Great Depression History Sydney: Burning Palms Shacks & Ocean Pools
When we look at the Great Depression's history in Australia, we often think of soup kitchens and city breadlines. But along the rugged NSW coastline, the 1930s left a different kind of mark: one of survival, ingenuity and a deep connection to the land.
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From the "shackie" communities of Royal National Park to the ocean pools we still dive into today, the remnants of Great Depression Sydney are hidden in plain sight. We cover them in our guide Hidden Gems NSW.
The Burning Palms Shacks: Built Out of Necessity
In the early 1930s, as unemployment in NSW hit a staggering 32%, many families lost their city homes. With nowhere to go, miners from nearby Helensburgh and struggling city workers headed into Royal National Park.
They didn't just camp; they built. Using scavenged driftwood, flattened kerosene tins and cabbage tree palms, they set up communities at Burning Palms, Era and Little Garie. Here families could get by fishing, shooting rabbits and growing vegetables, away from the "stupidity of city life."
Are the Burning Palms Shacks Heritage-Listed?
Yes. In 2012 the Royal National Park Coastal Cabin Communities (around 140 cabins across Little Garie, Era and Burning Palms) were added to the State Heritage Register. They're a "living museum" with no mains electricity or road access: everything is still carried in by hand. They're also still privately occupied under licence, so they're people's cabins, not abandoned ruins.
The Burning Palms Coastal Walk
To see these relics for yourself, you have to earn the view. The walk down to Burning Palms is one of the most atmospheric in Sydney.
- The route: Most hikers start at the Garawarra Farm car park and head down the steep Burgh Ridge track to join the Coast Track. Royal National Park vehicle entry fees apply.
- What to look for: As the forest opens onto the grassy headlands of Burning Palms, you'll see the shacks huddled together, looking like they've grown out of the hillside.
- Pro tip: If you have the legs, continue south along the Coast Track to the Palm Jungle for a true "lost world" vibe. NPWS's Palm Jungle loop track is a 10 km, 4 to 6 hour loop from Garawarra Farm.
Shack Etiquette
Admire the shacks from the public track. Don't go into yards or onto verandahs, don't touch anything, and ask before photographing people.
The "Relief Work" Ocean Pools: Swimming Through the 1930s
While families were building shacks to survive, the government was funding public works to create jobs. This Depression-era stimulus gave us some of Sydney's most loved landmarks: our ocean pools.
- Mahon Pool (Maroubra): Built in the 1930s to provide economic relief, this pool "melts" into the rock platform beneath North Maroubra's cliffs and is still a local landmark.
- Shelly Park Ocean Pool (Cronulla): Developed in 1938 with a £1,300 grant from the Depression stimulus program.
- North Curl Curl Rockpool: Another 1930s gem built to give work to the unemployed, now one of the most photographed pools in the state.
Ocean pools are washed by the sea, so check the surf before you swim: in big swell, waves break straight over the walls.
Experience the History
The Great Depression in Sydney forced people back to basics, proving that even in the darkest economic times, the Australian spirit stays "Earth Bound."
For the best heritage pools, including the convict-built Bogey Hole, plus the history and access rules for places like the Burning Palms shacks, grab your copy of Hidden Gems NSW. It's the guide that tracks the industrial and social history of our coast.
Great Depression History Sydney FAQs
Why were the Burning Palms shacks built?
Campers from Helensburgh were fishing there in the 1920s, and during the Depression families and out-of-work miners stayed on and built shacks from driftwood, kerosene tins and palms. Most cabins went up between 1930 and 1950.
Can you go inside the Burning Palms shacks?
No. They're heritage-listed but privately occupied under licence. View them from the track and don't enter yards or verandahs.
How do you walk to Burning Palms?
Start at Garawarra Farm car park in Royal National Park and head down the steep Burgh Ridge track to the Coast Track. Park entry fees apply, and it's a hard climb back out.
Which Sydney ocean pools were built during the Great Depression?
Mahon Pool at Maroubra, Shelly Park Ocean Pool at Cronulla and North Curl Curl Rockpool were all built in the 1930s as relief work for the unemployed.
