Walks - Shire Of Baw Baw

OakStreh2Oak StreetKinderChet43OlBu d Drtte our F inactoryurcBBQ1211e s tnu t Te a l5adRoMainSt11. Cross over Main South Rd at the crossing point.Turn around and look back to the remnantMountain Grey Gum, known as the ‘Sutcliffe Giant’,which sadly died but has been preserved as ahabitat tree by the Baw Baw Shire.1ChDrSta ouintionSouth10. At the driveway of 1 Lardner Rd are two NorfolkIsland pines which were planted by John Sutcliffein 1889 for his house ‘The Orient’. Mr Sutcliffewas a prominent early pioneer, councillor andbusinessman.12. Walk down this side of the road past the store,back towards your starting point. There are 21heritage listed mature English Elms planted ina row early in the 1900s, which still provide apleasant shady avenuePorter Pl3. Trees of many nations Walk9. Keep walking down Lardner Rd. The avenue oftwenty Plane trees with grey mottled trunksplanted in the 1930s has been ‘pollarded’.Pollarding involves pruning the upper branches,promoting a dense head of foliage. They have a‘balled’ canopy shape in summer.KoAlex GoudieFlora & FaunaReserveokaSnb u r raakeGullttreeue SygtaMon106walking trackaction pointroadparkland/reserve298Lardn18erOddy StreetThe Sutcliffe GiantRoad719

A walk along paths, formed tracks,grassy verges and areas of grassedparkland highlighting one of theoldest remnant giants in Drouin, andother significant habitat areas. Easywalk with gentle slopes. Grass areasare wet in winter.4. settlement giant Walk4. settlement giant Walk4. The Settlement Giant WalkDistance:20 ” Rest a while in a gumtree’swelcome shade.Where the bellbirds’ calls go ringingthrough the glade.”(Will Rumble)2.5 km1.This walk starts at the small park on the corner ofSpringwater Drive and Settlement Road.2.Look up at The Settlement Giant, behind theplayspace. It is a Mountain Grey Gum, the largestremnant gum in Drouin. It is 12.5 m (41’) in trunkgirth, 30 m high, home to at least five differentspecies of native birds and is approximately 300 years old. Walk close and look up into the canopy.Imagine what stories this old giant could tell!The land here was used by some of Drouin’sbutchers as holding paddocks for theirslaughterhouses or abattoirs. The Winters andthe Colquhouns were both well known Drouinbutchers. For many years this old giant gaveshelter to stock.The Settlement Giant21

SettlementGianting2waterD1rAfter the creek, walk into the carpark area.7.Continue through the car park area and turn rightto walk on the gravel path around the oval.walking trackaction pointroadparkland/reserveerHolland St3Shillingl18aw RoadBlackwood Ct6.2tWalk back through the trees to Settlement Rd andproceed south staying on the grassy verge.yea5.adSprSettlement Ro4. settlement giant WalkCross over Shillinglaw Rd and walk into the offleash dog area. This used to be the home of theDrouin Pony Club before it moved out to Lardner.There are some large trees in this area providingvaluable habitat for wildlife. Many dogs also lovethe paddock to run in!This lake area was man made under the directionof Leo Boeyen (Superintendent of Buln Buln Shire’sParks and Gardens department). Jack Cuthbertson,one of Drouin’s noteable construction operators,instructed his men to put the earth dug from thelake on to the back or west side creating ‘islands’of earth. The seeds in that earth (now trees) are onthese ‘islands’ which can be encircled with water inwet winters.ll a n d H o n e4.8.w HoWalk south down Settlement Rd to Shillinglaw Rd.Stop and take time to look back over the ‘plains’of Drouin and the many tree corridors of this area.These are home to many birds and mammals.Ne3.4517BeIn llbirdo dor PaCe rkntre879Playground1122131012Settlement Road6King Parrot eldLampard Road23

