The redevelopment of the La Perouse Headland in Randwick City Council, Sydney required special consideration of the landmark’s historic and natural values.

By Noel Corkery

La Perouse Headland is an area of cultural and natural values, thanks to its picturesque landscape and historical heritage. Located 14 kilometres south east of the Sydney CBD on the north shore of Botany Bay, the area is a favourite for tourists, scuba divers and history buffs.

However, years of heavy use and inadequate infrastructure had left it in poor condition. There was no parking control along ‘The Loop’ road that provides vehicle access around the headland.

While most of the headland is designated a national park to protect the heritage-listed sites, The Loop corridor is excluded and managed by Randwick City Council.

The Council decided to upgrade the road and parking, while constructing a new section of the Coastal Walkway to provide safe and comfortable access for pedestrians around the Headland. The Coastal Walk will ultimately allow pedestrian access along the whole length of coast between Bondi Beach and Botany Bay.

Council engaged landscape architecture firm Corkery Consulting to prepare a feasibility study and initial concept to upgrade the road and create a new section of Coastal Walk. 

A more detailed design and documentation phase was then carried out by a Corkery-led consortium that included civil and structural engineers TTW, geotechnical engineers Douglas Partners and heritage consultants AHMS.

Together, the team developed the key design components, which included a 700-metre-long section of three-metre-wide coloured concrete path around the Headland – which would provide spectacular water views – and an upgrade to 800 metres of The Loop. 

The Loop upgrade included the creation of a one-way section with reduced road width so as to lower speeds and improve traffic flows and the installation of two roundabouts to allow two-way traffic along a section adjoining a row of cafés. 

These changes would also result in a more efficient parking layout for 220 vehicles. Furthermore, parking would not be allowed at the entrance of The Loop to allow unobstructed ocean views. 

A key part of the project was maintaining the spectacular views from the Headland. The steel crash barrier had to be replaced with an attractive element that was strong enough to stop vehicles, while allowing visitors to gain access from their parked cars to the new section of the Coastal Walkway. 

The solution was the inclusion of 245 pre-cast concrete bollards that would not only form an attractive design element, but also provide seating along the Coastal Walkway.

The use of pre-cast concrete meant the dimensions, colour and texture could be precisely controlled. The design aimed to capture the distinctive colours of the freshly exposed sandstone along the adjoining cliffs, as well as the sandstone blocks used to construct the historic Watch Tower that sits atop the headland.
 
The high level of durability and minimal maintenance required made concrete the most suitable material for use in the very corrosive coastal environment. 

Working in collaboration with the pre-cast concrete fabricators Danliz, samples were prepared that combined variations in aggregate type, cement colour pigments and surface texture. As the bollards were designed to withstand the impact of vehicles, the engineers specified N16 vertical bars and N12 ties combined with a 40 megapascal concrete mix. 

All the precast elements were packed with foam inlays and delivered by crane truck, which allowed them to be placed at each area of installation. The delivery schedule was coordinated with the construction contractor to minimise on-site storage time and potential for theft.

Randwick City Council’s $2.5m investment has created a public open space asset that will allow many thousands of visitors each year to safely enjoy the unique experience of La Perouse Headland.

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