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| In season
rhododendrons abound around Sherbrooke
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Sherbrooke
Picturesque township in the Dandenongs
Sherbrooke is an attractive little settlement
located in the heart of the Dandenongs, 42 km
east of Melbourne.
The mountains, which reach a high point of
633 m above sea-level, consist of volcanic lava.
They experience high rainfall as prevailing
westerly winds rise when they hit the range and
then cool to produce rain. The combination of
rainfall and rich volcanic soils renders the
soil fertile and the ranges are cloaked in vast
tracts of forests and fern gullies, as well as
some distinguished and renowned gardens.
Potatoes, flowers, bulbs and berry fruits are
produced for commercial purposes in the area.
The Wurrundjeri people once passed their
winters near the Dandenong Ranges. They passed
through the area en route to the Yarra Valley
where they spent their summers on the banks of
the Yarra River. Other sources place the
Woiwurung people in the area prior to European
settlement.
The first European known to set foot in the
Dandenongs was botanist Daniel Bunce who was
drawn from Melbourne by the image of the looming
western slopes in 1839. Guided by a party of
Aboriginal people he climbed Mt Corhanwarrabul
(628 m) and Mt Dandenong (633 m) - the two
highest peaks in the ranges. Burkes Lookout (see
entry on Olinda) is now situated atop the
former. Another botanist, Ferdinand von Mueller,
who was responsible for the Melbourne Botanic
Gardens, also explored the area in the 1850s.
From 1867 the local forests were logged by
timbergetters, so much so that most of the
timber reserve was considered exhausted by 1907
and the land was released for agriculture and
settlement. Sherbrooke Forest was declared in
1958.
However, the popularity of the area as a
destination for holidaymakers and nature lovers
saw the first land reserved for recreational
purposes in 1882 at Ferntree Gully. Many more
reserves were declared in subsequent years and
these were amalgamated and extended in 1987 as
Dandenong Ranges National Park.
Things to see:
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Tourist Information
The Dandenong Ranges and Knox Tourism
Information Centre is located at 1211 Burwood
Highway at Upper Ferntree Gully, tel: (03) 9758
7522.
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| The Dandenong
Ranges National Park with its gardens
and bushwalks is a superb escape from
Melbourne |
Dandenong Ranges National Park
Dandenong Ranges National Park (3215 ha) is a
very attractive and popular attraction which
beckons Melburnians who can gaze upon its
western slopes. It offers opportunities for
walking, sightseeing, picnicking, nature
observation and car touring. More than 350 plant
species have been recorded in the park,
including the rare cinnamon wattle and smooth
tea-tree, 130 bird species, 31 species of
mammals (most are nocturnal), 21 reptile species
and nine amphibians.
The Park is divided into five sections. The
southern section is known as Sherbrooke (over
800 ha) which extends from Selby in the south to
Sherbrooke in the north and the Mt Dandenong
Tourist Rd in the north-west. It is bisected in
the middle by Monbulk Rd.
This part of the Park has substantial stands
of mountain ash. Most grew after a severe fire
in the 1920s. The largest flowering plant in the
world, they can reach a height of 100 m and can
live for 500 years. These forests are home to
lyrebirds, ring-tailed and brush-tailed possums,
blue-winged parrots and treecreepers which
forage from the tree trunks.
There are three picnic grounds. Sherbrooke
Picnic Ground is adjacent Sherbrooke Rd at
Sherbrooke and, just to its east, Sherbrooke
Lodge Rd veers off to the south. Along here is a
turnoff to O'Donohue Picnic Ground which is
temporarily closed to the public. Both have
barbecues, picnic tables, toilets and
information boards. Walking tracks lead from
both grounds south through mountain ash forest
and tree ferns to Sherbrooke Falls (2.4 km
return) which are best seen after rain. Another
track to the falls (3 km) departs from the
junction of Sherbrooke Rd and Mt Dandenong
Tourist Rd, near Ferny Creek township, following
Sherbrooke Creek.
