Sydney may already be an excellent city for lovers of glistening beaches, Instgrammable cafes, and coastal lifestyle, but turns out it’s an equally excellent place for stargazers. NSW became home to the Southern Hemisphere’s first-ever dark sky park in 2016, and although it’s well worth a visit, you don’t need to drive out for hours to get your fill of the cosmos. Palm Beach Headland, located in the Northern Beaches in Sydney has recently been named an Urban Night Sky Place which means it offers the best views of some of the brightest stars and planets in the galaxy in the heart of the city. It joins just nine other places around the world to be given the Urban Dark Sky Place (UDSP) award, including in the US, Mexico, Japan, and Canada.
Palm Beach Headland Is Australia’s First Urban Night Sky Place
Palm Beach Headland was given the title by DarkSky International. The reward acknowledges the efforts that go into minimising light pollution making the spot conducive for stargazing and allowing people to enjoy the night skies while also protecting the natural environment.
Spread across 62 hectares, the Palm Beach Headland includes Governor Phillip Park and Barrenjoey Headland, which is part of Australia’s second-oldest national park. The iconic spot is most well-known for being the filming location of the Aussie soap opera Home and Away but also offers spectacular lookouts, waterside dining, bushwalking, and outdoor adventures. Now it also officially boasts the most pristine views and the darkest skies in an urban centre this side of the world.
The Dark Sky Places Program was founded in 2001 to preserve dark sky sites by educating communities and national parks about effective lighting policies, responsible outdoor lighting, and outreach related to light pollution.
Read more about Palm Beach Headland’s newly bestowed status here.