Kensington Bushland

Statement of Significance

The Kensington Bushland has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons: • The place has aesthetic value as being a natural and almost undisturbed site; • The place has scientific value as a source of native seeds and plants for botanical education. Today it is used for observation only; and • The place has social value as a community urban bushland.

Physical Description

There are a number of small Banksia woodland remnants in metropolitan Perth. However, the Kensington Bushland is one of the few good examples left in the older southern suburbs. It supports a wide range of flora and fauna which, although not rare or endangered, have disappeared from much of the metropolitan area. At present, the bushland reserve is relatively undisturbed. However, it is coming under increasing pressure from surrounding land uses. The Kensington bushland reserve is located on the Swan Coastal Plain close to the border of the Bassendean and Karrakatta Dune systems. Research conducted indicates the dominant soil type in the area is Bassendean sand. These sands are remnants of old Pleistocene dunes which have been well leached leaving them both chemically and physically infertile. Localised variations in topography have been caused by the dumping of sand around the reserve. The flora of the bushland reserve was studied in detail by the Western Australian Herbarium in 1980/81. A total of 206 indigenous and exotic species were identified. These were grouped into the basic vegetation types: Low Woodland, Low Open Woodland and Low Shrubland. A 1990 study documented the vertebrates in the bushland reserve. Twelve species of reptiles and seventeen bird species were recorded. No native mammals were found within the bushland reserve. However, the introduced House Mouse was recorded. The bushland reserve's high conservation value is attributed to the rich and diverse community of plants and animals it supports, most of which have disappeared from, or are rare in the urban areas south of the Swan River.

History

The Kensington Bushland Reserve is part of the Municipal Endowment Lands of Victoria Park which were vested in the Municipality of Victoria Park on 1 July 1912 for 99 years. When the Municipality joined with the City of Perth in 1916, the lease was transferred to the Perth City Council. The bushland reserve is zoned Parks and Recreation in the City Planning Scheme, but is still classified urban under the Metropolitan Region Scheme. Since 1912, various portions of the endowment lands have been transferred, resumed or surrendered. The land surrounding the Kensington Bushland is now used for a variety of land uses, including a recreation reserve (Harold Rossiter Reserve), Police and Citizens Youth Club (PCYC), St John's Ambulance Depot, Kensington Fire Brigade, Kensington Special School, and a City of Perth sand quarry. The clearing of native bushland in these areas and the development of landscaped areas has affected bushland reserves in a variety of ways, such as; 1. The introduction of exotic flora; 2. The quarrying of sand has: a. created steep pit faces which threaten the stability of the soil; b. changed the hydrology of the soils in close proximity to the quarry; and 3. The increase in human activity in nearby areas (eg. Harold Rossiter Reserve and the 4. PCYC), also creates increased pressure by trampling of the remaining bushland. Although development proposals were received by the Perth City Council, the bushland reserve has remained undeveloped. This restriction on development has minimised the changes to the natural state of the ecosystem and, therefore, the conservation value of the reserve has remained high.

Integrity/Authenticity

INTEGRITY: High AUTHENTICITY: High

Condition

Good

Uses

Creation Date

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