Currawong Bush Park Walks (Doncaster East)

Currawong Bush Park is filled with stories to tell and gives residents the opportunity to experience a 'wilderness-like' experience close to home.

There are eight walks to pick from, each focusing on different aspect of the reserve; from traditional interpretive subjects such as flora and fauna, through to park and local histories, land management, seasons, day and night, and tours for different age groups. Walks start and finish at Currawong Bush Park, Reynolds Road, Doncaster East.

Facilities - Drinking fountain, toilets, picnic tables and barbecue facilities.
Hazards - Muddy and slippery in places. Beware of snakes in warm weather.
Days of total fire ban - Currawong Bush Park is closed on days of Total Fire Ban.
Opening Hours - Currawong Bush Park is open during daylight hours. The automated boom gate has a 24-hour timer programmed to open and close at 8am - 5pm, and 8am - 8pm during daylight savings. If you find yourself in the car park afterhours, simply driving up to the boom gate will trigger the opening mechanism.

The walks which have corresponding audio guides and maps are:

Forest Circuit

Comprises four longer walks (3.7km) that extend into the 'forest'; sculptural markers dot the landscape and are places to stop for interpretation.

Time: 1.5 hrs
Distance: 3.7 kms
Difficulty: Moderate - there are hills.
Accessibility: Medium - unsuitable for wheelchairs.
Suitable for: Active families, pleasure walkers, super striders, and circuit. Dogs are not permitted.
Trail type: Natural heritage with historic places.

Currawong Bush Park Walks Forest Circuit Map

Currawong Bush Park Walks Forest Circuit Map

Big Busy Bushland Walk Notes

Learn about the wildlife that makes up this big busy bushland with a particular focus on the interrelationships between plants, people and animals. Different habitats provide opportunities to tell stories about animals such as insects which are often overlooked, and to tell tall tales about the giants - and there are ancient giants to meet.

There are toilets and a drinking fountain to prepare for your adventure. Begin your walk from the picnic area carpark and head downhill.

1. Wurundjeri Wisdom
All hail the Stringybark
As you stand here, look around and try to get a 'feel' for the bush. Think about how you might survive in the bush and what here could be of use to you.

In the days when the Wurundjeri-wilam had to rely on the bush for survival, they wouldn't have far to go. Look for the Red Stringybark, Eucalyptus macrorhyncha. They have a very thick, reddish-brown bark that was used by Indigenous people to line their shelters. The fibrous bark can twisted to make string and used to create baskets, bags and fishing nets.

Possums (Walert) looking for blossom might end up as tucker and their pelts made into cloaks. The grubs of several moth species, found in the bark, were a tasty treat and eucalyptus leaves were (and still are) used for a range of medicinal purposes. Green Manna Gum leaves are used in Smoking Ceremonies to welcome visitors onto Wurundjeri Country.

Take the little track, on the left, to the fallen Aboriginal Scar Tree.

Aboriginal Scar Tree
The Indigenous people were (and still are) masters in creating tools without destroying the landscape. The Aboriginal Scar Tree here is one example of this.

A large piece of woody bark was removed in one piece with a stone axe that was ground down to a sharp edge. The width of the cut was not large enough to kill (ringbark) the tree.

From the sculptural marker head up to the access road, turn left and walk to the second carpark. Here take the track heading downhill on the left.

2. Pond Ponder
Secret activity
Even if you can't see it, this little pond is abuzz with life. And it all starts with the simplest of plants - algae.

There are more than 40 different varieties of algae in this pond. Many fish, amphibians and insects live on algae. With so much good food, there must be lots of animals - and there are.

It is estimated that there are more than 2,000 types of insects throughout Currawong Bush Park. So where are they all?

You'll find the tiny Water Boatman just below the pond's surface, where they cling to submerged objects to prevent themselves rising to the surface. To breathe, they trap air around their body.

This is a good idea because at the surface you will find the most efficient of pond predators - the dragonfly. While flying between 15 and 50 kilometres per hour, these ancient animals devour insects including flies, moth, butterflies and even bees.

Follow the path heading downhill.

3. Gregarious Grasslands
Fire and Silver Wattle
In winter this area is ablaze with a golden hue. These delightful puffballs of yellow flowers belong to the Silver Wattle. Wattle rely on heat to disperse their seed. On very hot summer days you will hear the pods pop open releasing their small black seeds.

Even more efficient than a hot day is fire. Fire assists plants like the Silver Wattle to release its seeds and germinate, although it kills the parent plant. It also requires good rain afterwards.

Continue downhill and over the footbridge

4. Beaut Eucs
Layer upon layer
The trees in a eucalypt forest provide important protection for a range of understorey plants. The forest's growth can be seen in layers. Take your time to notice these layers.

Canopy - this is the 'umbrella' created by the spreading foliage of the tallest trees. Here the canopy is 'open'
meaning plenty of light penetrates the 'umbrella'.

Midstorey - look for smaller trees such as Silver Wattle, Cherry Ballart (which look like small pines), Christmas Bush and Burgan (which is covered with white flowers in spring).

Herbaceous or ground layer - bracken, grasses and orchids.

Forest floor - leaf litter, rotting logs, insects and fungi are all at work providing a healthy nutrient rich forest foundation.

Continue ahead until you reach the powerline track, turn left walking downhill, turn right at the next track to the last sculptural marker.

5. Wild Wetland
Edged with sedge
Autumn to winter is the time to see fungi here. Some are brightly coloured mushrooms; others are dullish, flowershaped and spreading.

This wetland is actually a natural filtration system. There are three settling ponds each layered with wetlands plants that assist in removing toxins from the water.

Pondweed, rushes and sedges grow round the edges while other plants appear to float but are actually attached to the pond's base. This is fantastic habitat for small fish, amphibians and insects.

At times duckweed will dominate as a thin green layer. Fortunately this is a favourite of our native birds and fish, so it gets eaten.

Retrace your steps back to the Gregarious Grasslands marker and continue ahead on the access track.

6. Riverside Revelry
Tiny and mighty
A big busy bushland requires your sharp attention. Use all your senses - sight, hearing, smell, touch, but perhaps not taste.

Our wildlife is in the trees and bushes, in the streams and ponds, on the ground and even underground, but many of these creatures cannot be seen or heard.

Tiny to microscopic insects are prolific here. They are our eco stabilisers and assist in providing a healthy forest. They are decomposers, burrowing through logs, devouring rotting wood, dead animals and plants. Their work releases nutrients back into the soil so that plants can grow and die, get composted, which feeds the soil so that plants can grow again. This is our never ending cycle of life and is the foundation to a healthy ecosystem.

