St Arnaud Field Naturalists Club Inc.
St Arnaud and Region
Pastoral development in the region began before 1836 with the explorations of Major Mitchell. What followed has been a rapid clearing of the landscape for agriculture and industry, allowing little more than 5% of the native vegetation to remain.
The two primary bioregions of the region are:
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The Western Goldfields bioregion; characterised by Box-ironbark vegetation communities, and
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The Wimmera bioregion; characterised by Buloke woodlands and Black-box/lignum wetlands.
Landscapes across the area are highly fragmented, with remnant vegetation occurring largely across private land and Public Land Reserves, including but not limited to the Kara Kara National Park, St Arnaud Regional Park, Bolangum and Tottington Conservation Reserves, Wooroonook Lakes, Lake Buloke, Lake Batyo Catyo, Walkers Lake, Dalyenong Conservation Reserve, and Mt Wycheproof.
These few remaining sites provide critical habitat to native species, some of which are now endangered or regionally extinct, including Buloke tree, Stuart Mill Spider orchid, Powerful Owl, and Growling grass frog.
Reconnecting these landscapes remains a priority project for the Buloke and Northern Grampians Landcare Network (BNGLN).
Click this link to show a map showing parks and reserves around St Arnaud
Places to Visit
Around the Town
The St Arnaud Regional Park surrounds the Town so there is plenty of opportunityto walk or ride along tracks in the Box Ironbark forest.
The St Arnaud Field Naturalists have helped Parks Victoria to develop the following nature reserves within the St Arnaud Regional Park.
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Wax garden Flora Reserve
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Viewpoint
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Bell Rock Heritage Reserve
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The Basin - St Arnaud State Forest
Click on any of the brochures to download them.
Local Tours
Tour guides featuring ‘Historic Buildings in the Town’ and it’s ‘Mine History.’See ‘Historic Walking Trail’ and ‘Mine History Trail’ produced by the St Arnaud Historical Society.
Where to get more information
Pamphlets, brochures and booklets are all available at
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The St Arnaud Tourist Information Centre
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St Arnaud Community Resource Centre
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The Raillery Hub, St Arnaud
St Arnaud Silo and Wall Art Trail
Features paintings and portraits by local artist Kyle Torney. Starting in St Arnaud the trail links the Wimmera & Mallee’s small towns through 700km of roads.
Read more here.
Bike Riding Trails
See the Booklet ‘Cycling Trails Around St Arnaud’
Less than one hour to visit
Cope Cope area
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Browns Lake / Lake Cope Cope
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Lake Nurrumbeet
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Lake Grassy
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Round Lake
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Swanwater West Cemetery … woodland birds in undisturbed buloke woodland
Dalyenong Nature Conservation Reserve
Kooyoora State Park
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well managed park, facilities, camping - take a picnic
Mount Bolangum Nature Conservation Reserve
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again take a picnic
Kara Kara National Park
Teddington Reservoir
Teddington Campground
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Walking trails and birdwatching, situated within
Kara Kara National Park.
Wooroonook Lakes
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camping, water recreation, birds
Visit the local Facebook pages for great photos
Further afield - weekender / big day out
Avon Plains
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Walkers Lake - camping, water recreation
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Hollands Lake … a bird haven
Banyena
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River Walk
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Burrum Burrum Cemetery (remember country cemeteries are rarelydisturbed by the dead or living, making them a haven for bird life and our endemic plants)
Bealiba
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begin at Evans Hotel. Picnic at Bealiba Reservoir, old gold diggings
Boort lake
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cabins, water sports, canoe hire
Camping in the Goldfields
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(around Maryborough and St Arnaud)
Butts Reserve
Goldfield Glamping
Hamilton Crossing
Kooyoora State Park
Hard Hill Tourist Reserve
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(near Wedderburn)
Laanecoorie River Reserve
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Moliagul Campground
Paddy’s Range Camping
Pyrenees Glamping Retreat
Secret Lead
Slaty Creek Campground
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Teddington Camping Area
Tullaroop Creek
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Tullaroop Reservoir
Waanyarra Camping Grounds
Canoe Trails
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Serpentine Creek CT, Laanecoorie CT, Loddon River CT
Central Goldfields Visitors Centre
Maryborough Railway Station, Maryborough
Dunolly Museum
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75 Broadway, Dunolly for history
Goldfields – current UNESCO review for inclusion
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Running from Mt Buninyong to Bendigo the Goldfields Track (210km) meanders through numerous Parks.
Parks near Maryborough and Castlemaine include:
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Castlemaine Diggings National Park
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Paddy’s Ranges State Park
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Maryborough Regional Park
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Moliagul Historic Reserve. Walk the ‘Welcome Stranger’ discovery walk
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Visit htpps://www.parks.vic.gov.au
Grampians National Park (Gariwerd)
Laanecoorie Reservoir
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Walking tracks, birds
Mt Arapiles
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Can drive to top and view the plains below. Nearby quaint town of Natimuk. Rock climbing, bushwalking, bird watching
Mt Wycheproof
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Standing 43 m above surrounding plains is the smallest registered mountain in the world. Visit https://www.visitbuloke.com.au
Pyrenees Unearthed Wine and Food Festival
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At the beginning of April, our winemakers celebrate harvest - a day of sensational wine, delicious food, local produce and live entertainment. Head to Moonambel www.visitpyrenees.com.au
Sea Lake
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Home of ‘big skies’ and Lake Tyrell
Talbot
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Court House Hotel, monthly farmers to stock up for that bush picnic
Victorian Goldfields Railway
Heritage Goldfields Rail linking historic gold mining towns of Castlemaine and Maldon
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Visit https://www.VGR.com.au or email info@vgr.com.au
Pyrenees Rail Heritage Trail
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Round circle Tour from Avoca via Amphitheatre, Elmhurst, Crowlands, Landsborough and Navarre.
Farmers Markets ... for that picnic
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Avoca – 4th Sunday of month
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Talbot – 3rd Sunday of month
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Carisbrook – 2nd and last Sunday of month
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Castlemaine -1st Sunday of month
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Dunolly - 4th Sunday of month
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Maldon – 2nd Sunday of month
