The reserve incorporates the former Woolgoolga Creek Flora Reserve, originally dedicated in 1917 as part of Wedding Bells State Forest and subsequently gazetted as a flora reserve in 1971. The area was intensively logged during the early 1900s when a tramway to Woolgoolga was in operation. Rainforest logging ceased in 1917 and hardwood logging ceased in the 1940s. The eastern end of the reserve includes areas cleared for hardwood plantation during the 1960s. Flooded gum was the most common species planted with some trial planting of Bunya pine. This section of reserve also previously had several banana plantations, which were established in the early 1900s. The banana plantations were in operation until the late 1960s, when they were replaced with hardwood plantations.[2]
^Floyd, A. G. (2 December 2003). Species List for Woolgoolga Flora Reserve. Management Plan - Sub tropical rainforest. Vol. Appendix 2.
^ abDepartment of Environment and Climate Change, Government of New South Wales. "Sherwood Nature Reserve"(PDF). Plan of Management. Retrieved 6 March 2020.