Our Mission
To conserve and enhance the diversity of native flora and fauna of the Glenfern Valley Bushlands while preserving community access and encouraging education and compatible uses for the enjoyment of current and future generations.
Key Goals
- Ensure sound and sustainable management
- Protect and enhance natural values
- Provide safe and compatible recreation opportunities
- Involve the community in the reserve
The Reserve
Glenfern Valley Bushlands comprises 40 hectares or 100 acres, 35 km east of Melbourne. It is bounded on the south by Glenfern Road, on the west by New Road, the north boundary is Ferny Creek and the eastern boundary is ‘Depot Track’. The land falls gently from south to north, with Grassy Forest on high ground to Riparian Forest at the creek line. It is in the Southern Fall Bioregion, and contains a large area of remnant vegetation.
This land is now Crown Land under management by Department of Sustainability & Environment and the Shire of Yarra Ranges. It is being rehabilitated by Friends of Glenfern Valley Bushlands (FoGVB) – a volunteer group of interested people who weed and plant in the park on a monthly basis. This land is now used for passive recreation – walking, bird watching, etc.
History
IIn 1867 James ‘Cranky’ Smith purchased 44 acres of land and in 1872 bought a further 73 acres , which is part of the current ‘Glenfern Valley Bushlands’. It was owned briefly from 1898 to 1901 by William Ward whose property totalled 117 acres, encompassing the current Bushlands.
In 1901, 97 acres was sold to Alfred McFarlane who still owned this land in 1958. The land was cleared and used as a dairy farm. There was a farmhouse on the corner of New Road and Glenfern Road, the only remaining evidence of this are some fruit trees (Prunus spp), roses (Rosaceae) and Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), which are naturalised over the property.
Investigation is continuing to find out who owned the land after the McFarlane Family passed away. The only information available is that the last remaining family member left his money to the Angliss Hospital, but it is difficult to find out who became the owner of the land at that time.
From around 1977 to 1987, the land was owned by Albion (Boral) Quarries. Rock was quarried on site for only a short time due to complaints from neighboring properties, about noise and house damage from blasting. The land was then handed to the Victorian Government in a land swap, to eliminate quarrying from the Dandenongs. The result was to bring about a land swap with another site in Lysterfield (Wellington Road).
During the time that this land was untended, it was used by 4 wheel drives and trail bikes for ‘recreation’ and consequently the area was badly eroded with deep culverts from these vehicles. Local people had also used the area as a convenient rubbish dump for several years, and many tons of rubbish and car bodies have been removed from the site since the inception of Friends of Glenfern Valley Bushlands.
FoGVB Formation
The area was in extremely poor condition in 2000 when a group of interested people got together to have this land preserved and rehabilitated. Many thousands of hours of both volunteer and council contractor time has gone into the works to date, which have seen spraying of Chrysanthemoides monolifera (Boneseed) and Rubus fruitcosus (Blackberry), and the removal of Pittosporum undulatum (Sweet Pittosporum) that were prolific on the site. We have also received much funding from Melbourne Water to rehabilitate this valley and waterway.
Management Plan
Progress by Works Area
Partnerships
We are fortunate to have formed alliances with the local and wider community who give us great support and help in a variety of ways.
Local Community
- Scouts and Guides
- Upwey Township Group
- Southern Dandenongs Community Nursery
- Country Fire Authority
- Local Friend’s Groups
- Southern Dandenongs Landcare
Schools
- Upwey High School
- Upwey South Primary School
- Fairhills High School
- Billanook College
- Trinity College
Institutions
- Yarra Ranges Council
- Department of the Environment
- Melbourne Water
- South East Water
- KES (Knox Environment Society)
- Natural Resource Management (Caring for Our Country grants scheme)
- Chartis Australia Insurance Ltd (Volunteer program)
- National Australia Bank (Volunteer program)
Proudly receiving our 2007 SoYR Australia Day Community Group Certificate of Recognition (Photo I. Rainbow)
Sponsors
We are lucky to be part of a strong local community and have the support of a number of businesses from the area.
Dandenong Ranges Community Bank
Uni Print Pty Ltd (9543 7677) (Prints our newsletter)
Child-Safe Policy
Friends of Glenfern Valley Bushlands is a Child Safe organisation, with zero tolerance for child abuse and a commitment to children’s best interests.
Our full Child-Safe Policy can be found here.