Belgrave Heights is a town in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

, Australia, 36 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district, located within the

Shire of Yarra Ranges The Shire of Yarra Ranges, also known as Yarra Ranges Council, is a local government area in Victoria, Australia, located in the outer eastern and northeastern suburbs of Melbourne extending into the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges. It has an ...

local government area. Belgrave Heights recorded a population of 1,398 at the . Belgrave Heights Post Office opened on 1 August 1938 as settlement began in the area, and closed in 1977. In February 1983, the Ash Wednesday fires swept through the area, destroying 238 houses and causing 21 deaths.

Schools

Belgrave Heights Christian School Belgrave Heights Christian School is an, independent, co-educational, Presbyterian school located in Belgrave Heights on the edge of the scenic Dandenong Ranges. The school is located east of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is an open-enrolme ...

Birdsland Reserve

Belgrave Heights has a bushland park called Birdsland. Originally owned by a farming family, the Birds, it was known locally as "Birds' Paddock". It was later purchased in 1982 by the former Shire of Sherbrooke (now part of Yarra Ranges) expressly for public use. In 1983 the property was damaged by the Ash Wednesday bushfires. In 1984 it was opened to the public for bushwalking, picnicking, sightseeing, and local horse agistment. It is a very important habitat link for locally rare

Platypus The platypus (''Ornithorhynchus anatinus''), sometimes referred to as the duck-billed platypus, is a semiaquatic, egg-laying mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. The platypus is the sole living representative or mono ...

and the Yellow-belied Glider. The reserve waterways are managed by Melbourne Water and other areas managed by Shire of Yarra Ranges. Birdsland Advisory Committee help make decisions for a broad overview to management of the reserve. The committee has developed a sustainable design education centre, including solar panels, composting toilet and water tanks. Next door is the Southern Dandenongs Indigenous Plant Nursery which is a not-for profit group which provides a range of plants that are native to the Dandenong Ranges. Many scenes in the 7 Network mini-series '' Against The Wind'' were filmed there in 1978.

Melbourne Water Melbourne Water is a Victorian Government-owned statutory authority that controls and manages much of the water bodies and supplies in metropolitan Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, including the reservoirs, lakes, wetlands, canals and urban cree ...

offers stream frontage grants to help landowners apply for money for weed eradication, fencing and more.
In February 2009 a bushfire swept through the Birdsland area. The bushfire grew to around 300 hectares coming just 2 weeks after the 2009 Victorian bushfires

Monbulk Creek Corridor

Monbulk Creek is part of a biolink corridor (the biolink being between Dandenong Ranges National Park and Lysterfield Lake Park). This corridor is primarily located on the riparian zone (the area adjacent to the creek). This provides habitat to many different environments aquatic, creek banks and the floodplain. These different elements can be separated into Abiotic (Non-living things) and Biotic (living things). The abiotic factors (such as climate, rocks, debris, water, etc.) and the biotic factors (flora and fauna) and the interactions between the two make up an ecosystem.

Flora

Belgrave Heights is located on the borderline Southern Highlands Fall and Gippsland Plains Bioregion. Belgrave Heights falls into a combination of different Ecological Vegetation Classes (EVC). Shrubby Foothill Forest Eucalyptus Obliqua, radiata Exocarpus cupressiformis Spyridium parvifolium Goodenia ovata Epacris impressa Tetratheca cilata Platylobium formosum Lomatia ilicifolia Acrotriche prostrata Viola hederacea Gonocarpus tetragynus Tetrarrhena juncea Leptosperma laterale Pteridium esculatum Billarderi scandens The dominant overstorey is '' Acacia melanoxylon'', ''

Acacia dealbata ''Acacia dealbata'', the silver wattle, blue wattle or mimosa, is a species of flowering plant in the legume family Fabaceae, native to southeastern Australia in New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, and the Australian Capital Territory, and widel ...

'', ''

Acacia pycnantha ''Acacia pycnantha'', most commonly known as the golden wattle, is a tree of the family Fabaceae native to southeastern Australia. It grows to a height of and has phyllodes (flattened leaf stalks) instead of true leaves. Sickle-shaped, these ...

