Lake Wendouree
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Lake Wendouree () is an artificially created and maintained shallow urban
lake A lake is often a naturally occurring, relatively large and fixed body of water on or near the Earth's surface. It is localized in a basin or interconnected basins surrounded by dry land. Lakes lie completely on land and are separate from ...
located adjacent to the suburb of the same name in the city of
Ballarat, Victoria Ballarat ( ) () is a city in the Central Highlands (Victoria), Central Highlands of Victoria, Australia. At the 2021 Australian census, 2021 census, Ballarat had a population of 111,973, making it the third-largest urban inland city in Australi ...
, Australia. The name Wendouree comes from a local Aboriginal word ''wendaaree'' which means 'go away': a story is told that when settler
William Cross Yuille William Cross Yuille (28 March 1819 – 19 July 1894) was a Scottish Australian pastoralist notable as, after immigrating to Australia, as a founder of Ballarat as well as for his role in the establishment of the Victorian horse racing. Life Yu ...
asked a local
Indigenous Indigenous may refer to: *Indigenous peoples *Indigenous (ecology) In biogeography, a native species is indigenous to a given region or ecosystem if its presence in that region is the result of only local natural evolution (though often populari ...
woman what the name of the swamp was, that was her reply.


Location and features

Lake Wendouree is one of the smallest of a complex of natural
wetland A wetland is a distinct semi-aquatic ecosystem whose groundcovers are flooded or saturated in water, either permanently, for years or decades, or only seasonally. Flooding results in oxygen-poor ( anoxic) processes taking place, especially ...
s which includes nearby
Lake Burrumbeet Lake Burrumbeet is a large but shallow eutrophic lake in central western Victoria, Australia. Located west of Ballarat and west of Melbourne, the lake has been progressively emptying since 1997 and was declared completely dry in 2004. Howeve ...
and Lake Learmonth on the plains of the Central Highlands. The swamp was
dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aqua ...
med following the
Victorian gold rush The Victorian gold rush was a period in the history of Victoria, Australia, approximately between 1851 and the late 1860s. It led to a period of extreme prosperity for the Australian colony and an influx of population growth and financial capi ...
in 1851 and since the 1860s it has been a popular recreational lake for Ballarat's citizens. Lake Wendouree now holds significant historical, environmental, and recreational values to the Ballarat community. The lake hosted the
rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically a ...
and
canoeing Canoeing is an activity which involves paddling a canoe with a single-bladed paddle. In some parts of Europe, canoeing refers to both canoeing and kayaking, with a canoe being called an 'open canoe' or Canadian. A few of the recreational ...
events during the
1956 Olympic Games 1956 Olympics refers to both: *The 1956 Winter Olympics, which were held in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy *The 1956 Summer Olympics The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XVI Olympiad and officially branded as Melbourne 1956, were ...
. During its history, the shallow lake has dried up during
drought A drought is a period of drier-than-normal conditions.Douville, H., K. Raghavan, J. Renwick, R.P. Allan, P.A. Arias, M. Barlow, R. Cerezo-Mota, A. Cherchi, T.Y. Gan, J. Gergis, D.  Jiang, A.  Khan, W.  Pokam Mba, D.  Rosenfeld, J. Tierney, ...
conditions, the most recent an extended period between 2006 and 2011.


