Wilson Botanic Park, Botanical garden and park in Berwick, Victoria, Australia.
Wilson Botanic Park is a 39-hectare botanic garden on Princes Highway in Berwick, Victoria. Its two lakes are former quarries: the large Anniversary Lake and the smaller Basalt Lake, which has a sheer basalt face on its east side and a boardwalk on its west. A steep path leads to the Hoo Hoo Lookout Tower, and Ben's Lookout offers another vantage point. Facilities include an information centre, amphitheatre, playground, education room, bird hide, barbecues, shelters and rotundas.
The Wilson family ran a blue metal quarry on this 100-acre site from 1859 until 1976, then donated the land to the community. Excavations there uncovered fossil forest remains, later dated to a tropical forest 22 million years old and including the earliest known Eucalyptus fossils. The City of Casey began converting the quarry into a botanic garden in 1988, and the Governor General officially opened it in 1992.
The park's name honours the Wilson family, who ran the blue metal quarry here from 1859 to 1976 and then gave the land to the community. About 10% of the plants carry labels, so visitors can read names while walking the grounds. The Hallam Bypass Trail along the Princes Highway passes the entrance and is used by cyclists and walkers.
The park has well-marked paths and several shaded areas with picnic tables and shelters for resting. Visitors should wear comfortable shoes and allow time to explore both lakes and the different planted areas.
The fossils found in the former quarry include the earliest known Eucalyptus fossils, and studies concluded the site carried tropical forest about 22 million years ago. They were uncovered during early quarrying, not on the present-day paths.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,369 contributors worldwide.