'', ''

Eucalyptus cephalocarpa ''Eucalyptus cephalocarpa'', commonly known as mealy stringybark or silver stringybark is a species of small to medium-sized tree, that is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has rough, fibrous bark on the trunk and branches, lance-shaped adu ...

'', ''

Eucalyptus cypellocarpa ''Eucalyptus cypellocarpa'', commonly known as mountain grey gum, mountain gum, monkey gum or spotted mountain grey gum, is a species of straight, smooth-barked forest tree that is endemic to southeastern Australia. It has relatively large, lance ...

'' (in areas near Belgrave Lake Park), ''

Eucalyptus goniocalyx ''Eucalyptus goniocalyx'', commonly known as long-leaved box, olive-barked box or bundy, is a species of small to medium-sized tree that is Endemism, endemic to southeastern Australia. It has rough, fibrous or flaky bark, lance-shaped to curved a ...

'' growing in and around Birdsland and Zig Zag Road, ''

Eucalyptus obliqua ''Eucalyptus obliqua'', commonly known as messmate stringybark or messmate, but also known as brown top, brown top stringbark, stringybark or Tasmanian oak, is a species of tree that is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has rough, stringy or ...

'' growing through most of the area as well as in

Belgrave South Belgrave South is an area and a suburb of Greater Melbourne mainly beyond the Melbourne metropolitan area Urban Growth Boundary, 37 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district, located within the Shire of Yarra Ranges local g ...

, ''

Eucalyptus ovata ''Eucalyptus ovata'', commonly known as swamp gum or black gum, is a small to medium-sized tree species that is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has mostly smooth bark, glossy green, lance-shaped to egg-shaped adult leaves, green flower bu ...

'' which tends to grow in low-lying areas and ''

Eucalyptus radiata ''Eucalyptus radiata'', commonly known as the narrow-leaved peppermint or Forth River peppermint, is a species of tree that is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has rough, fibrous to flaky bark on the trunk and larger branches, smooth grey b ...

'' which is quite common in the Belgrave South Primary school grounds with the very fine bark and peppermint smelling leaves. ;Shrub layer The shrub layer in gullies and shaded areas, consists of ''

Coprosma quadrifida ''Coprosma quadrifida'' is a dioecious shrub of the family Rubiaceae native to southeastern Australia. First described as ''Canthium quadrifidum'' by Labillardiere, it was given its current name by B. L. Robinson in 1910. Typically found at damp ...

'', ''

Acacia verticillata ''Acacia verticillata'' (prickly Moses; prickly-leaved wattle; star-leaved acacia; prickly mimosa; whorl-leaved acacia) is a perennial shrub to small tree native to south eastern Australia. Description The shrub or tree can grow to a maximum h ...

'', ''

Pomaderris aspera ''Pomaderris aspera'', commonly known as hazel pomaderris, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a shrub or small tree with elliptic to lance-shaped or egg-shaped leaves and gre ...

'', '' Bedfordia arborescens'', ''

Cassinia aculeata ''Cassinia aculeata'', commonly known as common cassinia, dolly bush or dogwood , is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is an erect shrub with sessile, linear, variably-sized leave ...

'', '' Ozothamnus ferrugineus'', '' Olearia lirata'', ''

Olearia argophylla ''Olearia argophylla'', commonly known as musk daisy-bush, native musk or silver shrub, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a shrub or tree with silvery branchlets, egg-shap ...

'', ''

Prostanthera lasianthos ''Prostanthera lasianthos'', commonly known as the Victorian Christmas bush or coranderrk , is a large shrub or small tree of the mint family, Lamiaceae, which is native to Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania in Australia. It gro ...

'', ''

Gynatrix pulchella ''Gynatrix pulchella'', the hemp bush or Aboriginal hemp, is a dioecious flowering shrub in the family Malvaceae, endemic to south-east Australia. It grows to 3 metres in height and has white or cream flowers. The species occurs in New South Wal ...

'' and '' Pimelea axiflora''. In open woodland there is '' Acacia leprosa'', ''

Acacia myrtifolia ''Acacia myrtifolia'', known colloquially as myrtle wattle, red stem wattle or red-stemmed wattle, is a species of ''Acacia'' native to coastal areas of southern and eastern Australia. Description It is a small, bushy and glabrous shrub that t ...

