The Moorooduc Quarry Flora and Fauna Reserve is located in Mount Eliza, Victoria, Australia and occupies approximately 27 hectares of land. There are entrances to the reserve located on Allison Road, Canadian Bay Road, Two Bays Road and Station Street near the Moorooduc Railway Station. Moorooduc Quarry wooden sign 2005-09-09

History

Rock was quarried using explosives, loaded into dobbin carts and taken to a steam powered crusher. The resulting crushed stone was loaded into larger carts and transported to the Mornington railway line via a spur-line. Moorooduc Quarry Flora and Fauna Reserve sigm 2005-09-09

Moorooduc Quarry Flora and Fauna Reserve sigm 2005-09-09

*1887 - The Moorooduc quarry was established by David Munro. *1888 - A spur-line was built from the quarry to the site which is now Moorooduc station to transport stone and ballast for the construction of a branch line between Baxter and Mornington. *1923 - The Frankston - Hastings Shire Council purchased the site. Stone from the quarry continued to be used for ballasting railway lines and other uses including building, road construction and repairs to the Mornington Reservoir. *1927 - Electricity was introduced and the steam powered crusher which used local timber for fuel was superseded by an electrical crusher. *1932 - Stone from the quarry was used in the construction of stables and garden walls at Cruden Farm owned by Keith Murdoch, father of Rupert Murdoch. *1935 - The cartage of stone by rail was replaced with trucks. *1950s - Stone from Moorooduc quarry featured in houses built in Gulls Way, designed by David Chancellor and W. Rex Patrick. *1961 - The quarry was closed due to flooding. Continuing to fill with water the quarry became a popular swimming spot. *1973 - Frankston Council designated the area a flora and fauna reserve. *1981 - Some scenes for the television mini-series '' I Can Jump Puddles'' were filmed at the site of the quarry. *1986 - The movie ''

Frog Dreaming ''Frog Dreaming'' is a 1986 Australian family adventure film written by Everett De Roche and directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith. It starred Henry Thomas, Tony Barry, Rachel Friend and Tamsin West. Plot An American boy, Cody (Thomas), whose pa ...

'' was filmed at the site of the quarry. After a period of neglect community interest transformed the site into a beautiful nature reserve, one of the best on the Mornington Peninsula.

Current status

The Moorooduc Quarry Flora and Fauna Reserve is located within the boundaries of the

Mornington Peninsula and Western Port Biosphere Reserve Mornington Peninsula and Western Port Biosphere Reserve is a biosphere reserve in the Australian state of Victoria located on land and coastal waters associated both with the Mornington Peninsula and the bay known as Western Port. The biosphere ...

There are several walking tracks throughout the reserve. One track encircles the high cliffs of the quarry and another the lake at the base of the cliffs. Following the path from Station Street will take you past ruins of an explosives store. Rock climbing and abseiling were quite popular in the reserve but is now strictly prohibited. The Moorooduc Quarry Flora and Fauna Reserve was submitted for listing on the

Register of the National Estate The Register of the National Estate was a heritage register that listed natural and cultural heritage places in Australia that was closed in 2007. Phasing out began in 2003, when the Australian National Heritage List and the Commonwealth Heritag ...

prior to the closure of the register in 2007 but was rejected because it was "not of sufficient significance to warrant entry in the Register."

Flora

Four species of eucalyptus and four species of acacia dominate the reserve. Most botanically significant is the diversity and abundance of indigenous native grasses and wildflowers. More than thirty species of orchids have been documented in the reserve. Several of these are classified as of state or regional significance. Flora found in the reserve: *

Acacia ''Acacia'', commonly known as the wattles or acacias, is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa and Australasia. The genus na ...

* Australian indigo ('' Indigofera australis'') * Bracken * Eucalyptus * Maidenhair fern * Orchids * Manna gum * Cherry ballart * She-oak

Fauna

At least 45 native species of birds have been recorded as breeding in the reserve and many other species visit to feed or rest. Waterbirds are often seen on the quarry lake. Several bat species have been recorded and infrequent sightings of koalas. The quarry lake and surrounding ponds and dams are home to small to microscopic aquatic creatures and various frogs. Birds found in the reserve:
/ref> * Australasian grebe ''Tachybaptus novaehollandiae'' * Australian magpie ''Gymnorhina tibicen'' * Australian pelican ''Pelecanus conspicillatus'' * Australian white ibis ''Threskiornis molucca'' *

Australian wood duck The Australian wood duck, maned duck or maned goose (''Chenonetta jubata'') is a dabbling duck found throughout much of Australia. It is the only living species in the genus ''Chenonetta''. Traditionally placed in the subfamily Anatinae (dabbling ...

