Cheong Wildflower Sanctuary

The parcel of land was once part of a large farming property owned by the Cheong family, who donated it to the Council in 1952. A covenant on the reserve’s title designates it as a sanctuary for the preservation of native flora.

The relatively small area of the reserve, without any significant barrier to shield it from the grassy weeds invading from the adjacent Melbourne Water easement and the railway cutting or from the exotic garden plants escaping from adjoining properties, resulted in severe weed infestation.

More recently, extensive weed control has improved the quality of the bushland, but has not prevented species loss.

Planting of locally sourced indigenous spaces to restore the original composition of the bushland is starting to show results. 

Cheong Wildflower Sanctuary consists of Valley Heathy Forest, with White Stringybark (Eucalyptus globoidea) dominant. Only very few other reserves in Maroondah with the same vegetation type feature White Stringybark.

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 macrorhyncha
• Yellow Box – Eucalyptus melliodora
• Bundy – Eucalyptus goniocalyx

Middle storey

• Sweet Bursaria – Bursaria spinosa
• Cherry Ballart – Exocarpus cupressiformis
• Large Kangaroo Apple - Solanum laciniatum
• Myrtle Wattle – Acacia myrtifolia
• Golden Wattle – Acacia pycnantha
• Drooping Cassinia – Cassinia arcuata

Lower storey

• Heath Milkwort – Comesperma ericinum*
• Trailing Goodenia - Goodenia lanata
• Showy Guinea Flower - Hibbertia obtusifolia
• Running Postman - Kennedia prostrata*
• Australian Buttercup - Ranunculus lappaceus*

Grasses, Sedges and Rushes

• Spiny-headed Mat-rush – Lomandra longifolia
• Red-anther Wallaby-grass - Joycea pallida
• Tall Sword-sedge - Lepidosperma elatius
• Velvet Tussock Grass – Poa morrisii
• Veined Spear-grass - Stipa rudis subsp. rudis

Lilies and Orchids

• Large Tongue-orchid - Cryptostylis subulate
• Mosquito orchid - Acianthus pusillus
• Toothed helmet orchid - Corybas incurvis 

Birds

• Pied currawong - Strepera graculina
• Grey Butcherbird - Cracticus torquatus
• Crimson Rosella - Platycercus elegans
• Red Wattlebird - Anthochaera carunculata
• Gang-gang Cockatoo - Callocephalon fimbriatum
• Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike - Coracina novaehollandiae
• Brown Goshawk – Accipiter fasciatus
• Tawny Frogmouth - Podargus strigoides
• Laughing Kookaburra – Dacelo novaeguineae
• Willie Wagtail - Rhipidura leucophrys

Mammals

• Common Brushtail Possum – Trichosurus vulpecula
• Common Ringtail Possum - Pseudocheirus peregrinus
• Grey-headed Flying Fox – Pteropus poliocephalus
• Sugar Glider – Petaurus breviceps
• Short-beaked Echidna - Tachyglossus aculeatus

Amphibians

• Long-necked Tortoise – Chelodina longicollis

Reptiles

• Common Blue-Tongue Lizard - Tiliqua scincoides