ACCESS

• Pedestrian and cyclist access is available from various points in the park at all times. Vehicle entry is available from The Boulevard, East Ivanhoe

• Walking paths lead from the Boulevard to the Main Yarra Trail

• Car park gates are open 6am to 6pm, extending to 9pm during daylight savings.

• Dogs are permitted in the park but must remain on a leash at all times.

 

HISTORY

The Yarra Flats areas was a popular site for Aboriginal gatherings of the Wurundjeri people up until the 1950’s.  From the 1830s the land was claimed by the state and sold as prime agricultural land. The fertile soils provided excellent conditions for growing wheat and barley.

 

Droughts and floods in the 1860s forced many farmers off the land and dairy farms were then established.  Yarra Flats Park comprised land that was originally the properties of the Charterisville and Hartlands estate, built in the 1800s.

 A hawthorn hedgerow planted to define the common boundary remains today.  Chinese market gardeners built bluestone walls to divert river water into their gardens. In 1934, floods wiped out the gardens, but the walls remain as reminders of this land practice. The last dairy farmers were the Flemming brothers who sold their land to the state government in the 1970s. Yarra Flats Park was officially opened in 1984 and is now a significant part of the open space network of interconnecting linear parks, trails, wetlands and waterways throughout the metropolitan area.

 

FLORA AND FAUNA

Most of the Yarra Flats area is classed as ‘Riparian Floodplain Woodland’ particularly featuring River Red Gum and wetlands.  At the billabong in the Annulus Wildlife Sanctuary, a chorus of local frog

species can be heard. Billabongs dry out occasionally as part of their natural cycle. Native birds such as the Azure Kingfisher have been sighted here and play a crucial role controlling native insect populations in the trees. Keep a sharp eye out at dusk and you may get a glimpse of our local bat species.  After dark, keep a watch out for possums and owls.

 

FEATURES

• Annulus Billabong Wildlife Sanctuary (fenced - dogs not allowed)

• The old Southern Cross Windmill, in bushland next to the Yarra

• Bushland Hiking Trail along the Yarra, from the main car park

• Circuit Trail around the Annulus Billabong

 

THE FUTURE - REVISED CONCEPT PLAN RELEASED (2013)

Major changes and additions of additional visitor attractions have been proposed by Parks Victoria. Community consultation and discussions with various organizations are continuing. A commercial "Theme Park" has been proposed. The latest version is at this link - Concept Plan