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

Oakey Hill Nature Reserve is a 65-hectare protected area between the suburbs of Lyons and Weston in the Woden Valley.

Oakey Hill Nature Reserve is linked with Mount Taylor Nature Reserve to the south and is part of a wider woodland complex with connection westward to the Murrumbidgee River. The reserve provides habitat for threatened and regionally declining woodland birds and other woodland fauna.

Cycling is permitted on management trails only.

Horse riding is permitted only on the marked equestrian trail that parallels the reserve's eastern boundary.

Dogs are permitted on-leash on a track or trail only.

Natural values

Oakey Hill Nature Reserve protects:

critically endangered Yellow Box–Blakely's Red Gum Grassy Woodland in the south-east and north-west of the reserve
a population of vulnerable Pink-tailed Worm-lizard (Aprasia parapulchella)
a stand of Black Cypress Pine (Callitris endlicheri)
4 plant species considered rare in the ACT

The Tuggeranong Parkway road cutting, a geological site listed on the ACT Heritage Register and valued for scientific study and teaching purposes, is adjacent to the reserve.

Oakey Hill ParkCare, established in 2003, undertakes volunteer environmental activities such as weed control, gully and track restoration, and collecting Bird Atlas information.

Oakey Hill 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

Dogs on-leash
NO BINS – take your rubbish with you
Walking track/s

Restricted or prohibited

Aircraft landing/take-off prohibited
Camping prohibited
Chainsaw use 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
Metal detector use prohibited
Trailbikes prohibited except on public roads

Dogs are permitted on-leash on a track or trail only
Cycling is permitted on management trails only
Horse riding is permitted only on the marked equestrian trail that parallels the reserve's eastern boundary

Ngunnawal Country and People

Oakey Hill 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 include 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

The name 'Oakey Hill' is thought to come from the Drooping She-oaks (Allocasuarina verticillata) which grow in the reserve.

As part of the Commonwealth Soldier Settlement Scheme this area was leased to Guy and Brownie Tanner in 1928. Their son Robert continued to farm the property, known as 'Illoura', until 1970 when it was reclaimed by the Territory to build the Tuggeranong Parkway.

Oakey Hill Nature Reserve was established in 1993.

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 horse rider
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

Oakey Hill Nature Reserve is accessible on its western side via an underpass beneath the Tuggeranong Parkway, on its northern side from Heysen Street, and on its eastern side from numerous points in Lyons.

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

Oakey Hill 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