11 June 2026
A newly opened exhibition at Stanton Library is marking the centenary of the Balls Head and Berry Island harbour headlands, documenting the evolving history of the sites, from their time as industrial hubs to their current state of environmental restoration.
The exhibition, For the People: the centenary of Balls Head and Berry Island Reserves, is on display now at the Heritage Centre, Stanton Library, until September.
Balls Head and Berry Island are located on Cammeraygal Country.
First Nations people called the area Yerroulbine; it was later named after Henry Ball, the commander of the First Fleet ship Supply. The land was later granted to the Edward Wollstonecraft estate. In the early 1920s, portions were heavily cleared to construct an advanced coal bunkering facility that operated until 1992.
The land around the head that wasn’t used for industry was dedicated as public reserves in 1926. Both headlands contain Aboriginal rock carvings and serve as recreation areas and bushland habitats within the urban environment.
Across the bay at Berry Island, the land was also granted to the Wollstonecraft estate in 1820 and named after merchant Alexander Berry. Although now connected to Wollstonecraft, the site was originally an island—hence the name—before being connected to the mainland in the 1960s.
The exhibition includes original artworks, rare books, and interpretive displays regarding the cultural and environmental history of both sites. Admission is free and no booking is required for visitors to the display.