10. At the south west corner there isa path heading off to the right.Fairy-w11. This priceless ferngully is a glimpse intorewhat it would have been like for the pioneers. nSome ferns are up to 5 m in height. One birdwatcher has noted 30 species of native birdsin this area. Superb Fairy Wrens are often seenwith Rainbow Lorikeets, Galahs, Corellas, GreyFantails, Kookaburras etc as well as smaller birdssuch as New Holland Honeyeaters, White NapedHoneyeaters, Brown Thornbills, Silver Eyes andGrey Shrike-thrushes. At the bridge return backon the path to the oval.12. Continue around the oval on the path.13. As shown on the map, walk across the grass towardsthe crossing on Settlement Rd and then cross overto the south side of Lampard Rd. Walk east.14. When you are opposite the entrance to thehockey fields cross over to the north side ofLampard Rd. Walk north alongside the synthetichockey field.15. Note the small bushland area between the twosoccer fields on the left. Bellbirds (Bell Miners)frequent this area and the other nearby corridorsof bush. Will Rumble owned the land and sold itto Buln Buln Shire in 1964. He wrote many poemsabout the birds in this bushland area.4. settlement giant WalkMany wetland birds can be seen on the lake andhiding in the reed beds: Eurasian Coots, WoodDucks, Purple Swamphens, Chestnut Teal, Whitefaced Herons, Cormorants, Pacific Black Ducks.Can you spot any dragonflies? They pollinateplants and provide food for fish, frogs andbirds in their larval stage.S u p e rb4. settlement giant Walk9.16. At the north end of the sports fields are groups oftrees planted about 1970. Although not remnants,they add to the corridors of trees around BellbirdPark – Spotted Gums, Blue Gums, Angophoras.Local residents mounted a campaign to savethese trees in 2015. Take time to explore thesebeautiful trees.17. At the north end of the park is Blackwood Crt.Walk through here and then along Blackwood Crtto the next intersection.18. At Holland St turn left and continue to Settlement Rdretracing your steps back to the Settlement Giant.2425

This is a short easy linear walk alongBalfour Rd (the eastern gateway toDrouin) walking on grassy verges, aconcrete path and one short gravelroadside section. The walk givesviews to Drouin’s south and takes inthe highest point on the railway linebetween Sale and Melbourne. Pleasenote that there is no parking allowedin the school grounds.Distance:262.6 km1.Start outside Chairo Christian School between theNo. 1 and No. 2 entrance signs on the south sideof Balfour Rd.2.Walk east on the wide grassy verge past theschool grounds, up to the high point of the landwhere you will find two English Elms (in front ofthe Equestrian Centre).3.These trees are located on the highest point ofthe railway line between Melbourne and Sale. Itmarks the watershed divide between Port Phillipand Westernport Catchment to the west and theGippsland Lakes Catchment to the east. Theywere probably planted by the original family whofarmed here for many years. The Balfour familypurchased the farm in about 1939. Mrs Balfourreally valued these trees. It was her hope that atthe time of the sale of her family’s farmland, whenthe freeway was built, that these old trees wouldsurvive. and they have. The Drouin exit roadfrom the freeway, where these two old trees aresituated, was opened in June 1984. An interestingadjunct to this story is that Jim Balfour MP openedthe freeway, but Jim Balfour is not directly relatedto the Drouin Balfour family!4.Walk back towards Drouin, staying on the grassyverge on the school side of the road crossingcarefully over the driveway exit and entrances.5. balfour Road gateway Walk5. balfour Road gateway Walk5. Balfour RoadGateway Walk27

6. Keep walking west. On the north side ofBalfour Rd there are native melaleucas, acacias,blackwoods and eucalypts after a long stretch ofcleared land. The bushland is always alive withbirds. Keep an eye out for Brown Thornbills,White-browed Scrub-wrens and SuperbFairy-wrens in the low scrub and Golden Whistlers,Spotted Pardalotes, parrots, lorikeets andhoneyeaters in the canopy.As you walk west continue along the path.8.Stop and look over to the south side landscape.The Reservoir on the hill is a 30 million gallon (137mega litres) reservoir supplying Drouin’s townwater that was built in the mid-late 1960s.9.Can you spot the two remnant giants on the otherside of the road? Both 30 m high with canopywidths of 20 m and girths of 5.7 m and 5 m. Theyare estimated to be 200 years old and have manytrunk hollows. Keep your eyes open for the manyblue wrens in the undergrowth.«DrouinPrinces Way910 75622111walking trackaction pointroadparkland/reserveBalfour RdChairoChristianCollegeReservoir8-ern RosellaEast43M1 Freeway7.11. After the sale of the Balfour farm for the freeway,the remainder of the land was purchased byBuln Buln Shire for the potential construction ofsaleyards for Warragul and Drouin. This did noteventuate and the land was subsequently soldto Chairo Christian School for their Middle andSecondary campus.5. balfour Road gateway WalkBefore the freeway was built, all this area wasa lovely piece of native vegetation and anenvironmental gem. The Princes Freeway Drouinbypass was started in 1977 and officially openedby the Hon Jim Balfour MP, member for Narracanon 12th February 1981.White5. balfour Road gateway Walk5.ced Srb owrerub Wn10. Enjoy the views here, then turn around and walkback the way you came.2829

