Firstly let us acknowledge and pay our respects to the traditional owners of this land, the Kayimai and Cannalgal people of this area. This walk will guide you through the Eastern Hill area of Manly, with the option of visiting the beaches on its fringes. This is a dynamic landscape, both built and natural, rich in a history of planting and building, creating and covering open spaces. Look for pointers to its past, and enjoy the multiplicity of its present. There are many tranquil places to stop and picnic on this varied walk. Possible picnic spots are designated by the symbol.

The full walk will take you two to three hours; allow time for picnicking as well.

It starts at East Esplanade and finishes at South Steyne.

It may also be completed in sections:
1. Little Manly Point, returning via Wood Street
2. From South Steyne to Shelly Beach and return (accessible to wheelchairs).
3. Follow the walk to Little Manly Point then proceed to Darley Road and St Patrick's College (this avoids steps at Collins Beach and shortens the walk by approximately 30 minutes).

There are toilets at Little Manly Beach, Shelly Beach and Fairy Bower.

Access notes

As the name Eastern Hill indicates, this is a fairly steep walk, and there are some steps. Only the section South Steyne to Shelly Beach and return is fully accessible to wheelchairs.

The Eastern Hill area

When was the name Eastern Hill first used, and who decided upon this rather literal label for the sloping and often steep area to the east of the heart of Manly, fringed by beaches? History books provide no answer. But they do tell us of the area's first inhabitants, and how the hill became covered in houses, suburbs and streets. Perhaps, once you have completed this walk, you may have some answers yourself.

The first inhabitants

The first inhabitants of the Manly area were the Aborigines known as the Kayimai. They lived as hunter-gatherers, roaming according to the seasonal availability of food and trading with other clans. They moved around, making shelter as needed from branches and fronds or using the many sandstone caves in the area. After European settlement at Sydney, 100 acres of land were granted in 1809 to Richard Cheers, a butcher. The grant extended east from present-day Ashburner Street to the grounds of St Patrick's College. Together with a 30-acre grant to Gilbert Baker, this land was known as Cheers Farm. D'Arcy Wentworth was the next owner of this grant, though it is unclear how the land passed to him. He died in 1827, leaving it to his two-year-old daughter, Katherine. All of the land in this estate was restricted and could not be subdivided or sold. It was eventually released by a special Act of Parliament, the Bassett-Darley Estate Act, in 1877. It was subdivided and auctioned from April 1877 onwards and gradually developed into the residential suburb it is today, fringed with beaches.