Lake Wendouree
Encyclopedia
Lake Wendouree is an artificially-created and maintained shallow urban lake
located in the suburb of the same name
in the city of Ballarat, Victoria
, Australia
. The name Wendouree comes from a local aboriginal word wendaaree which means 'go away': a story is told that when settler William Cross Yuille
asked a local indigenous woman what the name of the swamp was, that was her reply.
Lake Wendouree is one of the smallest of a complex of natural wetland
s which includes nearby Lake Burrumbeet
and Lake Learmonth on the plains of the Central Highlands
.
The swamp was dam
med following the Victorian gold rush
in 1851 and since the 1860s it has been a popular recreational lake for Ballarat's citizens. Lake Wendouree now holds significant historical, environmental and recreational values to the Ballarat community. The lake hosted the rowing
and canoeing
events during the 1956 Olympic Games
.
During its history, the shallow lake has dried up during drought
conditions, the most recent an extended period between 2006 and 2011.
flow caused it to be dammed on three sides and it now drains to the east, eventually into the Yarrowee River
.
The swamp was known to Europeans as "Black Swamp" due to its dense dark reeds. It was later known as "Yuille's Swamp" after William Cross Yuille who settled just south of it.
Plans to dam the outlet stream that flowed from the swamp began as early as the first surveying and the bank raised and pipes installed and it became the first permanent water supply
for the burgeoning gold rush settlement.
A corroboree
was observed at the Wendouree Swamp in March 1857 by a Ballarat Times reporter.
In 1864 a rowing course was first cut through the reedy swamp and the first steamboats arrived. Within a decade it had become the recreational focus of Ballarat, a popular destination and by the 1880s dozens of paddle steamers, ferries, yachts and rowers were using the lake's waters and newly built boat sheds and the establishment of Victorian era gardens around its banks.
and canoeing
events for the 1956 Summer Olympics
. An Olympic monument now marks the end of the course.
Apart from private bore water
the lake quickly ceased being the city's private water supply with the introduction of new sources including the Gong Gong Reservoir.
The Drought in Australia
caused Lake Wendouree to dry up in 2006. Despite warnings by the local council and news publications, local enthusiasts have been combing below the surface of the dry lake bed for artifacts, including antique glass bottles. The activities of many local clubs and centres including boating clubs, rowing clubs and recreational fishing were suspended indefinitely and the dry lake had a large tourism impact on Ballarat.
A better than expected winter rainfall in 2010, as well as storm water and wetland works in 2008/2009 saw the lake return just short of capacity. It is expected that it will reach full capacity in 2011.
, Duck
, Dusky Moorhen, Swamphen, Coot, Musk Duck, Great Crested Grebe, Silver Gull and Little Pied Cormorant. Information boards at the Fairyland Wetland Walk provide details about species and habitats.
About 100 native water-rats are scattered around the shore and are sometimes seen in Fairyland at dawn and dusk. The diversity of pondlife is rich and attracts numerous school groups making visits for environmental science field studies.
s began carrying visitors to the Ballarat Botanical Gardens
in 1887.
Paddlesteamers have used the lake in the past for both transport and as a tourist attraction and the most popular one, the Golden City is being restored for return to the lake.
has long been an important sport and leisure activity on the lake and for many years local schools have held the "Head of the Lake" rowing regatta there.
The track around the lake provides an interesting 6 km challenge to walking, cycling
and running enthusiasts who complete the circuit in their thousands each week, irrespective of the weather. For serious athletes, the record for running the 6 km lap of the lake is 16 minutes and 10 seconds, set in 1992 by Marathon Olympian Steve Moneghetti
.
In recent years, it has been the venue for the annual Goldfields Festival and Springfest extravaganza.
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
located in the suburb of the same name
Lake Wendouree, Victoria
Lake Wendouree is a suburb of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia located immediately west of the Ballarat CBD and encompasses the man-made recreational lake Lake Wendouree after which it is named...
in the city of Ballarat, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The name Wendouree comes from a local aboriginal word wendaaree which means 'go away': a story is told that when settler William Cross Yuille
William Cross Yuille
William Cross Yuille was an Australian pastoralist who helped establish the horse racing industry in Victoria, Australia...
asked a local indigenous woman what the name of the swamp was, that was her reply.