''Chenonetta jubata'' * Bell miner ''Manorina melanophrys'' *

Black-faced cuckooshrike The black-faced cuckooshrike (''Coracina novaehollandiae'') is a common omnivorous passerine bird native to Australia and southern New Guinea. It has a protected status in Australia, under the National Parks and Wildlife Act, 1974. They are wid ...

''Coracina novaehollandiae'' *

Brown falcon The brown falcon (''Falco berigora'') is a relatively large falcon native to Australia and New Guinea. A number of plumage morphs occur, with the primary distinction being between the pale morph and the dark morph. Both morphs usually have dark ...

''Falco berigora'' * Brown goshawk ''Accipter fasciatus'' *

Brown thornbill The brown thornbill (''Acanthiza pusilla'') is a passerine bird usually found in eastern and south-eastern Australia, including Tasmania. It can grow up to long, and feeds on insects. It is brown, grey and white. The species has five subspeci ...

''Acanthiza pusilla'' * Clamorous reed warbler ''Acrocephalus stentoreus'' *

Common blackbird The common blackbird (''Turdus merula'') is a species of true thrush. It is also called the Eurasian blackbird (especially in North America, to distinguish it from the unrelated New World blackbirds), or simply the blackbird where this does not ...

''Turdus merula'' * Common bronzewing ''Phaps chalcoptera'' * Common myna ''Acridotheres tristis'' *

Common starling The common starling or European starling (''Sturnus vulgaris''), also known simply as the starling in Great Britain and Ireland, is a medium-sized passerine bird in the starling family, Sturnidae. It is about long and has glossy black plumage ...

''Sturnus vulgaris'' *

Crested pigeon The crested pigeon (''Ocyphaps lophotes'') is a bird found widely throughout mainland Australia except for the far northern tropical areas. Only two Australian pigeon species possess an erect crest, the crested pigeon and the spinifex pigeon. Th ...

''Ocyphaps lophotes'' *

Crested shrike-tit The shriketits are a group of three species of birds in the genus ''Falcunculus'' endemic to Australia where they inhabit open eucalypt forest and woodland. Taxonomy and distribution Species Three species are recognized, with disjunct ranges: ...

''Falcunculus frontatus'' * Crimson rosella ''Platycercus elegans'' * Dusky moorhen ''Gallinula tenebrosa'' * Dusky woodswallow ''Artamus cyanopterus'' * Eastern rosella ''Platycercus eximius'' * Eastern spinebill ''Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris'' *

Eastern yellow robin The eastern yellow robin (''Eopsaltria australis'') is an Australasian robin of coastal and sub-coastal eastern Australia. The extent of the eastern yellow robin's residence is from the extreme southeast corner of South Australia through most ...

''Eopsaltria australis'' * Eurasian coot ''Fulica atra'' * European goldfinch ''Carduelis carduelis'' * Fan-tailed cuckoo ''Cacomantis pyrrhophanus'' * Galah ''Cacatua roseicapilla'' * Golden whistler ''Pachycephala pectoralis'' *

Grey butcherbird The grey butcherbird (''Cracticus torquatus'') is a widely distributed species endemic to Australia. It occurs in a range of different habitats including arid, semi-arid and temperate zones. It is found across southern Australia, but is absent f ...

''Craticus torquatus'' * Grey currawong ''Strepera versicolor'' * Grey fantail ''Rhipidura fuliginosa'' *

Grey shrike-thrush The grey shrikethrush or grey shrike-thrush (''Colluricincla harmonica''), formerly commonly known as grey thrush, is a songbird of Australasia. It is moderately common to common in most parts of Australia, but absent from the driest of the inlan ...

''Colluricincla harmonica'' * Hardhead ''Aythya australis'' * Hoary-headed grebe ''Poliocephalus poliocephalus'' * Horsfield's bronze cuckoo ''Chrysococcyx basalis'' *

House sparrow The house sparrow (''Passer domesticus'') is a bird of the sparrow family Passeridae, found in most parts of the world. It is a small bird that has a typical length of and a mass of . Females and young birds are coloured pale brown and grey, a ...

''Passer domesticus'' * Laughing kookaburra ''Dacelo novaeguineae'' * Little pied cormorant ''Phalacrocorax melanoleucos'' * Little raven ''Corvus mellori'' * Little wattlebird ''Anthochaera chrysoptera'' * Magpie-lark ''Grallina cyanoleuca'' *

Mallard The mallard () or wild duck (''Anas platyrhynchos'') is a dabbling duck that breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Eurasia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand, Australia, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, Arge ...

''Anas platyrhynchos'' * Mistletoebird ''Dicaeum hirundinaceum'' *

New Holland honeyeater The New Holland honeyeater (''Phylidonyris novaehollandiae'') is a honeyeater species found throughout southern Australia. It was among the first birds to be scientifically described in Australia, and was initially named ''Certhia novaehollandi ...

