For thousands of years, a bus-sized ironstone pillar stood proudly at Catalina, on the outskirts of present-day Batemans Bay.

The Walbunja people use to swing out of the tree using the she-oaks that grew all around and out of the rock. In the late 1970s and early 80s the rock got a lot of attention by visitors coming into the bay. However, the rock was sadly demolished by the council in the mid-90s due to council claiming they needing more space for a roundabout (which never happened).

Today, all that remains of the significant site are boulder-sized chunks of the original rock, which are now scattered on the nature strip and out the front of the Hanging Rock Motel. Today, you can find the significant site of Hanging Rock near the traffic lights on Beach Road.

Story contributed by Chloe Towney from Batemans Bay High School. Published in 2017.