Balyang Sanctuary is a public park in the suburb of Newtown

Newtown, Victoria

Newtown is an inner western suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia. It is a primarily residential area occupying one of the highest points of urban Geelong, has always been a desirable place of residence and it is the location of many of Geelong's oldest and most valuable properties.The locality of...

, Geelong

Geelong, Victoria

Geelong is a port city located on Corio Bay and the Barwon River, in the state of Victoria, Australia, south-west of the state capital; Melbourne. It is the second most populated city in Victoria and the fifth most populated non-capital city in Australia...

. Situated at 38.1642°S 144.3312°E on the banks of the Barwon River

Barwon River (Victoria)

The Barwon River rises in the Otway Ranges of Victoria, Australia, runs through Winchelsea and the city of Geelong, where it is joined by the Moorabool River, and enters the sea at Barwon Heads after passing through Lake Connewarre on the Bellarine Peninsula...

, it is 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) in size and consists of open park lands, lakes, and wetlands. It was opened in 1973.

History

The area occupied by Balyang Sanctuary was once owned by Captain Foster Fyans

Foster Fyans

Foster Fyans , soldier, penal administrator and public servant, was acting commandant of the second convict settlement at Norfolk Island, the first police magistrate at Geelong, and commissioner of crown lands for the Portland Bay pastoral district in the Port Phillip District of New South...

, who purchased it in 1845 at the first Government land sale. It has on this land that Foster built his permanent home - 'Bellbird Balyang' to remember a young aboriginal who accompanied him in the early days of the Geelong settlement.

The land was mainly used for grazing, as it was low lying and subject to flooding. It was reserved as public open space under the Geelong Planning Scheme 1959, with the local City of Newtown

City of Newtown

The City of Newtown was a Local Government Area located about west of the regional city of Geelong, Victoria, Australia. The city covered an area of , and existed from 1858 until 1994.-History:...

 responsible for acquiring the land. Negotiations begun in 1965, by the landowner Mr H.S. Hargraves wished to continue using the land. It was not until 1969 that a price was determined.

Also during 1965, the current Princes Bridge at the end of Shannon Avenue opened. This high level concrete and steel girder bridge replaced an older wooden bridge first opened in 1889. The older bridge was at the bottom of what is now Marnock Road, the current bridge was built with approaches on a new embankment to the west, encircling what became Balyang Sanctuary.

Work begins

On September 30, 1970 a plan was adopted for the new park. Work commenced on August 1, 1970. Part of the works were carried out using the labour of the unemployed under the Rural Employment Scheme. The cost had been estimated at $81,500, with $67,150 spent by the opening, $53,350 being labour provided under the Rural Employment Scheme. The park was officially opened on August 16 1973 by the mayor of the City of Newtown

City of Newtown

The City of Newtown was a Local Government Area located about west of the regional city of Geelong, Victoria, Australia. The city covered an area of , and existed from 1858 until 1994.-History:...

, as well as representatives of the State and Federal Government.

The park consisted of a main lake with a maximum depth of 2'6" (~80 cm) with bluestone and concrete walls. Three islands were situated in the centre, with public access to two of them via four footbridges. Water for the lake was supplied by two storm water drains at the northern end, as well as pumping water from the Barwon River

Barwon River (Victoria)

The Barwon River rises in the Otway Ranges of Victoria, Australia, runs through Winchelsea and the city of Geelong, where it is joined by the Moorabool River, and enters the sea at Barwon Heads after passing through Lake Connewarre on the Bellarine Peninsula...

. 150 car parks were provided in the area, as well as public toilets and picnic tables. A number of riverside walking and bike paths link Balyang Sanctuary with other parks along the Barwon River.

A number of both native and introduced species

Introduced species

An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...

 of bird inhabit the park, including swan

Swan

Swans, genus Cygnus, are birds of the family Anatidae, which also includes geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form the tribe Cygnini. Sometimes, they are considered a distinct subfamily, Cygninae...

s, pelicans, Eurasian coot, dusky moorhen, Pacific black duck, mallard, pied cormorant, geese and silver gulls.

Today

Attempts were made remove introduced European carp from the lake in the early 2000s but were unsuccessful, however the extended drought

Drought

A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...

over the summer of 2007 resulted in the lake drying up. Early 2007 saw the Sanctuary upgraded, with the bluestone edging of the lake removed, and the lake rebuilt to closer resemble a natural wetland.