To complete this walk, make a sharp turn to your left and head up the hill to the picnic area carpark.

Mind Your Mannas Walk Notes

Explore the different habitats in the park with a particular focus on Eucalypt forests and the animals that depend on these forests for survival. This trail is a great one for the entire family. Different habitats in the park are explored, with each having an interesting and important story to tell. There is a particular focus on eucalypt trees and the animals that depend upon them for survival. Find out which trees grow here and how they are important to forest ecology.

There are toilets and a drinking fountain to prepare for your adventure. Begin your walk from the picnic area carpark and head downhill to the first sculptural marker.

1. Wurundjeri Wisdom
"Give me a home among the gum trees..."
This could easily be arranged. There are more than 700 species of eucalypts :n Australia. Only two eucalypt species are not found in Australia, and only 12 species share Australia with other continents. The rest are all ours!

The eucalypts at Currawong are extremely important as they provide habitat for wildlife, both large and tiny, and a protective canopy for understorey plants.

Take a closer look at the trees. You will notice different bark textures. The Yellow Box, Eucalyptus melliodora has a greyish bark on the trunk with white upper branches. These are the trees that produce yellow box honey. Unfortunately non-native bees are used commercially and not one of our 1,500 species of native bees are used to produce honey. Red Stringybark, Eucalyptus macrorhyncha, has reddish brown thick fibrous bark and hosts thousands of small insects including beetles, ants, grubs, spiders and moths.

Take the little track, on the left, to the fallen Aboriginal Scar Tree.

Aboriginal Scar Tree
The Indigenous people were (and still are) masters in creating tools without destroying the landscape. The Aboriginal Scar Tree here is one example of this.

A large piece of woody bark was removed in one piece with a stone axe that was ground down to a sharp edge. The width of the cut was not large enough to kill (ringbark) the tree.

From the sculptural marker head up to the access road, turn left and walk to the second carpark. Here take the track heading downhill on the left.

2. Pond Ponder>
Currawong Bush Park Walks (Doncaster East)

Currawong Bush Park Walks (Doncaster East)

Shadow safety
The pond is a haven of aquatic life. Look above and around you. Notice the tree canopy that shadows the edges of the pond?

Reeds, sedges and rushes can be seen around the pond and along the creek line below. From these you might hear call of the Southern Brown Tree Frog-`weep,eep,eep,eep,eep,eep,eep,eep' The best time to hear them is after rains.

If you didn't hear any frogs, see any insects or spot any lizards, return again at a different time of day or season.

3. Gregarious Grasslands
Gregarious grazers
Currawong Bush Park Walks (Doncaster East)

Several species of eucalypts are found in the open woodland on the hillside next to you. Open woodlands have grasses, low shrubs, herbaceous flowering plants and tiny orchids amongst a scattering of big trees.

The grasslands here sometimes appear to have been 'mowed'. Come back at dawn or dusk to see these voracious 'mowers' at work. You will find Eastern Grey Kangaroos and, on occasion. the squat Swamp Wallaby. The solitary wallabies are rare, preferring dense bushland where they feed on anything fibrous including bracken.

The growing population of Eastern Grey Kangaroo may upset our bushland balance. Diversity is the key to a healthy forest and when there is a period of abundance and forest growth, wildlife can dramatically increase in number. When the roos overgraze they can reduce the habitat for other grassland-dependent species, such as reptiles, insects and orchids.

4. Beaut Eucs
A forest of ancient giants
Where? All around you! Manna Gums, Eucalyptus viminalis are the dominant trees here and some are more than 200 years old. Their whitish trunks rise from a 'sock' formed as the outer layers of bark peel off in long ribbons. Manna Gums are hugely important for one Currawong native - the koala. They also are habitat for several species of parrots. Galahs. Sulphur-crested Cockatoos, Corellas, Yellow-Tailed Black Cockatoos and Rainbow Lorikeets all feed on the flowers, nectar, nuts or seeds.

The trees also provide hollows which can take a hundred years to form. Competition for hollows is high and pest species like Indian Myna birds and feral bees are often the winners.

5. Wild Wetland
Currawong Bush Park Walks (Doncaster East)

A chain of events
Several small tributaries flow into the Mullum Mullum Creek and one is located here. Along this tributary you should see moss and lichen. Lichen is lighter coloured and grows on trees, fallen logs and rocks. Moss and lichen do not produce flowers or reproduce by seed. Instead they produce tiny spores that are spread by wind or water.

Take a few moments to see if you can find a food chain. Look for an insect - a dragonfly, butterfly or grasshopper - listen for a frog, and perhaps there might be a skink (small lizard) or Blue-tongue Lizard nearby. Then look up for a hungry predator bird, such as the kookaburra, currawong or magpie.

Retrace your steps back to the Gregarious Grasslands marker and continue ahead on the access track.

6. Riverside Revelry
A meeting of three forests
This is a great spot to survey the different types of habitat in the park. To one side you have open woodland. This is where you might see kangaroos. It is also an excellent habitat for echidnas. In the warmer months you may be lucky enough to see one waddle about catching ants with its extremely long tongue.

Next to the woodlands you have a denser understorey of Silver Wattle, Burgan (Kunzea) and further up the track, Cherry Ballart. Cherry Ballart is the tree that looks a like a pine-dark straight trunk and deep green needle like leaves. Return in the warmer months to see the red fruit which are actually formed by a swelling of the stem just below the nut.

Towards the creek the landscape changes again. This area is prone to flooding so trees and plants here don't mind having 'soggy feet'. Manna Gums thrive in this habitat, as do our Silver Wattle and bracken. Notice how the trees are taller and the ground cover is denser.

To complete this walk, make a sharp turn to your left and head up the hill to the picnic area carpark.

Ready Aim Click Walk Notes

Designed for seasoned and budding photographers this trail focuses on different habitats and bush features for you to capture close up. This is a trail especially designed for those interested in photography. You will need a camera or phone with a camera. The trail focuses on different habitats and bush features then challenges you to find a series of things to photograph. If you prefer sketching this trail can easily be adapted to suit your needs - choose one of the three options that appear at each of the walking stops.

There are toilets and a drinking fountain to prepare for your adventure. Begin your walk from the picnic area carpark and head downhill to the first sculptural marker. Take the little path, on the left, to the fallen Aboriginal Scar Tree.

