From source to sea

The catchment for the Minnamurra River covers almost half of the Kiama Municipality. A maze of little creeks and bogs feed into the river from Knights Hill (near Robertson). The river travels through Minnamurra Rainforest and Jamberoo Valley to Minnamurra village.

Just upstream, the Minnamurra River is surrounded by mudﬂats. They were formed from the silt carried down from the escarpment over thousands of years and, more recently, from the exposed soils of the Jamberoo Valley following the extensive clearing of rainforest in the 19th century.

The mudflats support the largest area of mangrove forest between the Georges River and the Shoalhaven River. There is also one of the largest stands of Swamp Oak in the Illawarra region. Extensive areas of coastal saltmarsh, an endangered ecological community in NSW, occur on the Minnamurra River estuary.

Here at the boat ramp the estuary spills out to the sea with its dynamic river mouth determined by the volume of water travelling down the river. The eucalypt and banksia forest on the spit holds the sand in place and protects the river and the houses from the force of the ocean.

This plaque is 1 of many found around the district. The plaques describe the history of their locations. They were commissioned by Kiama Council in 2009.

If you had seen them around, you are welcome to have a look at the collection of plaques in the district.