History

The area now known as Carss Bush Park was originally part of Jonathon Croft's land which was purchased from the Crown in 1854.
 
The land changed hands several times before it was purchased by William Carss, a cabinetmaker from Scotland, in 1863. William Carss chose to construct his house in the park, which today is known as Carss Cottage. William Carss died in 1878 and the land remained in his family until 1916 before it was passed on to the Sydney Sailors.

Kogarah Municipal Council purchased the Estate in 1923 and reserved part of the land as parkland and subdivided the remaining land into building blocks. Carss Cottage was converted into a historical museum which is now leased to the Kogarah Historical Society.
 

Visiting

Carss Bush Park offers a wide variety of recreational facilities and services including the By the Bay Café and Grill, sports fields, bushland, playground areas, picnic and BBQ facilities, a swimming area, internal carparks, a stage area and other amenities.

Recent works at Carss Bush Park have included the extension and widening of bicycle and pedestrian paths, as well as the refurbishment of seawalls to mitigate erosion and create a habitat for marine animals.

A dog friendly area is located opposite to Parkside Drive Reserve with entry available on Carlton Crescent.

The lights along the driveway and the foreshore turn on at 5.00pm to midnight. Then at 4.30am to 7.00am. The hours for the lights and gates for the toilets are 5.00am to 8:30pm.

Carss Bush Park is a valuable community asset, which significantly contributes to the quality of the natural environment.

Please visit our park and reserve facilities page to learn more.