1. Wurundjeri Wisdom
Bushland survival
The Aboriginal Scar Tree is one of several in the park.

A large piece of woody bark was removed in one piece. The width of the cut was not large enough to kill (ringbark) the tree. The bark was then fashioned into a canoe (Gurrong) or shield (Gayaam) or ceremonial vessel (Tarnuk).

Ready Aim Click
With your phone or camera photograph:
- A close up of the oval shape
- Evidence that the tree is rotting
- Something that was probably here when the scar tree was formed

Don't be afraid to get right down on the ground. Aim for that fantastic close up that you can frame or post online.
From the sculptural marker head up to the access road, turn left and walk to the second carpark. Here take the track heading downhill on the left.

2. Pond Ponder
Pond life
Now it is time to work your eyesight.

There are more than 2,000 species of insects in Currawong Bush Park, including grasshoppers, cicadas, dragonflies, damselflies, beetles, moths, butterflies, praying mantis, stick insects and ants.

The pond also services the resident kangaroos. You will see them at dawn and dusk. They chew on the grass, flatten the stalks when they lie down and their droppings are round, green and clumped together.

Ready Aim Click
With your phone or camera photograph:
- An insect - any sort you can find
- Evidence that kangaroos have been here
- The strangest thing you can find at the pond

Follow the path heading downhill.

3. Gregarious Grasslands
The good oil on grasses
Grasses boring? Not so! Grasses are vital to a forest; they provide food and shelter for wildlife and breeding sites and food for insects.

On the hillside next to the track are a staggering number of different native grasses - there are 22 species and varieties in the park! One is a tussock called Kangaroo Grass, with long slender stems with tufted reddish seeds produced in summer, that are fan-like and look a bit like a kangaroo's paw.

Ready Aim Click
With your phone or camera photograph:
- Kangaroo Grass
- Another variety of grass
- Something that grows with the grasses,but is not a grass

Continue downhill and over the footbridge.

4. Beaut Eucs
Koala Manna's
You are now standing in the home of our most charismatic resident, the koala. To find them look for Manna Gums. They are tall trees with white trunks, and their bark falls off in ribbons to make it look like they are wearing a sock.

If there are no koalas perhaps you can find evidence that they have been here, including broken twigs with fresh leaves on them, and droppings - olive shaped largish, hard droppings.

Ready Aim Click
With your phone or camera photograph:
- A Manna Gum
- A close up of the Manna Gum's 'sock'
- Possible evidence that a koala has been here
Be careful at the creek's edge and watch for snakes in summer.

Continue ahead until you reach the powerline track, turn left walking downhill, turn right at the next track to the last sculptural marker.

5. Wild Wetland
Wetlands that rock!
At first glance this area may not seem to be very interesting, but there is plenty going on!

All the rainwater from the surrounding neighbourhood gets washed down here. It pours into three settling ponds with plants that help remove toxins from the water, so by the time it flows into the Mullum Mullum Creek the water is much cleaner.

Ready Aim Click
With your phone or camera photograph:
- A settling pond
- A close up of a wetlands plant
- Something that you have never seen before

Retrace your steps back to the Gregarious Grasslands marker and continue ahead on the access track.

6. Riverside Revelry
Canopy competition
Time to stop and 'feel' the bush. Close your eyes, listen for birds, leaves rustling, branches falling, animals scattering.

Now look up and about. Every plant is trying to gain the attention of just one very important element - the sun!

All plants need sun to photosynthesis - a process that converts sunlight into energy - or they will die. So there is an urgency to capture sunlight.

Notice the trees, the shrubs and the ground cover. In a forest there are different layers that make up these competitive groups including the 'sunseekers' and those that only need a small amount of light.

Ready Aim Click
With your phone or camera photograph:
- The canopy of the forest
- A mid-level of trees and bushes
- A close up of plants trying really hard to grab the sun's attention

To complete this walk, make a sharp turn to your left and head up the hill to the picnic area carpark.

Changing Landscapes Walk Notes

Learn about our changing perspectives towards land use, land management and wildlife, from indigenous lifestyle and European occupation, to the creation of Currawong as a park.

There are toilets and a drinking fountain to prepare for your adventure. Begin your walk from the picnic area carpark and head downhill.

1. Wurundjeri Wisdom
Masters of survival
With skills and knowledge developed over thousands of years and passed down through generations, the Wurundjeri-wilam were (and still are) masters of bush survival.

Look around you. There is plenty here to help you survive.

Red Stringybark (Wayut) - the thick fibrous bark can be used to line shelters and keep off the rain.

Spiny-headed Matt-rush (Burt-burt) - the leaves can be split, soaked and braided into bags, baskets and eel traps. The seeds can be ground into flour, formed into damper cakes and cooked on the fire.

Witchety Grubs (Milarrk-'grub') - big fat larvae caterpillars belonging to several species of moths can be found beneath logs, bark and soil and eaten alive or roasted.

Possum (Walert) - an excellent source of protein (today they are protected). Their furs can be sewn together with sinew from the tail of a kangaroo (Marram) to form a warm cloak.

What skills do you have that might assist surviving without modern luxuries?

Before heading downhill to the next sculptural marker, take the little track to the fallen Aboriginal Scar Tree.

Aboriginal Scar Tree
The Aboriginal Scar Tree here is an example of the Indigenous people's skill in creating tools without destroying the landscape. The tree has since died and fallen, contributing to the ongoing bushland cycle of life.

2. Pond Ponder
From dam to wetland
Millers Pond was built as a dam supplying water for cattle. Given time and native plantings, the natural ecosystem of a wetland has developed. Algae grow here. There are 40 varieties in the park and most are a good source of food and shelter for pond inhabitants.

Insects are prolific here but are largely hidden. The warmer seasons are best to watch damselflies and dragonflies preying on insects that float or live on the water's surface such as the Water Measurers and Water Striders. They, in turn prey on other pond insects such as Water Boatman, Water Scorpions and Backswimmers. Deeper down are the pond worms, water nymphs and snails.

What issues are associated with living in a bushland-urban environment?

Follow the path heading downhill.

3. Gregarious Grasslands
"Most beautiful sheep pasturage I ever saw in my life." John Batman: 1835
With this seal of approval for grazing our grasslands changed forever and sheep and cattle hungrily devoured the native grasses. However, with continued eating and stomping from hard hoofed cattle, the native grasses struggled to survive.

Turn to the hillside next to you. There are a whopping 22 native grass species still found in the park. See if you can identify these two.

