Down by the Willsmere Billabong

Did you know Kew has a billabong!?

We were thrilled to take part in a recent Wetlands Discovery Trail at the Kew Billabong in Willsmere Park and explore this local gem!

Willsmere-Chandler Parks are located along the northernmost edge of Boroondara comprising a total area of around 23 hectares bounded by the Yarra River to the north, the Eastern Freeway to the south, Yarra Bend Park and Chandler Highway to the west, and residential properties and Green Acres Golf Club to the east.

The two billabongs of Willsmere-Chandler form an integral part of the Yarra River’s floodplain, and contribute to maintaining the ecological health of the river system. They also represent the last remaining billabongs within the lower reaches of the Yarra River system.

The billabong tour was part the Droplet Project workshops, a series of free immersive workshops exploring multimedia arts, nature, ecology, water and our special local frogs with Artist Studio’s Pierre Proske.

Undertaking an ‘artist in residence’ at Town Hall Gallery, Pierre is creating a site-specific temporary sculptural installation Pula Pod, in the Hawthorn Civic Space (corner of Glenferrie and Burwood Road, Hawthorn). Pula Pod is a series of modular, solar powered electronic devices that communicate water consumption in a playful and creative way.

All members of the public are invited to experience this installation every evening at dusk from September to November 2016 as the Pula Pod recalls the chorus of frogs once abundant in local waterways. No bookings are necessary to view the installation.