Sherbrooke Forest
Encyclopedia
Sherbrooke Forest lies at an altitude of 300 m within the Dandenong Ranges
, 40 km east of Melbourne
, in Victoria, Australia, close to the suburb of Belgrave
. The vegetation is classified as wet sclerophyll
forest with the dominant tree species the Mountain Ash, Eucalyptus regnans
, the tallest flowering plant
in the world. From the mid 19th century until 1930 it was logged. In 1958 it was gazetted as a park, and in 1987 it was merged with Doongalla Reserve and Ferntree Gully
National Park to form the 32.15 km² Dandenong Ranges National Park
.
Sherbrooke Forest is famous for its population of Superb Lyrebird
s and was an early, and still important, site for the study and conservation of this species. One of the early lyrebird researchers and sound recordists of the 1930s was Ray Littlejohns
. Another researcher who analysed lyrebird song was K. C. Halafoff
.
Dandenong Ranges
The Dandenong Ranges are a set of low mountain ranges, rising to 633 metres at Mount Dandenong, approximately 35 km east of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia...
, 40 km east of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, in Victoria, Australia, close to the suburb of Belgrave
Belgrave, Victoria
Belgrave is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 35 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Yarra Ranges. At the 2006 Census, Belgrave had a population of 4094...
. The vegetation is classified as wet sclerophyll
Sclerophyll
Sclerophyll is the term for a type of vegetation that has hard leaves and short internodes . The word comes from the Greek sclero and phyllon ....
forest with the dominant tree species the Mountain Ash, Eucalyptus regnans
Eucalyptus regnans
Eucalyptus regnans, known variously by the common names Mountain Ash, Victorian Ash, Swamp Gum, Tasmanian Oak or Stringy Gum, is a species of Eucalyptus native to southeastern Australia, in Tasmania and Victoria...
, the tallest flowering plant
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
in the world. From the mid 19th century until 1930 it was logged. In 1958 it was gazetted as a park, and in 1987 it was merged with Doongalla Reserve and Ferntree Gully
Ferntree Gully, Victoria
Ferntree Gully is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, in the Dandenong Ranges, 29 km east from Melbourne's central business district. It is in the Local Government Area's of the Shire of Yarra Ranges and the City of Knox...
National Park to form the 32.15 km² Dandenong Ranges National Park
Dandenong Ranges National Park
Dandenong Ranges National Park is in Victoria, Australia, 38 km east of Melbourne.Because the park is located in an urban area, the park has a long history of major problems with feral and roaming animals...
.
Sherbrooke Forest is famous for its population of Superb Lyrebird
Superb Lyrebird
The Superb Lyrebird is a pheasant-sized songbird, approximately 100cm long, with brown upper body plumage, grayish-brown below, rounded wings and strong legs...
s and was an early, and still important, site for the study and conservation of this species. One of the early lyrebird researchers and sound recordists of the 1930s was Ray Littlejohns
Raymond Trewolla Littlejohns
Raymond Trewolla Littlejohns was an Australian accountant, amateur ornithologist and bird photographer. He is especially well known for his efforts in photography and sound recording of the Lyrebirds of Sherbrooke Forest near Melbourne, Victoria...
. Another researcher who analysed lyrebird song was K. C. Halafoff
K. C. Halafoff
Konstantin Ciryl Halafoff or K. C. Halafoff was a White Emigre Russian and Australian poet and ornithologist interested in the musicology of bird song....
.