Dandenong Ranges

parknotes National Park

Sherbrooke

Sherbrooke covers the southern area of the National Park from Selby in the south to
Sherbrooke in the north. The largest section of Dandenong Ranges National Park, Sherbrooke
occupies over 800 hectares of the parks total 3,215 hectares, with Fern Tree Gully, Doongalla,
Olinda and Mt. Evelyn making up the remainder.

Enjoy the magnificent scenery of the Mountain Ash forests whilst driving through the park or
spend some time in one of the picnic areas. Your rewards may include the thrilling song and
perhaps a glimpse of the Superb Lyrebird.

Days gone by 2. Hardy Gully Nature Walk

In 1867 the bulk of the Dandenong forests were
declared a timber reserve. For the next 60 years these
forests supplied the timber needs for the booming city
of Melbourne. By 1907, most of the reserved forest
was considered cut out. As a result the land was
released by the government for agriculture and
settlement.
The first Forest Department formed in 1907 and
renamed parts of the remaining forest Monbulk State
Forest and Sherbrooke Forest.
In 1958 Sherbrooke Forest was declared a park and
since 1987 has been part of the National Park.
What to see and do
A number of walking tracks, starting from the picnic
grounds, enable you to discover some of the plants
and animals of Sherbrooke.
Some suggested walks:
1. Sherbrooke Falls
2.4 km, 1 hour return. Grade: Easy to Moderate.
Tracks leading from Sherbrooke and ODonohue
Picnic Ground provide the easiest walk to the falls
through the attractive landscape of tall Mountain Ash
and tree ferns. The falls are most inspiring after rain
when the swollen Sherbrooke Creek rushes over the
rocks.
700m, 45 minute loop. Grade: Easy to Moderate.
This track, only a short distance from Grants Picnic
Ground, has been set out as a self-guided nature walk.
A Park Note describing features along the walk is
available at the kiosk.
3. Margaret Lester Forest Walk
300m, 30 minute loop. Grade: Easy.
Located at Grants Picnic Ground, this hard-surfaced
track has been especially designed for the disabled.
The track follows a steady gradient weaving through
spectacular Mountain Ash forest.
4. Eastern Sherbrooke Forest
7.1 km, 2 hour loop. Grade: Moderate to Difficult.
This is a round trip starting and finishing at Grants
Picnic Ground. The route follows Lyrebird Walk, then
Neumann Road, passing though cleared areas of bush
created by the successive wildfires of the early 1900s.
At Paddy Track Junction turn south and cross Hardy
Creek before climbing Welch Track and following
Coles Ridge Road back to the picnic ground.
Most of the walk is through Mountain Ash and
Messmate Stringybark forest. There are steep sections
on Paddy Road and Welch Track which may be
slippery when wet.