'', '' Acacia mucronata'', ''

Acacia stricta ''Acacia stricta'' (hop wattle, straight wattle) is a perennial tree. The plant is adaptable to most soils, tolerating full sun or partial to complete shade. Tolerates drought conditions and moderately salty winds. The shrub is useful in plantin ...

'', '' Allocasuarina paludosa'', ''

Goodia lotifolia ''Goodia lotifolia'', commonly known as golden tip or clover tree, is a shrub species in the pea family, Fabaceae. It is endemic to south-eastern Australia. Plants grow to 4 metres and have trifoliate leaves. Yellow flowers appear in racemes ...

'' and the more rarer fire dependent plants ''

Hakea ulicina ''Hakea ulicina'', commonly known as furze hakea, is a shrub in the family Proteaceae and endemic to Victoria. It has stiff, long, narrow leaves and creamy-white flowers. Description ''Hakea ulicina'' is an erect shrub or small tree growing bet ...

'', ''

Hakea nodosa ''Hakea nodosa'', commonly known as yellow hakea, is a shrub that is endemism, endemic to Australia. It usually has golden yellow flowers in profusion and needle-shaped leaves. Description ''Hakea nodosa'' is an erect, sprawling shrub usually gr ...

'' and ''

Banksia marginata ''Banksia marginata'', commonly known as the silver banksia, is a species of tree or woody shrub in the plant genus ''Banksia'' found throughout much of southeastern Australia. It ranges from the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia to north of Arm ...

'' and ''

Banksia spinulosa ''Banksia spinulosa'', the hairpin banksia, is a species of woody shrub, of the genus ''Banksia'' in the family Proteaceae, native to eastern Australia. Widely distributed, it is found as an understorey plant in open dry forest or heathland ...

''. ''

Pandorea pandorana ''Pandorea pandorana'', commonly known as the wonga wonga vine or wonga-vine, is a species of flowering plant in the family Bignoniaceae and is native to Australia, Malesia and the southwestern Pacific region. It is a woody scrambler or climber ...

'' and '' Clematis aristata'' are the two main climbers. ;Ground layer The ground layer is made up of ''

Poa labillardieri ''Poa labillardierei'', also known as common tussock-grass, is a species of tussock grass that is endemic to Australia. The species was formally described in 1854 by German botanist and physician Ernst Gottlieb von Steudel Ernst Gottlieb von S ...

'', '' Poa ensiformis'', ''

Poa sieberiana ''Poa sieberiana'', commonly known as grey tussock-grass and snow grass, is a species of tussock grass that is endemic to Australia. The species was formally described in 1827 by German botanist Kurt Sprengel Kurt Polycarp Joachim Sprengel ...

'', ''

Themeda triandra } ''Themeda triandra'' is a species of perennial tussock-forming grass widespread in Africa, Australia, Asia and the Pacific. In Australia it is commonly known as kangaroo grass and in East Africa and South Africa it is known as red grass and re ...

'', '' Dianella revoluta'' in dryer areas and '' Dianella longifolia'' and ''

Dianella tasmanica ''Dianella tasmanica'', commonly known as the Tasman flax-lily or Tasmanian flax-lily is a herbaceous strappy perennial herb of the family Asphodelaceae, subfamily Hemerocallidoideae, found in southeastern Australia including Tasmania. It has lea ...

'' in wetter areas. '' Microlaena stipoides'', Bidgee Widgee, ''

Goodenia ovata ''Goodenia ovata'', commonly called the hop goodenia, is a species of flowering plant and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a shrub with sticky, often varnished foliage, toothed egg-shaped to elliptic leaves and racemes or thyrses of ...

'', ''

Lomandra longifolia ''Lomandra longifolia'', commonly known as spiny-head mat-rush, spiky-headed mat-rush or basket grass, is a perennial, rhizomatous herb found throughout eastern Australia. The leaves are 40 cm to 80 cm long, and generally have a leaf of ...