A level walk along footpaths, grassyverges and a rough formed track. Thewalk shows some of our best lovedtown trees, mainly exotics but alsoone giant eucalypt remnant.Distance:1.2.7 kmStart at the Bendigo Community Bank car park.Walk west along the shared roadway beside therailway line. The row of old Lombardy Poplars areevident in early Drouin photos from the 1900s.Three large trees towards the west end stoodbehind the site of the blacksmiths run by BillTritschler and then Ernie Edwards.2.Walk down through Memorial Park and check outthe Jungle Fighter on the way. This extraordinarystatue is the first depicting an Aussie soldier injungle uniform: a two thirds replica cast in bronzeby sculptor Ray Ewars from Frankston. A copy islocated in Australia’s War Memorial in Canberra.3.The four large English Elms at the front ofMemorial Park were part of a row of elms planted,as shown in the photo, to beautify Drouin’s mainstreet in its early settlement.4.Walk uphill towards the Anglican Church, crossover to the church nature strip and turn left downFrancis Ave behind the church.5.Walk west along the grass and turn right behindthe church. In front you will see a large tree atthe corner of a fence. This splendid example of aEucalyptus sideroxylon or Ironbark, is full of nectarfeeding native birds in winter when it is covered inpinky white flowers. Not a remnant tree but veryold. The bark of ironbarks is highly resistant to fire.birdattleWRed306. town centre Walk6. town centre Walk6. Town Centre Walkrikeetbow LoRain31

Cross over Francis Ave and walk west along thewide grassy verge.7.Stop and look south across the southerly viewsof the sewerage ponds, farmland and newresidential areas.8.At the corner is ‘The Railway Giant’, a MountainGrey Gum. This 30 m high tree has a trunk girth of7.75 m and is estimated to be about 250 years old.Look for the many bird hollows.9.Heading west, walk down the rough formedaccess track between the railway line and thehouses into ‘Trainspotters Park’. This has a plantedMountain Ash, a Messmate and a group ofplanted trees at its west end. Pied Currawongsoften nest in these trees. Turn right and head upto Princes Way.11. Turn right and walk back up the gradual inclineinto town along Princes Way enjoying theFicifolias as you go. In flower, the Ficifolias area favourite of Rainbow and Musk Lorikeets andother nectar feeders.12. After crossing Albert Rd take note of‘The Mistake Trees’, spotted gums plantedalongside the Ficifolias. In the 1980s there wasa mixup with some young seedlings: instead ofFicifolia seedlings being planted, Spotted Gumswere planted. The two species look very similaras seedlings. These Spotted Gums are nowmature, 20 m high trees, with smooth bark andspotted grey brown markings. They also form animportant part of the food cycle for native birds.6. town centre Walk6. town centre Walk6.10. At this point take time to look at the Ficifolia treesplanted on both sides of Princes Way. These treeswere planted in August 1936 by pupils of DrouinState School as part of Arboretum Days. Sixtytrees were originally planted and many olderDrouin residents can remember planting ‘their’tree. In summer this avenue of trees is ablazewith red, salmon, pink and orange colours andis the inspiration for ‘The Ficifolia Festival’ heldin February each year since 1989. a spectacularentry to Drouin township.Drouin’s famous Ficifolias3233

tStetnnWayRoadincest9er12Albol14 13ciseAv342walking track6action pointroadparkland/reservedtir ationPrinces1Waynk15. Calodendrum capenses or Cape Chestnuts areanother of the significant trees of Drouin. If youlook carefully you will have passed a couple onthe nature strip as you walked, (No. 140 and housebeside the Anglican Church). On the opposite sideof the road are three on the nature strip outsidethe petrol station. These unusual trees bear aprolific display of large pink flowers in summer,sometimes surprising residents with a showbefore Christmas. The seeds were brought backfrom South Africa in the 1930s by Roy EverardRoss, the Shire Engineer of Buln Buln Shire for21 years. He was passionate about trees. The R.E.Ross Trust, set up after his death, provided landacquisition grants enabling ‘The Trust for Nature’to purchase large tracts of land for conservation.lRooSchBa7in SchoouDr maryPriSt8peThe Railway GiantHotPlTrees tell stories . . .they are often thelast living link to aspecial placeor person.Be1110PrnFra14. Look out for the summer flowering Jacarandasalong the nature strip. Ernie Edwards, the Drouinblacksmith planted the first one at 146 PrincesWay.16. You can return to your starting point by continuingalong Princes Way.Viaduc6. town centre Walk13. On the opposite side of Princes Way in front of theprimary school is an avenue of Angophoras. Thesespectacular, sculptural trees were planted by LeoBoeyen (Superintendent of Parks and Gardens).These trees are about 50 years old and are aniconic landmark of two entrances to Drouin, hereand along Main South Rd. They are sometimescalled ‘Rusty Gums’ or ‘Sydney Red Gums’ becauseof trunk colour changes as the bark sheds,although they are not strictly a gum.35