Superb Lyrebird

For more information call the Parks Victoria Information Centre

on 13 1963 or visit our website at www.parkweb.vic.gov.au
 Further
information
Phone the Parks Victoria
Information Line on
13 1963
or visit our website at
www.parkweb.vic.gov.au
Caring for the
environment
Help us look after the park by
remembering these guidelines:
Rubbish bins are not provided,
please take your rubbish home.
Light fires only in fireplaces
provided. Firewood is not
supplied - please bring your
own. No fires may be lit on days
of Total Fire Ban.
Firearms are prohibited in the
park.
Dogs and other pets are not
permitted in the park.
All native plants and wildlife are
protected by law. Please do not
collect specimens.
Leave the park as you find it.
Animals of Sherbrooke and roads were pushed through unreserved forested
areas where quarter acre blocks were developed for
The Mountain Ash forests provide the perfect habitat
weekend shacks. During this time, many well known
for wildlife such as the Superb Lyrebird, Ring-tailed
guest houses were built, most of which were destroyed
and Brush-tailed Possums.
in the bushfires of 1923 and 1926.
Treecreepers, small birds that cling to the side of trees Visitors to the ranges in the early 1920s often returned
looking for a meal of grubs and insects can be seen home laden with ferns and flowers for their gardens
foraging amongst the tree trunks. The beautiful and and vases, indicating the conservation ethic of the
elusive Blue-winged Parrot has also been sighted in time.
Sherbrooke Forest.
Post World War 2
Monstrous Mountain Ash Since the late 1940s, residential development has
A major feature of the national park is the magnificent expanded steadily, altering the character of the ranges
Mountain Ash trees of Sherbrooke. Most of these trees and making them almost a suburb of Melbourne.
grew after the severe forest fires of the 1920s. During the 1940s and 1950s, public debate was
Mountain Ash are the worlds tallest flowering plants intense concerning development in the hills. Some
growing some 100 metres tall and live up to 500 years. residents, concerned about the rate and nature of land
subdivision formed the "Save the Dandenongs
History of the Dandenong Ranges League" in 1944. A Buy Back program was initiated,
"Corhanwarrabul" was the Aboriginal name for the creating a corridor linking the Fern Tree gully and
Dandenong Ranges. It appears from historical Sherbrooke sections of the Dandenong Ranges
accounts that the Bunurong (Western Port) and the National Park. The government's purchase of
Woiworung (Yarra Yarra) Aboriginal people used the Doongalla Estate in 1950 was the first example of this
Dandenongs as hunting grounds during the summer acquisition program.
months. Major bushfires in 1962 and 1968 further accelerated
the acquisition program in order to develop a fire
European Settlement protection buffer zone.
The first recorded expedition into the Dandenong
Ranges was made by botanist Daniel Bunce during the Today
1840s. The Dandenong Ranges National park was proclaimed
By the early 1850s, wholesale clearing began as in December 1987. It consists of the amalgamation of
settlers foraged further into the forests for agricultural Fern Tree Gully National Park, Sherbrooke Forest and
land and timber resources. Timber splitters invaded Doongalla Estate along with the Upwey and Sassafras
the forest, felling giant eucalypts to be used for land corridors. In 1997, the Olinda State forest was
railways, piers, bridges and sailing ship masts. formally added to the National Park along with the
To protect the area from indiscriminate clearing a Montrose Reserve.
timber reserve, the Dandenong Woori Yallock State
forest, was established in 1867.
th
By the end of the 19 century, only one fifth of the
original timber reserve remained in public ownership.
The push by settlers for land near Melbourne
pressured the government into releasing 4,400
hectares in 1878. A further 4,900 hectares were
released in the 1890s. From the later 1860s,
Melbourne residents began to visit the area for
recreation. At first the retreat of the wealthy, the area
became a popular destination for the general
population with the advent of the railway in the 1890s
and later the motor car.
In 1882, land was reserved as a site for public
recreation and extended to 227 hectares in 1927. This
area was later declared the Fern Tree Gully National
Park.
th
Early 20 Century
The area became a focal point for the arts and
attracted painters, writers, poets and naturalists
including Tom Roberts, Arthur Streeton, Anneas Gunn
Common Ringtail Possum
and C.J. Dennis. Between the early 1900s to the mid
1920s, the beauty of the hills attracted a large number
of holiday makers and weekenders. Land was cheap Prepared for Parkweb February 2000
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Walking Tracks Map
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This colourful map guide details 16 popular
Family walk walks, with approx. distances, contours and
Mount bushwalking tips. The map is available from
Kiosk Evelyn
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Gully Picnic Ground for a cost of $2.00.
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Park information
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Picnic shelter Belgrave ENON
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Toilets C A N T E
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Toilet for disabled Tree The IN Olinda
Gully Basin l HWY l Rubbish bins are not provided,
0 250 500 DANDENONG
please take your rubbish home
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Light fires only in fireplaces

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Cartography by Spatial Vision 2002
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Upper
Ferntree Belgrave Sherbrooke No fires may be lit on days of
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Gully Total Fire Ban.
Firearms are prohibited
Dogs and cats are not permitted
Updated March 2002 in the park
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MELBOURNE
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All native plants and wildlife are
protected by law. Please do not
collect specimens