Birrarrung Park in early Spring

Birrarrung Park is a large preserved area of land along the Yarra River, in the outer eastern suburb of Lower Templestowe, 20 km east of Melbourne.

The name Birrarrung Park was derived from an Aboriginal word for Yarra River. Stone chips, flakes and an axe head found in the park remind us that the area was part of an Aboriginal pathway.

Residential and industrial development did not occur in the river valley, mainly because of the threat of flooding. The predominant land use was small scale cattle grazing and horse agistment.

The park has been developed since 1979 and was opened to the public in 1984.

A beautiful lake, with ducks, is the dominant feature of the Park, and shared walking trails pass around the lake and alongside the Yarra.

My pictures were taken on September 25, 2012

Click to see all of the pictures of my visit!

Pigeon Bank Track - North Warrandyte

These pix were taken on September 4, 2012, on a 3 km clifftop hike in the Warrandyte State Park, overlooking the Yarra River 15 km east of central Melbourne.

The track is reached from a small carpark off Koornong Crescent, with good views of the Yarra. It then follows the Pigeon Bank Creek gully.

See the Slideshow of all of the Photos of my visit!

Warrandyte - Yarra River Reserve

These pix were taken on June 10 2012 in the Yarra River Reserve, Warrandyte, 15 km east of central Melbourne.

Plenty of ducks snd hounds - the Yarra was a raging torrent after the recent heavy rain.
 

See all of the Photos of my visit as a Slideshow!

Yarra River action - Warrandyte

These pictures were taken on January 29, 2011, in the Yarra River Reserve, Warrandyte, 20 km east of central Melbourne.

It was a hot day, with plenty of action, along and in the Yarra River, on a 4 km return hike, starting at the Taroona Picnic Ground, and reaching the site of the former Waterwheel, just past the bridge.

See all of the Photos of my visit!

Spectacular viuews from Mt Lofty, Warrandyte SP

These pictures were taken on Wednesday afternoon November 17, 2010, in the Mt Lofty Section of the Warrandyte State Park, 35 km east of central Melbourne.

From my base at the Witton's Reserve canoe launching ramp at the end of Reserve Rd, I climbed Wayne Track, then on to Steven's Track, then a descent down the Fire Management track to the Yarra, and back to base.

My 3 km circuit was rewarded with superb views to the Yarra Ranges, Dandenong Ranges, and the Victorian Alps, with the huge Heritage Country Club and Golf Courses spread out at the base of Mt Lofty.

Nice views looking down to the Yarra.

See all of the Photos of the Mt Lofty Hike

Warrandyte Pictorial Heritage - 1839 to 2010

1880 - Cobb and Co coach at Warrandyte

1956 - Scout Jamboree at Clifford Park

1930 - Warrandyte Miners

2010 - Warrandyte Festival

I am inviting you to visit my newly published public-domain (free)  Warrandyte Pictorial Heritage website, a special Editorial Research
Project.

It's at

http://warrandyteheritage.yolasite.com

The Project is a collection of over 300 images and maps, tracing the heritage and evolution of the semi-rural former gold-mining town of Warrandyte, 25 km east of central Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, with a time-line extending from 1839 to 2010.

Comprehensive original text articles by myself, and about 100 contemporary images from my personal year-2010 collection, oomplement the Historical  Galleries, and describe the many events depicted in them.

The Project will have special relevance to radio monotoring enthusiasts worldwide, as Warrandyte, with its magnificent State Park and the scenic meandering Yarra River, is the location of innumerable field monitoring trips I have undertaken in recent years.

The Project will also have special relevance to anyone who has visited or lived in Warrandyte, or intending to explore the town, with its magnificent State Park and the scenic meandering Yarra River.

Activities which may be enjoyed include bushwalking, photography, white water sports, cycling, horseriding, picnicking, swimming, gold fossicking, or investigating the many excellent restaurants and interesting curio and art shops.

There are 25 Chapters in the Project, reached by Navigation Links for the various decades beginning in 1839 and ending on 2010, and the text articles.

The principal Chapters cover:

- World War 2 Army radio communications' stations

- The ill-fated Yarra Brae Reservoir

- The Warrandyte Museum

- Special historical events in Warrandyte, including railways, coaches, buses, trams, the annual Festival, schools, the  Post Office, the first automatic telephone exchange, the Warrandyte Fire Brigade, former hotels, the Bridge, the Artists' Trail, the Warrandyte Football and Cricket Clubs
and the Warrandyte Rotary and Lions Clubs, the former Water Board, the former Fire Tower and Dam

- The Warrandyte State Park (including details of the Best Hiking Trails!)

- Indigenous Heritage

- Natural disasters - floods, bushfires, ice

- The Clifford Park scout Jamborees

- Goldmining in Warrandyte

- A Timeline of dates

- An extensive Bibliography and Listing of Acknowledgements

The Home Page has a very good Visitor Book where you may post a Guest Message, provide comments, suggestions and criticisms, and give a simple rating for the Project. A flag of your country will display against your entry!

You may also subecribe (free) to the Project via Feedblitz and receive Email notifications whenever new content is added (a sign-up form is at the site).

I hope you find the Project informative and useful, and I look forward to your message in the Visitor Book!
Regards from Melbourne!

Bob Padula

North Warrandyte - Yarra River hike

On Tuesday March 30 2010 I went over to the North Warrandyte district, 25 km east of Melbourne town. I explored an interesting 2 km (return) track along the north bank of the Yarra, starting at a small car park off the unsealed Boulevard.

This took me down to the Stony Creek Bushland Reserve, and the track passed the confluence of the creek with the Yarra.

This bank of the Yarra is popular for swimming in the warmer months - I followed the track to its end at the foot of the high cliffs near the end of Weeroona Way.

The Playground is on Weeroona Way.

This track is directly opposite the Pound Bend section of the Warrandyte State Park, but is not shown in Melways or other public maps.

It offered good views of the Yarra, passing through remnant bushland, a habitat for many species of birds and animals.

See all of the Photos!