Since 2022, and coinciding with Glenbervie Station's 100-year anniversary, a group of locals have been revegetating, rewilding and beautifying the station's garden beds to enhance the biodiversity of the Glenbervie Station precinct in Essendon. Image if other public spaces were shown the same care!
MVS are proud to auspice the Glenbervie Station Volunteers who have received a number of grants to support each planting stage.
Our planting journey began by transforming two neglected sections (the main garden bed on each of the Cityside and Craigieburn sides) into indigenous gardens. Volunteers spent seven working bees removing invasive weeds including English Ivy, Mirror Bush, Moth Vine and Blue Periwinkle, before preparing the soil and planting approximately 1,720 indigenous shrubs, grasses, flowers and groundcovers.
Species included Correa reflexa, Goodenia ovata, Clematis microphylla, Dillwynia cinerascens, Lomandra, Dianella longifolia, Creeping Boobialla and Nodding Saltbush.
This stage involved extending the revegetation into new parts of the station precinct. Two different planting approaches were developed: a grassy habitat along the nature strip on Napier Crescent, designed to support ground-level flora and fauna, and a Woody Meadow along the city-side platform, incorporating a diverse mix of shrubs and small trees. Around 800 additional indigenous plants were established, including grasses, groundcovers and shrubs, with new species such as Australian Indigo, Callistemon, Banksia, Acacia and Melaleuca introduced to the woody meadow. The gardens have already begun attracting insects and butterflies, demonstrating the growing habitat value of the station.
With much of the easier planting now complete, we are turning our attention to the more challenging parts of the station and testing what a woody meadow can achieve in an urban railway setting. Our current trial on the city side of the station uses closely planted indigenous shrubs and small trees that can eventually be coppiced — cut back regularly to encourage dense, multi-stemmed growth and abundant flowering. The aim is to create a dense, low-maintenance habitat that suppresses weeds, provides food and shelter for birds and insects, and makes better use of a difficult railway-edge site. This is an experimental approach for us, and we’ll be learning as the plants establish, including how they respond to their conditions and how best to manage them over time.
Explore the Plants of Glenbervie Station by adding your splash of colour to the glorious sketches created by Ingrid and Maureen, some of our talented Glenbervie Station Volunteers members. Colouring-in sheet download.
A perennial grass with fluffy white seedheads.
A tufted, perennial grass with varieties found around the world. Victoria has several species both native and introduced, Poa Labillardieri being an example of a Victorian native variety.
The smooth leaves of this rhizomatous herb have long been used by First Nations peoples for weaving. The creamy clusters of flowers are great for pollinators!
Although the leaves of the Dianella resemble those of the Lomandra, and are also used for weaving, they are actually from different families. The Dianella has striking purple-blue flowers with golden anthers, and vibrantly blue berries.
A delicate beauty – the stems and leaves are long and slender, with small blue to lavender flowers in springtime. Plants die back after flowering but will reappear the next year.
A cheerful and vibrant native flower, loved by bees. Includes a number of cultivars such as Swan River Daisy, Rock Daisy and Native Daisy in shades of white, pink, blue and purple.
The floral emblem for the City of Melbourne, the tiny individual flowers of each ‘button’ slowly open one by one to provide an ongoing feast for pollinators.
A tough and fast growing ground cover that can help to suppress weeds. Everlastings are a favourite with bees and butterflies.
The most widely grown native pelargonium variety, the australe has prolific white or pale pink flowers, and is a great option for borders and pots.
Found world wide, there are several Australian native bluebell varieties, the most common being W. Stricta. Flowers in spring and summer with masses of star shaped blooms.
The native hibiscus not only attracts pollinators but provides habitat for various insects and small birds, playing a vital ecological role. It is fast growing and rarely troubled by pests, with large purple and mauve flowers. You may notice these distinctive flowers on two types of shrubs in our station garden – the huegelii has broader leaves, and the hakefolia has more needle like foliage.
The Correas are hardy shrubs with tubular flowers in creams, greens and reds. The varieties often hybridise with each other, particularly the two we have planted here.
The Ovata in the name references the egg shaped leaves. Hop Goodenia is a hardy native shrub with cheerful golden flowers that appear throughout the year, although they peak October to March.
A large, erect shrub with woody stems and an iconic native flower showcasing bunches of brilliant red stamens. The nectar and seeds provide food for many birds.
A slender shrub in the pea family, the purple indigo dye was originally made from some Indigofera species. This colouration can be seen in the bluish tinted leaves and the vibrant pink and purple blossoms. Attracts bees, insects, and nectar-eating birds.
A small to medium shrub named ‘Woolly’ for the soft fuzz on its branchlets and leaves. Distinctive flowers in shades of cream, pink and red appear mainly from July to December.
A small to medium spreading shrub, both the leaves and the flowers have a vanilla scent. Yellow wattle flowers appear August to October.
A medium nitrogen-fixing shrub with masses of golden flowers in spring. Provides food and habitat for seed eating birds.
Also sometimes known as native sarsparilla or native lilac, generally a climber and creeper, with some shrubbier varieties. Provides food and habitat for native caterpillars and butterflies, and is a nitrogen-fixing plant. Spectacular sprays of flowers though spring and summer – predominantly purple but sometimes pink and white.
A perennial succulent groundcover with chunky leaves and vibrant pink-purple flowers from September to February that mature into fig-like fruits.
This fast growing ground cover spreads as a dense mat, acting as a living mulch and suppressing weeds. White or pale pink star-shaped flowers appear from spring to autumn.
A perennial herb that blankets the ground, with inconspicuous flowers in summer and bright red berries in autumn. Provides food and habitat for native caterpillars and butterflies.
A low, perennial shrub with soft leaves. Bright berries rage from green to red as they ripen. Provides food for birds, lizards, and mammals.
A thank you to the following nurseries for providing the plants:
Stay up to date on the Glenbervie Station Volunteer’s progress on our Facebook page. If you are interested in getting involved or have any further questions, please contact glenberviestationvolunteers@gmail.com.