Kangaroo Grass, Themeda triandra - these produce a long stalk from a clump of leaves with tufted reddish seed flowers in summer that look a bit like kangaroo paws.
Weeping Grass, Microlaena stipoides - look for a small graceful green grass with slim, bent stems. They spread by underground rhizomes so expect to find several together.

How many other grass species can you find?

Continue downhill and over the footbridge.

4. Beaut Eucs
A Story of Survival
Currawong, like most urban parkland, is a disturbed environment where what you see today is an amalgamation of old and new.

There are two main forest types here, with many sub-communities. The Box-Stringybark Woodland community supports Yellow Box, Eucalyptus melliodora and Red Stringybark, Eucalyptus macrorhyncha. This mixture of Yellow Box and Stringybark is now rare in Melbourne. This forest can be seen on the upper reaches of the hillside where the canopy is more open.

The other main community is the Manna Gum Forest, Eucalyptus viminalis. They are the tall white trunked trees with a 'sock' at the base formed by the bark falling in ribbons. Manna Gums are important habitat for birds, gliders and possums and are the main source of food for koalas. They form part of a habitat corridor that connects the Mullum Mullum Creek to the Yarra River.

Keep an eye open for hollows.

Continue ahead until you reach the powerline track, turn left walking downhill, turn right at the next track to the last sculptural marker.

5. Wild Wetland
Step aside and let nature do its thing!
The Billy Baxter wetland is an example of natural processes helping to increase the cleanliness of our creeks and waterways. A series of purification ponds were built here as part of the nearby urban development. As water from the streets flows into the ponds a naturally occurring process of toxin exchange filters out physical and chemical pollutants before they can enter the Mullum Mullum Creek.

Retrace your steps back to the Gregarious Grasslands marker and continue ahead on the access track.

6. Riverside Revelry
Changing perspectives
Currawong Bush Park was established in 1976 as a place for conservation and education by Council. Before this, cattle roamed the area and orchards hugged the perimeters. In 1959 the owners, Robert Elder and family, built a home that is now the Conference Centre situated on the hill. This building is of state architectural significance and was designed by Kevin Borland.

Currawong Bush Park now covers 63 hectares of bushland. In the 1980s the open grassy area next to you once
enclosed kangaroos and wallabies. The enclosure was removed and the animals released to a free range sanctuary, away from the city.

To complete this walk, make a sharp turn to your left and head up the hill to the picnic area carpark.

Discovery Circuit

Comprises four short walks, centred on the main car park; sculptural markets dot the landscape and are places to stop for interpretation.

The paths are generally gravel and easy to navigate, but there can be mud after rains. There are hills to climb, ponds to investigate, trees to study, leaf litter to explore, plants to smell and evidence of wildlife to find.

Time: 1 hr
Distance: 2 kms
Difficulty: Moderate - there are hills.
Accessibility: Medium - unsuitable for wheelchairs.
Suitable for: Active families, pleasure walkers, super striders, and circuit. Dogs are not permitted.
Trail type: Natural heritage with historic places.

Currawong Bush Park Walks Discovery Circuit Map

Brushtails and Bush Tales Walk Notes

Learn about the different animals that live in Currawong Bush Park. On this trail you will hear about our wildlife, discover the pleasure of bird watching, learn about our unique monotremes, explore the interrelationships between plants and insects, and find out where reptiles go in winter.

The Wurundjeriwilam are the traditional owners of this land. The name Wurundjeri means 'Wurun' the Manna Gum, and 'djeri' is the grub that lives under its bark; 'wilam' means camp. The language spoken by Wurundjeri people is 'Woi wurrung'.

The Woi wurrung names for the mammals found here include Marram (kangaroo), Walert (possum), Warin (wombat), Wimbirr (wallaby) and Gurrborra (koala). We also have Dulai wurrung (platypus) and Garwarn (echidna), along with Guyup Guyup (birds), Narrang (lizards), Ngarrert (frogs), Kaan (snakes) and Kam-kamkoor (insects).

If you don't see any wildlife, you will most definitely hear them and see evidence of their existence. Remember, all flora and fauna are protected here. Please take only pictures and leave only footprints.

There are toilets and a drinking fountain to prepare for your adventure. Begin your walk from the picnic area carpark and head downhill to the first sculptural marker.

1. Wurundjeri Wisdom
Twitching
If you have never bird watched (called 'twitching') before, you are in for a treat. Unlike our sleepy nocturnal marsupials, birds are always doing something - eating, nesting, fighting, courting, dancing, mating, grooming and vocalizing. They are busy little things.

Watch at shrub height for the Superb Fairy Wren. The male is a spectacular blue and black. They move in groups and hop under the scrub 'chip-chipping' to each other and looking for grubs. You might see the Willie Wagtail (Djirri Djirri) joining in. They are black and white with a fanshaped tail that they wag from side to side. They are our bush pied pipers! With a wiggle and a hop they entice you to follow them. Indigenous people knew to be wary of the Willie Wagtail - they could coax you deep into the forest, then with a flutter of their wings, leave you there!

Up in the trees are the best places to find our parrots (Dandan) - some white, some grey, some rainbow coloured- but all noisy!

Take the little track, on the left, to the fallen Aboriginal Scar Tree.

Aboriginal Scar Tree
For thousands of years these forests had provided the Wurundjeri-wilam with food, shelter, medicines and tools.

The Indigenous people were (and still are) masters in creating tools without destroying the landscape. The Aboriginal Scar Tree here is one example of this.

A large piece of woody bark was removed in one piece with a stone axe that was ground down to a sharp edge. The width of the cut was not large enough to kill (ringbark) the tree.

The bark was then fashioned into a canoe or shield or ceremonial vessel called a 'Tarnuk'. Hot ashes were placed under the bark and soil over the top to 'sweat' the moisture out slowly. This process allowed the bark to be shaped while not cracking and it also hardened the bark.

Wurundjeri shields were decorated with symmetrical lines in a style unique to Victoria. See the Wurundjeri Wisdom sculpture marker for an example of this design.

The tree has since died and fallen where it will rot and provide nutrients for the next plant generation, contributing to the ongoing bushland cycle of life - something that the Wurundjeri community understand
and respect.

(Head back to the sculptural marker and follow the track heading downhill.

2. Pond Ponder
A reptile chain of events
Notice how the plants grow thick around the edges of the pond? This provides perfect habitat for our ground dwelling predators to hide and prepare their attack. A snake might be hiding in the grass watching for the lizard, which is crouching behind the sedges waiting for the dragonfly that is flying about looking for a Water Strider to eat.

