BACKROUND

The Yarra is an extremely complicated waterway, as it weav es its way through the  the Parklands, displaying an amazing array of loops, bends, twists and turns!

 

Uplifting, warping, erosion, volcanic activity and human influences have shaped the landscape of the parklands and surrounds. The western end of the parklands incorporates a large portion of the Chandler flood basin; the flood basin was created 2 million years ago when lava flowing down the Darebin Creek partially blocked the Yarra River and caused the area to flood. The resulting sedimentation produced a large number of billabongs that were carved in the flood basin as the Yarra River created a new channel south of Ivanhoe.

 

As a result of their proximity to Melbourne, many floodplain wetlands have been cleared, filled-in for agricultural and urban development, or lost when their water source was diverted. The Yarra River still occasionally floods into wetlands such as Bolin Bolin Billabong, Banyule Wetlands and the Yarra Flats Annulus, but for much shorter periods of time.

 

Up until European settlement, the traditional Aboriginal owners, such as the Wurundjeri peoples, used the land adjacent to the billabongs for hunting, meetings and ceremonial purposes.

 

The princpal billabongs are:

 

• Bolin Bolin Billabongs (a dual formation)

• Banyule Billabong

• Yarra Flats (Annulus) Billabong

• Banksia Park Billabong

• Burrarong Park Billabong

• Westerfolds' Park Billabongs

 

At the time of writing (April 2015), all billabongs except the Bolin Bolin are completely dry, due to the extended low rainfall period.

 

Most of the billabongs are fenced, but some are accessible to walkers.