Herring Island (Victoria)
Encyclopedia
Herring Island is a small island located in Melbourne's Yarra River
at South Yarra
, approximately 3 km from the city. Originally a quarry, it was leased by the scouts in the 1950s and 1960s and is currently managed by Parks Victoria
and used as a sculpture park. It is named for Sir Edmund Francis Herring
a Lieutenant governor
of Victoria
, and Chief Justice
of the Supreme Court of Victoria
.
Herring Island is an important environmental and recreational asset in Melbourne's inner suburbs, and forms an important focus for the linear parkland proposed for the lower reaches of the Yarra River.
The Island contains indigenous vegetation, and provides important habitat for native fauna, particularly birds. Such areas are rare in the inner suburbs, and are a valuable ecological resource. Herring Island is also an important recreational resource which provides opportunities for nature study, passive recreation and adventure play.
Herring Island is little known to the people of Melbourne despite its prominent position in the Yarra River. For years, the Island had been used as a depository for silt dredged from the Yarra River and has experienced periods of neglect. This has left a legacy of land degradation, particularly soil salting, tree dieback, and weed invasion.
The Friends group is working with Parks Victoria to restore the Island. There is a unique opportunity to become involved in this project, as new members and associates are welcome.
Access to the island is from a punt service that leaves from Como landing.
Yarra River
The Yarra River, originally Birrarung, is a river in east-central Victoria, Australia. The lower stretches of the river is where the city of Melbourne was established in 1835 and today Greater Melbourne dominates and influences the landscape of its lower reaches...
at South Yarra
South Yarra, Victoria
South Yarra is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 4 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area are the Cities of Stonnington and Melbourne...
, approximately 3 km from the city. Originally a quarry, it was leased by the scouts in the 1950s and 1960s and is currently managed by Parks Victoria
Parks Victoria
-Department:Parks Victoria was established in December 1996 as a statutory authority, reporting to the Minister for Environment and Climate Change. The Parks Victoria Act 1998 makes Parks Victoria responsible for managing national parks, reserves and other land under the control of the state,...
and used as a sculpture park. It is named for Sir Edmund Francis Herring
Edmund Herring
Lieutenant General Sir Edmund Francis Herring, KCMG, KBE, DSO, MC, KStJ, ED, QC was an Australian Army officer during the Second World War, Lieutenant Governor of Victoria, and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria.A Rhodes scholar, Herring was at New College, Oxford, when the First World...
a Lieutenant governor
Lieutenant governor
A lieutenant governor or lieutenant-governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction, but is often the deputy or lieutenant to or ranking under a governor — a "second-in-command"...
of Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, and Chief Justice
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
of the Supreme Court of Victoria
Supreme Court of Victoria
The Supreme Court of Victoria is the superior court for the State of Victoria, Australia. It was founded in 1852, and is a superior court of common law and equity, with unlimited jurisdiction within the state...
.
Herring Island is an important environmental and recreational asset in Melbourne's inner suburbs, and forms an important focus for the linear parkland proposed for the lower reaches of the Yarra River.
The Island contains indigenous vegetation, and provides important habitat for native fauna, particularly birds. Such areas are rare in the inner suburbs, and are a valuable ecological resource. Herring Island is also an important recreational resource which provides opportunities for nature study, passive recreation and adventure play.
Herring Island is little known to the people of Melbourne despite its prominent position in the Yarra River. For years, the Island had been used as a depository for silt dredged from the Yarra River and has experienced periods of neglect. This has left a legacy of land degradation, particularly soil salting, tree dieback, and weed invasion.
The Friends group is working with Parks Victoria to restore the Island. There is a unique opportunity to become involved in this project, as new members and associates are welcome.
Access to the island is from a punt service that leaves from Como landing.