Tallarook State Forest
Tallarook State Forest is situated about an hour and 15 minutes drive north of Melbourne, Tallarook State forest comprises 5,100 ha of mixed species Eucalypt forest.
Access - The forest is located north of Melbourne between the township of Broadford and Seymour. Access is via Ennis Road off the Hume Freeway.
History - The Tallarook State forest is the traditional land of the Kulin nation. The Taungurung tribe looked after the land. Artefact scatters and scar trees have been recorded throughout the forest.
After European settlement, goldmining was prevalent throughout this area in the 1870's, which coincided with the establishment of Strath Creek and Reedy Creek townships. In the 1880's, sawmilling began throughout the area and many mills were located within the Tallarook forest. This forest was also used as a military training area. Limited timber harvesting and military training still occur within the forest today.
Facilities Provided - A number of camping and day visitor areas are located throughout Tallarook State Forest. Freemans Camp & Picnic Area is the only site with toilet facilities, picnic tables and barbeques. Other campgrounds without facilities can be found at Flat Rock, Trawool Reservoir Camp and Tassie Camp.
Things to see and Do
Freemans Camp
Located just off Main Rd on Freemans Rd, Freemans Camp is the only camp site in the Tallarook State forest with toilets and facilities provided.
Trawool Reservoir
Traawool Reservoir was built in the 1890s to supply water to Seymour and the nearby railway. The 350 foot long, 23 foot high granite ashlar masonry weir is no longer used as a water supply. It holds water year round and remains an attractive feature in the forest. The spelling was changed from Traawool to Trawool sometime in the early 1900's. The area is popular for picnicking and fishing. No dedicated facilities are provided.
Mt Hickey
This is the highest point in the forest at 405m above sea level. It is the site of the DEPI fire lookout tower which is manned most days over the summer period. There is no public access to the tower.
Mt Disappointment State Forest
Just a short drive south from Tallarook is Mt Disappointment State forest which provides many recreation facilities for walking, horse riding, trail bike riding and general day visitor areas including the popular Strath Creek Falls.
Location
Ennis Road, Tallarook 3659 Map
Web Links
→ Tallarook State Forest Recreation and Camping Guide (PDF)
→ Mt Disappointment State Forest
