Brisbane-Ranges-Nationalpark
The Brisbane Ranges National Park is a national park in the southern Australian state of Victoria, 57 kilometers west of Melbourne and 45 km south-east of Ballarat. The protected status of this 7.7781 hectare area was in 1975.
Tourist Facilities
The park protects a portion of the Brisbane Ranges, a low hill country, which is accessed by a series of trails. The paths to the Anakie Gorge, which are Ted Errey Nature Circuit and the Wadawurrung Walk the famous, the path to the Anakie Gorge is not very steep and also for children and the elderly suitable. There are several resting and camping sites.
Animals and Plants
In the park about 619 indigenous plant species have been established. These are about one- quarter of all species in the state of Victoria. Many of these species are rare or come here far from their actual distribution area before. A Grevilleen Art ( Grevillea steiglitziana ) ever comes only in this national park. Other rare species include, without limitation Olearia pannosa and Grevillea chrysophaea. In the spring also fall on especially the grass trees, acacias and a number of orchid species.
Notable mammals include, without limitation the Eastern Grey Kangaroo, wallabies, echidnas, possums and koalas and Sugar Glider. Of the 180 documented species of honeyeater Yellow forehead and the beard eight swallow Eurostopodus mystacalis are particularly rare. More abundant species are the peregrine falcon and the Regenbogenspint.
History
Originally lived in this area of the Aboriginal tribe of Wathaurung.
The first European settlers invaded about 1840 in the area. Already in 1843, most of the present-day National Parks of them had been repossessed. However, the actual grazing areas concentrated on the east of the Brisbane Ranges and the area around the Moorabool River. Nevertheless, this use of the land was sufficient to alter the vegetation so effectively that the Wathaurung their food security lost: Already in 1863, only 30 members of this tribe were counted.
1853 was found for the first time gold, which led to a temporary influx of people. By 1890 there were 79 gold mines and middle of the decade about 2,500 inhabitants. However, this figure went in just ten years back to about 150 and in 1907 was only able to earn a gold mine profits.
Bush fire
On 16 January 2006, a lightning strike caused a forest fire in Steiglitz Historical Park (in the south of the National Park ), which soon spread over the whole Brisbane Ranges. Despite extensive efforts extinguishing the fire destroyed 6700 hectares of parklands, but only destroyed two houses and there were no deaths to mourn.