Dandenong Creek Trail Dog Off Leash Area (Wantirna)
A path leads in from the northern end of Inchcape Drive between the houses. At this point there is also a car park off Wantirna Road near the southern side of the bridge. You can head east along an asphalt trail and pass an unshaded table. There is then a bridge across the creek to reach the southern end of Marlborough Road. For dogs there is a grassy strip between the path and the creek. After a while you will reach the northern border of JW Mason Reserve and an information board.
History of the area - Dandenong Creek serves as a boundary on the western, and partly northern, portions of the City of Knox. The creek itself links Mount Dandenong to the City of Dandenong, 25 kilometres away. Dandenong Creek originates from Doongalla Forest on the western slopes of the Dandenong Ranges. From there, it meandered through Swampy Riparian Woodlands before flowing into the Carrum Swamp.
There is some debate over the origin of the name Dandenong. Some suggest that it is an adaptation of the Aboriginal word 'Tanjenong' (high or lofty) since the creek's source was from Mount Dandenong, the highest or loftiest in the range. It has also been suggested that it derived from the Aboriginal word 'Banyenong', which comes from banye (a burning) and /'nong' (the past), an appropriate reference to the original and continuing vista of the Dandenongs.
The indigenous tribes of the Woi Wurrung and Boon Wurrung people used the area, seasonally moving from the Bay areas in cooler months and following the creek up the Dandenong Ranges in warmer months.
In 1843, pastoral runs were established along this local section of Dandenong Creek. People settled in the district in 1853, then known as Scoresby North. In 1913, the township of Wantirna was established and settlers began clearing and cultivating their lands for orchards. Since the 1960s, Dandenong Creek has been subject to major construction and maintenance works. The creek was straightened to form a direct drain to the bay. Stormwater drains from roofs and roads were all directed to the creek to prevent flooding of residential and industrial areas.
Much of the original vegetation was cleared to make way for houses, factories, sporting grounds and parks. Now only a few sections of the creek resemble the original condition. It would be near impossible to return Dandenong Creek to its original natural condition, but through an integrated management approach, the achievement of a remediated creek can be achieved to provide adequate habitat for fauna and flora, and a healthy creek for the wider community to enjoy and benefit from. The First Friends of Dandenong Creek volunteer group was formed in May 1999, by a group of residents concerned about the condition and development of their local section of Dandenong Creek. One of their goals is to return the Dandenong Creek as far as possible to its original character. Working with Melbourne Water, Knox and Maroondah Councils, Catchment Management Authorities and the EPA, the group hopes to achieve an improvement in pollution controls, in water flow, and enhance ecological diversity of the Dandenong Creek and its corridor.
Location
41 Inchcape Avenue, Wantirna 3152 Map
