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 Star Swamp Bushland is a 96 hectare
conservation reserve 15 km north of Perth, Western
Australia. The Reserve
is a declared Bush Forever site [no. 204]
and comprising a 4 hectare seasonal freshwater lake with
paperbark trees and 92 hectares of Banksia, Tuart,
Jarrah and Marri woodlands, and areas of low heath.
The bushland provides a breeding
site and sanctuary for both waterbirds and other
bushland bird species and over 65 species of birds have
been recorded. It is also an important habitat for many
species of reptiles, insects, and spiders.
The main flowering period is between
August and October, but there are some flowers to be
found at any time of the year. Over a dozen species of
orchids occur in the bushland and several hundred flora
species have been listed.
Star Swamp Bushland is an A-Class
reserve, vested in, and managed on behalf of the
community, by the City of Stirling. The Reserve has
been set aside for the purposes of conservation, passive
recreation and education.
Star Swamp is a remnant of the once
extensive chain of wetland lakes and swamps which filled
low-lying areas between ancient sand dunes. From the
mid 19th Century, the area comprising the
Star Swamp Bushland Reserve was part of a dairy and
cattle lease. Early in 1868, J H Okely of Wanneroo,
applied for Tillage Lease 5063, a 100 acre block which
included Star Swamp. The origins of the naming of the
swamp are unclear.
The area was used as a camping area
and watering place for drovers using the Coastal Stock
Route and, during the Second World War, a squadron from
the Australian Army 10th Light Horse Division
was stationed nearby on coastal watch duties, using the
swamp for watering the horses.
In the early 1900s, the area west of
Star Swamp was sub-divided for housing development,
gradually expanding to be a popular seaside holiday
destination. More recently the area surrounding the
Reserve has been absorbed by the rapid growth of Perth’s
northern suburbs.
In the 1970s, local residents waged a
strong campaign of community action to prevent the area
from being developed for housing. This eight year
campaign was supported by local politicians, academics
and environmentalists and resulted in the gazettal, in
1985, of the Star Swamp Bushland as an A-Class Reserve.
The Reserve has many good walking
trails and the 1.4 km sign-posted Star Swamp Heritage
Trail highlights historic points of interest. The
Henderson Environmental Centre opened in 2002, giving
local groups, teachers and environmentalists a focal
point for activities within the Reserve. |