'' and '' Lomandra filiformis'' are common throughout the Belgrave area. Other plants like '' Xanthorrhoea minor'' is more common south of Belgrave. Also with

pea family The Fabaceae or Leguminosae,International Code of Nomenc ...

members ''

Platylobium formosum ''Platylobium formosum'', also known as handsome flat-pea, is a shrub that is endemic to Australia. It is a member of the family Fabaceae and of the genus '' Platylobium''. Description The species is an erect or straggling shrub with wiry stems ...

'', '' Platylobium obtusangulum'', '' Pultenaea hispidula'', '' Pultenaea scabra'' and ''

Pultenaea stricta ''Pultenaea stricta'', commonly known as rigid bush-pea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is a slender, erect or low-lying shrub with elliptic to egg-shaped leaves ...

''.

Fauna

Animals in the area include: Mammals *

(''Ornithorhynchus anatinus'') *

Short-beaked echidna The short-beaked echidna (''Tachyglossus aculeatus''), also called the short-nosed echidna, is one of four living species of echidna and the only member of the genus ''Tachyglossus''. It is covered in fur and spines and has a distinctive snout ...

(''Tachyglossus aculeatus'') *

Yellow-bellied glider The yellow-bellied glider (''Petaurus australis''), also known as the fluffy glider, is an arboreal and nocturnal gliding possum that lives in native eucalypt forests in eastern Australia, from northern Queensland south to Victoria. Habitat ...

(''Petaurus australis'') *

Sugar glider The sugar glider (''Petaurus breviceps'') is a small, omnivorous, arboreal, and nocturnal gliding possum belonging to the marsupial infraclass. The common name refers to its predilection for sugary foods such as sap and nectar and its abili ...

(''Petaurus breviceps'') *

Wombat Wombats are short-legged, muscular quadrupedal marsupials that are native to Australia. They are about in length with small, stubby tails and weigh between . All three of the extant species are members of the family Vombatidae. They are ada ...

(''Vombatus ursinus'') * Common ringtail possum or "Ringtail" (''Pseudocheirus peregrinus'') *

Common brushtail possum The common brushtail possum (''Trichosurus vulpecula'', from the Greek for "furry tailed" and the Latin for "little fox", previously in the genus ''Phalangista'') is a nocturnal, semiarboreal marsupial of the family Phalangeridae, native to Aus ...

(''Trichosurus vulpecula'') *

Swamp wallaby The swamp wallaby (''Wallabia bicolor'') is a small macropod marsupial of eastern Australia. This wallaby is also commonly known as the black wallaby, with other names including black-tailed wallaby, fern wallaby, black pademelon, stinker (in Q ...

(''Wallabia bicolor'') *

Kangaroos Kangaroos are four marsupials from the family Macropodidae (macropods, meaning "large foot"). In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, the red kangaroo, as well as the antilopine kangaroo, eastern gre ...

(''Macropus giganteus'') Birds *

Galah The galah (; ''Eolophus roseicapilla''), also known as the pink and grey cockatoo or rose-breasted cockatoo, is the only species within genus ''Eolophus'' of the cockatoo family. Found throughout Australia, it is among the most common of the c ...

(''Cacatua roseicapilla'') *

Tawny frogmouth The tawny frogmouth (''Podargus strigoides'') is a species of frogmouth native to the Australian mainland and Tasmania and found throughout. It is a big-headed, stocky bird, often mistaken for an owl, due to its nocturnal habits and similar colo ...

(''Podargus strigoides'') *

Yellow-tailed black cockatoo The yellow-tailed black cockatoo (''Zanda funerea'') is a large cockatoo native to the south-east of Australia measuring in length. It has a short crest on the top of its head. Its plumage is mostly brownish black and it has prominent yello ...

(''Calyptorhynchus funereus'') * Sulphur crested cockatoo (''Cacatua galerita'') *

Long-billed corella The long-billed corella or slender-billed corella (''Cacatua tenuirostris'') is a cockatoo native to Australia, which is similar in appearance to the little corella. This species is mostly white, with a reddish-pink face and forehead, and has a lo ...

(''Cacatua tenuirostris'') *

Australian king parrot The Australian king parrot (''Alisterus scapularis'') is a species of parrot endemic to eastern Australia ranging from Cooktown in Queensland to Port Campbell in Victoria. Found in humid and heavily forested upland regions of the eastern portion ...

