According to urban legend, there could be a monster lurking beneath the surface of New South Wales’ Hawkesbury River.
Like the Loch Ness Monster, it’s a flippered creature that’s said to be somewhere between an eel and a dinosaur. It’s reported to be between seven and 24 metres long, with a large, patchy, grey-black body, a long neck, and a snake’s head. Its name? The Hawkesbury River Monster.
The first sightings of the so-called Hawkesbury River Monster date back to thousands of years ago, with cave art from the Indigenous Dharuk people depicting a similar reptilian creature. Could they have seen the Hawkesbury River Monster?
Over the years, there have been many reports of boats being found overturned and smashed to pieces in the area. Others have reported seeing gigantic slide marks, extending from the riverbank to the water’s edge.
A number of accounts have also surfaced from people who claim to have seen the monster for themselves. In 1945, a man reported seeing an ugly snake-like creature emerge from the river. In 1949, a young couple reported seeing a similar creature, as did another couple in 1979. A fisherman shared a similar tale in 1980.
Despite this, no definitive evidence has ever been found to prove the existence of the Hawkesbury River Monster. In fact, many have dispelled witness sightings, saying that what they saw was most likely an eel, crocodile, seal, dolphin, or even a turtle!
For now, it seems we’ll never know for sure if the Hawkesbury River Monster is real, or simply the product of another urban legend. What do you think?