If unlucky with the dragonfly, the Bluetongue Lizard also feeds on snails, moths, ants, beetles, caterpillars and anything else small and easily caught.

The Long-necked Turtle can be found at the pond competing for the same food as the lizard, but from under the water. You'll only see them in the warmer months. Like all reptiles they go into low activity mode in winter - something called torpor.

Follow the path heading downhill.

3. Gregarious Grasslands
A host to butterflies and birds
Silver Wattle, Acacia dealbata is the shrub that lines much of this creek side path. In winter it is aglow courtesy of its yellow flower puffs. The wattle is host to several butterfly larvae including the Imperial Blue
Butterfly. This pretty little butterfly has light markings and orange spots towards the base of its wings. They lay eggs on the wattle from where the caterpillars emerge and feed.

The caterpillars have an amazing relationship with ants. They secrete a honeydew substance that ants swarm
for, in such large numbers they help protect the caterpillars from predators, like the Restless Flycather.

Restless Flycatchers hover over the wattle as they pick off the grubs. They are black on top with a fan-like tail and white chest and look similar to the Willie Wagtail, but you won't see these restless creatures on the ground.

Continue around to your left following the access track.

4. Riverside Revelry
Egg laying mammals
The muddy banks of the Mullum Mullum Creek are home to the platypus - which several locals have seen. Platypus build a series of long connected burrows into the bank. One is a regular burrow for males and females, while the other one is more elaborate and lined with leaves. This is the nesting burrow.

The platypus lays two soft-shelled eggs then wraps herself around them for seven to ten days until they hatch.
She then feeds them milk, but platypus do not have teats. Instead their milk is secreted onto the abdomen and the young lap it up.

Their close relative, the echidna, may also be found here in the warmer months. Look for scratching in the dirt
or a movement in the bushes. Both the platypus and echidna are monotremes, which means egg-laying mammals. They are the only ones in the world and both species live here on the Mullum Mullum.

To complete your walk take a sharp turn to your left and head up the hill to the picnic area carpark.

Or to lengthen this walk, continue until the track meets the road then retrace your steps to the uphill track to your right and return to your starting point. This finishes your walk.

Seasonal Splendour Walk Notes

This walk draws your attention to what happens in the park at different times of the year, focusing on the diversity of our native flora as well as our marsupials.

There are toilets and a drinking fountain to prepare for your adventure. Begin your walk from the picnic area carpark and head downhill to the first sculptural marker.

1. Wurundjeri Wisdom
Seven seasons
Wurundjeri-wilam were (and still are) skilled at reading the landscape and making connections between seasonal events. For instance, when the Manna Gum bloomed it was time to set eel traps.

For Currawong Bush Park the Wurundjeriwilam identified six to seven seasons:
1. Kangaroo Apple Season occurs in December. This is the time Cherry Ballarts (Bulait) and Kangaroo Apple are in fruit, goannas (Dhulin) are active and bats (Balayang) appear in large numbers and eagles (Bunjil) breed
2. Dry Season happens in January and February. At this time of year Tussock Grass is long and dry, Brown Butterflies are flying
3. Eel Season is in March. This is when the Manna Gum flower and the eels (Uik) are fat and ready to eat
4. Wombat Season runs from April to August. At this time soft tree-fern (Kombadick) can be eaten, wombats (Warin) are basking in the sun and lyrebirds (Buln Buln) perform
5. Orchid Season is in September. Orchids (Gulin) and Silver Wattle (Muyan) are in flower, Brown Butterfly caterpillars (Ae-noke) feed on grasses (Buath) and koalas (Gurrborra) mate
6. Tadpole Season happens in October. The Myrnong (Yam Daisy) tubers (Barrm) are ready to eat, Flax Lilies are in flower and the Pied Currawongs call loudly
7. Grass Flowering Season is in November. Kangaroo Grass and Coranderrk (Christmas Bush) are in flower and the Brown Butterfly (Balam balam) is in flight.

Take the little track, on the left, to the fallen Aboriginal Scar Tree.

Aboriginal Scar Tree
The Indigenous people were (and still are) masters in creating tools without destroying the landscape. The Aboriginal Scar Tree here is one example of this.

Head back to the Sculptural marker and follow the track heading downhill.

2. Pond Ponder
Question: Why did the mushroom get invited to all the parties?
Answer: Because it was a Fun-Guy (fungi).

You'll need to be at Currawong from autumn to winter to see these fun-guys. Look around the base of trees where there is rotting matter and along the creek line just down from Millers Pond.

There are so many varieties of fungi that very little is known about them. In Australia we could have more than 250,000 species, but have only identified ten percent of these.

Fungi are neither plant nor animal. They exist on organic matter and are found on all land habitats. Many fungi form mutually beneficial relationships with plants and are the recyclers of forest nutrients.

Some, like the native truffle fungus feed several of Victoria's ground dwelling marsupials. They, in turn, distribute the fungi spores through their droppings ensuring a future food supply.

Winter is a quiet time at the pond, but come spring, wildflowers bloom, sedges and rushes grow, duckweed spreads and insects multiply creating perfect habitat for our bushland mammals, reptiles and birds to breed.

Follow the path heading downhill.

3. Gregarious Grasslands
Mating season
The idea that spring is the season for birth and regrowth does not quite fit the marsupial calendar. Wombats give birth in autumn, kangaroos generally in summer and koalas can give birth anytime from September to March.

All produce a single underdeveloped, jellybean sized joey. With no sight, no hearing, no fur and not even formed limbs they crawl through the fur, into the pouch and attach to a teat where they remain for several months.

All female marsupials have pouches; however wombats and koalas have pouches that open backwards. This makes good sense if you are a wombat.

Imagine having all that dirt flicked in your face?

However the koala climbs trees and sits upright, and having a backward facing pouch might pose a problem. So the entrance of the pouch has a strong sphincter muscle that holds the entrance shut.

This is a good thing if the koala has to make a speedy departure which can happen when summer brings the threat of fire.

Continue around to your left following the access track.

4. Riverside Revelry
Summer fire
Summer brings flowers, foliage and the possibility of fire. Some Australian plants have evolved various regenerative responses to fire. Look for a eucalypt with a thick reddish, fibrous trunk. These are the Stringybarks and can withstand fire. The thicker the bark the better rate of survival.

