Serendip Sanctuary

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Serendip Lake and Magpie Geese

Serendip Sanctuary is a 250 ha protected area in Victoria, Australia, near the You Yangs and the town of Lara, some 22 km north of Geelong and 60 km south-west of Melbourne.Originally used for farming and other purposes, it was purchased in 1959 by the State Government of Victoria for wildlife research and the captive management and breeding of species threatened in Victoria, such as the brolga, magpie goose, Australian bustard, and bush stone-curlew. The sanctuary contains many different types of wetland and is home to many plant species as well, such as river red gums, tall spikerush, and tussock grass. Serendip now focuses more on environmental education about the flora and fauna of the wetlands and open grassy woodlands of the Volcanic Western Plains of Victoria. It was opened to the public in 1991 and is now managed by Parks Victoria.

Serendip Sanctuary panorama from the sky

Background & Origins

Serendip Sanctuary is located in the traditional Country of the Wadawurrung People. Wadawurrung Country covers over 10 000 square kilometres from the Great Dividing Range to the South Coast, including the Geelong and Ballarat greater districts. According to the Dreamtime legend, Wadawurrung Country was created over 60 000 years ago, when ‘Bunjil’, a Wedge-tailed eagle, summoned six men, all who were birds, to help create the land, the people and all living organisms. Bunjil taught the people social laws and rules, and how to respect the land of his creation. Once Bunjil had finished, he gathered his wives and his children, ordering ‘Belin-Belin’, who was in charge of the winds, to release a wind so strong it created the trees and plants. Belin-Belin’s final release of wind was so strong it carried Bunjil and his family to the heavens. Bunjil became the star, Altair and his wives became stars on either side of him.

History

The first European settlers arrived in Geelong in 1836, entering Wadawurrung Country. The rapid colonisation introduced a wave of disruption on the land, people, animals and culture. Country dispossession, language erasure and cultural nomenclature were prolifically diminishing Wadawurrung culture. The Wadawurrung population began to perish following the introduction of foreign disease including smallpox, plagues, and sexually transmitted diseases that were carried by the European settlers and their animals. Traditional native animals became endangered from the failed fusion of exotic animals such as rabbits, foxes, and dogs, that preyed on traditional animals and food vegetation resources. Wadawurrung culture never recovered from the rapid colonisation and subsequent environmental, health and culture changes, thus diminished their prevalence as a result.

Tourism

Serendip offers an extensive range of tourist activities. Such activities include bird watching, bushwalks, tours, and provided recreational areas for visitors. Serendip is home to over 150 species of native birds, fitted with accessible bird hides and flight aviaries for bird watching. There are four interconnecting walking tracks throughout the park for viewing of wildlife. Parks Victoria offers a free Junior Ranger’s Program at Serendip, where families with young children can partake in educational park-based activities during school holidays and weekends.

Activities

Wildlife Walk

Serendip’s Wildlife Walk is their most popular trail for visitors. The walk allows tourists to experience prime viewing and encounters with a large variety of native wildlife. The Wildlife Walk is an easy 1.5km circuit and is suitable for all ages and athletic levels.

Wader Walk

Serendip’s Wadar Walk is a quieter alternative to the Wildlife Walk. The walk has native wildlife viewing opportunities with the Wader bird hide along the track, as well as native Australian bushland views. Return walk on the Wader track is 3km and takes tourists an hour to complete.

Junior Ranger's Program

Parks Victoria runs the Junior Ranger Program at Serendip for young children and students. Junior Rangers is a free program run during school holidays and certain weekends, allowing children to explore Serendip while accompanied by a park ranger. Some of the ranger-guided activities include wetland walks, fire recovery, and various talks to discover and learn about different animals and habitats. The Ranger Program focuses on various essential themes including caring for the environment, exploring ecosystems, habitats, park management, plants and animal facts, fire, tracks and connections between humans and the environment.

Wildlife Protection

Serendip is involved with various breeding programs for endangered bird and animal species. The park provides a holding facility for captive breeding and management of the Eastern Barred Bandicoot (EBB) as part of the National Recovery Plan for EBB. Serendip’s participation in the National Recovery Plan for EBB aims to minimise the probability of extinction by reintroducing self-sustaining EBB populations. Serendip is involved with repopulation of various bird species including the Magpie Goose, Australian Bustard, and the Brolga. The park provides a captive breeding program for these bird species to rehabilitate rare or near-extinct birds on the Western Plains.

Flora and Fauna

Serendip is positioned within the grassy woodlands and wetlands in the Volcanic Western Plains of Victoria. The biodiversity among these environments allows many native florae to thrive. Plant species that exist within Serendip include a variety of trees, shrubs, graminoids, and ferns. Some of these include Austral Bracken, Wattle, Narrow-leaf Peppermint, Yellow Box and Red River Gumtrees, Tussock Grass and Water Ribbon Arrow Grass.

External links

• Serendip Sanctuary