Yarran Dheran
Encyclopedia
Yarran Dheran is an important riparian bushland
park, located in the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne
in Mitcham
on the border of Donvale
, on the banks of the Mullum Mullum Creek. The park comprises 7.2 hectares and hosts a mix of remnant and regenerative bushland, and many native species of wildlife, particularly birds, of which there are over 85 species living in the park. The Mullum Mullum Creek Trail
runs through the park and there are many small unsealed bush tracks through the native bushland. There is a visitors centre near the middle of the park, toilets and many mown grassed areas for picnics and seating.
for his family from stone taken from the Mullum Mullum Creek about 2 kilometres upstream from what is now Yarran Dheran. A bullock track was cut along the banks of the creek for carting stone which extended as far as the crown land
which was set aside for a stone quarry which occupied a large part of the park. In later years, a private contractor and the Nunawading Council
worked the quarry until 1963 when the Council operated a tip
in the old quarry. The 1962 Melbourne bushfires destroyed part of the natural vegetation and also a pine plantation planted in the 1930s by Mitcham
Primary School. In 1967 it was declared that the crown land would be the site for a public park.
Following presentations from the local residents and the Blackburn Tree Preservation Society, the site was chosen for a native plant
park and the name Yarran Dheran, roughly meaning Wattle Gully, was chosen. In April 1971 a committee of management was established and over 40,000 trees and shrubs were planted over the following 10 years. In 1973 a landscape design
er was appointed to prepare a master plan and two hectares of additional land was purchased, increasing the size of the park to 7.2 hectares. In 1975 major earthworks began, a waterfall and fern gully were completed in 1979 and the information centre in 1980.
s such as Silver Wattle (Acacia dealbata) and Blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon), and wattles that flower during spring such as; Prickly Moses (Acacia verticillata) and Black Wattle (Acacia meatnsii). A number of species of Orchids can be found in Yarran Dheran including; Wax-lip orchid (Glassodia major), Bluebeard Caladenia (Caladeniadeformis) and the Spider Orchid. The creeper; Purple coral-pea (Hardenbergia violacea) which was once prevalent throughout the surrounding hills, to the extend that they were known as the purple hills, can also be found around the park.
There are over 85 species of Bird
s in Yarran Dheran including; Australian Magpies, Grey Fantail, the Noisy Miner, the Eastern Yellow Robin and the Eastern Silvereyes. Many birds use plastics washed down the creek as one of many materials to build their nests. Koala
sightings are sometimes reported by residents in the surrounding area and are occasionally added to notice boards in the park.
Some residents saw the construction of the wider pathway and new bridges for the Mullum Mullum Creek Trail
as negative for the park in general, as before these new construction works, the park was hosted many obscure winding unsealed bush paths through which visitors could wander. The completion of the new trail pathways and bridges has given a quicker and easier through route through the park for cyclists.
Bushland
Bushland is any area in Australia that is predominantly indigenous flora and fauna.Bushland is the term commonly used by conservation protection groups and other environmental groups as a blanket term for natural vegetation, which may cover any kind of habitat from open shrubby country with few...
park, located in the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
in Mitcham
Mitcham, Victoria
Mitcham is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 20 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Whitehorse. At the 2006 Census, Mitcham had a population of 14,211.-History:...
on the border of Donvale
Donvale, Victoria
Donvale is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 20 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Manningham. At the 2006 Census, Donvale had a population of 11,667...
, on the banks of the Mullum Mullum Creek. The park comprises 7.2 hectares and hosts a mix of remnant and regenerative bushland, and many native species of wildlife, particularly birds, of which there are over 85 species living in the park. The Mullum Mullum Creek Trail
Mullum Mullum Creek Trail
The Mullum Mullum Creek Trail is a shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians, which follows Mullum Mullum Creek in the outer eastern suburbs in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
runs through the park and there are many small unsealed bush tracks through the native bushland. There is a visitors centre near the middle of the park, toilets and many mown grassed areas for picnics and seating.
