Yammerbook Nature Reserve
This land was once part of the Carrum Carrum Swamp behind coastal dunes, a large wetland and bush terrain between Mordialloc, Frankston and Dandenong; a unique ecosystem that flourished with a wide range of plants and wildlife. Small sections of original swamp remain at Edithvale and Seaford Wetlands but many plant and animal species are now extinct.
The coastal Bunurong people are the traditional custodians of the region between Werribee River and Wilsons Promontory. They lived off the land observing animal behaviour and plant growth to predict food supply. Today descendants of the Bunurong live in our community.
In the past the ecological importance of wetlands was poorly understood. In 1866 the Carrum Carrum Swamp was surveyed then gradually drained for agriculture and housing.
In 1987 Yammerbook Nature Reserve became a flood retarding basin under Dandenong Valley Authority, and then Melbourne Water.
During the 1990s soil was removed to raise the ground level for housing development, however excavations breached the saline water table creating a salty lake with barren banks.
In 2000 Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservation League and local residents initiated restoration of the site with later cooperation from Melbourne Water and City of Kingston. A Master Plan was developed to reinstate a wetland, bush habitat and recreational space. The reserve was officially opened to the public in September 2006 and is now an important link in the habitat corridor between Mordialloc Creek, Edithvale Wetlands and Patterson River.
