Buxton Bushland Reserve: a Shoreham gem
Tucked away among some houses in Shoreham is an environmental treasure trove of indigenous plants and native wildlife that flourishes thanks to the foresight of a local identity almost a century ago and the ongoing work of local volunteers, some of whom were instrumental in saving this stand of ecological valued bushland.
The Buxton Bushland Reserve is a 6.5‑hectare natural wetland that extends from Blake Street and Buxton Lane, along Nelson Street to Marine Parade. It is one of the largest remaining patches of pristine vegetation in Western Port. It supports a large number of remnant trees that provide nesting hollows for our native wildlife. It also forms an important biolink with the Shoreham Foreshore Reserve, helping wildlife movement across the landscape to adjoining villages, and contributing to the wildlife corridor.
Things might be very different now had it not been for an early entrepreneur’s belief in the benefits of exercise and nature.
How the reserve was established
In 1925 savvy printing business owner Walter Buxton bought 148 acres from Edward Byrne, a member of the Shoreham early Irish settler family after which the village’s main street was named.
Two years later Buxton put the smaller lots up for sale, calling it the Shoreham-on-the Sea Estate, in a bid to capture the growing interest city people had in the idea of holiday houses.
But rather than sell the entire block, Buxton carved out a nine-acre block for a recreation reserve.
Soon after, Mr Buxton offered use of the land to the YMCA for a youth camp. The reserve would provide space for sporting facilities at the camp. But in the 1980s the YMCA faced financial problems and sold it.
Shoreham locals successfully fought to keep the reserve as a public woodland and the Mornington Peninsula Shire (MP Shire) took over what became known as the Buxton Bushland Reserve.
Over time the MP Shire has rezoned Buxton Reserve from a Special Use Zone to Public Conservation and Resource Zone. The area is now also subject to an Environmental Significant Overlay and a Vegetation Protection Overlay which are intended to give this significant bushland setting additional protection.
What you can find in the reserve
The reserve comprises two vegetarian sub communities – swamp gum Eucalyptusovata woodland and messmate stringybark Eucalyptus obiqua woodland.
The canopy in the swamp gum woodland comprises swamp gum Eucalyptus ovata, lesser manna gum Eucalyptus viminalis, and shrub layer swamp paperback Melaleuca ericifolia.
The messmate stringy woodland isfound in the well-drained areas and consists of messmate stringybark with a field layer of native and introduced grasses.
The variety of vegetation within the Reserve contains important habitat for fauna species.
Camp Buxton–Lexington Creek flows through the reserve to create a natural wetland, offering a reliable source of water during the wetter months.
The reserve contains many species of regionally significant fauna that have been endangered or lost elsewhere in Shoreham and surrounding villages through increased human habitation. They include:
Mammals – The short-beaked echidna, koala, swamp antechinus, sugar glider, swamp wallaby, swamp rat
Birds - The powerful owl, wedge-tailed and sea eagle, crimson rosella, eastern rosella, king parrot, black-faced cuckoo-shrike, white-eared honeyeater, grey fantail, eastern spinebill, willy wagtail
Reptiles – The delicate skink, white-lipped snake, red-bellied black snake and copperhead snake
Amphibians- The southeastern froglet
The Cyril Young Memorial Chapel
Community members can access the reserve easily, making it an ideal place to enjoy the bushland, observe wildlife, and spend time in quiet meditation.
Along the southern boundary sits the historic Cyril Young Memorial Chapel. This culturally important site is managed by the Cyril Young Memorial Chapel Association and provides a unique connection between the reserve’s natural and historic values.
Historical signage has recently been installed that illustrates the history of the Chapel and YMCA Camp.
Ongoing restoration efforts help to maintain the ecological health of Buxton Bushland Reserve. The MP Shire’s biodiversity team conduct regular visits to control environmental weed species such as arum lilies, sweet pittosporum, ivy, and introduced pasture grasses.
The Shire also works closely with Melbourne Water that assists with the vegetation management along the creek.
Two active volunteer groups-the Cyril Young Memorial Chapel Association and Friends of Shoreham Bushland - participate in regular Shire supported working bees. Volunteers come together once a month to remove environmental weeds and plant local indigenous species. They play a vital role in protecting and enhancing the reserve.
Both groups welcome new members. For more information write to them atShorehamBushChapel@gmail.com and shorehamcommunity@gmail.com
This article was written with the help of Hannah Brown, Mornington Peninsula Shire’s Natural System’s Volunteers Officer. The drone shot of the reserve came courtesy of the MP Shire’s Natural Systems unit.