History
In 1865 August Schwerkolt built a cottageCottage
__toc__In modern usage, a cottage is usually a modest, often cozy dwelling, typically in a rural or semi-rural location. However there are cottage-style dwellings in cities, and in places such as Canada the term exists with no connotations of size at all...
for his family from stone taken from the Mullum Mullum Creek about 2 kilometres upstream from what is now Yarran Dheran. A bullock track was cut along the banks of the creek for carting stone which extended as far as the crown land
Crown land
In Commonwealth realms, Crown land is an area belonging to the monarch , the equivalent of an entailed estate that passed with the monarchy and could not be alienated from it....
which was set aside for a stone quarry which occupied a large part of the park. In later years, a private contractor and the Nunawading Council
City of Nunawading
The City of Nunawading was a Local Government Area located about east of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The city covered an area of , and existed from 1925 until 1994.-History:...
worked the quarry until 1963 when the Council operated a tip
Tip
A tip is an extra payment made to certain service sector workers in addition to the advertised price of the transaction. Such payments and their size are a matter of social custom. Tipping varies among cultures and by service industry...
in the old quarry. The 1962 Melbourne bushfires destroyed part of the natural vegetation and also a pine plantation planted in the 1930s by Mitcham
Mitcham, Victoria
Mitcham is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 20 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Whitehorse. At the 2006 Census, Mitcham had a population of 14,211.-History:...
Primary School. In 1967 it was declared that the crown land would be the site for a public park.
Following presentations from the local residents and the Blackburn Tree Preservation Society, the site was chosen for a native plant
Flora of Australia
The flora of Australia comprises a vast assemblage of plant species estimated to over 20,000 vascular and 14,000 non-vascular plants, 250,000 species of fungi and over 3,000 lichens...
park and the name Yarran Dheran, roughly meaning Wattle Gully, was chosen. In April 1971 a committee of management was established and over 40,000 trees and shrubs were planted over the following 10 years. In 1973 a landscape design
Landscape design
Landscape design is an independent profession and a design and art tradition, practised by landscape designers, combining nature and culture. In contemporary practice landscape design bridges between landscape architecture and garden design.-Design scope:...
er was appointed to prepare a master plan and two hectares of additional land was purchased, increasing the size of the park to 7.2 hectares. In 1975 major earthworks began, a waterfall and fern gully were completed in 1979 and the information centre in 1980.
Ecology
WattleWattle
Wattle may refer to:*Wattle , a fleshy growth hanging from the head or neck of certain animals.*Wattle is another term for Congenital cartilaginous rest of the neck...
s such as Silver Wattle (Acacia dealbata) and Blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon), and wattles that flower during spring such as; Prickly Moses (Acacia verticillata) and Black Wattle (Acacia meatnsii). A number of species of Orchids can be found in Yarran Dheran including; Wax-lip orchid (Glassodia major), Bluebeard Caladenia (Caladeniadeformis) and the Spider Orchid. The creeper; Purple coral-pea (Hardenbergia violacea) which was once prevalent throughout the surrounding hills, to the extend that they were known as the purple hills, can also be found around the park.
There are over 85 species of Bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s in Yarran Dheran including; Australian Magpies, Grey Fantail, the Noisy Miner, the Eastern Yellow Robin and the Eastern Silvereyes. Many birds use plastics washed down the creek as one of many materials to build their nests. Koala
Koala
The koala is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia, and the only extant representative of the family Phascolarctidae....
sightings are sometimes reported by residents in the surrounding area and are occasionally added to notice boards in the park.
Other information & Regulations
Visitors should be aware that in the Spring, magpies swoop both humans and other wildlife such as Koalas who they consider are close enough to pose a threat to their nests. Snakes may also be encountered by visitors. Dogs must remain on leads at all times, there are Echidnas in the park and dogs off leads pose a threat to these animals.Some residents saw the construction of the wider pathway and new bridges for the Mullum Mullum Creek Trail
Mullum Mullum Creek Trail
The Mullum Mullum Creek Trail is a shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians, which follows Mullum Mullum Creek in the outer eastern suburbs in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
as negative for the park in general, as before these new construction works, the park was hosted many obscure winding unsealed bush paths through which visitors could wander. The completion of the new trail pathways and bridges has given a quicker and easier through route through the park for cyclists.