Victoria Park Nature Reserve
Encyclopedia
Victoria Park Nature Reserve is a 17.5 hectare sub tropical jungle remnant of the Big Scrub
. Situated on an undulating high rainfall plain near Alstonville
, New South Wales
. The red-brown soil is derived from a basalt
ic flow from the nearby Mount Warning
. 8 hectares of the reserve is original rainforest
, other areas are being re-vegetated. Victoria Park Nature Reserve is one of the more significant remnants of the 75,000 hectare Big Scrub
, almost completely destroyed in the 19th century.
Victoria Park is a popular area for picnics and barbecues. There is wheelchair access, a wooden boardwalk, pit toilets, tables, gas barbecues and information boards.
In this small area, a large diversity of flora exists. 82 tree species are included amongst the 152 plant species. Many types of vines, smaller plants and fungi grow here. Most of the animals are nocturnal, though Red-legged Pademelon
s are sometimes seen on the edges of the grassy area. Rainforest pigeons such as the Wompoo Fruit Dove are often heard, but rarely seen. Land Mullet
s may be heard crawling on the rainforest floor.
Significant rainforest
tree species include Moreton Bay Fig
, Strangler Fig
, Long Jack
, Black Bean, White Booyong, Red Bean
and Bumpy Ash
. Other notable species include White Bean, Macadamia
, Yellow Kamala and the rare Baloghia marmorata
.
A tourist attraction in the early 20th century was a giant Moreton Bay Fig
, around 60 metres tall. Allegedly sighted by Captain Cook from his ship the Endeavour
in 1770. The tree was damaged by a storm in 1970 and died soon afterwards.
Re-vegetation of the previously cleared farmland is under progress. However, the removal of original jungle vegetation has caused a lack of soil nutrients. Despite this, wildlife corridor
s are slowly being created to link other nearby rainforest remnants.
Big Scrub
The Big Scrub was the largest area of subtropical lowland rainforest in eastern Australia. It was intensively cleared for agricultural use in the 19th century by colonists...
. Situated on an undulating high rainfall plain near Alstonville
Alstonville, New South Wales
Alstonville is a town located in northern New South Wales, Australia, part of the region known as the Northern Rivers. Alstonville is located on the Bruxner Highway between the town of Ballina and city of Lismore . The village of Wollongbar is situated 4 km to the west of Alstonville...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. The red-brown soil is derived from a basalt
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
ic flow from the nearby Mount Warning
Mount Warning
Mount Warning is a mountain west-south-west of Murwillumbah, near the border with Queensland in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia...
. 8 hectares of the reserve is original rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
, other areas are being re-vegetated. Victoria Park Nature Reserve is one of the more significant remnants of the 75,000 hectare Big Scrub
Big Scrub
The Big Scrub was the largest area of subtropical lowland rainforest in eastern Australia. It was intensively cleared for agricultural use in the 19th century by colonists...
, almost completely destroyed in the 19th century.
Victoria Park is a popular area for picnics and barbecues. There is wheelchair access, a wooden boardwalk, pit toilets, tables, gas barbecues and information boards.
In this small area, a large diversity of flora exists. 82 tree species are included amongst the 152 plant species. Many types of vines, smaller plants and fungi grow here. Most of the animals are nocturnal, though Red-legged Pademelon
Red-legged Pademelon
The Red-legged Pademelon is a species of small macropod found on the northeastern coast of Australia and in New Guinea. In Australia it has a scattered distribution from the tip of Cape York Peninsula in Queensland to around Tamworth in New South Wales...
s are sometimes seen on the edges of the grassy area. Rainforest pigeons such as the Wompoo Fruit Dove are often heard, but rarely seen. Land Mullet
Land Mullet
Egernia major, also known as Land Mullet, is one of the largest members of the skink family .The species may reach total lengths of up to 60 cm. They are uniform glossy black to brown, with a paler ring around the eye...
s may be heard crawling on the rainforest floor.
Significant rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
tree species include Moreton Bay Fig
Moreton Bay Fig
Ficus macrophylla, commonly known as the Moreton Bay Fig, is a large evergreen banyan tree of the Moraceae family that is a native of most of the eastern coast of Australia, from the Atherton Tableland in the north to the Illawarra in New South Wales, and Lord Howe Island. Its common name is...
