The Green and Golden Bell Frog
The Green and Golden Bell Frog (Litoria aurea) is one of Australia’s most striking native frogs — bright emerald green with golden patches and a personality that’s surprisingly bold for an amphibian. Once common across NSW, its numbers declined sharply due to habitat loss, predators, and disease, and it’s now listed as endangered.
Newington, however, is one of the species’ success stories. During the Sydney Olympic redevelopment, ecologists discovered a thriving population in the old brickpit wetlands. The area was protected and transformed into the Brickpit Ring Walk, a sanctuary where the frogs still live today. Because of this, the Green and Golden Bell Frog has become a bit of a local icon — rare, protected, and uniquely tied to Newington’s identity.
If you’d like to learn more, here are some great resources:
NSW Government – Green and Golden Bell Frog https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/threatenedspeciesapp/profile.aspx?id=10401 (environment.nsw.gov.au in Bing)
Sydney Olympic Park – Brickpit Ring Walk (frog habitat) https://www.sydneyolympicpark.com.au/places-to-go/brickpit-ring-walk (sydneyolympicpark.com.au in Bing)
Australian Museum – Species Profile https://australian.museum/learn/animals/frogs/green-and-golden-bell-frog/ (australian.museum in Bing)