This fenced reserve is part of the larger Beckett Park in Balwyn. The flora reserve was created in the early 1990s to protect a pocket of grassy woodland vegetation.
The entrance to the flora reserve from Beckett Park.
A family outing.
Although not densely vegetated, it gives a bushwalk feeling as you wander along the paths within. The paths are mostly natural earth, not wide, but wheelchairs would be comfortably on them.
Walking along the natural earth path.
The most dominant flowers were members of the yellow daisy family. They grew mainly in clusters, giving a nice feeling seeing large areas of yellow.
There were many patches of these.
Getting closer.
A close view is worth it.
Other splashes of yellow throughout the reserve were golden wattles, always a pleasure to see.
Wattle gold.
Enjoying the walk.
Many of the wildflowers seen were very small and sometimes only one specimen per stem. Easy to miss as they are not tall.
Very tiny.
Not too close.
Other wildflowers were on tall stalks with a multitude of blooms.
Many on the one stalk.
White flowering bush.
Several Kangaroo apple bushes were evident with their purple flowers.
Kangaroo apple bush and flower.
Hanging grasses.
Native grasses were abundant throughout the reserve. Some of these are quite exquisite when viewed closely. Some even have the look of an orchid.
Dense grasses.
Backlighting shows its beauty.
Native grass head.
It has the shape of an orchid.
It is definitely an on-lead area for dogs and several were seen enjoying the flora with their owners.
Stopping for a look.
A different type of flowering bush.
Only two species of birds were observed. Several magpies and many noisy miners.
Magpie.
Noisy miner in tree.
An itchy noisy miner.
Visiting the flora reserve has two further benefits.
There were many of these in the reserve and outside its fence.
itself. It has two dominant features. An impressive war memorial records the names of local personal who served overseas in World War One. Another tall stone structure is the Centenary Lookout Tower built in 1934 to commemorate the centenary of the State of Victoria. It is open to climb to the top and enjoy the view. Between these two structures is a large play area, all surrounded by large expanses of grass.
Read all about it.
Observation tower and play area.
At the western side of Beckett Park is
Maranoa Gardens. These gardens began in 1901 as a private garden. The former City of Camberwell acquired the area in 1922, formally opening them to the public in 1926. They cover 2.6 ha and is home to around 4000 different Australian native plants from all regions of Australia. Well worth a visit.
The entrance to Maranoa Gardens.
There is an on-site car park in Beckett Park accessed from Parring Road, which runs off Whitehorse Road.
A visit to all three attractions, combined with a picnic lunch would be a very pleasant family outing.
