Bayles Fauna Park (Bayles)
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Whether you are looking for somewhere to take a gentle stroll or somewhere to take a closer look at wildlife, where else would you go but amongst the peaceful setting here in the Bayles Fauna Reserve. Here at the park you will find; Deer, Emus, Geese, Ducks, Kangaroos and even a rooster roaming around in our large reserve. There is also a new frog pond full of croaking frogs, including the Growling Grass Frog.
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Lots of local birds come and make the Park their home and can be spotted high up in trees, or down low on the ground. The Park is also the home of the southern brown bandicoot. Look out for our rare golden kangaroos and the deers that hide in the bush. They are sometimes inquisitive and watch at a distance.
In 1922 a railway branch line was opened which extended from Koo Wee Rup to Strezlecki. The park was a station on the Strezlecki railway branch line. The line closed in 1959 and the station was dismantled. In 1974 the local community created the Fauna Park from the overgrown station site. The station was named after Frederick Bayles who was the first member of the Victorian Railway construction branch to be killed in the First World War.
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Artist Simon White has painted a water tank which showcases the local history of the town from the 1920's and onwards. It includes the local steam train and a local cyclist who rode in the Tour de France in 1928, the men who irrigated the town, the first nurse who came through on horse and cart, a country scene with some Friesian cows, potato farming and some local wildlife.
Access for Dogs:
No dogs allowed.
Opening Hours:
Open Hours
Cost:
Entry Fees
Review:
At the entrance is an aviary with cockatoo, lorikeet and pigeons. There is a small museum shed (locked when we were there) with some old implements and rail tracks outside (the area used to be the site of Bayles train station). There were plenty of kangaroos (almost certain to see them) which you need to sneak up on to get close. There is also a fenced area with an inquisitive emu. There are ducks and geese around a pond with a fence to stop access.
The park represents a great opportunity to see semi-wild kangaroos. The animals are not tame and are free to live as they would in their native environment. The best times to see the kangaroos are morning and late afternoon. When it is hot or very sunny they like to lie in the shade. If you walk softly, talk quietly and keep a keen eye on the bush, you will be rewarded with wildlife as you would see them in the wild.
Outside the entrance is the historical Bayles Public Weighbridge. Opened in the early 1920's and operated until the late 1980's, the Weighbridge was originally used for weighing sand from the 5 mile sand pump. Later on potatoes, the main produce of the area, were weighed before they were loaded into railway trucks at the Bayles Railway Station. The sand and potatoes were then transported by train to Melbourne. The Weighbridge was re-registered when imperial changed to metric in 1966.
Photos:
Location
630 Koo Wee Rup-Longwarry Road, Bayles 3981 Map
✆ (03) 5629 4456
Email Enquiry
Web Links
→ baylesfaunapark.weebly.com
→ Bayles Fauna Park on Facebook
