Manning Reserve

Manning Reserve, located along McIvor Highway in Junortoun, VIC 3551, is a cherished natural area that preserves a remnant of Box Ironbark Forest and Grassy Woodland. Established in 1942 by the Junortoun Progress Association on land donated by Thomas Manning, the reserve features a diverse mix of eucalypt overstorey, including Yellow Gums, Grey Box, and Red Box, complemented by an understorey of shrubs like Spreading Cassinia and Gorse Bitter-Pea. Seasonal ground layer herblands showcase species such as Chocolate Lilies, Leopard Orchids, and Australian Stonecrop. The reserve is home to resident bird species like White-Plumed Honeyeaters, Red Wattlebirds, and Striated Pardalotes, with regular visitors including Grey Butcherbirds, White-Winged Choughs, and Musk Lorikeets. Less conspicuous wildlife includes Marbled Geckos, Pobblebonk Frogs, and numerous invertebrates. Positioned between the lower creek-line and associated floodplain to the south and the higher undulating rises to the north, Manning Reserve protects one of the last remaining fragments of this vegetation type in the area.