By Grace Frost
THE Plenty River Gorge Parklands is beloved as an escape from the hemming metropolis, offering vast green landscapes, wetlands, walking tracks, a 25-kilometre winding river and an abundance of native wildlife.
For Parks Victoria volunteer, Friends of Plenty Gorge member and nature steward Jim Bannan, the gorge is his ‘front yard’ and his passion for its conservation and protection is deep rooted in its thousands-of-years-old history.
“The history of this place is recorded in its geology, in the remnants of its prior occupants and in the stories handed down through the generations, both orally and written,” he said.
“There are myths and legends, stories of dreamtime, pioneers, farmers, bushrangers, Cobb and Co, gold mining, farm picnics, gangsters and a secret army training base.”
The Friends of the Plenty Gorge, FoPG, is one of several community groups that collaborate with Parks Victoria to contribute to the preservation and enhancement of the gorge’s natural environment by implementing revegetation, nest box programs, weed management and quarterly bird surveys along with other activities.
Though the COVID-19 pandemic brought pitfalls and pains, Mr Bannan said it awoke the local community to the hidden gems of the gorge, offering locals an outlet to walk, hike, run, bike ride and bird watch while restrictions were at their harshest.
And for others like South Morang’s John Reynolds, the gorge offered him subjects to photograph.
Though people might mistake him for a seasoned professional – his images encapsulating the vivid detail of the gorge inhabitants – Mr Reynolds picked up a camera for the first time only 18 months ago after discovering wedge tailed eagles on a walk through the parklands.
“I borrowed a camera from a family friend, went back the next day and got some pictures. I was lucky enough where I was that I could go back every day and check on them,” he said.
It was the beginning of a new hobby that would see members eagerly look forward to his posts to the Facebook group, which is currently where he exclusively shares his photographs.
Greensborough’s Bradley James is another highly regarded contributor to the FoPG page, also pursuing photography on the side, despite the fact his photographs remain on-par with those featured in Wildlife Australia.
Mr James, who began taking photos 10 years ago, said the gorge allowed him to combine his love of hiking with photography.
“The ability to acquaint myself with certain birdlife specifically, and watch growth from nest or hollow to flight is quite special,” he said.
“Witnessing and establishing the habits of the fauna and becoming immersed in their world for a while is a great break from daily work.
“The conservation of the park area is of great importance, more than ever for the fact it is now the only natural break in what is a continually expanding housing growth corridor,
“The [Facebook] group plays an important role, as it showcases what can be encountered within the gorge park, with a mind to educate the members through this exposure.”
The jaw-dropping photos of the wildlife captured by the locals have inspired an abundance of followers, jumping from 650 pre-COVID to the cusp of 10,000 only three years later.
Mr Bannan said members of the Friends of Plenty Gorge group have a ‘willingness to share discoveries and stories’, and assist in encouraging conservation.
“The Plenty River Gorge parklands is indeed a very, very special place so close to Melbourne,” he said.
“In many ways, some of the real heroes are those spending the time to record the life and images of the gorge.”
To view more photos from the gorge and to join the public Facebook page, people can visit .
