Blackburn Lake Sanctuary

Blackburn Lake Sanctuary is a 26 hectare area of bushland 17 km east of Melbourne.
  

The Lake is the main feature of this Sanctuary.
  

The Sanctuary was originally an open area of eucalypts and grasslands, sloping down to a creek. The Aboriginal Wurundjeri people are thought to have used the area for food collection and camping by the creek.
  

In the 1850s, the Crown first disposed of land in the district.

In 1888 the creek was dammed to form the Blackburn Lake. Later, the Victorian Deaf Society residential home and farm were located on the site, near the current Visitor Centre.
  

The Society cleared the land of native vegetation and for many years operated a successful flower farm.

In 1965, Blackburn lake was declared a "Sanctuary".

In 1980, the area was acquired by the City of Nunawading.

The Sanctuary now belongs to the Community.

Bushfires destroyed 8 ha in 1994 and 4 ha in 1997.

Most of the native trees around the picnic area have been planted in the past 20 years. Once a vista of open fields of flowers and an orchard, the area is now a haven for numerous species of birds, possums and harmless little green spiders. Most of the fish in the Lake are carp - fishing is not permitted. Frogs, ducks, moorhens and coots live in the Lake.

Features in the Sanctuary include the Flower Farm, Friends' Bridge, Duck Point, the Lake, Apple Tree Track, Boardwalk, Heron Point and Eucalyptus Track.

I explored this interesting Sanctuary on April 1 2013.

Click here to see all of the Photos of my visit!