Deep Lead Nature Conservation Reserve is a

protected area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural or cultural values. Protected areas are those areas in which human presence or the exploitation of natural resources (e.g. firewood ...

in the Australian state of

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...

located in the state's west on the north side of the town centre in Stawell. The area was formerly used for gold mining but now contains a variety of ''

Eucalyptus ''Eucalyptus'' () is a genus of more than 700 species of flowering plants in the family Myrtaceae. Most species of ''Eucalyptus'' are trees, often Mallee (habit), mallees, and a few are shrubs. Along with several other genera in the tribe Eucalyp ...

'' which provide habitat for a range of birds and mammals, including some endangered species. Several species of rare ground orchids also grow in the reserve. The

Djab wurrung The Djab Wurrung, also spelt Djabwurrung, Tjapwurrung, Tjap Wurrung, or Djapwarrung, people are Aboriginal Australians whose country is the volcanic plains of central Victoria from the Mount William Range of Gariwerd in the west to the Pyren ...

and

Jardwadjali The Jardwadjali (Yartwatjali), also known as the Jaadwa, are an Aboriginal Australian people of the state of Victoria, whose traditional lands occupy the lands in the upper Wimmera River watershed east to Gariwerd ( Grampians) and west to Lake ...

people are the traditional owners of the Deep Lead area. Deep Lead was established as a gold-mining area shortly after the Australasian Mining Company found the "Australasian

Lead Lead () is a chemical element; it has Chemical symbol, symbol Pb (from Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a Heavy metal (elements), heavy metal that is density, denser than most common materials. Lead is Mohs scale, soft and Ductility, malleabl ...

" in 1867. The first shaft was abandoned after nearly ten years due to flooding and in 1878 a second shaft was sunk nearby to a depth of . On 12 December 1882, workers accidentally broke into the abandoned workings and water began flooding the new shaft. In spite of frantic efforts by boilermen working pumps, only five of the 27 miners were able to escape. Most of the mining equipment has been removed but the depression of the flooded shaft is visible and a cairn and trees mark the site of the tragedy. The Deep Lead Nature Conservation Reserve was first established in 1982 when were set aside and in 2002 a further were added. There is an extensive track network throughout the reserve but there are no camping facilities and prospecting and fossicking are not permitted. About 350 species of native plants occur in the reserve. The eucalypts include red ironbark ''(

Eucalyptus tricarpa ''Eucalyptus tricarpa'', commonly known as red ironbark or mugga ironbark, is a species of tree that is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has thick, rough ironbark on the trunk and branches, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds usually in ...

)'', yellow gum ''(

Eucalyptus leucoxylon ''Eucalyptus leucoxylon'', commonly known as yellow gum, blue gum or white ironbark, is a species of small to medium-sized tree that is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It has smooth yellowish bark with some rough bark near the bas ...

)'', yellow box ''(

Eucalyptus melliodora ''Eucalyptus melliodora'', commonly known as yellow box, honey box or yellow ironbark, is a species of medium-sized to occasionally tall tree that is endemic to south-eastern, continental Australia. It has rough, flaky or fibrous bark on part o ...

)'', long-leaf box ''( Eucalyptus goniocalyx)'', red stringybark ''(

Eucalyptus obliqua ''Eucalyptus obliqua'', commonly known as messmate stringybark or messmate, but also known as brown top, brown top stringbark, stringybark or Tasmanian oak, is a species of tree that is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has rough, stringy or ...

)'', river red gum ''(

Eucalyptus camaldulensis ''Eucalyptus camaldulensis'', commonly known as river red gum, is a flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae, and is Endemism, endemic to Australia. It is a tree with smooth white or cream-coloured bark, lance-shaped or curved adult leaves, flow ...

)'' and grey box ''(

Eucalyptus microcarpa ''Eucalyptus microcarpa'', commonly known as grey box, is a species of tree that is Endemism, endemic to southeastern continental Australia. It has rough, fibrous or flaky bark on the trunk, smooth whitish bark above, lance-shaped adult leaves, ...

)''. Wattles, particularly golden wattle ''(

Acacia pycnantha ''Acacia pycnantha'', most commonly known as the golden wattle, is a tree of the family Fabaceae. It grows to a height of and has phyllodes (flattened leaf stalks) instead of true leaves. The profuse fragrant, golden flowers appear in late ...

)'' are common in the understorey and rare orchids are sometimes seen. Many bird and mammal species are also common here and the endangered swift parrot ''( Lathamus discolor)'' is sometimes seen. The endangered squirrel glider ''(

Petaurus norfolcensis The squirrel glider (''Petaurus norfolcensis'') is a nocturnal gliding possum. The squirrel glider is one of the wrist-winged gliders of the genus '' Petaurus''. Habitat This species' home range extends from Bordertown near the South Austral ...

)'' is nocturnal and rarely observed. As of 2016, the reserve was classified as an IUCN Category IA protected area.

References

{{reflist, 30em

External links

Official Parks Victoria webpageDeep Lead Nature Conservation Reserve webpage on the Protected Planet website
Nature Conservation Reserves of Victoria (state) Protected areas established in 1982 1982 establishments in Australia Wimmera

See also

References

External links