Lake Wendouree is one of the smallest of a complex of natural wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
s which includes nearby Lake Burrumbeet
Lake Burrumbeet
Lake Burrumbeet is a large but shallow eutrophic lake in central Western Victoria, Australia. Located 20 km west of Ballarat and 140 km west of Melbourne, the lake has been progressively emptying since 1997 and has been declared completely dry since 2004...
and Lake Learmonth on the plains of the Central Highlands
Central highlands (Victoria)
The Central Highlands is a region of Victoria. This term is mainly used in a geological context to describe the part of the Great Dividing Range in Victoria that is outside of the Alpine areas. The area is situated east of Ballarat, south of Bendigo, north and east of Melbourne, west of the Alpine...
.
The swamp was dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
med following the Victorian gold rush
Victorian gold rush
The Victorian gold rush was a period in the history of Victoria, Australia approximately between 1851 and the late 1860s. In 10 years the Australian population nearly tripled.- Overview :During this era Victoria dominated the world's gold output...
in 1851 and since the 1860s it has been a popular recreational lake for Ballarat's citizens. Lake Wendouree now holds significant historical, environmental and recreational values to the Ballarat community. The lake hosted the rowing
Rowing at the 1956 Summer Olympics
Rowing at the 1956 Summer Olympics featured 7 events, for men only. The competitions were held from November 23, 1956 to November 27, 1956 on Lake Wendouree, Ballarat Australia.-Medal summary:-Medal table:-References:*...
and canoeing
Canoeing at the 1956 Summer Olympics
At the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, nine events in sprint canoe racing were contested. The program was unchanged from the previous two Games in 1948 and 1952. The competition was held on Lake Wendouree in Ballarat.-Men's events:...
events during the 1956 Olympic Games
1956 Summer Olympics
The 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, which could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations...
.
During its history, the shallow lake has dried up during drought
Drought in Australia
Drought in Australia is defined as rainfall over a three month period being in the lowest decile of what has been recorded for that region in the past. This definition takes into account that drought is a relative term and rainfall deficiencies need to be compared to typical rainfall patterns...
conditions, the most recent an extended period between 2006 and 2011.
Origins
In ancient times Lake Wendouree was originally a stream which flowed to the west but a lavaLava
Lava refers both to molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption and the resulting rock after solidification and cooling. This molten rock is formed in the interior of some planets, including Earth, and some of their satellites. When first erupted from a volcanic vent, lava is a liquid at...
flow caused it to be dammed on three sides and it now drains to the east, eventually into the Yarrowee River
Yarrowee River
Yarrowee is a major tributary and catchment of the Barwon River in Victoria, Australia. The river's origins are in the hills at Gong Gong, and it is notable for passing through the settlement of Ballarat and crossing the City of Ballarat local government area before becoming the Leigh River in the...
.
The swamp was known to Europeans as "Black Swamp" due to its dense dark reeds. It was later known as "Yuille's Swamp" after William Cross Yuille who settled just south of it.
19th Century: From Dam to Recreational Lake
When Ballarat was first surveyed in 1851 by WS Urquhart the swamp was recorded as Wendouree and the misunderstood aboriginal word became the official name.Plans to dam the outlet stream that flowed from the swamp began as early as the first surveying and the bank raised and pipes installed and it became the first permanent water supply
Water supply
Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavours or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes...
for the burgeoning gold rush settlement.
A corroboree
Corroboree
A corroboree is a ceremonial meeting of Australian Aborigines. The word was coined by the European settlers of Australia in imitation of the Aboriginal word caribberie. At a corroboree Aborigines interact with the Dreamtime through dance, music and costume. Many ceremonies act out events from the...
was observed at the Wendouree Swamp in March 1857 by a Ballarat Times reporter.
In 1864 a rowing course was first cut through the reedy swamp and the first steamboats arrived. Within a decade it had become the recreational focus of Ballarat, a popular destination and by the 1880s dozens of paddle steamers, ferries, yachts and rowers were using the lake's waters and newly built boat sheds and the establishment of Victorian era gardens around its banks.
