Tocal Wetlands Drive

The wetlands

Wetlands are an important resource for humans and animals.

These wetlands were a source of food and fibre for Aboriginal people, providing mussels, eels, fish and water birds. The leaves of sedges were flattened to form strong twine used to make snares or for tying slabs of paperbark together to make a shelter. The plaited stems of swamp grass were used for fishing nets and bags. The bulbs, underground roots and stems of many wetland plants were eaten.

The wetlands also proved useful for Europeans who grazed their livestock here during drought. In the 1900s an attempt was made to drain the wetland to gain more grazing land. This had a negative effect and the area is now being regenerated to restore the natural ecosystem. The wetland has been fenced off from stock for a number of years and the wetland has been replanted with native species.

Below is a typical wetland food web, an ecosytem we are trying to re-establish.

Drive the drive: you can drive the wetlands drive when Tocal Homestead is open to the public (Homestead admission fee applies) - opening details.