For information on Grants Picnic Area and
related walks, see entry on Kallista.
For general information and literature
contact Parks Victoria on 131 963 or, if you
require more detailed information contact the
office at Upper Ferntree Gully on (03) 9758
1342. You can also visit the Parks Victoria
website on www.parks.vic.gov.au.
The Alfred Nicholas Memorial Garden and
Burnham Beeches
The Alfred Nicholas Memorial Garden is located
on hillside terrain in Sherbrooke Rd, on the
western side of the settlement. It is known for
its extensive aquatic features including
waterfalls. The main walkway leads down a
terraced slope to an ornamental lake with islets
lined by timber bridges. There is also a quaint
boathouse which is a popular spot for picnics,
wedding photos and ceremonies. There are many
interconnecting paths which weave through the
garden, passing beneath a canopy of mountain ash
trees which are the largest flowering plants in
the world.
The gardens feature both native and exotic
plants including maples, ginkgoes, liquid
ambers, and flowering exotic shrubs. The
birdlife includes king parrots, rosellas, ducks
and kookaburras.
The Nicholas Gardens were once associated
with Burnham Beeches, an outstanding 20-room art
deco house which still overlooks the Gardens. It
was built in 1933 by Alfred Nicholas who, with
his brother George, had developed the Aspro
company. The drug was invented in Germany but
supplies ceased in World War I and George, a
chemist, re-invented it and he was granted the
lucrative patent.
Alfred Nicholas started the garden (he
undertook a search of Melbourne for suitable
trees) but died before its completion. The
company donated the gardens to the local shire
council in 1965 which passed it on to the State
Government in 1972.
The car park is situated opposite the main
entrance in Sherbrooke Rd. The Garden is open
from 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. daily, tel: 131
963. Spring and autumn are the best times to
visit. In spring you can see flowering azaleas,
cherry trees and viburnum. The entry fee is $4
for adults, $3 for concessions and $2 for
children. Met bus 694 from Belgrave Station
stops near the front gate.
Ferny Creek Reserve
Just west of the Alfred Nicholas Gardens, on
Sherbrooke Rd, is Ferny Creek Reserve which has
picnic, barbecue, toilet, parking and playground
facilities. There is also a kiosk and tea rooms.
Aboriginal artefacts have been found on this
spot.
The George Tindale Memorial Gardens
The George Tindale Memorial Gardens are a
popular attraction located on hillside terrain
in Sherbrooke Rd (about halfway between Kallista
and Sherbrooke). Covering 2.4 hectares, the
Gardens have an impressive range of exotic
flowering plants and shrubs under a canopy of
mountain ash.
The property was purchased in 1915 by Herbert
Harper for use as a holiday retreat. He built
the existing house, established Harper's Drive,
started an English garden and received some
distinguished visitors, including prime minister
Billy Hughes. Improvements were made to the
property by a Mr Potter who purchased the
property in 1939. However, the most substantial
work on the existing garden was carried out by
George Tindale, a research scientist with the
Victorian Department of Agriculture, and his
wife. They bought the property in 1958. Mrs
Tindale bequeathed the garden to the Victorian
Conservation Trust in 1980 and Parks Victoria
took over the management in 1995.
In springtime, the garden boasts magnolias,
azaleas, camellias, cornus and spring bulbs.
Summer sees liliums, fuchsias, hydrangeas and
perennials in bloom. There are cyclamen,
nerines, lapageria and autumn foliage in autumn
and camellias, luculia, rhododendrons and
hellebores in winter.
The gardens are open from 10.00 a.m. to 5.00
p.m. daily, tel: 131 963. The entry fee is $4
for adults, $3 for concessions and $2 for
children. Met bus 694 from Belgrave Station
stops near the front gate. There are picnic and
toilet facilities and many walking paths. You
can picnic on the lawn and guided tours are
available, tel: 131 963.
