Cherry Lake (Victoria) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cherry Lake |
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 Cherry Lake
Location in Victoria
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| Location | City of Hobsons Bay, Victoria |
| Coordinates | 37°51′30″S 144°50′5″E / 37.85833°S 144.83472°E |
| Type | Storm water drain |
| Basin countries | Australia |
| Average depth | 1 m (3.3 ft) |
Cherry Lake is a cool lake in Altona, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. It used to be a natural wetland area near the coast. Engineers built walls and channels to turn the wetlands into the lake we see today. This lake and the land around it are now a special home for wildlife. It's also a popular spot for people to have fun!
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Wildlife and Plants at Cherry Lake
What Animals Live Here?
Cherry Lake and the nearby Truganina Swamp are home to many interesting creatures. You might spot pelicans gliding on the water. Look out for graceful black swans and colorful purple swamphens too!
Special Plants and Butterflies
A native plant called chaffy sawsedge grows here. This plant is super important for a tiny, rare butterfly. It's called the Altona skipper butterfly. These butterflies need the sawsedge to live and grow.
Keeping the Area Healthy
People work hard to keep Cherry Lake healthy. They remove unwanted plants, also known as weeds. They also check for too many mosquito larvae and control rabbits to protect the environment.
How Cherry Lake Was Built
Why Was the Lake Created?
Cherry Lake was made in the 1960s. It was built to help control floods. As more homes were built in Altona and Brooklyn, they needed a way to manage heavy rainfall. The lake acts like a giant bowl to hold extra water.
Controlling Water Levels
Walls and channels were built around the lake. These help keep the water level steady, usually around one metre deep. Any extra water flows out into Port Phillip Bay. There's also a bigger wall to stop floodwaters from Kororoit Creek from reaching homes.
Fun Things to Do at Cherry Lake
Activities on the Water
Cherry Lake is a great place for outdoor activities. You can see boats and windsurfers enjoying the water. Many people also come here for fishing. If you love watching birds, there's a special bird hide where you can quietly observe waterbirds.
Paths and Playgrounds
Around the lake, there's a 3.7-kilometre path. It's perfect for walking or riding your bike. This path connects to the Hobsons Bay Coastal Trail. You'll also find a playground, picnic spots, barbecues, and toilets. There's a car park too, off Millers Road.
Community Market Fun
The Altona Lions Club hosts a fun outdoor market here. It happens on the first Sunday of every month. In December, they even have it on the third Sunday too!
Cherry Lake's Racing Past
From Swamp to Race Track
Before it was a lake, this area was just a swamp. In 1953–54, a group called the Victorian Sporting Car Club built a race track here. It was called the Altona Circuit and was 2.3 miles long.
A Short-Lived Race Track
Unfortunately, the race track didn't last long. The swamp often turned back into a lake, covering the track with water. It was only used a couple of times before it closed for good in 1956.
Almost a Grand Prix Venue
Later, there was a plan to build a new, bigger race track at Cherry Lake. This was for the 1964 Australian Grand Prix. But in the end, the race track was built somewhere else, at Sandown.
