Woorookarung Report

 Walk Report March 28.

 

20 members assembled in the Eureka Centre car park before heading off to join the northern end of the “Bunny” Trail. This section connects with Victoria St., where a red brick bridge is still visible. We turned east and continued along Victoria St, passing an historic hotel, before turning into the site of the old Ballarat Orphanage, now a new housing development. The former school house has been incorporated into the IGA Supermarket and the Toddler’s Block is, appropriately, a kindergarten. Several significant Elm trees and an historic wall along Stawell St., have also been preserved.

Emerging from this estate onto Fussel St., we followed the boundary of the Mt. Xavier Golf Course. This land is owned by the Sisters of Mercy, Ballarat East, and has been leased by the golf course and bowls club for 70 years. The site also includes a significant pine forest containing information plaques attesting to its history. Much of this land is to be sold and the club house and greens etc. will need to move onto new land in the next five years, with grand plans to construct new bowling facilities and a community sports hub.

We then skirted the perimeter of Pryor Park, a public space, possibly named after Ballarat Mayor Joseph Pryor, and a pine plantation before clearing in 1990. It is now a community managed bush land with over 4000 native trees and shrubs planted by local residents to maintain the north – south wildlife corridor.

On arriving at Eureka St., we crossed into the Woowookarung Regional Park where we enjoyed morning tea – complete with a visit from the Easter Bunny and Easter eggs of course! 

We then took the new Cherry Ballart/Ferny Loop to connect with York St., following it back to the Eureka Centre for a well deserved cuppa/lunch after 10.2km. and over 15,000 steps.

Many thanks to Greg for a most enjoyable and interesting walk and to Libby for her always cheerful and efficient, ”Whipship”.

Helen M.

NB:  Cherry Ballart or Native Cherry – a medium cypress/sheoak like shrub or tree, bearing bright red, edible cherries. It is a little bit parasitic (hemiparasitic) as it gains extra nutrients by allowing its roots to tap into nearby host plants.