Category: News

It’s now official! Management of Westgate Park is to be taken over by the City of Melbourne on 1 January 2026. In the meantime, we will be working with the Council to develop a master plan and prepare for the new arrangement.  More to come on this … 

Large areas of Victoria’s wetlands have been cleared and drained over time so it is not surprising that some aquatic species have become rare.  Sedges, rushes and aquatic herbs grow in wet or swampy areas – bogs, ponds and lake edges – providing exc...

Araujia sericifera – Moth or milky vine – used to be a garden favourite but like so many weeds, it is a huge pest. It has been coming into the Park and we discovered the source is next door – the former Herald and Weekly Times printing works ...

Though not listed as threatened in Victoria, many of the 320 native plant species that once existed in the Melbourne region have all but disappeared. (Ref Flora of Melbourne) This makes Westgate Park and Bili Nursery important in protecting and conserving this...

We had the great pleasure in hearing about the work of Dr Kylie Soanes who is an urban ecologist at the University of Melbourne in the School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences. She investigates creative and practical ways to conserve biodiversity in cities and ...

Bili Nursery, 525 Williamstown Road, Port Melbourne, will be open over the Christmas period – 9-4 weekdays, 10-3 Saturdays – closed public holidays. We hope to see you there.

Starting in March, we will be resuming our monthly volunteer work days – the second Sunday of each month – 10am to 2pm with a well-earned break for lunch. There is much to do at Westgate Park and we will be mostly weeding or planting. You will need...

Ubiquitous, unique, fragrant, and dioecious. On any visit to Westgate Park in winter/spring you can’t miss the sweet perfume of this small-leaved Clematis. It can scramble over the ground and climb as high as 3 meters over other plants or rocky outcrops. It&...

The crew from John Holland and Melbourne Water are working in the park on the major task of duplicating the sewer under the Yarra River – a project to be completed in 2024. They took time out this week to see more of the park and to help out with spring ...

Thanks to the Telstra crew for a morning of tough weed-pulling in the Southern Wetlands followed by planting on the steep slopes of the freshwater lake edge and along the steps up the hill. Thanks too to our core volunteers for making it happen. The earth arou...