Editing Dandenong Ranges National Park

{{For|other uses of the name Dandenong|Dandenong (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{Use Australian English|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox Australian place
| type                   = protected
| name                   = Dandenong Ranges National Park
| state                  = vic
| iucn_category          = II
| image                  = Dandenong Ranges National Park.jpg
| caption                = Ferntree Gully Forest on the Kokoda Track Memorial Walk
| image_alt              = 
| coordinates            = {{coord|37|48|37|S|145|23|8|E|display=inline,title}}
| relief                 = yes
| map_alt                = 
|local_map=yes|zoom=10| nearest_town_or_city   = {{Plainlist|
* [[Ferntree Gully, Victoria|Ferntree Gully]]
* [[Belgrave, Victoria|Belgrave]]
* [[Mount Dandenong, Victoria|Mount Dandenong]]
* [[Melbourne]] (31km)
}}
| area                   = 35.4
| area_footnotes         = <ref name=mgmntplan>{{cite web|url=http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/577993/Dandenong-Ranges-Gardens-Strategic-Management-Plan-May-2014.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140825072636/http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/577993/Dandenong-Ranges-Gardens-Strategic-Management-Plan-May-2014.pdf |archive-date=2014-08-25 |url-status=live|type=PDF|page=11 |title=Dandenong Ranges Gardens Strategic Management Plan|work=Parks Victoria|isbn=978-0-7311-8389-0|date=2014|access-date=11 August 2014}}</ref>
| established            = {{start date|1987|12|13|df=y}}
| established_footnotes  = <ref name=pn>{{cite web|url=http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/313791/Park-note-Dandenong-Ranges-National-Park.pdf|type=PDF|title=Dandenong Ranges Gardens Visitor Guide|work=Parks Victoria|date=May 2010|access-date=11 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140912175259/http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/313791/Park-note-Dandenong-Ranges-National-Park.pdf|archive-date=12 September 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| visitation_num         = over {{formatnum:1000000}}
| visitation_year        = 2010<ref name=pn/>
| managing_authorities   = Parks Victoria
| url                    = https://www.parks.vic.gov.au/places-to-see/parks/dandenong-ranges-national-park
}}
The '''Dandenong Ranges National Park''' is a [[national park]] located in the [[Greater Melbourne]] region of [[Victoria (state)|Victoria]], [[Australia]]. The {{convert|3540|ha|acre|adj=on}} national park is situated from {{convert|31|km}} at its westernmost points at [[Ferntree Gully, Victoria|Ferntree Gully]] and [[Boronia, Victoria|Boronia]] to {{convert|45|km}} at its easternmost point at [[Silvan, Victoria|Silvan]], east of the [[Melbourne central business district]].

The park was proclaimed on {{start date|1987|12|13|df=y}}, amalgamating the Ferntree Gully National Park, [[Sherbrooke Forest]] and Doongalla Estate. In 1997 the Olinda State Forest, Mt. Evelyn and Montrose Reserve were formally added to the national park.<ref name=pn/>

== History ==
The region was originally inhabited by the Bunurong and Woewurrong Aboriginal people. Most of the forest got cleared when it became a significant source of timber for Melbourne. During the late last century, farming began in the area as roads and railways were built and the 'Puffing Billy' narrow-gauge line from Ferntree Gully to Gembrook started in 1900. Tourism flourished from the 1870s. The Fern Tree Gully was the first to be reserved as a park in 1882 followed by other areas. The present day national park was established in 1987.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://parkweb.vic.gov.au/explore/parks/dandenong-ranges-national-park/culture-and-heritage|title=Culture and heritage|website=Parks Victoria|access-date=13 June 2019|archive-date=7 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190607085123/https://parkweb.vic.gov.au/explore/parks/dandenong-ranges-national-park/culture-and-heritage|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Features==
Dandenong Ranges National Park is divided into five sections:<ref name=DRNP/>

