The Oxley Creek Common has been opened to the public since 2003. Historically it has been a riparian rainforest with alluvial plains, a logging coupe, family farms, and a agricultural research station. Some areas are still used by Corinda State High School for grazing livestock, as part of their agricultural science program. Much of the 120 hectare Common is a low-lying floodplain and wetland system, which is a unique and ecologically significant part of the Oxley Creek catchment.
- to learn more about the history of the common please click here.
These posts at the Oxley Creek Common carpark represent the 1974 flood, the red marks show the height of the flood waters that submerged most of Rocklea.
The Oxley Creek Catchment Association runs many programs and projects at the common:
Rehabilitation of the Creek Bank
To Rehabilitate the common many groups are coming together for the same purpose, the Tuesday Common Carers (TCC), Bio-diversity services, Creek Care, School groups, and corporate volunteers all put in many hours of hard work to care for the common. Rehabilitation includes removing weed species that have invaded the area and created mono-cultures, not allowing any native species to regenerate. When areas have been neglected for many years the seed bank in the soil is largely comprised of invasive weed seeds, therefore, a lot of time needs to be spent removing new weeds that emerge every season. Re-vegitation of the creeks and low-lying grass plains is vital to the health of our waterways, heavy rainfall washes pollution and top soil into the creeks and rivers. However, by having forested waterway corridors we return barriers that hold soil in place, catch debris, and slow the velocity of flash flooding, which can mitigate flood damage.
Citizen Science Projects
The people of our communities are one of the greatest resources for scientific exploration, whether it is collecting and mailing feathers that you find on your walks, recording the growth and health of mangroves, or monitoring the macro-invertebrates in our waterways. We can all be involved with the health of our community.
School Education and Corporate Volunteering
Being heavily involved with the community means that we want to educate future generations on how important the environment is. The students enjoy getting their hands dirty and learning about the areas that they visit with their families, these children will also get to watch the trees that they planted grow with them and become grand old forests in the years to come. We engage regularly with local businesses to run volunteer programs for restoration, this involves planting and weeding around specific sites to support other local volunteer groups.
There are numerous ways to enjoy the Oxley Creek Common, with over 4km of walking tracks to evocative destinations like the Pelican Lagoon, Jabiru Swamp, and the Secret Forest. The Common is a great place for bird-watching with some unique and rare species to be found, such as the Magpie Goose, Black-necked Stork, Brown Goshawk, and Latham’s Snipe.
There are many Native species being re-introduced to the common while we eradicate the devastating invasive weed species.
With plenty of picnic spots and two BBQ’s available the common is a perfect place to spend time with your friends and family.