History

In ancient times Lake Wendouree was originally a stream which flowed to the west but a
lava Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a Natural satellite, moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a Fissure vent, fractu ...
flow caused it to be dammed on three sides and it now drains to the east, eventually into the
Yarrowee River The Yarrowee River (or Yaramlok in the Aboriginal language) is a perennial river of the Corangamite catchment, located in the Central Highlands region of the Australian state of Victoria. Location and features The Yarrowee is a major tribut ...
. The swamp was known to Europeans as "Black Swamp" due to its dense dark reeds. It was later known as "Yuille's Swamp" after William Cross Yuille who settled just south of it. When Ballarat was first surveyed in 1851 by
William Swan Urquhart William Swan Urquhart (1818 1881) was an Australian surveyor for the Government of Victoria The Victoria State Government, also referred to as the Victorian Government, is the Executive (government), executive government of the Australian ...
, the swamp was recorded as Wendouree and the misunderstood Aboriginal word became the official name. Renowned fly-fishing author
Alfred Ronalds Alfred Ronalds (10 July 180223 April 1860) was an English author, artisan, and Australian pioneer, best known for his book '' The Fly-fisher's Entomology''. Life and family Early years He was born at No. 1 Highbury Terrace, Highbury, the eleven ...
established Ballarat's first garden nursery in 1854 at the outlet stream that flowed from the swamp and irrigated it from this creek. He also built large tanks there and provided water for the town. Plans to dam the outlet began as early as the first surveying and the bank was raised and a pipeline was installed in 1858 to supply the burgeoning gold rush settlement. A
corroboree A corroboree is a generic word for a meeting of Australian Aboriginal peoples. It may be a sacred ceremony, a festive celebration, or of a warlike character. A word coined by the first British settlers in the Sydney area from a word in the ...
was observed at the Wendouree Swamp in March 1857 by a Ballarat Times reporter. In 1864 a rowing course was first cut through the reedy swamp and the first steamboats arrived. In 1869 a severe drought caused the lake to dry up completely however the water returned the following year and the boats returned. Within a decade it had become the recreational focus of Ballarat, a popular destination and by the 1880s dozens of paddle steamers, ferries, yachts and rowers were using the lake's waters and newly built boat sheds and the establishment of Victorian era gardens around its banks. Lake Wendouree hosted the
rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically a ...
and
canoeing Canoeing is an activity which involves paddling a canoe with a single-bladed paddle. In some parts of Europe, canoeing refers to both canoeing and kayaking, with a canoe being called an 'open canoe' or Canadian. A few of the recreational ...
events for the
1956 Summer Olympics The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XVI Olympiad and officially branded as Melbourne 1956, were an international multi-sport event held in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia, from 22 November to 8 December ...
. An Olympic monument now marks the end of the course. Apart from private
bore water An artesian well is a well that brings groundwater to the surface without pumping because it is under pressure within a body of rock or sediment known as an aquifer. When trapped water in an aquifer is surrounded by layers of impermeable roc ...
the lake quickly ceased being the city's private water supply with the introduction of new sources including the Gong Gong Reservoir.


2000s drought

The
2000s Australian drought The 2000s drought in Australia, also known as the millennium drought, is said by some to be the worst Drought in Australia, drought recorded since European settlement. The drought affected most of southern Australia, including its largest citi ...
caused Lake Wendouree to dry up in 2006. Despite warnings by the local council and news publications, local enthusiasts combed below the surface of the dry lake bed for artifacts, including antique glass bottles. The activities of a number of local organisations, including boating clubs, rowing clubs and recreational fishers, had to be suspended, and the dry lake had a large tourism impact on Ballarat. During the summer of 2008–2009, fairy grass growing on the dried up lake bed caught fire multiple times. Better than expected winter rainfall in 2010, as well as storm water and wetland works in 2008 and 2009, saw the lake again reach full capacity in 2011.


