Wilson Botanic Park (Berwick)

Only minutes from the Monash Freeway, the park attracts local and international visitors and is sanctuary to an abundance of native animals.

Perched on the edge of the Basalt Lake, the bird hide provides the perfect cover for bird watching. The Directional Marker on the cliff above identifies panoramic highlights of Berwick and beyond.

The picnic areas of Wilson Botanic Park Berwick are the perfect place for a BBQ with friends and the playground is popular with kids. Many enjoy the wonderful walking tracks around the picturesque lakes.

Wilson Botanic Park Berwick was an operational quarry until the late 1970s and become renowned for producing some of the highest quality basalt in the Melbourne region.

A fossil seam is not something commonly found in a botanic garden or park, but Wilson Botanic Park Berwick is lucky enough to have two!

During the operational days of the quarry many fossils were found, some more than 22 million years old. They include fossilised wood, leaves and pollens of flowering plants and conifers.

The fossil sites, which have been studied by universities across Australia, boast both tropical and temperate species. It is rare to find these varieties in one place. Such evidence reveals that the site was tropical rainforest many years ago.

Wilson Botanic Park (Berwick)

The beauty of Wilson Botanic Park Berwick begins even before you get to the car park. The oak lined driveway is a prelude to the 39 hectares of natural botanic wonder that lies beyond.

The main Anniversary Lake is home to hundreds of Common Long-necked Turtles. They are a side-necked turtle, meaning that they bend their head sideways into their shell. Turtles eat a range of food including small fish, frogs, tadpoles and other invertebrates. Females dig a circular hole in spring or early summer, before laying between 4-20 hard-shelled eggs which hatch up to 4 months later. They are called "stinkers" because when frightened they can excrete a really stinky substance from glands in their armpits and groin!

Wilson Botanic Park (Berwick)

To help protect the park the following activities are prohibited: Removing or damaging plants, entering garden beds, swimming, fishing, fires or BBQ's, bicycles & scooters, skateboards & roller blades, scaling steep slopes & cliff faces and feeding the ducks.

Opening Hours:

Opening Hours

Cost:

Free

Access for Dogs:

Dogs must remain on a lead at all times.

Review:

A wonderful place to spend some time. There are a number of lakes including Anniversary Lake (look out for the turtles poking their heads above the water) and Basalt Lake.

Places to explore include the lakes, birdhide, playground, picnic areas (plenty of tables and water taps scattered about), Hoo Hoo lookout tower, artwork, gardens and ball games area. There is a kiosk on the south east corner of Anniversary Lake and a Visitor Information Centre at the entrance to the park. Be warned that the park is very hilly in places.

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