Bellair

Bellair Reserve is part of a network of conservation properties and covenants that are protecting and reconnecting native habitat within the Kara Kara-Wedderburn region of north central Victoria.

At 254 hectares, Bellair Reserve protects large stands of Heathy Woodlands, more than half of which have been cleared in the surrounding area since European settlement. Its woodlands and alluvial flats contain habitat for many threatened species, including Red-cross Spider-orchids, Swift Parrots, Lace Monitors, Brush-tailed Phascogales, and declining woodland birds.

The reserve is named after generous donors Caroline and Terry Bellair. After attending a talk about our Victoria Reserves, they made up their minds to donate $1 million to help protect and reconnect native bush in north-central Victoria – a landscape that contains critical habitat for many species that are declining throughout much of south-eastern Australia.

Their original plan had been to bequest surplus savings in their Wills to environmental causes, but as Caroline says:

“We thought we might as well have the fun of spending it while we’re alive.”

What we’re doing

Thankfully, weeds are largely absent from the reserves and at present the eucalypts show no signs of dieback related to dry, hot conditions, such as that occurring on Nardoo Hills Reserves just 50km to the north.

Bellair and Basso Road are also potentially suitable locations to introduce rare Victorian orchids.

Foxes and cats will need to be managed on the reserves but numbers appear low as there are very few rabbits.

As well as controlling these introduced species, the best strategy to maintain the reserve's condition is continued fire suppression. Even when suitable conditions return, fire should only be used on very small patches to start creating a mosaic of fire-ages.