Banyule Flats Reserve

Banyule Flats Reserve landscape

This 46.47 hectare reserve connects to the Yarra Valley Parklands and the Warringal Parklands, and there are many walking tracks. The Main Yarra Trail follows the Banyule Swamp and Silt Pond, with many unofficial tracks leading off to Banyule Creek, stockyards, Banyule Swamp, and down to the Yarra River.

Dogs and cats are prohibited from entering environmentally sensitive park and reserve areas as designated by signs.

More detail about the reserve can also be found in Banyule Flats Reserve: A hidden treasure.

History

The Wurundjeri people occupied land around Banyule Swamp and the Yarra River. Artefact scatters and scar trees are nearby.

This land was one of the earliest rural allotments, being sold in 1838. It was a part of Woods Station, a large sheep farm straddling both sides of the Yarra River. The woodlands were cleared prior to settlement, with many small mills built. Settlers bought land as quickly as it was cleared. Rich soils supported agricultural and pastoral uses, including market gardens, orchards and vineyards.

The remnant stockyards, seen at the southern end of Plymouth Street, Heidelberg, were relocated from a different part of Banyule by Alan Baxter, who took over cattle farming from the Lyon family. The swamp is created by stormwater from surrounding streets. It was drained in the early 19th Century, and had cattle grazing on it until the 1990s. The southern edge of the swamp was changed so that it could be refilled in 1999.

Flora and fauna

There are many remnant indigenous and exotic historic vegetation, swamps, billabongs, parklands and sporting facilities throughout the reserve. There are 10 ecological vegetation classes, including floodplain riparian woodland, creekline grassy woodland, aquatic herbfield and plains grassy woodland, with some being endangered.

The Yarra River and the Banyule Swamp keep bird plentiful; 153 bird species have been sighted, some rare or threatened in Victoria, and others are migrants, such as the latham’s snipe. Kangaroos, wombats, echidnas and wallabies have been spotted. The reserve is managed by the Banyule Bushland Management Unit in conjunction with the Warringal Conservation Society.

Details about the significance of the reserve can be found in the Warringal Parklands and Banyule Flats Ecological and Conservation Values Assessment(PDF, 7MB). If you are interested in helping out, join the Warringal Conservation Society.

Fauna

Common name Scientific name

Australian wood duck

Chenonetta jubata

Brown goshawk

Accipiter fasciatus

Chestnut teal

Anas castanea

Common wombat

Vombatus ursinus

Eastern brown snake

 Pseudonaja textilis

Eastern Grey kangaroo

Macropus giganteus

King parrot Alisterus scapularis

Latham's snipe

Gallinago hardwickii

Laughing kookaburra

Dacelo novaeguineae

Little pied cormorant

Microcarbo melanoleucos

Musk lorikeet

Glossopsitta concinna

Pacific black duck

Anas superciliosa

Powerful owl

Ninox strenua

Rainbow lorikeet

Trichoglossus moluccanus

Spotted pardalote

Pardalotus punctatus

Short-beaked echidna Tachyglossus aculeatus

Sugar glider

Petaurus breviceps

Swamp wallaby

Wallabia bicolor

Tawny frogmouth

Podargus strigoides

White-faced heron

Egretta novaehollandiae

Yellow-billed spoonbill

Platalea flavipes

Yellow-tailed black cockatoo

Calyptorhynchus funereus

Flora

Scientific name Common name

Acacia melanoxylon

Blackwood

Acacia verticillata

Prickly moses

Acaena novae-zealandiae

Bidgee-widgee

Bursaria spinosa

Sweet bursaria

Clematis microphylla

Small-leaved clematis

Cycnogeton procerum

Water ribbon

Dianella revoluta

Spreading flax lily

Dichondra repens

Kidney weed

Einadia nutans

Nodding saltbush

Eucalyptus camaldulensis

River red gum

Eucalyptus x studleyensis

Studley park gum

Eucalyptus viminalis

Manna gum

Goodenia ovata

Hop goodenia

Lythrum salicaria

Purple loostrife

Melaleuca ericifolia

Swamp paperbark

Melicytus dentatus

Tree violet

Solanum aviculare

Kangaroo apple

Location

136 Banyule Road, Viewbank 3084  View Map

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