Isabella Williams Grassland Reserve
Between Kororoit Creek and housing, this grassland is paired with a volcano-themed playground, display gardens, and bbq and toilet facilities. Fencing now prevents mowing and reduces damage from trail bike riders. The site supports federally Critically Endangered Spiny Rice-flower.
Main photo: The grassland extends down to Kororoit Creek
2: A Volcano-themed playspace adjacent to the Volcanic Plain grassland
3: Good signage
Other names:
Owner:
Manager:
Brimbank City Council
LGA:
BRIMBANK
Notes:
A well kept remnant grassland with high plant diversity, next to a popular, volcano-themed children's playground on the edge of Kororoit Creek. Large raised garden beds next to the children's playground showcase several indigenous daisy species, which are used as a seed harvesting area for council's grassland restoration projects. The reserve is named after an early colonial farmer. The grassland itself, just north of the playground, is lightly fenced with a knee-height cable that does not prohibit access to the curious. Over the years, sections of previously mown park around the grassland have been progressively added to the fenced off area, so the grassland quality varies with the length of time it has been managed for conservation. The core of the grassland is high quality, Kangaroo Grass dominated, with many native wildflowers such as the endangered Spiny Rice-Flower (Pimelea spinescens), summer-spectacular Blue Devils (Eryngium ovinum), Lemon Beauty-Heads (Calocephalus citreus), and the curious Bluebush (Maireana enchylaenoides). The annual herb Blue Heron's-Bill (Erodium crinitum) can appear in huge patches in some years, especially after fire. Much of the grassland retains a diverse collection of soil crust bryophyte species (mosses and liverworts) which colonise bare soil. These are particularly prominent in damp winter weather where recent ecological burning has cleared the grass thatch away, leaving bare ground in the inter-tussock spaces. The rocky edges and escarpments of Kororoit Creek nearby also have important remant vegetation including Matted Flax-Lily (Dianella amoena), Rock Fern (Cheilanthes species), Plains Sedge (Carex bichenoviana), Yellow Rush-Lily (Tricoryne elatior), Slender Tick-trefoil (Desmodium varians). Overstory here includes veteran River Red Gums (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) and many indigenous shrubs like the bizarre-looking Tangled Lignum (Duma florulenta) and the sweet-scented, summer-flowering Sweet Bursaria (Bursaria spinosa). The common Tree Violet (Melicytus dentatus) is joined by its sibling species Gruggly Bush (Melicytus angustifolius), which is generally smaller and much spikier.
Key features:
?''''' Spiny Rice-flower (Pimelea spinescens subspecies spinescens) ?''''' Blue-bush (Maireana enchylaenoides) ?''''' Bryophyte soil crusts ?''''' Matted Flax-Lily (Dianella amoena) and rock-fern (Cheilanthes species) on the escarpment nearby
Access:
Type:
NATURE CONSERVATION RESERVE
Status:
Extant
Address:
47 Fairfax Cct, Albanvale VIC 3021, Australia
Area (ha):
2.487810027
Lattidude (decimal):
-37.74910625
Longitude (decimal):
144.7589093
Location:
Contributors:
BC
External URL one:
https://www.brimbank.vic.gov.au/map/isabella-williams-reserve