Once a fire has passed eucalypts have ways of regenerating. Some have epicormic buds protected beneath their bark that will shoot after fire. Others regenerate from lignotubers at ground level. Look for eucalypts growing in clumps; this is a possible result of growth by lignotuber.

Others are solely dependent upon regeneration by seed. The intensity of a fire's heat forces gum nuts to release their seed and the ash base provides a good foundation for the seeds to grow.

To complete your walk take a sharp turn to your left and head up the hill to the picnic area carpark. Or to lengthen this walk, continue until the track meets the road then retrace your steps to the uphill track to your right and return to your starting point. This finishes your walk.

Their Day Our Night Walk Notes

Find out who is active in the dark, what sounds to listen for and where to look for wildlife. This walk is perfect for those who are curious about what happens in the bush at night. Find out who is active, what sounds to listen for and where to look for wildlife. Return at night to really explore these nocturnal bushland habits. The park is closed to vehicle traffic after dark, but pedestrians are welcome anytime.

There are toilets and a drinking fountain to prepare for your adventure. Begin your walk from the picnic area carpark and head downhill to the first sculptural marker.

1. Wurundjeri Wisdom
Silent night?
Night is not silent here. As the sun sets, the bush fills with activity as our nocturnal animals begin their 'day'. Finding our nocturnal marsupials is difficult. Their colouring of browns and greys is an effective camouflage, especially at night.

By day the Eastern Grey Kangaroos are perhaps the easiest to find. Track them by following clumps of dark greenish round droppings. If they see you first you will hear a thump, thump, thump as they disappear. They can move at speeds of up to 65 kilometres per hour, but only at a sprint.

Kangaroos live on grasses and roots. Currawong has a large 'roo population; you may notice that the grass here is kept reasonably short from our resident hoppers. Like cattle, kangaroos swallow their food whole, later regurgitating a cud and chewing on it. Best kangaroo spotting is here or up at Billy Baxter Wetlands.

Take the little track, on the left, to the fallen Aboriginal Scar Tree.

Aboriginal Scar Tree
For thousands of years these forests had provided the Wurundjeri-wilam with food, shelter, medicines and tools.

The Indigenous people were (and still are) masters in creating tools without destroying the landscape. The Aboriginal Scar Tree here is one example of this. A large piece of woody bark was removed in one piece with a stone axe that was ground down to a sharp edge. The width of the cut was not large enough to kill (ringbark) the tree. The bark was then fashioned into a canoe or shield or ceremonial vessel called a 'tarnuk'. Hot ashes were placed under the bark and soil over the top to 'sweat' the moisture out slowly. This process allowed the bark to be shaped while not cracking and it also hardened the bark.

Wurundjeri shields were decorated with symmetrical lines in a style unique to Victoria. See the Wurundjeri Wisdom sculpture marker for an example of this design.

The tree has since died and fallen where it will rot and provide nutrients for the next plant generation, contributing to the ongoing bushland cycle of life - something that the Wurundjeri community understand
and respect.

Head back to the Sculptural marker and follow the track heading downhill.

2. Pond Ponder
Frogs and flappers
At night things are 'hopping' at the pond "weeep,eep,eep, eep,eep, eep,eep" can be heard coming from the Brown Tree Frog and 'bonk, bonk, bonk' from the Pobblebonk Frog. Mosquitoes and moths might be annoying to us, but they are much needed food for frogs and are eagerly snapped up.

The insectivorous White-striped Mastiff Bat also voraciously eats them. You'll know this little creature is about if you hear what sounds like two coins being tapped together, "tap-tap, tap-tap".

Follow the path heading downhill.

3. Gregarious Grasslands
Sharp eyes and a strange squeal
Suddenly a silent predator swoops past, grabs a Ringtail Possum and disappears. Why didn't the little possum hear it coming?

The large, Powerful Owl has hairy edges on its flight feathers and extra soft body feathers that help prevent any rustling as it make its deathly swoop. Their sight and hearing are extraordinary - powerful enough to accurately pinpoint small movements in the long grass.

A squeal like a pig is heard from the dark forest. Ah, that must be a koala. At night they awaken for just four hours to feed. It is extraordinary that they survive so close to suburbs and on such a toxic diet. Their specially designed digestive tract helps eliminate the toxins from eucalyptus leaves, but the process is slow and the nutrient level low, which causes their great lethargy.

Continue around to your left following the access track.

4. Riverside Revelry
Currawong ringies
As dusk falls, the Ringtail Possum sleepily appears from a mess of twigs known as a 'drey'. The 'ringy' is an avid little nest builder, but will also rest in tree hollows or anywhere snug and up high - they'll only come to ground if they have to.

Like koalas, the ringy loves eucalyptus leaves. They also eat flowers and fruits of both native and non-native plants like roses, which make them unpopular urban visitors.

They will also eat their own faecal pellets.This adds bacteria to aid digestion and allows them to extract a second lot of nutrients from their food. If you see a ringtail possum with a joey on its back, it might be dad taking his turn while mum has a feed. Now that is something you don't see very often in the animal kingdom!

To complete your walk take a sharp turn to your left and head up the hill to the picnic area carpark. Or to lengthen this walk, continue until the track meets the road then retrace your steps to the uphill track to your right and return to your starting point. This finishes your walk.

My Home is a Hollow Walk Notes

This trail is a bushland 'Who Am I?' game that unfolds in rhyme, and allows children to become 'bushland detectives' by identifying a variety of animals and looking for clues of their whereabouts. This trail is perfect for children aged up to eight years. They follow a bushland 'Who Am I?' game that unfolds in rhyme. Once the animal has been identified the children become bush detectives and look for clues of their whereabouts and can play at being each of the animals

There are toilets and a drinking fountain to prepare for your adventure. Begin your walk from the picnic area carpark and head downhill to the first sculptural marker.

1. Wurundjeri Wisdom
My home is a hollow
As branches fall a hollow is made
With twigs and grass a bed is laid
I curl up quiet throughout the day
At night my eyes help light my way

I wander the trees looking for seeds
Nuts and flowers all meet my needs
I have a brush-tail, and a brown coat
I make a harsh growl deep in my throat

I sleep with friends and am never alone
I live where I'm safe - the trees are my home
With a short climb I can dine on sweet blossom
Now guess who I am...

That's right I am possum.

It is time to find clues that this little creature has been here:
- Look for scratching marks in the bark
- Look up, find a tree hollow
- Collect fallen twigs to make a nest and curl up for a sleep

Follow the track heading downhill.