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 The black swan (''Cygnus atratus'') is a large Anatidae, waterbird, a species of swan which breeds mainly in the southeast and southwest regions of Australia. Within Australia, the black swan is nomadic, with erratic migration patterns dependent ...
s,
Pacific black duck The Pacific black duck (''Anas superciliosa''), commonly known as the PBD, is a dabbling duck found in much of Indonesia, New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand, and many islands in the southwestern Pacific, reaching to the Caroline Islands in the no ...
s,
dusky moorhen The dusky moorhen (''Gallinula tenebrosa'') is a bird species in the rail family and is one of the eight extant species in the moorhen genus. It occurs in India, Australia, New Guinea, Borneo and Indonesia. It is often confused with the purple ...
s,
purple swamphen The purple swamphen has been split into the following species: * Western swamphen, ''Porphyrio porphyrio'', southwest Europe and northwest Africa * African swamphen, ''Porphyrio madagascariensis'', sub-Saharan continental Africa and Madagascar * ...
s,
Eurasian coot The Eurasian coot (''Fulica atra''), also known as the common coot, or Australian coot, is a member of the rail and crake bird family, the Rallidae. It is found in Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and parts of North Africa. It has a slaty-bla ...
s,
musk duck The musk duck (''Biziura lobata'') is a highly aquatic, stiff-tailed duck native to southern Australia. It is the only living member of the genus ''Biziura''. An Extinction, extinct relative, the New Zealand musk duck or de Lautour's duck (''B. ...
s,
great crested grebe The great crested grebe (''Podiceps cristatus'') is a member of the grebe family of water birds. The bird is characterised by its distinctive appearance, featuring striking black, orange-brown, and white plumage, and elaborate courtship displa ...
s,
silver gull The silver gull (''Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae'') is a gull in Oceania. It is the most common gull of Australia. It has been found throughout the continent, but particularly at or near coastal areas. It is smaller than the Pacific gull (''L ...
s and
little pied cormorant The little pied cormorant, little shag or kawaupaka (''Microcarbo melanoleucos'') is a common species of Australasian waterbird, found around the coasts, islands, Estuary, estuaries, and inland waters of Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand, Timor- ...
s. Information boards at the Fairyland Wetland Walk provide details about species and habitats. About 100
rakali The rakali (''Hydromys chrysogaster''), also known as the rabe, the "Australian otter" or water-rat, is an Australian native rodent first scientifically described in 1804. Adoption of the Ngarrindjeri name ''rakali'' is intended to foster a posit ...
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.


Transport

A vintage electric tramway operates along the western side of the lake. The volunteers of the
Ballarat Tramway Museum The Ballarat Tramway Museum is an operating tramway museum, located in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. The museum is run by volunteers and has a fleet of trams which operate on part of the original horse tramway around Lake Wendouree ...
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. Double-decker horse-drawn
tram A tram (also known as a streetcar or trolley in Canada and the United States) is an urban rail transit in which Rolling stock, vehicles, whether individual railcars or multiple-unit trains, run on tramway tracks on urban public streets; some ...
s began carrying visitors to the
Ballarat Botanical Gardens The Ballarat Botanical Gardens Reserve, located on the western shore of picturesque Lake Wendouree, in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, covers an area of 40 hectares which is divided into three distinct zones. The central Botanical Gardens reserve ...
in 1887. Paddlesteamers have used the lake in the past for both transport and as a tourist attraction and the most popular one, the Golden City has been restored for return to the lake, and does a tourist circuit each Sunday
The Begonia Princess
paddleboat returned to Lake Wendouree in 2012 after being restored by the current owner and currently and is a popular attraction on the Lake.


Recreation

Boating Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels (such as rowing and paddle boats), focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, suc ...
has long been an important sport and leisure activity on the lake and for many years local schools have held the "Head of the Lake" rowing regatta there. The track around the lake provides an interesting 6 km challenge to walking,
cycling Cycling, also known as bicycling or biking, is the activity of riding a bicycle or other types of pedal-driven human-powered vehicles such as balance bikes, unicycles, tricycles, and quadricycles. Cycling is practised around the world fo ...
and running enthusiasts who complete the circuit in their thousands each week. 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 The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of kilometres ( 26 mi 385 yd), usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There ...
Olympian
Steve Moneghetti Stephen James "Steve" Moneghetti, (born 26 September 1962), is an Australian long-distance runner and physical health consultant who has represented Australia on many occasions. Moneghetti has a degree in civil engineering, a graduate diploma ...
. In recent years, it has been the venue for the annual Goldfields Festival and Springfest extravaganza.


References


External links


Ballarat Accommodation and Tourism DirectoryBallarat Tramways websiteCity of BallaratCentral Highlands Water
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wendouree Venues of the 1956 Summer Olympics Olympic canoeing venues Olympic rowing venues Ballarat Lakes of Victoria (state) Canoeing and kayaking venues in Australia Reservoirs in Victoria (state) Artificial lakes of Australia