Broadford - Colin Officer Flora Reserve
The Colin Officer Flora Reserve is noted for its diversity of orchids, lilies, other herbs and shrubs.
Highlights and facilities include a diverse range of wildflowers, orchids and lilies, bench seats and picnic table, bird watching, walking tracks and interpretive signage.
There is a mostly flat 1km loop trail, suitable for bushwalking and dogs on a lead. This track is not suitable for those with mobility issues, prams or bikes.
History
The Taungurung were the earliest inhabitants of the area around Broadford. The area holds strong social and cultural values including the native fauna and flora that exists on the Sunday Creek and its surrounds. Places near water were chosen for campsites in the warmer months. Rivers and creeks were abundant in birdlife, fish, eels and shellfish. The area would have provided Aboriginal people with meat for food and materials for other uses.
The Reserve is named after the belated Dr. Colin Officer who served as a local doctor for many years in the district and was a dedicated conservationist in the region. The area was surveyed by Dr. JH Wills, a well known botanist, and Dr. Colin Officer in 1985. Dr Willis described the area as 'a significant representation of the original vegetation cover at Broadford before it was created as a district in 1869'.
Conservation Covenant
On 11 October 2012, Colin Officer Flora Reserve was placed under the permanent protection of a conservation covenant. The conservation covenant is an agreement between Trust for Nature and Mitchell Shire Council to protect and enhance natural, cultural, and/or scientific values of the land, in perpetuity.
Wildlife
Robins, honeyeaters and thornbills are just some of the birds that forage and shelter in the bushland of the Reserve. The large dam adjacent to the reserve attracts a wide range of aquatic birdlife. The reserve also provides shelter and food for eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus), and nocturnal mammals such as brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) and sugar gliders (Petaurus breviceps). Many species of skinks and frogs can also be found throughout the reserve.
Significant Flora
There are two main plant communities within the Colin Officer Flora Reserve.
Healthy Dry Forest: red box (Eucalptus polyanthemos), red stringybark (Eucalyptus macrorhyncha),
and long-leaf box (Eucalyptus goniocalyx) provide the over-storey, whilst the under-storey has a diversity of wattles, sweet bursaria (Bursaria Spinosa), parrot-peas (Dillwynia glaberrima) and other shrubs. Tussocks of silver-top wallaby grass (Rytidosperma pallidum), little grass trees and mat rushes provide ground cover sheltering many different orchids, lilies and other herbs during spring.
Grassy Woodlands: Lower down the slope to the main gully, the soils are deeper and absorb much more moisture. Grey box (Eucalyptus microcarpa) and yellow box (Eucalyptus melliodora) dominate with an under-storey of native grasses such as wallaby grass (Austrodanthonia caespitosa), kangaroo grass (Themeda triandra), and weeping grass (Microlaena stipoides). Trees are larger and further apart, which is a common feature of woodlands, but also a result of past clearing.
Visiting for the Day
Walking entry to the Reserve from either Water Trust Road or from the Broadford Golf Course car park (walking track begins near the CFA water tank). Parking is available at the Broadford Golf Course, Horwood Road.
There is an information shelter produced by the former Broadford Land Management Group near the CFA water tank at the Broadford Golf Course car park.
Access for Dogs:
Dogs should be on-leash.
Note: Mitchell Shire Council recommends that on days with a Fire Danger Rating of severe or higher, those who wish to enter the reserve do so with the utmost care. Please be aware that this reserve may also be subject to severe weather conditions.
Review:
An interesting walk where you can wander as you desire. There is an entrance to the reserve at the southern end of Lake View Road. The main feature of the reserve is a large lake. There are trails around the lake and areas of open bushland away from the lake.
We saw plenty of birds, some kangaroos and lots of wildflowers in Spring.
Photos:
Location
Lake View Road, Broadford 3658 Map
Web Links
→ Colin Officer Flora Reserve (Walking Maps)
→ Know your Reserve - Colin Officer Flora Reserve (PDF)
