Zone 3 is a complex mix of soil types including clays sands and gravels on gently sloping hills with poor to moderate fertility and which are poor to well drained. The average rainfall is 55 - 60 centimetres.
This area was predominantly a woodland community with a highly diverse shrub and grass understorey. Tree species would have included Manna Gum and Drooping Sheoke with populations of Moonah and Yellow Gum.
Common shrub species were Silver Banksia Sweet Bursaria and Smooth Parrot-pea.
Kangaroo Grass was present in patches across most of the inland area while Tussock Grass grew along the region’s watercourses.
The central area of the Bellarine Hills and parts of Queenscliff and Point Lonsdale have large areas of poor sandy soils which are remnants of old dunes.
Heathlands dominated by Dwarf Sheoke Prickly Tea-tree Heath Tea-tree and Austral Grasstree occurred on these areas.
Areas of grassland would have also occurred in the areas of richer soil in this zone
| Tree species | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Common name | Botanical name | Size (height by width in metres) | 1 | 2 | |
| Lightwood | Acacia implexa | 5-15 | 4-7 | Y | - |
| Black Wattle | Acacia mearnsii | 8-25 | 6-10 | Y | - |
| Blackwood | Acacia melanoxylon | 5-30 | 4-15 | Y | Y |
| Golden Wattle | Acacia pycnantha | 3-10 | 2-5 | Y | - |
| Black Sheoke | Allocasuarina littoralis | 4-8 | 2-5 | Y | Y |
| Drooping Sheoke | Allocasuarina verticillata | 4-11 | 3-6 | Y | - |
| River Red Gum | Eucalyptus camaldulensis | 12-35 | 15-35 | - | Y |
| Yellow Gum | Eucalyptus leucoxylon ssp bellarinensis | 10-20 | 6-20 | Y | - |
| Swamp Gum | Eucalyptus ovata | 8-30 | 8-20 | Y | Y |
| Manna Gum | Eucalyptus viminalis | 10-20 | 8-15 | Y | Y |
| Cherry Ballart | Exocarpos cupressiformis | 3-8 | 3-5 | Y | - |
| Moonah | Melaleuca lanceolata | 1-8 | 3-6 | Y | Y |
| Shrub Species | |||||
| Gold-dust Wattle | Acacia acinacea | 0.5-2.5 | 2-4 | Y | - |
| Hedge Wattle | Acacia paradoxa | 2-4 | 2-5 | Y | - |
| Sweet Wattle | Acacia suaveolens | 1-3 | 2-5 | YS | - |
| Varnish Wattle | Acacia verniciflua | 3-5 | 3-5 | YS | - |
| Dwarf Sheoke | Allocasuarina misera | 0.5 | 1-2 | YS | - |
| Silver Banksia | Banksia marginata | 1-10 | 1-5 | YS | - |
| Showy Bossiaea | Bossiaea cinerea | 1-2 | 1-2 | YS | - |
| Sweet Bursaria | Bursaria spinosa var macrophylla | 2-6 | 2-3 | Y | - |
| Dogwood | Cassinia aculeata | 2-4 | 1-2 | Y | - |
| Hop Bitter-pea | Daviesia latifolia | 1-3 | 1-3 | Y | - |
| Grey Parrot-pea | Dillwynia cinerascens | 0.6 | 1.5 | Y | - |
| Smooth Parrot-pea | Dillwynia glaberrima | 1-2 | 1-2 | Y | - |
| Giant Hop-bush | Dodonaea viscosa | 1-3 | 1-3 | Y | - |
| Hop Goodenia | Goodenia ovata | 1-2.5 | 1-3 | - | Y |
| Prickly Tea-tree | Leptospermum continentale | 1-4 | 1-2 | YS | - |
| Heath Tea-tree | Leptospermum myrsinoides | 0.5-2.5 | 1 | YS | - |
| Coast Beard-heath | Leucopogon parviflorus | 1-4 | 2-3 | Y | - |
| Common Beard-heath | Leucopogon virgatus | 0.3-1 | 0.2-0.6 | YS | - |
| Common Boobialla | Myoporum insulare | 1-6 | 3 | Y | - |
| Sticky Boobialla | Myoporum viscosum | 0.5-2 | 1.5-2 | Y | - |
| Snowy Daisy-bush | Olearia lirata | 2-5 | 2-3 | Y | - |
| Shrub Everlasting | Ozothamnus ferrugineus | 2-6 | 1-3 | Y | Y |
| Prickly Geebung | Persoonia juniperina | 0.3-2 | 0.6-0.8 | Y | - |
| Coast Pomaderris | Pomaderris oraria | 1-1.5 | 1-5 | Y | - |
| Snowy Mint-bush | Prostanthera nivea | 3 | 2.5 | Y | |
| Sea Berry Saltbush | Rhagodia candolleana | 2 | 1-2.5 | Y | - |
| Kangaroo Apple | Solanum laciniatum | 1-3 | 1-3 | Y | - |
| Golden Spray | Viminaria juncea | 2.5-5 | 2 | Y | Y |
| Grass-tree | Xanthorrhoea australis | to 3 metres high | YS | - | |
| Groundcover and Tussock Species | |||||
| Berry Saltbush | Atriplex semibaccata | 0.1-0.3 | 1-3 | Y | - |
| Common Everlasting | Chrysocephalum apiculatum | 0.3 | 1-2 | Y | - |
| Black Anther Flax-lily | Dianella revoluta | 0.5 | 1.5-2 | Y | - |
| Tussock Grass | Poa labillardieri | 0.8 | 0.8 | - | Y |
| Kangaroo Grass | Themeda triandra | 0.3 | 0.3 | Y | - |
| Y - species is present in areas of remnant vegetation | |||||
| X - species once occurred in this area | |||||
| S - species that prefer sandy soils | |||||
1=Hills; 2=Riparian
Local Indigenous Nurseries
- West Coast Indigenous Nursery: 0425 752 648 or 03 5261 5773 (phone/fax)
Further Contacts
- City of Greater Geelong Environment Unit: 03 5272 5272
- Department of Environment Land Water and Planning: 136 186
- Geelong Field Naturalists Club Inc
- Bellarine 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.