Following lobbying by Ray Thorburn, the reserve was bought by the Commonwealth in 1975, attempting to fulfil obligations to JAMBA, which would come into force in April 1981. This was the first time that the Australian Government had bought land for nature conservation purposes within a state. On 10 September 1979 the oil tanker "World Encouragement" spilled approximately of crude oil into Botany Bay. Mangroves at Quibray Bay, Weeney Bay and Towra Point were impacted – of mangroves were affected, and died.