, Strangler Fig
Ficus watkinsiana
Ficus watkinsiana, commonly known as Strangler fig, Watkins' fig, Nipple fig or the Green-leaved Moreton Bay Fig is a hemiepiphytic fig that is endemic to Australia...
, Long Jack
Flindersia xanthoxyla
Flindersia xanthoxyla is an Australian rainforest tree in the citrus family. It is known as the Long Jack or Yellowwood . It occurs mainly in dry rainforest or littoral rainforest. However, it also occurs in sub tropical rainforest such as Davis Scrub Nature Reserve. The species name xanthoxyla...
, Black Bean, White Booyong, Red Bean
Dysoxylum mollissimum subsp. molle
The Red Bean or Miva Mahogany is a rainforest tree in the Mahogany family. Dysoxylum mollissimum subsp. molle occurs in tropical, sub-tropical and littoral rainforests in eastern Australia. Distributed from the Macleay River in New South Wales in the south, to Cooktown, tropical Queensland in the...
and Bumpy Ash
Flindersia schottiana
Flindersia schottiana is a species of plant in the Rutaceae family. It is found in Australia, West Papua , and Papua New Guinea...
. Other notable species include White Bean, Macadamia
Macadamia tetraphylla
Macadamia tetraphylla is a tree in the Proteaceae family, native to Queensland in Australia. Common names include Macadamia Nut, Bauple Nut, Prickly Macadamia, Queensland Nut, Rough-shelled Bush Nut and Rough-shelled Queensland NutThis species has dense foliage and grows up to 18 metres in height...
, Yellow Kamala and the rare Baloghia marmorata
Baloghia marmorata
Baloghia marmorata is a rare rainforest plant of eastern Australia. Known as the Marbled Baloghia.- Distribution :Occurring in a few places in the Big Scrub, such as Victoria Park Nature Reserve and Davis Scrub Nature Reserve, and as far north as Gympie in the state of Queensland...
.
A tourist attraction in the early 20th century was a giant Moreton Bay Fig
Moreton Bay Fig
Ficus macrophylla, commonly known as the Moreton Bay Fig, is a large evergreen banyan tree of the Moraceae family that is a native of most of the eastern coast of Australia, from the Atherton Tableland in the north to the Illawarra in New South Wales, and Lord Howe Island. Its common name is...
, around 60 metres tall. Allegedly sighted by Captain Cook from his ship the Endeavour
HMS Endeavour
HMS Endeavour may refer to one of the following ships:In the Royal Navy:, a 36-gun ship purchased in 1652 and sold in 1656, a 4-gun bomb vessel purchased in 1694 and sold in 1696, a fire ship purchased in 1694 and sold in 1696, a storeship hoy purchased in 1694 and sold in 1705, a storeship...
in 1770. The tree was damaged by a storm in 1970 and died soon afterwards.
Re-vegetation of the previously cleared farmland is under progress. However, the removal of original jungle vegetation has caused a lack of soil nutrients. Despite this, wildlife corridor
Wildlife corridor
A wildlife corridor or green corridor is an area of habitat connecting wildlife populations separated by human activities . This allows an exchange of individuals between populations, which may help prevent the negative effects of inbreeding and reduced genetic diversity that often occur within...
s are slowly being created to link other nearby rainforest remnants.
See also
- Davis Scrub Nature ReserveDavis Scrub Nature ReserveDavis Scrub Nature Reserve is a 13 hectare sub tropical jungle remnant of the Big Scrub. Situated at 170 metres above sea level on an undulating high rainfall plain near Alstonville, New South Wales, Australia....
- Andrew Johnston Big Scrub Nature ReserveAndrew Johnston Big Scrub Nature ReserveAndrew Johnston Big Scrub Nature Reserve is a 21 hectare sub tropical jungle remnant of the Big Scrub. Far less than one percent of the original Big Scrub now remains...
- Booyong Flora ReserveBooyong Flora ReserveBooyong Flora Reserve is a 13 hectare sub tropical jungle remnant of the Big Scrub. Far less than one percent of the original Big Scrub now remains. This remnant is situated 18 kilometres north east of Lismore in New South Wales, Australia....
- Big ScrubBig ScrubThe Big Scrub was the largest area of subtropical lowland rainforest in eastern Australia. It was intensively cleared for agricultural use in the 19th century by colonists...