Lake Wendouree
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lake Wendouree is an artificially-created and maintained shallow urban lake in the city of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia.
Since 1864, when a rowing course was first cut through the reedy swamp, it has been carefully nurtured by council and public-spirited citizens. Drought has almost dried the lake up completely, as of October 2006.
Contents |
[edit] History
The name Wendouree comes from a local aboriginal word wendaaree which means 'go away': a story is told that when William Yuille asked an aboriginal woman the name of the swamp, that was her reply. When Ballarat was first surveyed in 1851 by WS Urquhart the swamp was recorded as Wendouree.
A corroboree was staged at the Wendouree Swamp in March 1857 and was witnessed by a Ballarat Times reporter.
In ancient times Lake Wendouree was originally a stream which flowed to the west but a lava flow caused it to be dammed on three sides and it now drains to the east, eventually into the Yarrowee River.
The lake was the venue for rowing events at the 1956 Summer Olympics.
[edit] Features
The lake is surrounded by a park reserve, which features several heritage boat and rowing sheds at the southern end and a pavillion and Olympic memorial at the other.
[edit] Wildlife
The reed beds and islands provide sanctuary for a variety of wildlife. Of the recorded 166 species, the most commonly seen waterbirds are: Black Swan, Duck, Dusky Moorhen, Swamphen, Coot, Musk Duck, Great Crested Grebe, Silver Gull and Little Pied Cormorant. Information boards at the Fairyland Wetland Walk provide details about species and habitats.
About 100 native water-rats are scattered around the shore and are sometimes seen in Fairyland at dawn and dusk. The diversity of pondlife is rich and attracts numerous school groups making visits for environmental science field studies.
[edit] Transport
Double-decker horse-drawn trams began carrying visitors to the Ballarat Botanical Gardens in 1887. A vintage electric tramway operates around the lake. The volunteers of the Ballarat Tramway Museum have preserved fifteen trams and memorabilia from Ballarat's tramway era. Attracting twenty thousand passengers each year, it is one of Ballarat's most popular tourist attractions.
[edit] Recreation
Boating has long been an important sport and leisure activity on Lake Wendouree which hosted the rowing, kayaking and canoeing events for the 1956 Summer Olympics. The track around the lake provides an interesting 6 km challenge to walking, cycling and running enthusiasts who complete the circuit in their thousands each week, irrespective of the weather. For serious athletes, the record for running the 6 km lap of the lake is 16 minutes and 10 seconds, set in 1992 by Marathon Olympian Steve Moneghetti. In recent years, it has been the venue for the annual Goldfields Festival.
[edit] Drought
The current drought has caused Lake Wendouree to almost completely dry up. Despite warnings by the local council and news publications, local enthusiasts have been combing below the surface of the dry lake bed for artifacts, including antique glass bottles.
