CHILTERN PARKS |
The parks featured below are:-
Lake Anderson and surrounding parklands
Honeyeater Picnic Area at the Cyanide Dam
The Chiltern Box Ironbark National Park
Lake Anderson and surrounding parklands is situated between the Chiltern Railway Station and the main street, Conness Street. The Lake and a mullock heap is virtually all that is left of the Alliance Gold Mine. When the mine subsided it formed a lake, which the Chiltern Shire deepened and beautified. An island was formed in the lake to be used as a birdlife sanctuary safe from foxes and dogs.
In 1874 the town baths were built in the smaller of the two Alliance Dams. These baths were built of brick and were for the use of men only. The Fountain of Friendship in the park nearby was opened on new years eve, 1879.
Today the parklands are beautifully maintained with the lake full of many species of birdlife, including some very friendly black swans. During spring the lake comes alive to the sounds of all sorts of ducklings. For the children there is a set of playground equipment, and for the family there are shady BBQ's and modern conveniences and plenty of parking. The park is only a few hundred metres from the shopping centre.
 |
 |
 |
Above photo's of the swans and waterbirds, the island in the lake, the modern facilities and BBQ's, and the quaint bridge crossing the lake's causeway.
Cyanide Dam and the Honeyeater Picnic Area is situated on the southern side of the Hume Highway.Take the first turn left after crossing under the highway from Chiltern, and then the first turn right and follow the signs. The picnic area next to the lake has BBQ facilities, tables and toilets.
The area was an extesive gold mining area, with one of the larger mines, the Golden Bar Mine extracting 10,200 ounces of gold. Mining ceased around 1911. The forest all around this area has many mine shafts so be careful when walking to stay on the clearly marked trails.
 |
 |
 |
The above photos show the cyanide dam. You can see quite clearly in the top photo that the banks are grey, and the water on the edge is a coppery brown, a similar colour to cyanide. The reflection of the sky makes the rest of the water appear blue.
The first two of the other three photo's show the beauty of the lake in the forest, with the colour of the water creating in the reflection, a more brilliant colour than that of the original forest and sky. The Cyanide Dam acts like the "magic mirror on the wall", and makes the relection look much better than the original. It is well worth a trip to see this phenomenom.
The last photo shows some of the sandy soil that encourages the grass shrubs and grass trees to grow in this area.
Chiltern Box-Ironbark National Park (432O ha) has high nature conservation values and protects several historic sites associated with early mining history in the district. The Box-Ironbark forest is the most significant remnant in Northeast Victoria of this once widespread flora. Mammals and birds including some rare species are richly diverse and the area is renowned for its spring wildflower display. Picnic and barbecue facilities are provided at Donkey Hill, Magenta Mine, Frogs Hollow Picnic Area and Honeyeater Picnic Area. The Chiltern Historic Drive, which covers much of the National Park on the Chiltern side of the Hume Highway, and for which a separate leaflet is available, and is also featured on this website, is highly recommended. Features along the drive include Donkey Hill Lookout, the Indigo Goldfields Cemetery and the Magenta Gold Mine. Bushwalking and bird watching are also very popular. You can best explore the park by following the White Box Walking Track, which commences from Honeyeater Picnic Area at Cyanide Dam, on the south or Beechworth side of the Hume Highway. There is a brochure and map for this walk, and it is also featured on this website.
Over 200 species of birds including the rare and endangered Regent Honeyeater, Swift Parrot, Square Tailed Kite and the Turquoise Parrot, have been recorded in the park. The best time for observing birds is during winter and spring when the Ironbarks are in flower.
Eastern Grey Kangaroos can be seen grazing during late afternoon and you may be lucky enough to see a large Tree Goanna. A variety of arboreal (tree dwelling) mammals such as the Squirrel Glider, Sugar Glider, Tuan and Feathertail Glider, and the Common Brushtail and Ringtail Possums live in the southern parts of the park where tree hollows are more plentiful.
| Chiltern Tourist Information Centre | Ph 0357 261 611 |
Chiltern's Parks, Walks and Drives |
The Up Button takes you to the Home Page