Alto Reserve

Originally, the reserve was the site of a reservoir owned by the Melbourne Metropolitan Board of Works.

The excavation works for the reservoir severely disturbed the ecology of the reserve, as did the planting of pine trees and cedar wattles.

The disturbance of the site allowed weeds to become established. They soon infiltrated the surrounding bushland as well, causing the loss of indigenous flora and fauna.

Council has owned and managed the land since 1974, which is when the reservoir was filled in and replaced with lawn area.

Extensive weed removal and revegetation works aimed at restoring the natural bushland have been the focus of Council’s management of the reserve, and this strategy has led to a gradual improvement of the site’s quality. 

The vegetation type that can be found at Alto Reserve is Valley Heathy Forest.

The following list represents some of the common and some of the rare and significant (*) plants found in the reserve.

Upper storey

• White Stringybark - Eucalyptus globoidea*
• Red Stringybark - Eucalyptus macrorhynca
• Bundy – Eucalyptus goniocalyx

Middle storey

• Common Cassinia – Cassinia acuelata
• Shiny Cassinia – Cassinia longifolia
• Prickly Currant Bush – Coprosma quadrifida
• Juniper Wattle – Acacia ulicifolia
• Victorian Christmas-bush - Prostanthera lasianthos

Lower storey

• Bidgee-widgee - Acæna novæ-zelandiæ
• Rock Fern - Cheilanthes austrotenuifolia
• Angled Flat-Pea - Platylobium obtusangulum Cotton Fireweed - Senecio quadridentatus
• Purple Coral-pea Hardenbergia violacea Erect Guinea Flower - Hibbertia riparia*

Grasses, sedges and rushes

• Spiny-headed Mat Rush – Lomandra longifolia
• Weeping Grass – Microleana stipoides
• Slender Sword Sedge - Lepidosperma gunnii
• Velvet Wallaby-grass - Austrodanthonia pilosa
• Velvet Tussock Grass - Poa morrisii

Lilies and orchids

• Mosquito Orchid – Acianthus pusillus *
• Chocolate Lily – Arthropodium strictum
• Pale Grass Lily – Caesia parviflora
• Nodding Greenhood - Pterostylis nutans
• Black-anther Flax-lily - Dianella revoluta
• Milkmaids - Burchardia umbellata

Fauna

Birds

• Wood Duck - Chenonetta jubata
• Rainbow Lorikeet – Trichoglossus haematodus
• Laughing Kookaburra – Dacelo novaeguineae
• Crimson Rosella - Platycercus elegans
• Eastern Rosella - Platycercus eximius
• Striated Thornbill – Acanthiza lineata
• Eastern Spinebill - Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris
• Gang-gang Cockatoo - Callocephalon fimbriatum

Mammals

• Common Brushtail Possum - Trichosurus vulpecula
• Common Ringtail Possum - Pseudocheirus peregrinus