, rocks and timber (dead and alive)
respecting our heritage - leave cultural sites undisturbed
riding safely and following trail etiquette as a bicycle rider
collecting and responsibly disposing of your dog's droppings (where dogs are permitted)
cleaning your outdoor gear, including bicycles, to avoid spreading weeds and disease

Remember:

bring your own drinking water
carry a mobile phone, especially if you are on your own
let someone know where you are going and when you'll return
be bushfire alert - on total fire ban days some reserves may be closed

How to get there

Gossan Hill Nature Reserve is accessible from College Street on the north side of the reserve and from numerous points in Bruce.

Boundary mapping is indicative only.

More information

If you notice any issues during your visit:

report maintenance issues to Access Canberra
report vandalism or other illegal activities to the police on 131 444
in an emergency, call 000

Find out about:

In a life threatening emergency dial Triple Zero (000)

triple zero 000

5124 0000

6201 6111

1800 629 354

6205 1065

13 11 26

5124 9977

(02) 6205 1700