Membership
Friends of Malabar Headland welcomes new members who are committed to achieving positive conservation and community outcomes for the headland.
New members are welcome to join one of our regular Thursday and Sunday bushcare groups. There is no better or safer way to explore and discover the wonders of Malabar Headland. You will also enjoy the camaraderie of the bushcare groups and benefit from the exercise, the fresh air and the delicious morning teas.
For membership details and to join, view our membership application form.
Contact FoMH – Mail
Friends of Malabar Headland (FoMH)
357 Maroubra Road
Maroubra NSW 2035
Contact FoMH
David Pyett – Chair – Phone: 9344 8589 or email: dpyett at bigpond dot net dot au
Friends of Malabar Headland 
Hello,
Just a query…do you have to be a member to join the bushland regeneration group? I think both are brilliant ideas but just wondered.
Cheers,
Maria
Hi Maria
You could come along to one of our bushcare group sessions Thursday or Sunday mornings. If you enjoyed it and wanted to get further involved you could then consider joining.
There are also lots of other bushcare groups in Randwick City area – see the council website’s Bushcare volunteers page.
Peter Fagan
for Friends of Malabar Headland
Hi,
I saw the article about the headland in the Southern Courier. I am a local resident. Last I heard they were extending the coastal walk all the way to La Perouse. Has that changed? I am looking for some info on this please.
Thank you for the conservation work you and your group do.
Warm regards,
Lisa Darveniza
Hi Lisa,
Thanks for your comment and recognition of the great work that our bush regenerators do.
I think that everything to do with the headland is up in the air at the moment. 17 Hectares (the Western Bush) has been handed over to NSW to become the Malabar Headland National Park. The remaining 90% may be at risk, including the coastal walk. Regards.
Great to see things happening with the headland. But, of course, it is closed 5 weekends every month for the rifle range! When will they get that sorted out, I wonder? With Randwick golf course denying access to walkers passing through, that’s a huge part of our beautiful coastline closed to the public.
It is a pity that 5 of the 8 weekend days each month the headland is closed due to the rifle range. And closed every Sunday. I do wonder what legal authority the range actually has to stop people walking on land that is not part of the range.
I also wonder why, if it safe enough to allow fishermen to go out on the headland when the range is in use, walkers are stopped from accessing the head land.
Combined with the silly attitude of Randwick Golf Course, with their signs prohibiting public walking through the golf course, this is a very long stretch of beautiful coast line that is either off limits to the public.
I’m sick of the shooters. I don’t like shooters and shooting especially at Malabar Headland. They got to go or consider the general public wanting to use public land for recreation!! I published an article on my web site http://bonditocoogeewalk.com.au/maroubra-to-malabar/
For those interested in making the Malabar Headland more accessible to the public please read the information below and write to the Randwick Council (council@randwick.nsw.gov.au) and the local member of Parliament Michael Daley (maroubra@parliament.nsw.gov.au) asking them to look into this matter.
It has recently come to my attention that the range is not operating legally under state legislation as set out in the Firearms Act 1996 and the Firearms Regulations 2006.
The requirements for getting approval for a firing range are set out in the Firearms Regulations 2006. Clause 86 (3e) stipulates that the approval is to be provided by the Police Commissioner and that he may not grant this approval unless the shooting range has been approved by the local consent authority, which in this case is the Randwick Council. I have written to the Randwick Council and they have confirmed no such approval has been sought or given.
Therefore the firing range is operating illegally and should be shut down.
The shooters have as much right to “recreation” as the next person.
There are many kilometres of walkways along the coast but nowhere for the shooters.
This is one side of the “democratic” story.
The thing I find funny is the trench that was constructed for Malabar Battery was built to accommodate the rifle range issue.
The problem of accidentally being shot was factored into the use of the land.
I will bet if the rifle range was to go then developers would replace the shooters.
This is what is happening at the former Stockton Rifle Range and Fort Wallace at Newcastle,
In between these former defence sites Stockton Mental Hospital has been closed.
Do you want to guess what might happen.
A few kilometres north we have sand extraction companies who are removing the fringes of our new Stockton Bight national park that probably would not have been created if the mining companies were not first appeased. Its called a “trade off.”
The mining leases, to remove sand dunes, were granted before the park was created. There is very little sand left around Cronulla so our sand is now in demand.
“Recreational vehicles” (4 wheel drives) are permitted to drive over the dunes, in the park, and you will have to take my word that this is more dangerous than standing behind any rifle range targets.
This is the other side of the story that may appear if “democracy” favours the pedestrians rather than the shooters at Malabar.
I am not a shooter but have owned a rifle. This does not mean that I will ever understand the mentality of shooting as a sport.
Whether it is a bullet directed at a target or a ball at a goal or bounced between two tennis racquets it is just a waste of money and resources.
Back in the 1980-90s we had a go at preserving Malabar Battery.
I partially funded the excavator that was used to dig out the trench to the gun emplacements.
Clearly this was a better use of money than buying ammunition or driving to sport practice sessions.
The president of our group secured a generator, on loan, from the Navy to supply power.
He was actually allowed to live in the observation post and so did the volunteers when they visited.
The whole project eventually fell apart due to demands placed on the members by the president of the group. But we gave it a go.
I lived in Newcastle at the time and I was not the only person to travel down, once or twice a month, to offer our help. On occassion there were more people from the Newcastle area than Sydney.
It was not the best project, I was involved with, but at least the few of us who gave our money and time in the past can feel that our efforts were not totally lost as others now pick up the torch.
Hopefully the new light will gain support.
I live in Malabar and have walked on the headland for years. In the past years we walked on the headland on the days when the rifle range was operating. I’m still not sure why the entire headland is now totally shut on shooting days… Surely there are safe zones.
I too resent the vast % of headland being used by a minority group on weekends. Not to mention the noise pollution. However, I also fear what would happen if the rifle range was relocated. There is a risk of development. The government can sell the land. Sometimes… It’s better the devil you know.
Hi
I came across council today cleaning a sewage outlet halfway up the bay on Randwick golf course. They confirmed it spills into the bay.
Of late we have come across raw sewage entering the bay with kids surfing in it.
Can someone confirm if raw sewage is still pumped into the bay or if this is a storm drain.
Also, has anyone else raised this with council.
Thanks
Brett
Hi. Stumbled across this site while checking the NSW Ocean Swims schedule. Lived in Malabar as a boy 1957 – 1968 – Adams Avenue and attended Malabar Primary. My mates and I would swim in the rockpool near the Golf Club and occasionally go out to the headland to a concrete bunker which in those days was scary and fenced off. After reading reviews here I am looking forward to reliving some old memories.. Glad to see the Headland is in good hand.
Dear Anyone – THE PO BOX IS NO LONGER THE FoMH POSTAL ADDRESS; AND THE MEMBERSHIP FEE IS NOW $16.50 ($15 + gst).
PLEASE WRITE TO dpyett@bigpond.com
THANKS!!