The Moolort Plains are a very different environment to the goldfields landscapes closer to Newstead. The plains country is part of the Victorian Volcanic Plains bioregion, once dominated by native grasslands and largely untimbered. Silver Banksia, Tree-Violet and Bursaria were some of the predominant shrubs in this verdant landscape, prior to European settlement. A feature of the Moolort Plains are its wetlands and swamps, many of which have been actively managed for conservation values by local farmers. The following images feature some of these beautiful wetlands.
- Long Swamp – location
- Lakeside Swamp – location
- Frogmore Swamp – location
- Walker’s Swamp – location
- Blackmore’s Swamp – location
Long Swamp, 7th September 2010
Lakeside Swamp, 5th September 2010
Frogmore Swamp, 5th September 2010
Walkers Swamp, 7th September 2010
Blackmore’s Swamp at dawn, 13th September 2010
Natural Newstead 
Hi Geoff
We are wondering the location of the Moolort silos. Can you help?
Wonderful photos – we love your work.
Cheers
Cathy
Hi Cathy – I have updated the post to include the location where I spotted the raptors – just click on the text and it will open the site in the Community Web Mapper. Would be keen to hear of any observations you might make in this and other spots.
All the best, geoff
Hi Geoff,
We are driving through the Moolort region and wondering when and how the piles of rocks were gathered to clear the land,
Thanks,
Sandra and Zbig
Hi Geoff,
The 5 links above were not worrking a few minutes ago,
Thanks,
Peter
Hi Peter – thanks for letting me know I’ll fix them when I get a chance
Cheers, geoff
Hi,
Lakeside Swamp is also known as Bakers Swamp.
Thanks for the note – sounds like you know the area … my understanding is that the wetland to the north of the highway is known as Bakers Swamp, while the one to the south is Lakeside Swamp. A number of the Moolort wetlands have multiple local names so it wouldn’t surprise to learn that to be the case. Would like to understand the source. Cheers, geoff