2. Pond Ponder
My home is a pond
Down comes the rain, the pond's happy and gushes
I love all the water, the reeds, trees and rushes
And so do the insects, who come here to breed
Yum, yum they are perfect and my favourite feed.

I am well hidden, you won't find me at all
But if you wait for a while, you will hear my call
Be patient and listen, it is worth the long wait
Bonk, bonk, I call out, as I search for a mate

I lay eggs in the water and babies appear
They swim in the spring to autumn each year
As they grow legs they hop from water to log
Now guess who I am...

That's right I am frog.

It is time to find clues that this little creature has been here:
- Listen for a bonk, bonk coming from the pond
- Look for little air bubbles rising up from the water
- See if you can spy a tadpole
- Jump in the air and snap at a dragonfly

Follow the path heading downhill.

3. Gregarious Grasslands
My home is the ground
When dusk is upon us and the light starts to fade
I emerge from the bushes, from the safety of shade
I jump to the grasses - my favourite food
Munch, munch I chew noisily, mouth open (how rude)

I live in a mob, it's a very big crowd,
But we stay very quiet not a sound is allowed,
When it's time to move out, a thump, thump you will hear
As we hop through the forest, hearts racing with fear

I carry my young in a large furry pouch
Just like your bed but not like a couch,
My joey hangs out at the grasses to chew
Now guess who I am...

That's right I'm a roo.

It is time to find clues that this creature has been here:
- Look for round green droppings, several in the one spot
- Long marks in the dirt made by their tail dragging
- Grass that is flat from where they have had a rest
- Rest on your side and have a good scratch

Continue around to your left following the access track.

4. Riverside Revelry
Currawong Bush Park Walks (Doncaster East)

My home is a burrow
You won't see me by day, not even at night
If I see you first, I'll run out of sight
I live close to bushland, in a burrow I sleep
A tunnel I dig, that is wide, warm and deep

I chew on leaves, mushrooms and roots
I really love tender juicy grass shoots
I waddle off when I'm full, but I leave something that's square
It's smelly and pongy;
You might squash it - beware!

If I am chased by a fox down my tunnel
I lump
In comes the fox, and I push with my rump
Ha, Ha he's surprised that I'm ready for combat
Now guess who I am...

That's right I am wombat.

It is time to find clues that this creature has been here:
- Find scratching marks on the ground
- A hole in the hill
- Droppings that are almost square in shape
- Pretend you are in a burrow; curl up and have a snooze

To complete your walk take a sharp turn to your left and head up the hill to the picnic area carpark. Or to lengthen this walk, continue until the track meets the road then retrace your steps to the uphill track to your right and return to your starting point. This finishes your walk.

Access for Dogs:

Dogs are not permitted in the park

Currawong Bush Park Information Boards

First Nations History

For millennia, these forests and woodlands have been the supermarket, pharmacy, hardware store and home for the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people, the traditional land owners of Currawong Bush Park.

The signage throughout the park recognises the Wol-wurrung language of the Wurundjeri, with traditional names for flora and fauna wherever possible. Wurundjeri is itself a name consisting of two parts: wurun (manna gum) and djeri (a grub that lives under the bark).

An extensive range of plants and animals that still exist within the park were utilised for food shelter, medicines and tools, Traditional uses for the plants found within the park include:

Burt-burt (spiny-headed mat-rush) leaves were split, soaked and braided to create baskets, bags and uik (eel) traps. The seeds were ground into flour and made into damper cakes.
The red fruits of the builat (cherry ballart native cherry) were eaten, along with the orange, tomato-like fruit of the kangaroo apple when ripe. Please be aware that all parts of the kangaroo apple plant and its unripe fruit are poisonous.
Gulin (orchids) and lilies, such as bulbine and flax-lilies along with other plants with tuberous roots, were dug up to get at the tubers, which were then cooked and eaten. Flax-lily leaves were used for making baskets, while their bluish-purple berries were also eaten and used as a dye.
The young green leaves of the wurun (manna gum) were used for smoking ceremonies to welcome visitors. This tradition is still carried on today in "Welcome to Country" ceremonies.
The wayut (red stringybark) tree provided bark for lining their huts, while strips of bark were used to create the string for baskets bags and fishing nets.
Walert (possums) and marram (kangaroos) were a rich source of protein and provided fur and sinews to make cloaks and many other items.

Miller's Pond

Miller's Pond was created during the 1960s as a water source for livestock including cattle and horses. Its a relic of the land's past use, the land which is now Currawong Bush Park.

Nowadays, Miller's Pond provides a permanent water source for the park's wildlife, including various birds and marram (kangaroos). If you sit quietly in the early morning or late afternoon, you may see wildlife coming to drink at the edge of the pond. Being a permanent water body, Miller's Pond is visited by many water birds that are not usually seen elsewhere in the park including dusky moorhens, Pacific black ducks, cormorants and herons.

On warm days, you may find other fauna around the pond, such as tiger snakes and eastern long-necked turtles, basking in sunny areas. Kaan (snakes) play an important role in our natural ecosystems, so please be careful and observe them from a safe distance.

Under the pond's surface, a whole other world exists, involving aquatic plants, water bugs and beetles, dragonflies and damselflies, snails and tadpoles. Many ngarrert (frog) species breed in the pond, with frog spawn attaching to the vegetation in the water.

Once the tadpoles are hatched they feed on algae, plant material and micro-invertebrates. Other underwater predators include the larvae of dragonflies and damselflies which hunt other aquatic insects.

Fauna

Currawong Bush Park is home to over 120 species of native vertebrate fauna: frogs, reptiles, birds and mammals. There is also an unknown number of invertebrates, including insects, spiders, snails, crustaceans and others.

Some of these faunas are obvious, like the marram (eastern grey kangaroo), noisy miner, superb fairy-wren, dandan (parrots), cockatoos and a wide range of other birds, blue-tongue lizards and small skinks along with croaking frogs (in the calling season).

Many species are not often seen because of their nocturnal lifestyles, such as the walert (common brushtailed possum), eastern ringtailed possum, Krefft's (sugar) glider, tawny frogmouth and some small bats. But, from survey data we know they move around within the park.

Each year, birds that nest in hollows, such as cockatoos, rosellas and lorikeets, use the many hollows in the large gum trees along Mullum Mullum Creek to breed. These hollows are only found in old trees, so it's important not to remove them, even if they fall. If you're observant and in the right place at the right time, you might see these birds going in and out of their nesting hollows.

