There are multiple trails (as well as easy off-track walking) in the small Goorooyarroo Nature Reserve, which is part of Canberra Nature Park in Canberra’s west. Today’s late afternoon bushwalk is to visit the Old Joe Trig, which sits on the top of the Old Joe Hill, right on the border of ACT and NSW. I’m starting at the rather imposing gate on Horse Park Drive, and following the Gas Pipeline Track, which is also known as the Centenary Trail, a 138-kilometre self-guided, shared use trail.
After 3.5km of easy uphill walking along the Centenary Trail, I veer right onto the Old Joe Firetrail, which starts to ascend a bit more steeply.
After another 500m, the trail reaches a high fence, which it follow uphill. This tall fence creates a predator-proof wildlife enclosure known as Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary (it was extended in 2019 to include most of Goorooyarroo Nature Reserve). It’s Australia’s largest single Box-gum Grassy-woodland area managed for conservation, and the only woodland of this type free from foxes, rabbits, goats, deer and hares.
A short detour to the north takes me to eyeshot of Gooroo Trig on the top of Gooroo Hill, which is on private property in NSW. To the south-west is Old Joe Hill, with the trig point visible in the distance.
As the trail ascends Old Joe Hill, there are some nice views to the west.
Old Joe Hill was named by Kevin Wellspring (a retired government surveyor) after of “Old Joe” Gallagher who supervised chainmen in the 1950s and 1960s: “He was of lowly education, but nevertheless was a fine supervisor who ensured all the chainmen were kept occupied and that anything that needed to be done was carried out promptly and efficiently“. (NPA Bulletin Vol 47 Number 1, March 2010, p 49).
From Old Joe Trig there’s a great view in all directions, with Black Mountain clearly visible to the south-west and beyond it the Tidbinbilla and Gibraltar Ranges that form the eastern border of the ACT.
Old Joe Trig is located on private land, next to the boundary fence, but you can get right up to it. It’s the usual four-legged trig (“Quad Beacon”) with weathered metal vane intact, and below it an older concrete trig marker.
I return the same way – you could also do a bit of a loop by walking south along the fence marking the boundary of Goorooyarroo Nature Reserve and private property, but it’s getting late in the day.
It’s taken me just under three hours at a fairly brisk pace (it’s easy walking) to reach the trig point, and you could spend most of the day exploring the trails of the Goorooyarroo Nature Reserve.
Getting to Old Joe Trig
There are multiple entry points to the fenced Goorooyarroo Nature Reserve, with the closest gate to reach Old Joe Hill being on Horse Park Drive in the suburb of Kenny (which is also one of the two official entry points). It’s about a 25min drive from the centre of Canberra, or a very short detour if you’re heading from Canberra towards Goulburn or Sydney.
More information
- ACT Government – Goorooyarroo Nature Reserve
- 1985 ACT Trig Booklet
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