Braeside Park

Braeside Park is a 310-hectare (770-acre) metropolitan, recreational and conservation park in the south-eastern Melbourne suburb of Braeside.[1][2]

Braeside Park
Pelicans at Braeside Park
TypeMetropolitan regional park
LocationBraeside, Victoria, Australia
Coordinates37.998°S 145.129°E / -37.998; 145.129
Area310 hectares (770 acres)
Managed byParks Victoria
Visitors460,000 (in 2017)[1]
Habitats

History

Before European settlement, the Bunurong people lived in and around the area for thousands of years. In 1851, the Colony of Victoria was established after separation from New South Wales; leases leases held by squatters were withdrawn and the land was surveyed, divided into portions and auctioned. The park since had a history of various owners and land uses. In 1982, Parks Victoria, assumed responsibility for Braeside park.[3]

Geography

The park's natural environment includes wetlands, heathlands and red gum woodlands.

The wetlands are made up of herbaceous native and introduced plant species which provide habitat for water-dependent birds. The heathland is located on sandy well-drained soil with vegetation including trees (mostly the manna gum), shrubs, sedges, grasses, groundcovers and herbs. The red gum woodlands consists of river red gums and a grassland of introduced grasses, mostly pasture grasses, due to the area's history of cattle grazing.[4]

Features

The park contains multi-use trails, a picnic area, tree stump art carvings and a community garden.[5] Braeside Park has a 24-hour car park at the entrance to the park from Lower Dandenong Road.

The park's wetlands are also a popular birdwatching location. Birds such as the pacific black duck, pied cormorant, spotted pardalote and whistling kite can be found in the area.[6] The park also fields the 45-hectare (110-acre) Heathland Conservation Zone, a restricted-access area aiming to preserve and enhance the remnant natural features and cultural resources of the heathland habitat.[4][7]

References
  1. "Braeside Park Precinct Plan". Parks Victoria. Archived from the original on 3 March 2022. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  2. "Opinions wanted on park future". Bayside News. 23 December 2019. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  3. "Land Ownership of Braeside Park". Kingston Local History. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  4. "Environment". Friends of Braeside Park. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  5. "Braeside Park". Parks Victoria. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  6. "Braeside Park". Junior Rangers. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  7. "Biodiversity Strategy 2018-2023" (PDF). City of Kingston. p. 37. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
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