An unusual type of bird found in the park is the white-winged chough. These birds are entirely black except for the white feathers in their wings, which can only be seen when flying. These birds gather in family groups of up to 20 and search through the leaf litter for invertebrates, seeds and fruits.

The choughs build their nests in the trees using mud and the whole family helps to take care of the eggs and raise the chicks. As this takes a few years, larger families are better for this, and choughs will sometimes kidnap the youngsters of neighbouring families to help.

After dark, microbats, frogmouths and Australian owlet-nightjars hunt for prey across the park, looking for moths, beetles and other flying insects of all sizes The frogmouth will also eat other small animals like frogs and mice. Powerful owls, Australia's largest owl, also hunt for possums and other larger animals in the park.

The Krefft's glider has a unique way of moving between trees. It jumps off a branch and extends its arms and legs while using a flap of skin attached between its feet and 'hands' to glide to the next tree. It feeds on insects, the nectar of flowering trees, and the sap of wattles and some gum trees. It accesses the sap by biting the bark open and then licking the sap as it flows out.

Marram (eastern grey kangaroo) are a popular attraction of the park. They're usually seen in the grassy areas near the car parks either eating the grasses or basking in the sun. Their smaller, shyer relative, the swamp wallaby, is rarely seen because it prefers to hide in the safe, dense shrubs in gullies during the day. They were a rich source of protein and materials for the Wurundjeri throughout the millenia, long before the arrival of European settlers.

All native fauna is protected in Victoria including snakes, magpies, ravens and kangaroos.

Mullum Mullum Creek

The creek flows 22 kilometres through the Mullum Mullum Valley from its headwaters in Croydon Hills. It travels west and north, flowing into the Yarra River at Templestowe. It also passes through many of Melbourne's eastern suburbs, including Croydon, Ringwood, Mitcham, Donvale and parts of Warrandyte.

Mullum Mullum is adapted from Woi-wurrung language and is thought to mean 'place of many big birds'. Many other interpretations have been suggested, including the 'place of many big owls'. This is possibly referring to the powerful owls of the valley, or perhaps a mistranslation of another Wurundieri expression ballum ballum, meaning 'place of many butterflies'.

For most of its length, the Mullum Mullum Creek is surrounded by remnant or regenerated bushland, unlike nearly every other watercourse through metropolitan Melbourne. Because of this, it is a significant wildlife corridor through the outer eastern suburbs. The creek corridor is home to a range of native fauna, including the dulai-wurrung (platypus), rakali (water-rat), gurrborra (koala), warin (wombat), powerful owl, cockatoo, dandan (parrots) and other bush birds.

The Australian Platypus Conservancy has been studying the significant population of platypuses in this area. Their research has confirmed that Mullum Mullum Creek provides a habitat for the highest density of platypuses in the Yarra River catchment.

The dulai-wurrung (platypus) builds a series of long connected burrows into the bank of the waterway: a simple burrow for adults to shelter in outside the breeding season and more elaborate burrows built by the female for nesting, lined with leaves and other-materials. They usually lay two soft-shelled eggs that the female broods for seven to ten days until they hatch. The babies ('puggles' or 'platypups') drink milk, not from a teat, but by lapping it up from their mother's belly.

The creek's uik (short-finned eel) have a very different lifestyle from most fish. They're believed to spawn in the Pacific Ocean with the larval stage developing entirely at sea. From there, the adults return with their youngsters, making their way from the coast into rivers and creeks like Mullum Mullum Creek. They live here until its time to breed again. These eels can also move over land, especially during periods of heavy rain.

Flora and fungi

Over 240 different types of native plants have been recorded within Currawong Bush Park.

Native plants include many daisies and bush peas, eucalypts (gum trees), wattles including Australia's national flower the golden wattle (where our national colours of green and gold originated), shrubs, herbs including lilies and gulin (orchids), scramblers, tussock grasses, ferns, mosses and lichens. There is also a large number of introduced plant species, commonly referred to as weeds.

As you travel through the park, you may notice that the vegetation changes and that different plants occur in different areas. For instance, along Mullum Mullum Creek, there are tall gum trees (wurun, manna gums) with smooth bark and others with rough bark (red box) or even stringy bark (wayut, red stringybark) on the slopes and higher points of the park. The large trees throughout the park provide shelter and nesting hollows for many birds and mammals.

Some plants living in the park have peculiar lifestyles compared to most plants. Parasitic plants such as the mistletoes and builat (native cherry, cherry ballad) live off other plants, and others like sundews live off insects. The lichens found on rocks, logs and on the ground are not actually plants but a complex combination of a fungus and algae, living together in a mutually beneficial (symbiotic) relationship.

Another symbiotic relationship occurs with the gulin (orchid) seed, which, unlike most plants, has no food source for when it germinates. Fungi supply carbohydrates for emerging seedlings. In return as the gulin grow they provide the fungi with moisture and access to compost and organic matter.

Numerous fungi can also be found throughout the park, growing in the ground or on fallen logs or trees.

Fungi are very important in the cycling of nutrients through the environment. They help to decompose dead plant material back into the soil, so that other plants can use the nutrients again.

Remember, you need a permit to legally pick the wildflowers and other native plants throughout Currawong Bush Park. Please leave the wildflowers for others to enjoy.

European History

European settlers began arriving in the region in the early 1830s. The population boomed in the early 1850s, following the discovery of gold approximately 3km northeast of the park, in Andersons Creek in 1851.

By the early 1930s, agriculture and orchard operations were established throughout the area, except from what is now known as Currawong Bush Park. This land was not cleared because of its steep slopes and rocky soils. In 1941, orchardist Francis Fitzgerald owned most of the land that would become Currawong Bush Park.

A solicitor named Robin Elder purchased the property in 1957. He and his wife Bunty built their home on the site in 1959 and lived there for about a decade. This building is a fine example of the innovative and influential design work of distinguished Victorian architect, Geoffrey Trewenack. It is now the Conference Centre and is of state historical significance.

The Melbourne and Metropolitan Boards of Works (now known as Melbourne Water) acquired the property in 1972, as part of their plan for a 'green ring' around Melbourne.

In 1976, the City of Doncaster and Templestowe (now known as Manningham Council) purchased the property to develop a recreation and education centre for schools and community groups. Further land acquisitions by Manningham Council have led to the park as it is now.

Today, as you walk around the park you can see relics from its past uses including Miller's Pond, which was created to provide water for livestock. You can also find old gate posts, fencing from the old stockyards, and large old pipes near Mullum Mullum Creek.

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