Belgrave Heights, Victoria

Infobox Australian Place | type = suburb
name = Belgrave Heights
city = Melbourne
state = vic


caption =
lga = Shire of Yarra Ranges
postcode = 3160
pop = 1441 (2006)Census 2006 AUS | id = SSC21067 | name = Belgrave Heights (State Suburb) | accessdate = 2007-10-01 | quick = on]
area = 1.7
est =
propval = $321,075 [ [http://www.domain.com.au/public/suburbprofile.aspx?suburb=Belgrave%20Heights&postcode=3160 Belgrave Heights] , accessed 27 November 2006]
stategov = Gembrook
fedgov = La Trobe
dist1 = 41
location1= Melbourne
dist2 = 3
location2= Belgrave
near-nw = Tecoma
near-n = Belgrave
near-ne = Selby
near-w = Lysterfield
near-e = Selby
near-sw = Lysterfield
near-s = Belgrave South
near-se = Belgrave South

Belgrave Heights is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is in the Local Government Area of the Shire of Yarra Ranges.

Belgrave Heights Post Office opened on 1 August 1938 as settlement began in the area, and closed in 1977. Citation
last = Premier Postal History | title = Post Office List | url = https://www.premierpostal.com/cgi-bin/wsProd.sh/Viewpocdwrapper.p?SortBy=VIC&country= | accessdate = 2008-04-11 ]

In February 1983, the Ash Wednesday fires swept through the area, destroying many houses but also help indigenous plants that need fire to spread such as "Hakeas", "Acacias", "Banksias" and other plants.

Birdsland Reserve

Belgrave Heights has a convert|75|ha|acre|sing=on|lk=on bushland park called Birdsland. Originally owned by a farming family, the Birds, it was sold to the then Shire of Sherbrooke in 1984 and opened to the public for bushwalking, picnicking and sightseeing. It is a very important habitat link for locally rare Platypus, and a local group, the Birdsland Advisory Committee, are active in maintaining, developing and protecting the reserve. The committee has developed a sustainable design education centre, including solar panels, composting toilet and water tanks. Next door is the Southern Dandenongs Indigenous Plant Nursery which is a not-for profit group which provides a range of plants that are native to the Dandenong Ranges. [cite news|url=http://thesource.melbournewater.com.au/content/archive/March2006/lastword.asp|title=Family reserves bush ‘lungs’|author=Melbourne Water|work=The Source|month=March|year=2006|accessdate=2008-04-19]

Melbourne Water offers stream frontage grants to help landowners apply for money for weed eradication, fencing and more. [cite web|url=http://www.melbournewater.com.au/content/publications/fact_sheets/rivers_and_creeks/stream_frontage_management_program.asp?bhcp=1|title= Stream Frontage Management Program| author = Melbourne Water | accessdate=2008-04-19]

Biodiversity

Vegetation

;Overstorey

Belgrave Heights is mainly sclerophyll woodland. The dominant overstorey is "Acacia melanoxylon", "Acacia dealbata", "Acacia pycnantha", "Eucalyptus cephalocarpa", "Eucalyptus cypellocarpa" (in areas near Belgrave Lake Park), "Eucalyptus goniocalyx" growing in and around Birdsland and Zig Zag Road, "Eucalyptus obliqua" growing through most of the area as well as in Belgrave South, "Eucalyptus ovata" which tends to grow in low-lying areas and "Eucalyptus radiata" which is quite common in the Belgrave South Primary school grounds with the very fine bark and peppermint smelling leaves.

;Shrub layer

The shrub layer in gullies and shaded areas, consists of "Coprosma quadrifida", "Acacia verticillata", "Pomaderris aspera", "Bedfordia aborescens", "Cassinia aculeata", "Ozothamnus ferrugineus", "Olearia lirata", "Olearia argophylla", "Prostanthera lasianthos", "Gynatrix pulchella" and "Pimelea axiflora". In open woodland there is "Acacia leprosa", "Acacia myrtifolia", "Acacia mucronata", "Acacia stricta", "Allocasuarina paludosa", "Goodia lotifolia" and the more rarer fire dependent plants "Hakea ulicina", "Hakea nodosa" and "Banksia marginata" and "Banksia spinulosa". "Pandorea pandorana" and "Clematis aristata" are the two main climbers.

;Ground layer

The ground layer is made up of "Poa labillardieri", "Poa ensiformis", "Poa sieberiana", "Themeda triandra", "Dianella revoluta" in dryer areas and "Dianella longifolia" and "Dianella tasmanica" in wetter areas. "Microlaena stipoides", Bidgee Widgee, "Goodenia ovata", "Lomandra longifolia" and "Lomandra filiformis" are common throughout the Belgrave area. Other plants like "Xanthorrhoea minor" is more common south of Belgrave. Also with pea family members "Platylobium formosum", "Platylobium obtusangulum", "Pultenaea hispidula", "Pultenaea scabra" and "Pultenaea stricta".

Fauna

Riparian dwelling animals in the area include:

* Platypus along Monbulk Creek,
* Yellow-bellied Gliders in Hazel Vale Road gully
* Sugar Gliders in Birdsland,
* Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos commonly seen in "Pinus radiata"
* Possums, both ringtails and brushtails
* Tawny Frogmouths.
* Powerful Owl breeding pairs in and around Birdsland and in upper reaches of Monbulk Creek
* Echidnas in Selby area and also parts around Belgrave where understorey is not disturbed
* Swamp Wallabies and Kangaroos in and around Birdsland and the North Eastern extension of Lysterfield Park.

Feral Animals include
* Feral cats
* Foxes
* Indian Mynahs
* Blackbirds
* Feral pigeons

References

External links

* [http://web.archive.org/web/20050721105415/http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/ncas/multimedia/gazetteer/list/belgrave.html Australian Places] - Belgrave Heights & Belgrave South