Overview
Waterworks Reserve is located on the outskirts of southwest Hobart and preserves reservoirs first constructed in the 1860s to capture the flow of creeks coming off Mount Wellington. Bird life is attracted to the reservoirs and several Tasmanian endemics can be seen there. About 64 species of birds have been recorded there.
Birds
Notable Species
Tasmanian Native-hen, Forest Raven, Scarlet Robin, Hoary-headed Grebe
Rarities
Check-list
Birds you can see here include:
Cape Barren Goose, Maned Duck, Pacific Black Duck, Australasian Grebe, Hoary-headed Grebe, Little Black Cormorant, Great Cormorant, White-faced Heron, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Gray Goshawk, Collared Sparrowhawk, Tasmanian Native-hen, Eurasian Coot, Masked Lapwing, Silver Gull, Pacific Gull, Kelp Gull, Spotted Dove, Common Bronzewing, Brush Bronzewing, Pallid Cuckoo, Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo, Shining Bronze-Cuckoo, Laughing Kookaburra, Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Green Rosella, Superb Fairywren, Eastern Spinebill, Yellow-throated Honeyeater, Little Wattlebird, Yellow Wattlebird, Crescent Honeyeater, New Holland Honeyeater, Black-headed Honeyeater, Strong-billed Honeyeater, Spotted Pardalote, Striated Pardalote, Tasmanian Scrubwren, Brown Thornbill, Tasmanian Thornbill, Gray Butcherbird, Australasian Magpie, Black Currawong, Gray Currawong, Black-faced Cuckooshrike, Grey Shrike-Thrush, Olive Whistler, Golden Whistler, Grey Fantail, Satin Flycatcher, Forest Raven, Scarlet Robin, Flame Robin, Pink Robin, Dusky Robin, Welcome Swallow, Tree Martin, Silver-eye, Olive-tailed Thrush, Eurasian Blackbird, European Goldfinch, Beautiful Firetail
Other Wildlife
Common Wombat, Eastern Barred Bandicoot, Common Brushtail Possum, Eastern Quoll
Site Information
History and Use
When the Hobart area was first settled, the people needed water, so reservoirs were constructed in the 1860s to capture the flow of creeks coming off Mount Wellington. A network of stone and timber troughs and channels were constructed and the flow of water arrived at the Receiving House, where you can see an informative display, explaining the history of this historic and important site. The habitat is dry sclerophyll eucalypt forest with wetter gullies.
Areas of Interest
- Lower Reservoir
- Upper Reservoir
- Receiving House Museum
- Gentle Annie Falls
Access and Facilities
- Open every day of the year, including Christmas Day
- Gates 8.30am - 4.15pm during winter and 9.00pm during daylight savings
- Outside these hours, pedestrian access is available through the turnstile adjacent to the main gate.
- No dogs are allowed in the Reserve
- Car park
- Walking trails in the Reserve, including:
- Gentle Annie Falls
- Pipeline Track
- Waterworks Circuit Track
- 10 picnic sites with gas operated barbecues - pre-booking is required
- Toilets
Contact Details
Hobart Council Centre, 16 Elizabeth Street, Hobart
- Telephone: (03) 6238 2173
- Fax: (03) 6238 2186
- Email: [email protected]