* Doongalla Forest – Containing [[Mount Dandenong (Victoria)|Mount Dandenong]] itself, and the [[SkyHigh Mount Dandenong|SkyHigh]] lookout with panoramic views of Melbourne's east<ref name="DRNP">{{cite web|title=Dandenong Ranges National Park|url=http://www.dandenongrangespoint.com.au/attractions/dandenong-ranges-national-park/|website=Dandenong Ranges Point|access-date=6 April 2018}}</ref>
* Ferntree Gully – The south western section of the Dandenong Ranges National Park, located between the suburbs of [[Ferntree Gully]] and [[Boronia, Victoria|Boronia]] to the west, [[Upwey, Victoria|Upwey]] to the south, [[Tremont, Victoria|Tremont]] and [[Sassafras, Victoria|Sassafras]] to the east and [[The Basin, Victoria|The Basin]] to the north. The park contains the Thousands Steps trail leading to One Tree Hill.<ref name=DRNP/> The very steep walking trail includes over 700 steps over {{convert|2.5|km}} and commemorates the battle for the [[Kokoda track]] in [[Territory of Papua]] during [[New Guinea campaign|World War II]]. The steps are a popular destination for sightseers and fitness enthusiasts alike. During the [[Australian Football League|AFL]] pre-season a number of Melbourne [[Australian rules football]] league and association teams run their players up the steps to promote team fitness. There is no specific creation date of the steps; however, they are believed to be built during the early 1860s when they provided the only means of accessing the One Tree Hill Summit. According to a Tourist Guide published in 1868, all other areas contained thick forest vegetation. A survey of the park found that over 82% of visitors (on weekends) use the park for fitness-related walking. It is also a popular spot for picnics.
* Mount Evelyn Forest is the most northerly section of the park
* Olinda Forest occupies the eastern slopes of Mount Dandenong
* Montrose Reserve is located towards the village of Montrose and was the most recent addition to the park
* Sherbrooke Forest<ref>{{cite web|title=Sherbrooke Forest|url=http://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/115781/download-report|website=Heritage Council Victoria, Victorian Heritage Database|access-date=6 April 2018}}</ref>

<gallery>
File:Sherbrooke Forest Dandenong Ranges.JPG|[[Sherbrooke Forest]]
File:1000 Steps, Kokoda Track Memorial Walk, Dandenong Ranges National Park.jpg|1000 Steps, Kokoda Track Memorial Walk, Dandenong Ranges National Park
File:Lyrebird Track, Dandenong Ranges National Park.jpg|Lyrebird Track, Dandenong Ranges National Park
</gallery>

==Feral pests==
Because the park is located in an urban area, the park has a long history of major problems with feral and roaming animals. A cat [[curfew]] was introduced in the entire [[Dandenong Ranges]] area in 1991, and since then the numbers and variety of [[lyrebird]]s and some other native species have climbed dramatically.<ref name="Pergl_1994">{{cite report |last=Pergl | first=Garrique |date=1994 |title=The Sherbrooke Cat Law - does it work?  |url=https://aiam.org.au/resources/Documents/1994%20UAM/PUB_Pro94_GarriquePergl.pdf |publisher=Australian Institute of Animal Management |pages=3-4 |access-date=2024-02-23 |quote=With a population in 1970 of between 100 to 120 birds, decreasing over the period up to 1983 to about 60 birds, the population was threatened with local extinction. The Local Law was implemented in 1991, and by 1992 the bird population began to increase to between 65 to 70, followed in 1993 by 70 to 75 birds, and in 1994 by 75 to 80 birds... The Belgrave Wildlife Shelter reports overall that the number of cat related injured nocturnal animals had decreased by over 60 percent since the introduction of the Sherbrooke Local Law.}}</ref><ref name="ABC News 2016 g762">{{cite web |last=Foster |first=Margot | title=Dawn survey keeps tabs on the superb lyrebird in Sherbrooke Forest | website=ABC News | date=September 22, 2016 | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-09-22/lyrebird-survey-in-sherbrooke-forest/7852254 |quote=| access-date=February 23, 2024}}</ref><ref name="Readfearn 2020 o686">{{cite web | last=Readfearn | first=Graham | title=Keep pet cats indoors, say researchers who found they kill 230m native Australian animals each year | website=the Guardian | date=May 15, 2020 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/may/15/keep-pet-cats-indoors-say-researchers-who-found-they-kill-230m-native-australian-animals-each-year | access-date=February 23, 2024}}</ref>

==See also==
{{stack|{{Portal|Victoria|Australia|environment}}}}
* [[Protected areas of Victoria]]
* [[List of national parks of Australia]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Dandenong Ranges National Park}}
{{Wikivoyage|Dandenong Ranges}}
*[https://www.parks.vic.gov.au/places-to-see/parks/dandenong-ranges-national-park Parks Victoria: Dandenong Ranges National Park page]

{{Protected areas of Victoria|NP}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Parks of Greater Melbourne (region)]]
[[Category:National parks of Victoria (state)]]
[[Category:Protected areas established in 1987]]
[[Category:Forests of Victoria (state)]]
[[Category:1987 establishments in Australia]]
[[Category:City of Knox]]
[[Category:Yarra Ranges Shire]]