''Phylidonyris novaehollandiae'' * Noisy miner ''Manorina melanocephala'' * Olive-backed oriole ''Oriolus sagittatus'' * Pacific black duck ''Anas superciliosa'' * Pacific gull ''Larus pacificus'' * Pallid cuckoo ''Culculus pallidus'' *

Peregrine falcon The peregrine falcon (''Falco peregrinus''), also known as the peregrine, and historically as the duck hawk in North America, is a Cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan bird of prey (Bird of prey, raptor) in the family (biology), family Falco ...

''Falco peregrinus'' * Purple swamphen ''Porphyrio porphyrio'' * Rainbow lorikeet ''Trichoglossus haematodus'' * Red wattlebird ''Anthochaera carunculata'' * Red-browed finch ''Neochmia temporalis'' * Richard's pipit ''Anthus novaeseelandiae'' * Rock dove ''Columba livia'' * Rufous fantail ''Rhipidura rufifrons'' * Rufous whistler ''Pachycephala rufiventris'' * Satin flycatcher ''Myiagra cyanoleuca'' * Shining bronze cuckoo ''Chrysococcyx lucidus'' * Silver gull ''Larus novaehollandiae'' * Silvereye ''Zosterops lateralis'' * Skylark ''Alauda arvensis'' * Spotted pardalote ''Pardalotus punctatus'' *

Spotted turtle dove The spotted dove (''Spilopelia chinensis'') is a small and somewhat long-tailed pigeon that is a common resident breeding bird across its native range on the Indian subcontinent and in Southeast Asia. The species has been introduced to many part ...

''Streptopelia chinensis'' *

Straw-necked ibis The straw-necked ibis (''Threskiornis spinicollis'') is a bird of the ibis and spoonbill family Threskiornithidae. It can be found throughout Australia, New Guinea, and parts of Indonesia. Adults have distinctive straw-like feathers on their neck ...

''Threskiornis spinicollis'' *

Striated pardalote The striated pardalote (''Pardalotus striatus'') is the least colourful and most common of the four pardalote species. Other common names include pickwick, wittachew and chip-chip. It is a very small, short-tailed bird that is more often heard th ...

''Pardalotus striatus'' * Striated thornbill ''Acanthiza lineata'' * Sulphur-crested cockatoo ''Cacatua galerita'' * Superb fairywren ''Malurus cyaneus'' * Tawny frogmouth ''Podargus strigoides'' * Varied sittella ''Daphoenositta chrysoptera'' * Welcome swallow ''Hirundo neoxena'' * Whistling kite ''Haliastur sphenurus'' * White-browed scrubwren ''Sericornis frontalis'' * White-eared honeyeater ''Lichenostomus leucotis'' * White-faced heron ''Egretta novaehollandiae'' *

White-naped honeyeater The white-naped honeyeater (''Melithreptus lunatus'') is a passerine bird of the honeyeater family Meliphagidae native to eastern Australia. Birds from southwestern Australia have been shown to be a distinct species, Gilbert's honeyeater, and ...

''Melithreptus lunatus'' * White-plumed honeyeater ''Lichenostomus penicillatus'' * Willie wagtail ''Rhipidura leucophrys'' * Yellow-faced honeyeater ''Lichenostomus chrysops'' Mammals found in the reserve: *

Brushtail possum The brushtail possums are the members of the genus ''Trichosurus'' in the Phalangeridae, a family of marsupials. They are native to Australia (including Tasmania) and some small nearby islands. Unique among marsupials, they have shifted the hypax ...

* Echidna * Ringtail possum Reptiles found in the reserve: *

Blue-tongued 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 ...

Eastern snake-necked turtle The eastern long-necked turtle (''Chelodina longicollis'')Kennett, R., Roe, J., Hodges, K., and Georges, A. 2009. ''Chelodina longicollis'' (Shaw 1784) – eastern long-necked turtle, common long-necked turtle, common snake-necked turtle. ''In'': ...

''Chelodina longicollis''

Environmental issues

Environmental weeds pose a serious threat to the survival of native flora and fauna in the reserve. Erosion is another issue of concern. Regeneration and revegetation works are slowly overcoming this problem. Pest plants found in the reserve: * Boneseed ''Chrysanthemoides monilifera'' * Blackberries * Dandelions

References

External links

A Priceless Flora & Fauna Reserve - Mount Eliza Association for Environmental CarePhoto of the Moorooduc Quarry Lake & Map

Photo of the Ruins of an explosives store at Moorooduc Quarry & Map

Coastal Arts - Includes architecture featuring quarry stoneMornington Railway Preservation SocietyBAYBOCA - Moorooduc Quarry BirdlistsMornington Peninsula Tourism Official WebsiteFriends of Mount Eliza Regional Park

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