This walk is along footpaths, grassyverges and a short distance of roughuneven ground. One long set of stepsand one short uphill section. Thewalk showcases a variety of plantedtrees and some old eucalypt giants.Distance:1.2.363.The beautiful Golden Elm beside the steps wasplanted at the time of the rock wall construction.4.Continue up the steps and path towards the top.On your left is a cedar tree Cedrus atlantica, ormore commonly ‘The Christmas Tree’. It used tobe decorated with lights at Christmas time by theBuln Buln Shire.5.Continue to the top of the steps to Young St. Asyou stand looking either way along Young St,notice the row of 35 Pin Oaks planted down thecentre median strip. Take note of those which arenot pruned compared to those which have beencut for power lines. there’s a big difference.6.Turn right and walk west along Young St. There isno path on this north side so walk on the grass.2.8 kmStart at the entrance to the Baw Baw Shire CivicCentre in Brynwood Ave. The seven tall SpottedGums were planted in the 1970s and1980s by theBuln Buln Shire. Trees grow well in Drouin dueto the high rainfall and fertile soil. Walk to theCouncil entrance and follow the path around tothe left.Follow the path and cross to the set of steps in therock wall. These walls were constructed by localaboriginal workers under a government trainingscheme in1974. The young men worked withhatchets to chip the rocks to make them fit snuglyinto each other creating the incredible walls yousee today. Leo Boeyen, Superintendent of Parksand Gardens, was the visionary of the project.7. civic park & recreation reserve Walk7. civic park & recreation reserve Walk7. Civic Park &Recreation Reserve Walk37

At the pedestrian crossing, at the bottom of thehill, you will be able to cross safely to the other sideof the road. Keep walking up the hill in Young St.8.Turn right into Sinclair St. The trees you will passat this end of Sinclair St are Lilly Pillys. Four aremature trees about 70 years old. In summer theyhave white-greenish flowers followed by longlasting pink berries.9.Walk up to and enter the Recreation Reserve onthe shared roadway. This is home of the Drouinfootball, netball and badminton clubs.10. Turn left just after the badminton clubroomsand look for a lane between buildings with thesporting heroes of Drouin on the wall.This leads to the netball courts. Walk acrossthe netball courts to the playground area.11. Hiding here on theeast side of theplayground is a mostunusual tree: a HorseChestnut or Aesculushippocastanum.Thought to be about45 years old, thistree has spectacularflowers and ‘conkers’.It may be the onlyone in Baw Baw!3812. Take time to look at the old oak tree in the far left(NW) corner behind the guide hall: 20 m high and20 m spread of canopy and used by many birdsfor shelter.13. Walk along the back of the set of flats and turnleft down the path. Stop and look up. This is the‘Victoria Road Giant’, a remnant Mountain GreyGum with a trunk girth of 6 m which has toweredover this land long before European settlement.14. Turn right and walk on the grassy verge alongsideVictoria St. You’re wondering? Yes, Victoria Rd wasthe original name and over time became Victoria St.15. There are manyremnant treesalong this road,some inside thefence, someoutside.One triple trunkedMountain GreyGum giantopposite AlcornSt, has a trunkcircumference of7.2 m.All these treesprovide valuablehabitat for insects,birds etc.7. civic park & recreation reserve Walk7. civic park & recrea

Possums and Sugar Gliders Sugar Gliders, Ringtail and Brushtail Possums are common inhabitants of Drouin’s trees. Sugar Gliders are small nocturnal possums that glide from tree to tree using a gliding membrane which connects their fore and hind legs. They bore holes with their teeth to access the stored liquid ‘gum’. It is this staining down