Berrys Creek - Mossvale Park - West & South Gippsland

Berrys Creek - Mossvale Park

Mossvale Park is a picturesque botanical garden established in a looping meander of the Tarwin River. The plantings in the park include exotic ornamental trees and shrubs.

Mossvale Park Significant Trees

1. Indian Bean (Botanical Name: Catalpa bignontoides, Planted: 1968)
2. Deodar (Botanical Name: Cedrus deodara, Planted: 1968)
3. Copper Beech (Botanical Name: Fagus sylvatica purpurea, Planted: 1956)
4. Liquidambar (Botanical Name: Liquidambar styraciflua, Planted: 1956)
5. Oriental Plane NT (Botanical Name: Platanus orientalis, Planted: 1900's)
6. London Plane NT (Botanical Name: Platanus x acerifolia, Planted: 1900's)
7. Algerian Oak NT (Botanical Name: Quercus canariensis, Planted: 1900's)
8. Chestnut-leaved Oak NT (Botanical Name: Quercus castaneiifolia, Planted: 1900's)
9. Pin Oak (Botanical Name: Quercus palustris, Planted: 1968)
10. Cork Oak (Botanical Name: Quercus suber, Planted: 1972)
11. Umbrella Tree (Botanical Name: Ulmus glabra pendula, Planted: 1900's)
12. English Elm (Botanical Name: Ulmus procera, Planted: 1900's)

NT stands for registered by the National Trust

The park was developed by Francis Moss who established a substantial nursery on the site in the late 1800's and grew vast quantities of deciduous trees. Some of them were planted in the area that is now Mossvale Park by the nursery manager Mr William Gould and his son, George.

In 1946 Woorayl and Mirboo Shires jointly purchased 10 Acres which is the current Park, and declared it a public reserve. A public meeting was convened in the Berrys Creek Hall and the first Committee of Management was elected.

Today Mossvale Park is managed by the Shire of South Gippsland, with the Friends of Mossvale Park providing guidance and volunteer services.

Mossvale Park is located between Mirboo North and Leongatha in South Gippsland.

History of Mossvale Property

The property is situated where once was a dense forest of Messmates and Peppermints on the hills with Manna Gums, Swamp Gums and Mountain Ash on the fertile flats along the streams. Here and there enormous Mountain Grey Gums would push through the canopy. Beneath this canopy of eucalypts the understorey of Blackwoods, Silver Wattles, Musk and Hazel, Lomatia and Christmas Bush plus all the lesser shubbery, was laced with razor sharp tussocks of Saw sedge. The wet gullies were lined with tree ferns.

Bernard Farrell first selected the land in 1878 but he never worked it. In 1888 Francis Moss acquired the land and we assume that he did as other settlers, cleared the forest by ring barking the trees and firing the scrub.

He established a nursery, called Mossmont like the one he had established at Buninyong. Stock held in his nursery included 290 apple, 90 pear and 100 plum varieties. Francis Moss is credited with being the propagator of the well-known apple 'Stewarts Seedling'. As the nursery developed hundreds of fruit trees and ornamentals went to local district settlers. William Gould, a trained nurseryman, managed the nursery from 1898 to 1917, with assistance from his son for the last seven years. Any trees not up to the high standards of Moss and his managers were planted out on the property.

The original entrance to the property was downstream of the present bridge. Two trees were felled across the stream and decking laid. An avenue of oaks and elms survive on the far side of the river leading toward the main road. In the park the site of the old entrance is near the playground.

Francis Moss died in 1916 and the property was offered for sale. It had been managed as a dairy farm but all stock and machinery was auctioned and the property was then leased to local farmers running sheep or cattle. Eventually the farm was sold in 1923.

From 1931 there was a succession of owners, beginning with Les Edey, then J Hayes. From 1933 onward Berrys Creek School picnics and Sports were held on the front paddock on the river, under the mature trees of Mossvale. It was Mr Hayes who suggested that this portion of the property be purchased and reserved as a public park for the people.

In April 1945 delegates from the Leongatha Branch of the Australian Natives Association approached the Shire Councils to purchase the riverside picnic ground. In March 1946 the Shires of Mirboo and Woorayl purchased ten acres (~four hectares) of land, now known as Mossvale Park, leaving 395 acres (~160 ha) for the farm property.

The Shires handed control of the Park to a locally elected Committee of Management in April 1946. The Committee managed the camping ground and any construction in the Park, such as a kiosk and fireplaces.

The Country Women's Association planted some trees in the Park in 1956. In 1957 the Berrys Creek Pony Club was granted the use of the park on Saturdays. The pumping shed was made available to them for storage purposes.

In 1966 Bob Auchterlonie made a list of trees in the park, naming a total of fifty nine different species. There have been significant plantings since then in 1987, 1988 and 1992, with specimens contributed by the Moss family from their Mossmont Nursery at Monbulk.

Now an annual event, the first Music in Mossvale Park was held in February 1969. There was an orchestra platform and power was connected sometime in the 1970s. Eventually the Sound Shell was built and the opening concert held in 1982.

Mossvale Park continues to be a popular venue for picnics and parties, beautiful in every season.

Francis Moss 1833-1916

From the few records available we can deduce that Francis Moss pursued his profession of nurseryman with energy and intelligence. His father was a gardener so perhaps gardening was in the blood.

Francis Moss was born in County Durham, England to Abednego Moss and Jane Hobson. In 1851 he migrated to Victoria following the gold rush, settled in Ballarat and started the Mossmount nursery at Mt Buninyong.

In 1856 Francis married Sarah Kingsford. They had seven children of whom only one son, William, and three daughters, Sarah, Caroline and Elizabeth, survived to adulthood and married. His wife Sarah died, aged 46, in 1879. Two years later Francis married Augusta Monroe. They had two daughters. The eldest Frances Jane, married and had one son, but she died at the age of 32. The second daughter Annie Augusta died at the age of five.

Sad and restless after the death of his small daughter in 1888 Francis Moss bought 1000 acres (~405 ha) in Gippsland. A new nursery called Mossmont on Tarwin was started. Francis Moss employed a manager, J Bruce, but he travelled to Gippsland regularly to visit his new business.

In 1916 Francis Moss died, aged 84. He was buried in Buninyong cemetery.

Ownership of the nursery passed to William Edmond, then to his son, William Edward, then to his sons, Allan and Jack, and next to their sons, Brian and Ian. It is one of the oldest nurseries under one family name in Australia, spanning five generations.

Review:

The park, which is in quite an isolated location, has a playground, sound shell, big shelter with a large table, seats and fireplace, shaded BBQs, unshaded table and toilets. The water is unsuitable for drinking.

The park is a large area to wander around with some lovely tree specimens which are particularly beautiful in Autumn. The Tarwin Lower West Branch river runs around and through the park but it is quite overgrown and wouldn't be suitable for swimming.