Middle Harbour is the name given to the northern arm of Port Jackson in Sydney, Australia.
Middle Harbour extends about 10 kilometers (6 miles) to the northwest, from where it joins the main harbour near the Heads. Its shore are nearly everywhere rugged, barren and forested and for this reason Middle Harbour was almost entirely neglected during the first two centuries of European settlement in Sydney. There are only a few small patches of flat land on its shores. There are many small creeks draining the surrounding hills, but no significant rivers flow into Middle Harbour.
Middle Harbour is a significant physical barrier between Sydney and the suburbs known as the Northern Beaches area which lie north and east of Middle Harbour. There are only two bridges - the Spit Bridge and the Roseville Bridge . Because of this obstacle, historically the main transport between Manly and Sydney was by ferry.
Since the 1920s, most of the land on the ridge-tops around Middle Harbour have been developed for suburban housing. Much of the rugged shore of the Middle Harbour remains covered with bushland, most of it now protected by parks and reserves. Middle Harbour is a popular area for recreational boating and fishing.
