Revitalise Warringal:
The remaking of Banyule’s wetlands
An Onticity Art Project
In partnership with Warringal Conservation Society and Warringal Shopping Centre, and supported by a Banyule City Council Art Grant.
In December 2020, between Melbourne’s Covid lockdowns, Anne Bennett painted a large scale panoramic view of the Banyule Swamp, live at Warringal Shopping Centre, Heidelberg in celebration of Warringal Conservation Society’s 50th anniversary and their instrumental role in restoring Banyule’s wetlands.
Painting live
Working in an empty shop at Warringal Shopping Centre in Burgundy Street, Heidelberg, local shoppers could observe her process and progress over several weeks as she constructed intricate and complex collages from photographs of the Warringal Parklands and Banyule Flats Reserve, before painting an expansive translucent panorama of the Banyule Swamp.
Banyule Flats Reserve and Swamp
Banyule Swamp is Melbourne’s ‘hidden treasure’. Located on the Main Yarra Trail near Heidelberg, the swamp is the jewel in the Banyule Flats Reserve. Ecologically rich as it is beautiful, its extensive reed beds, open water and ephemeral depressions, surrounded by riparian and grassy woodlands support over 150 different species of native Australian and migratory birds, and other wildlife. So much so, that in recent years the reserve has been recognised to be of state environmental significance. Throughout 2020 and Covid restrictions, Banyule’s wetlands have also proved vital for the health and wellbeing of Banyule residents. But, with such lush bushland and abundant wildlife giving welcome solace to lockdown weary locals, it is hard to imagine that the Banyule Flats consisted of treeless paddocks just a few decades ago.
Colonial Land Clearing
Aboriginal artefact scatters and scar trees found in and around the Banyule Flats reserve point to the enduring importance of Banyule’s waterways and its bountiful past. For thousands of years prior to European settlement, the Banyule area was a fertile camping and cultural site for the Wurundjeri willam people. However with the arrival of British colonists in Victoria, woodlands were felled and the land sold off as rural allotments. By 1846, Banyule Homestead, built by grazier Joseph Hawdon stood proud on Banyule escarpment overlooking what had once been verdant wetland. Cleared of vegetation and drained, the Banyule Flats were used for cattle grazing until the 1990s, suburban expansion further impacting the area.
Regeneration
Warringal Conservation Society, responding to environmental degradation and the ongoing pressures of urbanisation, formed in 1970 as a grassroots environmental community group. As one of the oldest environmental friends groups in Victoria, the Society has not only continuously advocated for the green spaces of Banyule but was also instrumental in replanting and conserving the bushy wetlands adjacent to the Yarra River in Heidelberg. The rewards from this practical work have been birds and other wildlife returning, vibrant wetlands, and beautiful parkland for all to enjoy. Today, the reserve continues to be managed by Banyule City Council’s Bushland Management Unit, in conjunction with Warringal Conservation Society.
Artworks by Anne Bennett
Photo documentation by Natasha Ward
Poster design by Heather Smith