Alfords Point: National park and Bushland on The Georges River

Alfords Point is located on the southern bank of the Georges River, in the Sutherland Shire, 28 kilometres south of the Sydney Central Business District.

The Original inhabitants of the Sutherland Shire were the Dharawal and Gandangara Aboriginal people, whose historic presence is evident in rock art and middens. Traditional ownership of land and waterways was an integral part of Aboriginal society. Sydney's Aboriginal people did not identify as belonging to a language group, however, but as a group member who descended from a common ancestor, who claimed ownership of specific territory.

Creek bed with Aboriginal grinding grooves across the rock (Alfords Point)

Biddy Giles (Bi-yar-rung) who was a Dharawal woman, was born about 1820, she belonged to the country along the southern side of the Georges River. Biddy was married at an early age to an older Gweagal man. However, in the 1860s, she lived at Guragurang (Mill Creek, north into the Georges River) with her second husband, Englishman, Billy Giles. Biddy often acted as a guide for settlers who wanted to hunt, fish and sightsee on the southern side of the river.

The last of the Dolls Point Aboriginals. Out of copyright.

Alfords Point is believed to be named after the landowners, John and Jane Alford, who actually owned land at Sandy Point, which is about 5km away. Despite this, the name Alfords Point appeared to be in common use and it appeared on maps of the Holsworthy parish back in the late 1890s.

John Greenwood Alford, was born in Sussex, England, in about 1773. However, in 1779, he was convicted of horse stealing and transported in 1800, to Australia, onboard the Royal Admiral. His later wife, Jane Camm, who was born in 1780, in Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, England, was charged and convicted of theft from her employers, Mr & Mrs Thomas Greenwood of Kentish Town, London, England. Jane was tried at the Old Bailey in 1800 and sentenced to Life, in the colonies. She departed England from Spithead, on the Nile, on 21st June 1801. The couple's daughter was born about 1804, in New South Wales and John and Jane were married by Samuel Marsden in 1805.

In 1806, John Alford received a conditional pardon granted by Governor Phillip Gidley King. He received a land grant between Cooks and Georges Rivers, Botany Bay, NSW (Australia Registration of Land Grants and Leases 1792-1867). The land was close to Deadman’s Creek. John was also the superintendent of Robert Campbell's farm at Canterbury and in 1815, he was the supervisor of the Orphan School, Parramatta. John Alford died in 1858 and he is buried at St. Stephens Church, Camperdown, New South Wales. Jane Alford died in 1845 at Cumberland Street, The Rocks, Sydney.

 John Alford's grave, Camperdown, NSW

The Arnold family moved to Alford’s Point Road area in 1925 and Fred & Mary Alice Arnold settled in area in 1927. The McMahon family purchased land on Alford’s Point Rd in 1920’s. While McPherson Place is named after McPherson family which owned 14 1⁄2 acres of land bounded by Fowler Road, Thompson Avenue and Griffin Parade.

Lance McMahon's house at Alford Point (n.d) Sutherland Shire Library

The Sutherland Shire was officially formed in 1906, with the western boundary extending to what is today called Menai. In 1922, the shire boundaries were adjusted to include the areas which are now Illawong and Alfords Point. The area was formerly attached to the Municipality of Hurstville.

Modern Alfords Point began to develop alongside the Menai Town Centre initiative in the late 1970s-1980s, with large plots of bushland divided for housing development. A bridge of the same name crosses the Georges River from Menai to Padstow.

Alfords Point Bridge opened 7 September 1973

Georges River. Alfords Point

Alfords Point, near Georges River and national park

View from Alford's Point

Georges River National Park

Hurstville Museum & Gallery

Sydney Tramway Museum

Sydney's Aboriginal heritage