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Westerfolds Park is a large (130 hectares) area in the outer eastern suburb of Templestowe, only 15 km from the Melbourne CBD.
Prior to European settlement, the area was originally part of the Wurundjeri tribe territory. The area which is now Westerfolds Park was purchased from the Crown in 1846 and had an unremarkable history until the Turner family bought the property in the early 1930s and built the Manor in 1936.
By the 1950s the growing population had pushed most of the large-scale farmers and orchardists out of the surrounding area, but residential and industrial development did not occur in the river valley, mainly because of the threat of flooding. Westerfolds was salvaged from suburban development and added to the Yarra Valley Parklands in 1977.
In 1978, due to growing community interest in the environment and a demand for areas of open space to pursue passive recreation, Melbourne Parks and Waterways (later Parks Victoria) began to manage and develop the land into Westerfolds Park.
The park has become a haven for wildlife. Parrots, cockatoos, kookaburras, water birds and small bush birds can be seen, along with bats, platypus, wombats, koalas, possums, and even Eastern Grey Kangaroos.
Since the days of European settlers and timber cutters, thousands of native trees have been planted, native grassland and bush conserved and wetlands reinstated. Today, a blend of Eucalypts, Acacias, grasses and shrubs provide a natural environment - over 400 species native to the area have been recorded.
The pictures were taken on March 7, 2012, on a 4 km hike along the Main Yarra Trail, showing the Yarra Rapids and adjacent tracks.
See the Map Image for the route.
Check out all of the Photos of my visit, and the YouTube Video!
Sweeneys Flats is a relatively large preserved woodland park, on the north bank of the Yarra River, Eltham, about 30 km NE of Melbourne.
It is reached from Mt Pleasant Rd (Eltham), then into Sweeney's Lane. A car park and access gate are at the end of this road.
Members of the Wurundjeri tribe of Aboriginals originally inhabited the area. The area remains significant to descendants of the Wurundjeri. During the 1840s, the land around Sweeneys Flats was purchased by Thomas Sweeney, a former convict who established an extensive property built by hard work and initiative. The Hawthorn hedge that remains is still a small part of what was once a system of many hedgerows separating the paddocks of the property from one another.
Directly opposite, on the south bank of the river, is the Tikalara Park, Candlebark Park, and Main Yarra Trail.
The pictures were taken on Monday afternoon Februry 6, 2012, showing the views, river scenes, lagoon, former hedges, and ducks, along the interesting 4 km (return) walking trail, which ends at the Griffith Bushland Park.
The river has several sections and exposed rock formations which are popular for swimming, paddling, and fishing during the warmer months.
See the full set of Photos of my visit, and check out my YouTube video!
