In a life threatening emergency dial Triple Zero (000)

Emergency Contact

triple zero 000

ACT Public Hospitals

Canberra Hospital

6201 6111

Mental Health

Call Mental Health Triage on

1800 629 354

(free call except from mobiles or public phones) or

6205 1065

Poisons Hotline

For a poison emergency in Australia call

13 11 26

Drug and Alcohol Help Line

The Drug and Alcohol Help Line is available 24-hours, 7 days a week on

5124 9977

Health Protection Service

For after hours urgent public health matters including environmental health, radiation safety, food poisoning and communicable disease management phone:

1800 022 222

ACT State Emergency Service

Emergency help
during flood or storms

13 25 00

Callum Brae Nature Reserve is a 143-hectare protected area in Symonston, located on the lower eastern slopes of Mount Mugga Mugga.

Callum Brae Nature Reserve is part of an extensive landscape of remnant wooded vegetation that enables wildlife movement through to NSW in the east, the Murrumbidgee River in the west and the southern ACT through Tuggeranong Hill and Rob Roy Range nature reserves.

The reserve is renowned as a bird watching hotspot supporting large hollow bearing eucalypts dominated by Yellow Box Blakely's Red Gum. It is a refuge for threatened and declining woodland bird species.

Passive, low-impact recreation, such as walking and birdwatching on existing tracks, is compatible with the sensitive natural values of this reserve. A small number of grassy management trails traverse Callum Brae Nature Reserve. Marked walking tracks include signs informing walkers about the reserve's unique values.

No dogs allowed.

Natural values

Callum Brae Nature Reserve protects:

part of one of the largest, best-connected and most diverse areas of critically endangered Yellow Box–Blakely's Red Gum Grassy Woodland remaining in Australia
high-quality breeding and foraging habitat for woodland birds, including threatened or regionally declining species such as Diamond Firetail (Stagonopleura guttata), White Winged Triller (Lalage sueurii), Varied Sittella (Daphoenositta chrysoptera) and Southern Whiteface (Aphelocephala leucopsis)
good habitat for small numbers of Scarlet Robin (Petroica boodang) and Flame Robin (Petroica phoenicea) – especially in autumn and winter – as well as the migratory Dusky Woodswallow (Artamus cyanopterus), which makes seasonal visits
habitat of the vulnerable Perunga Grasshopper (Perunga ochracea), one of a few known locations for this species

Canberra Ornithologists Group has monitored birds in the reserve since 1998 as part of a long-term woodland bird monitoring program across grassy woodlands.

Callum Brae Nature Reserve is protected under the Nature Conservation Act 2014. Thank you for taking care of the natural environment.

Add a sighting to the NatureMapr or visit the Canberra Birds website.

Things to do

Activities

Features

NO BINS – take your rubbish with you
Walking track/s

Restricted or prohibited

Aircraft landing/take-off prohibited
Camping prohibited
Chainsaw use prohibited
Dogs prohibited
Domestic animals (other than dogs) prohibited
Off-road driving prohibited
Driving on management trails prohibited
Drone use prohibited
Fires prohibited
Wood and timber collection prohibited
Horses prohibited
Metal detector use prohibited
Trailbikes prohibited except on public roads

Ngunnawal Country and People

Callum Brae Nature Reserve is located on Ngunnawal Country, an ancient and diverse landscape managed and cared for by Ngunnawal people for tens of thousands of years.

For time immemorial Ngunnawal people have maintained a tangible and intangible cultural, social, environmental, spiritual, and economic connection to these lands and waters.

The reserve is likely to contain as-yet-unrecorded Aboriginal heritage sites. All Aboriginal places and objects in the ACT are protected under the Heritage Act 2004 and must not be disturbed. Aboriginal places and objects within reserves are additionally protected under the Nature Conservation Act 2014. Anyone finding an (unregistered) Aboriginal object or place has an obligation to report it to the Heritage Council .

European heritage

Prior to 2003 this reserve was part of the property named Callum Brae, which was heritage-listed in 2011. This working farm, established in 1919, is a rare ACT success story resulting from the Soldier Settlement Scheme after World War I. Three small red brick huts, known as powder magazines, on the western border of the reserve, were built to store munitions for use at the adjacent quarry.

The reserve was established in 2008.

Before you go/How to get there

Before you go

Prepare by understanding safety and checking alerts.

Respect Canberra Nature Park reserves by:

staying on the tracks to minimise your impact
taking your rubbish home with you
leaving what you find, including plants, animals, rocks and timber (dead and alive)
respecting our heritage - leave cultural sites undisturbed
collecting and responsibly disposing of your dog's droppings (where dogs are permitted)
cleaning your outdoor gear, including bicycles, to avoid spreading weeds and disease

Remember:

bring your own drinking water
carry a mobile phone, especially if you are on your own
let someone know where you are going and when you'll return
be bushfire alert - on total fire ban days some reserves may be closed

How to get there

Callum Brae Nature Reserve is best accessed from Narrabundah Lane, Symonston.

Parking is available.

Boundary mapping is indicative only.

More information

If you notice any issues during your visit:

report maintenance issues to Access Canberra
report vandalism or other illegal activities to the police on 131 444
in an emergency, call 000

Find out about:

In a life threatening emergency dial Triple Zero (000)

triple zero 000

5124 0000

6201 6111

1800 629 354

6205 1065

13 11 26

5124 9977

(02) 6205 1700

1800 022 222

13 25 00

Callum Brae Nature Reserve

Natural values

Things to do

Activities

Features

Restricted or prohibited

Ngunnawal Country and People

European heritage

Before you go

How to get there

More information