Gungaderra Grasslands Nature Reserve

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

Gungaderra Grasslands Nature Reserve is a 297-hectare grassland protected area which includes a 1.9 km stretch of Gungaderra Creek and rises to the wooded Gungahlin Hill at 652 m above sea level. The reserve lies about halfway between Lake Burley Griffin and the northern tip of the ACT.

Gungaderra Grasslands Nature Reserve is an ideal place to observe some of the more common native plants and animals in Canberra. You'll see a number of old, gnarled scribbly gums and brittle gums scattered amongst the grasslands.

Several management trails traverse the reserve.

Passive, low-impact recreation activities, such as walking and birdwatching using existing tracks, are compatible with the sensitive natural values of this reserve.

Cycling including mountain bike riding is not permitted in this reserve.

No dogs or horses allowed.

Natural values

Gungaderra Grasslands Nature Reserve protects:

a relatively large remnant of critically endangered Natural Temperate Grassland
the largest known population of the vulnerable Striped Legless Lizard (Delma impar)
a large population of the rare Key's Matchstick Grasshopper (Keyacris scurra)
one of few known habitats of the vulnerable Perunga Grasshopper (Perunga ochracea)
a small population of the endangered Golden Sun Moth (Synemon plana)
several rare plant species
30 hectares of critically endangered Yellow Box–Blakely's Red Gum Grassy Woodland on Gungahlin Hill, providing important habitat for rare and threatened woodland birds

Friends of Grasslands works to build community support for grassy ecosystem recovery.

Gungaderra Grasslands 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

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

Restricted or prohibited

Aircraft landing/take-off prohibited
Bicycles including mountain bikes 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

Cycling including mountain bike riding is not permitted in this reserve.

Ngunnawal Country and People

Gungaderra Grasslands 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.

Gungaderra Creek includes areas of wetland that lie within the reserve, and these support the growth of several species of native grass, sedge and rush, used by Aboriginal people in weaving baskets, nets and string.

Gungaderra Grasslands protects 7 known Aboriginal heritage sites, listed on the ACT Heritage Register, including stone artefacts occurring individually and in scatters on the surface reflecting past Aboriginal occupation and land use from ancient to more recent times. One site contains artefacts of glass modified by Aboriginal people in the years following European settlement, reflecting a period of rapid and dynamic change in the region’s history. The reserve is likely to contain further, 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

Gungaderra Grasslands was once part of the historic Gungahlin property established by William Davis in 1862. Its homestead and grounds were used for nearly 60 years by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) for wildlife, ecological and sustainable ecosystems research.

'Gungaderra' was the name of the old Red Hill Homestead (named by Richard Crace) in today's suburb of Harrison and is a combination of the 2 names Gungahlin and Ginninderra.

The reserve was established in 1995 and extended in 2014.

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
riding safely and following trail etiquette as a bicycle rider
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

Gungaderra Grasslands Nature Reserve can be accessed via stiles off Bollard Street in Palmerston to its north, and from Gungahlin Drive to its east.

Recreational access to the area surrounding the radio transmission tower near the junction of Barton Highway and Bellenden Street is not permitted.

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