20th Century: Olympic Venue
Lake Wendouree which hosted the rowingRowing at the 1956 Summer Olympics
Rowing at the 1956 Summer Olympics featured 7 events, for men only. The competitions were held from November 23, 1956 to November 27, 1956 on Lake Wendouree, Ballarat Australia.-Medal summary:-Medal table:-References:*...
and canoeing
Canoeing at the 1956 Summer Olympics
At the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, nine events in sprint canoe racing were contested. The program was unchanged from the previous two Games in 1948 and 1952. The competition was held on Lake Wendouree in Ballarat.-Men's events:...
events for the 1956 Summer Olympics
1956 Summer Olympics
The 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, which could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations...
. An Olympic monument now marks the end of the course.
Apart from private bore water
Water well
A water well is an excavation or structure created in the ground by digging, driving, boring or drilling to access groundwater in underground aquifers. The well water is drawn by an electric submersible pump, a trash pump, a vertical turbine pump, a handpump or a mechanical pump...
the lake quickly ceased being the city's private water supply with the introduction of new sources including the Gong Gong Reservoir.
2000s Drought
Drought in Australia
Drought in Australia is defined as rainfall over a three month period being in the lowest decile of what has been recorded for that region in the past. This definition takes into account that drought is a relative term and rainfall deficiencies need to be compared to typical rainfall patterns...
caused Lake Wendouree to dry up in 2006. Despite warnings by the local council and news publications, local enthusiasts have been combing below the surface of the dry lake bed for artifacts, including antique glass bottles. The activities of many local clubs and centres including boating clubs, rowing clubs and recreational fishing were suspended indefinitely and the dry lake had a large tourism impact on Ballarat.
A better than expected winter rainfall in 2010, as well as storm water and wetland works in 2008/2009 saw the lake return just short of capacity. It is expected that it will reach full capacity in 2011.
Wildlife
The reed beds and islands provide sanctuary for a variety of wildlife. Of the recorded 166 species, the most commonly seen waterbirds are: Black SwanBlack Swan
The Black Swan is a large waterbird, a species of swan, which breeds mainly in the southeast and southwest regions of Australia. The species was hunted to extinction in New Zealand, but later reintroduced. Within Australia they are nomadic, with erratic migration patterns dependent upon climatic...
, Duck
Duck
Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...
, Dusky Moorhen, Swamphen, Coot, Musk Duck, Great Crested Grebe, Silver Gull and Little Pied Cormorant. Information boards at the Fairyland Wetland Walk provide details about species and habitats.
About 100 native water-rats are scattered around the shore and are sometimes seen in Fairyland at dawn and dusk. The diversity of pondlife is rich and attracts numerous school groups making visits for environmental science field studies.
Transport
A vintage electric tramway operates around the lake. The volunteers of the Ballarat Tramway Museum have preserved fifteen trams and memorabilia from Ballarat's tramway era. Attracting twenty thousand passengers each year, it is one of Ballarat's most popular tourist attractions. Double-decker horse-drawn tramTram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
s began carrying visitors to the Ballarat Botanical Gardens
Ballarat Botanical Gardens
The Ballarat Botanical Gardens Reserve, located on the western shore of picturesque Lake Wendouree, in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, covers an area of 40 hectares which is divided into 3 distinct zones. The central Botanical Gardens reserve in the 'gardenesque' style of the Victorian pleasure...
in 1887.
Paddlesteamers have used the lake in the past for both transport and as a tourist attraction and the most popular one, the Golden City is being restored for return to the lake.
Recreation
BoatingBoating
Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels , focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, such as fishing or water skiing...
has long been an important sport and leisure activity on the lake and for many years local schools have held the "Head of the Lake" rowing regatta there.
The track around the lake provides an interesting 6 km challenge to walking, cycling
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
and running enthusiasts who complete the circuit in their thousands each week, irrespective of the weather. For serious athletes, the record for running the 6 km lap of the lake is 16 minutes and 10 seconds, set in 1992 by Marathon Olympian Steve Moneghetti
Steve Moneghetti
Stephen James "Steve" Moneghetti is an Australian long-distance runner. Moneghetti has a degree in civil engineering, a graduate diploma in education and an honorary doctorate from the University of Ballarat...
.
In recent years, it has been the venue for the annual Goldfields Festival and Springfest extravaganza.