The Old Farmhouse in the Olinda Forest

On Monday November 22, 2009, I visited the Olinda Forest, Dandenong Ranges National Park, 30 km east of the Melbourne CBD.

I parked at the access gate to Management Road 19, on the Olinda Creek Rd.

I followed Road 19, crossing the Olinda Creek, past the remains of the old farmhouse, then up the hill to the perimeter of the original farm.

I then explored the area adjacent to the Olinda Creek, examining the old diversion which was made in the 1940s to bring water into the Weir further along the Olinda Ceeek Rd.

Plantings made by the original owners of the farmhouse have run wild, including fruit trees and ornamental shrubs.

Large tree-ferns populate the banks of the Creek.

The farmhouse and land were acquired by Parks Victoria when the Olinda Forest was added to the Park in 1997.

From the high point at the end of Road 19, above the old farmhouse, there are good views across the Olinda Creek Valley to the hills surrounding the Silvan Reservoir.

Many cockatoos inhabit the area!

See all of the Photos of my visit!