Colley Reserve
Colley Reserve is a 1.4 hectare (3.7 acres) reserve, on the northern banks of the Glenelg River. It is managed by the South Australian Parks and Wildlife Service. The home of a resident population of Australian sea lions, the reserve is also ideal for bird watching, especially during the winter months. It is a beautiful park in Glenelg, South Australia, and it’s an excellent place to let loose and enjoy the outdoors with your kids, partner, or friends. You can rent a bike, ride along the bike track, go for a hike, or test out the playground. During the warmer months, you can cool down at Belair’s Plunge, a freshwater swimming pool that’s free to enter. And, if you’re in Glenelg on Saturday, June 16, you can see performances by Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Adelaide Festival Orchestra, and Adelaide Youth Orchestra.
Over the last 1000 years of European settlement, West Beach, officially known as Holdfast Bay, has been the site of numerous Aboriginal and European uses, including fishing, boat building, military encampment, grazing, farming, and a suburb. Occupation of the site commenced in the early days of British settlement. The area was first utilized by fishermen, who were also responsible for the development of a jetty. The jetty provided shelter for fishing vessels and a catchment area for the processing of fresh fish. Remains of this fishing industry can still be seen today in the form of oyster shells in the West Beach area.
The Holdfast Bay area was first charted by the French explorer Nicolas Baudin in 1802. Baudin named the area ‘Baie de L’Embouchure’ because of the great number of mangrove trees. In 1836 the British officially named the area Holdfast Bay because of the large number of anchorages providing safe refuge in case of storms. Following the proclamation of South Australia in 1836 the district of Holdfast Bay was used as a grazing area for cattle and sheep. The land was used for many purposes such as farming, grazing, timber, and mining until early in the twentieth century.
Activities at Holdfast Bay in Colley Reserve is a nature-based play area where families and groups can enjoy the beautiful Holdfast Bay area. Holdfast Bay is the small bay between Glenelg and Henley Beach that all the locals know about, but you don’t. The beach itself is ok, but what’s even better is the reserve that stretches from the beach out to the middle of the bay. A popular spot for locals to go for a run, it also has volleyball courts, a skate park, and a few playgrounds, among other things. It’s also not a bad place to catch some sun if you want to avoid the crowds at West Beach.
Colley Reserve is a recreational area in the northeastern suburb of Colyton. It is situated on the banks of the Paterson River. The reserve is a popular recreational spot for people to take their dogs for a walk, for an afternoon picnic, or for a stroll on the numerous walking paths. The reserve has a large shelter shed, an old historical bridge over the river, and plenty of shady trees.
Colley Reserve is a popular recreation area, situated on the outskirts of Glenorchy, close to the Derwent River. It is a large park, with lots of amenities, both natural and man-made. The Bay View Resort is just a few minutes’ walks from Colley Reserve and is a popular accommodation for visitors to the reserve. Colley Reserve is on the northern headland of Moreton Bay in the suburb of Burpengary. It was originally known as the Colley Estate and was owned by the Colley family from 1882 to 1999. The reserve contains the heritage-listed former Colley homestead, which today houses the Moreton Bay Regional Council’s headquarters. The entire headland is a recreation reserve that is managed by Council.
Colley Reserve is on the south bank of the Patuxent River and it is one of the best places to take in views of the Chesapeake Bay and Calvert Cliffs. The Patuxent River Lighthouse is a landmark that has been in the area for more than 125 years and is still operational. It is a beacon for boaters and is open for limited visits.
Surrounded by salt lakes in Colley Reserve and adjoining land, the 5.8 hectare Hill Farm Reserve is one of the few remnants of the traditional farming land that was once dominant in the area. Hill Farm is important for the wildlife that it supports and for its rare remnant vegetation. Because of the very shallow depth and extremely saline nature of the lakes and swales in the area, Hill Farm is an important refuge for many species of waterbirds, such as Australian Pelican, Little Pied Cormorant, Pied Oystercatcher, Red-necked Avocet, Black-fronted Dotterel and Australian White Ibis. The reserve has been identified as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife Australia.