(''Alisterus scapularis'') *

Crimson rosella The crimson rosella (''Platycercus elegans'') is a parrot native to eastern and south eastern Australia which has been introduced to New Zealand and Norfolk Island. It is commonly found in, but not restricted to, mountain forests and gardens. The ...

(''Platycercus elegans'') *

Eastern rosella The eastern rosella (''Platycercus eximius'') is a rosella native to southeastern Australia and Tasmania. It has been introduced to New Zealand where feral populations are found in the North Island (notably in the northern half of the island, Ta ...

(''Platycercus eximius'') *

Powerful owl The powerful owl (''Ninox strenua''), a species of owl native to south-eastern and eastern Australia, is the largest owl on the continent. It is found in coastal areas and in the Great Dividing Range, rarely more than inland. The IUCNRed List ...

(''Ninox strenua'') *

Kookaburra Kookaburras are terrestrial tree kingfishers of the genus ''Dacelo'' native to Australia and New Guinea, which grow to between in length and weigh around . The name is a loanword from Wiradjuri ''guuguubarra'', onomatopoeic of its call. The ...

(''Dacelo novaeguineae'') * Superb fairy-wren (''Malurus cyaneus'') *

Red wattlebird The red wattlebird (''Anthochaera carunculata'') is a passerine bird native to southern Australia. At in length, it is the second largest species of Australian honeyeater. It has mainly grey-brown plumage, with red eyes, distinctive pinkish-re ...

(''Anthochaera carunculata'') *

Noisy miner The noisy miner (''Manorina melanocephala'') is a bird in the honeyeater family, Meliphagidae, and is endemic to eastern and southeastern Australia. This miner is a grey bird, with a black head, orange-yellow beak and feet, a distinctive yellow ...

(''Manorina melanocephala'') * Eastern yellow robin (''Eopsaltria australis'') *

Mudlark A mudlark is someone who scavenges in river mud for items of value, a term used especially to describe those who scavenged this way in London during the late 18th and 19th centuries. The practice of searching the banks of rivers for items cont ...

(''Grallina cyanoleuca'') * Grey butcherbird (''Cracticus torquatus'') * Magpie (''Gymnorhina tibicen'') *

Wedge-tailed eagle The wedge-tailed eagle (''Aquila audax'') is the largest bird of prey in the continent of Australia. It is also found in southern New Guinea to the north and is distributed as far south as the state of Tasmania. Adults of this species have lon ...

(''Aquila audax'') *

Australian Raven The Australian raven (''Corvus coronoides'') is a passerine bird in the genus '' Corvus'' native to much of southern and northeastern Australia. Measuring in length, it has all-black plumage, beak and mouth, as well as strong grey-black legs an ...

(''Corvus coronoides'') Reptiles *

Blue tongue lizard Blue-tongued skinks comprise the Australasian genus ''Tiliqua'', which contains some of the largest members of the skink family (Scincidae). They are commonly called blue-tongued lizards or simply blue-tongues or blueys in Australia. As suggeste ...

* Red bellied snake * Tiger snake * Common eastern brown snake Feral animals include * Feral cats *

Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...

es * Indian mynahs * Blackbirds *

Feral pigeon Feral pigeons (''Columba livia domestica'' or ''Columba livia forma urbana''), also called city doves, city pigeons, or street pigeons,Nagy, Kelsi, and Johnson, Phillip David. ''Trash animals: how we live with natures filthy, feral, invasive, an ...

s * Garden snails

The Convention

The Upwey Convention (commenced in 1918) moved to Belgrave Heights in 1950, establishing itself on the former Lockwood Golf Links in Lockwood Road. It continued to be called the Upwey Convention for a number of years before being renamed to the Belgrave Heights Convention, which it is known as to this day. The Convention Grounds, as the property became known, has been a notable landmark in Belgrave Heights with its many old buildings, including the main auditorium which has undergone major redevelopment in recent years.

References

External links

Australian Places
��Belgrave Heights & Belgrave South
Belgrave Heights Convention
{{Shire of Yarra Ranges suburbs Suburbs of Melbourne Suburbs of Yarra Ranges