Perhaps a rainbow lorikeet will fly by. Welcome to Banksia Park. It is a 23-hectare riparian floodplain woodland. The park is in Bulleen, Melbourne.
Banksia Park is popular. Joggers, cyclists, and dog walkers frequent it. Shared footways wind through the park. You will find information plaques. Picnic and BBQ facilities are available. There is even a Japanese Cherry blossom grove.
The Wurundjeri Woiwurrung people are the Traditional Owners. They lived on the lands of the Birrarung. That is the Yarra River.
After the European settlement, land sales began after 1845. The gold rush increased demand for farm produce. Rich river flats became farms.
Sidney Ricardo was the first farmer. He arrived from London in 1843. His vegetable farm was the richest in Australia in the 1860s.
Many artists came here. They loved the scenic beauty. This led to the Impressionist school of paintings. Tom Robert’s oil painting “Quiet Stream” is thought to depict the Yarra. It shows a view towards Bulleen from near Banksia Park. Charles Condor’s “Yarra Heidelberg Boys Bathing” also depicts the Yarra from the park’s vicinity.
Banksia Park opened to the public in 1978. Vehicle entry gates are open from 6am to 6pm. During daylight saving, they stay open until 9pm. Pedestrians and cyclists can access the park 24 hours a day.
Notice the Japanese Cherry Grove. In 1980, Japan gifted 100 cherry trees to Victoria. This marked the visit of then Japanese PM, Ohira. The trees were first planted at Jells Parks. They were moved to Banksia Park in 1988. In October, visitors enjoy Hanami here. That’s a Japanese custom of enjoying cherry blossoms.
Take a look at the black steel sculpture “Helmet”. Tanya Court and Cassandra Chilton created it. It was influenced by Sidney Nolan’s Ned Kelly series. You can see it from the park, at the intersection of Manningham Road and Bridge Street.
Banksia Park has several wood-fired BBQs. Wood is provided. There are picnic tables. A picnic shelter is available. You’ll find wheelchair-accessible toilet blocks. Kids can enjoy the playground. You can bring your own small gas BBQs. Heide Museum of Modern Art is next door. You can reach it from within the park.
Dogs are welcome. They must be on a leash, except in the fenced off-leash area. This area is next to the Japanese Cherry Grove. Water and seating are provided.
Over 80 bird species have been recorded here. Look for superb fairy-wrens. Rainbow lorikeets might be seen along the river. Pacific black ducks and dusky moorhens are common. Other animals include possums, gliders, wombats, reptiles, frogs, and fish.
Banksia Park features native and exotic plants. Ancient river red gums stand along the Yarra River. You’ll also see manna gums and wattles. Mature pines, oaks, willows and poplars grow on the higher terraces.
Follow the Heritage Trail. Learn about the history and Aboriginal sites. View water fowl in the wetlands. Fly a kite. Use the 3 kilometers of bitumen track. Walk the Heidelberg Artists Trail. Try fishing in the Yarra. Have a picnic or barbecue.
A punt was installed on the Yarra River in 1841. It was near the site of the bridge. This opened the best route between Melbourne and Bulleen-Templestowe. The punt was replaced by a stone and wood bridge in 1860.
The Yarra River was the territory of the Wurundjeri. This area has Aboriginal sites. Scarred trees and stone tools show their presence. Wallabies and possums were hunted. The Yarra River provided fish and shellfish. Herbaceous plants were also gathered for food.
A water-powered flour mill was built across from the park, probably in the 1850s. It stopped operating in the 1870s. It became a grain and produce store.
Please be aware of snakes in summer. Enjoy your visit to Banksia Park.