Westgate Park is a public park located in an industrial area in Melbourne, Victoria. The park is 6 km (3.7 miles) from Melbourne's

Central Business District A central business district (CBD) is the commercial and business centre of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides with the "city ...

and covers 40 hectares of land. The park is situated along the eastern banks of the Yarra River under the West Gate Bridge.

History

Pre-European settlement

The part of Melbourne on which the park is currently was formed over 30 million years ago by volcanic action. Evidence suggests that about 4,000 years ago, Fisherman's Bend and large areas of central Melbourne were under water.

20th century

A significant portion of what is now Westgate Park was the site of the

Fishermen's Bend Aerodrome Fishermen's Bend Aerodrome was located at Fishermen's Bend, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia between 1921 and 1967. An aerodrome at Fisherman's Bend was mentioned in reportage of an air disaster in 1921. Beginning in 1940, the aerodrome served ...

established in the late 1930s but reduced in importance in 1953 with the opening of Avalon Airport. The inspiration for Westgate Park is credited to Oscar Meyer, chair of the West Gate Bridge Authority between 1965 and 1981. Meyer, who died in harness in 1981, hoped to create ‘a beautiful park straddling the Yarra River to complement his sculptural bridge’. The

Federal Government A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government (federalism). In a federation, the self-governin ...

funded the development of the park to mark Victoria's sesquicentenary in 1984. Landscaping and design was completed by Loder and Bailey. It was officially opened a year later. In late 1985 Barbara Fih reported in the Melbourne ''Age'' that Westgate Park:

Wildlife

Since the park's opening, it has become a haven for wildlife, providing refuge for many different bird species including several species of honeyeaters and parrots,

teals Teal is a blue-green color. Teal or TEAL may also refer to: Ducks * some members of the subfamily Anatinae (dabbling ducks): ** some members of the genus ''Anas'': *** Cape teal (''Anas capensis'') *** Red-billed teal or red-billed duck (''Anas ...

, stilts, moorhens, swans, dotterels and wrens. Extensive plantings of indigenous trees and shrubs have been undertaken at Westgate Park. These species have been planted as part of a rejuvenation plan in the area.

Features and attractions

Westgate Park saltwater lake turns pink in summer

Westgate Park has numerous facilities such as picnic areas and spaces for bird watching. There are also many winding paths that follow along the Yarra River which are popular with walkers, cyclists and joggers. These paths link up with the Port Melbourne Foreshore Trail and the Main Yarra Trail. The park has two lakes apart from each other, named Fresh Water Lake and Salt Water Lake respectively, surrounded by a series of smaller ponds and wetlands. The northern and slightly larger Fresh Water Lake has two islands (the larger one called the Ibis Island) and several grassy islets. The more featureless Salt Water Lake however is famous for turning pink seasonally as a result of high salt levels, high temperatures, increased sunlight as well as lack of rainfall, which lead to

carotenoid Carotenoids (), also called tetraterpenoids, are yellow, orange, and red organic compound, organic pigments that are produced by plants and algae, as well as several bacteria, and Fungus, fungi. Carotenoids give the characteristic color to pumpki ...

-producing (which gives the distinct orange-pink color)

halophile The halophiles, named after the Greek word for "salt-loving", are extremophiles that thrive in high salt concentrations. While most halophiles are classified into the domain Archaea, there are also bacterial halophiles and some eukaryotic species, ...

( haloarchaea and some

algae Algae (; singular alga ) is an informal term for a large and diverse group of photosynthetic eukaryotic organisms. It is a polyphyletic grouping that includes species from multiple distinct clades. Included organisms range from unicellular mic ...

)

bloom Bloom or blooming may refer to: Science and technology Biology * Bloom, one or more flowers on a flowering plant * Algal bloom, a rapid increase or accumulation in the population of algae in an aquatic system * Jellyfish bloom, a collective n ...

s. During the hotter months, algae can even grow in the

salt crust A salt crust is a method of cooking by completely covering an ingredient such as fish, chicken or vegetables in salt (sometimes bound together by water or egg white) before baking. The salt layer acts as insulation and helps cook the food in an e ...

s. During the cooler, rainier months, the lake returns to normal color.

Hiking trails

There are a few trails that are available to walk within Westgate Park. The two most popular are: The Westgate Park Nature Loop which is a 2.6 km loop trail which takes about 30 minutes to complete. This trail is popular with bird watchers, hikers and walkers. The Westgate Park via Yarra River Trail. This trail is slightly longer, at 4 km and takes about 53 minutes to complete. This route is more popular with runners, but hikers and walkers frequent the trail also.

Use for raves

Due to its distance from residential property - and thus passive surveillance - but its proximity to the centre of Melbourne, Westgate Park is a favoured spot for raves. Reports suggest that 'hundreds of youths' periodically descend on the area for this purpose. Littering, and harm to wildlife, are seen as a particular problem. 'Police shut down party in Westgate Park' Melbourne ''Age''17 March 2019 https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/police-shut-down-party-in-westgate-park-20190317-p514wk.html ;Jewel Topsfield and Najma Sambul, 'Fears over unlicensed raves at Westgate Park attracting hundreds' Melbourne ''Age'' 6 May 2023 https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/fears-over-unlicensed-raves-at-westgate-park-attracting-hundreds-20230503-p5d55t.html

References

{{Metropolitan parks of Victoria Parks in Melbourne City of Melbourne