Zone 12 Consists of poor to moderately fertile soils including sands gravels and clays that are prone to erosion. The gently sloping hills to flats include gullies and are mostly moderately drained. The average rainfall is 50 - 55 centimetres.
This area was characterised by open woodland dominated by River Red Gum Manna Gum and Drooping Sheoke. The predominantly grassy understorey also consisted of shrubby and heathy species.
Dog Rocks (Batesford) and the surrounding granitic sands area is rockier and has less topsoil and consequently Sheoke and Wattle species were more common.
Cherry Ballart and isolated patches of Yellow Gum were prominent on drier areas while watercourses were lined with Blackwood River Red Gum and various Tea-tree species.
Many shrub species such as the Dogwood Drooping Cassinia Silver Banksia and Parrot-pea were restricted to well drained areas.
Kangaroo Grass was the dominant grass species with other groundcover species including Spreading Eutaxia Common Everlasting and Common Correa being restricted to the drier areas.
| Tree species | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Common name | Botanical name | Size (height by width in metres) | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Lightwood | Acacia implexa | 5-15 | 4-7 | Y | Y | - |
| Black Wattle | Acacia mearnsii | 8-25 | 6-10 | Y | Y | YH |
| Blackwood | Acacia melanoxylon | 5-30 | 4-15 | - | - | Y |
| Golden Wattle | Acacia pycnantha | 3-10 | 2-5 | Y | Y | - |
| Black Sheoke | Allocasuarina littoralis | 4-8 | 2-5 | - | Y | - |
| Drooping Sheoke | Allocasuarina verticillata | 4-11 | 3-6 | Y | - | YR |
| River Red Gum | Eucalyptus camaldulensis | 15-35 | 15-35 | - | Y | Y |
| Yellow Gum | Eucalyptus leucoxylon ssp connata | 10 | 20 | Y | X | - |
| Swamp Gum | Eucalyptus ovata | 8-30 | 8-20 | - | X | - |
| Manna Gum | Eucalyptus viminalis | 10-20 | 8-15 | Y | Y | - |
| Cherry Ballart | Exocarpos cupressiformis | 3-8 | 3-5 | Y | - | - |
| Shrub Species | ||||||
| Gold-dust Wattle | Acacia acinacea | 2.5 | 2-4 | Y | - | - |
| Hedge Wattle | Acacia paradoxa | 2-4 | 2-5 | Y | Y | YD |
| Silver Banksia | Banksia marginata | 1-10 | 1-5 | Y | - | - |
| Sweet Bursaria | Bursaria spinosa var macrophylla | 2-6 | 2-3 | Y | - | - |
| River Bottlebrush | Callistemon sieberi | 3-10 | 2-6 | - | - | X |
| Dogwood | Cassinia aculeata | 2-4 | 1-2 | Y | - | - |
| Drooping Cassina | Cassinia arcuata | 1-3 | 1-2 | Y | - | - |
| Common Correa | Correa reflexa | 0.3 | 1-2 | X | - | - |
| Grey Parrot-pea | Dillwynia cinerascens | 1.5 | 1.5 | Y | - | - |
| Showy Parrot-pea | Dillwynia sericea | 1-5 | 1-5 | Y | - | - |
| Eutaxia | Eutaxia diffusa | 1.2 | 1.2 | Y | - | - |
| Hemp-Bush | Gynatrix pulchella | 2-4 | 1.5-3 | - | - | X |
| Burgan | Kunzea ericoides | 2-5 | 2-4 | Y | - | - |
| Prickly Tea-tree | Leptospermum | 2-5 | 2-4 | - | Y | Y |
| Woolly Tea-tree | Leptospermum lanigerum | 2-6 | 1-3 | - | - | X |
| River Tea-tree | Leptospermum obovatum | 2-4 | 1.5-2 | - | - | X |
| Common Boobialla | Myoporum insulare (plains form) | 1-6 | 3 | YU | - | - |
| Rough Bush-pea | Pultenaea scabra | 1-2 | 1.5 | X | - | - |
| Kangaroo Apple | Solanum laciniatum | 1-3 | 1-3 | Y | - | - |
| Groundcover and tussock species | ||||||
| Common Everlasting | Chrysocephalum apiculatum | 0.3 | 1-2 | Y | - | - |
| Eutaxia | Eutaxia microphylla | 0.5 | 1.5 | Y | - | - |
| Kangaroo Grass | Themeda triandra | 0.3 | 0.3 | Y | - | - |
| D - drier sites | ||||||
| H - higher banks | ||||||
| R - river banks (drier sites) | ||||||
| S - species that prefer sandy soils | ||||||
| U - uncommon | ||||||
| X - species once occurred in this area | ||||||
| Y - species is present in areas of remnant vegetation | ||||||
1=Well drained slopes etc; 2=Poorly drained slopes; 3=Watercourses
Local Indigenous Nurseries
Further Contacts
- City of Greater Geelong Environment Unit: 03 5272 4785
- Department of Environment Land Water and Planning: 136 186
- Geelong Field Naturalists Club Inc
- Geelong Landcare Network
- Corangamite Catchment Management Authority: 03 5232 9100
Acknowledgements: David Perry DSE and Mark Trengove
This information sheet is also available in PDF format.