Where Tall Forest Meets the Lerderderg Headwaters
Overview
Wombat State Forest lies in central Victoria between Daylesford and Bacchus Marsh, on the inland side of Melbourne. It is a broad, elevated forested landscape of mixed eucalypt foothill country, with gullies, creeks and wetter pockets that give parts of the forest a cooler, taller feel than many other forests in this part of the state.
The forest is also part of a much larger connected block of public land with the adjoining Lerderderg area, which makes it especially important in a region where many forests are otherwise isolated. Parts of Wombat State Forest are also moving into a new park system, including land that will become part of Wombat-Lerderderg National Park and Hepburn Conservation Park.
Highlights
What stands out here is the contrast within the landscape. Some areas are defined by tall, damp forest and ferny gullies, while others open into drier ridges and mixed eucalypt woodland. The headwaters of the Lerderderg River begin in this forest near Blackwood, adding creek lines and deeply incised valleys to the scenery.
The forest’s appeal is less about one single landmark and more about its changing character across the plateau and river catchments. Around Daylesford, Trentham and Blackwood, the country shifts between basalt uplands, stream valleys and long stretches of mature forest, giving the area a strong sense of scale without feeling remote in the alpine sense.
Best Time to Visit
Autumn through spring is usually the most rewarding time to walk here. Cooler weather suits the forest well, and the wetter gullies, creeks and ferny sections tend to feel at their best after seasonal rain. Winter and early spring also make the tall forest character more pronounced, with greener undergrowth and fuller watercourses.
Summer can still be enjoyable in the higher, shaded parts of the forest, but the experience is generally drier and harsher than in the cooler months.
Plants and Animals
Wombat State Forest supports mixed eucalypt foothill forest, with a strong contrast between dry sclerophyll slopes and the moister gullies and creek-side areas. Long-running ecological research in the forest has focused on how fire shapes these plant communities, soils and habitat over time, which gives this place an unusual depth of scientific attention as well as scenic interest.
The forest also provides habitat for a wide range of fauna. Bats, birds, reptiles, small mammals and arboreal mammals have all been recorded here through research and management work, and parts of the forest support the endangered Southern Greater Glider near the western edge of its Victorian range. Some sections also contain habitat values significant enough to be carried into the new Hepburn Conservation Park.
Culture and Heritage
Wombat State Forest is on the Countries of the Dja Dja Wurrung, Wadawurrung and Wurundjeri peoples, and its future management is being shaped through shared arrangements with those Traditional Owner groups as the area moves into the new Wombat-Lerderderg park system. That cultural significance sits alongside a long history of intensive land use, including gold mining and timber cutting, which changed the forest substantially over time.
