Situated on the banks of the Diamond Creek in the heart of Eltham, Edendale Community Education Farm offers a range of environmental information and educational programs. Edendale also has an Indigenous Plant Nursery on site which produces and sells plants and products.

Contact

Reception/ Volunteer -  9433 3711
Indigenous Plant Nursery - 9433 3703
Environmental Education enquiries - 9433 3706
Email - edendale@nillumbik.vic.gov.au
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Opening hours

9.30am - 4.30pm every day except Christmas Day and code red or extreme fire risk days. It is free to enter Edendale and donations are welcome.
 

Location

Edendale is 1.4km north of Eltham's town centre, at 30 Gastons Road, Eltham VIC 3095 (Melway 22 A1). The main entrance is off Wattletree Road, via Gastons Road or by foot or bike from the walking/ cycling track west of Edendale. This track links to Eltham North Adventure Playground. Car parking is available on site or at the Eltham North Adventure Playground in Wattletree Road. The best coach access is via the playground.
 

Activities at Edendale 

• See composting and worm farms in action
• Do a range of self-guided clipboard activities (for pre-school and primary school-aged children)
• Wander through and see how seasonal vegetables and fruit are grown sustainably
• Visit the poultry
• See the goats, sheep and calves, which graze in paddocks demonstrating good water and grazing management techniques
• Visit the display area to see frogs, mini-beasts, yabbies and spiny-leaf insects
• Follow the signs which explain the sustainable practices on display
• View the well-known recyclable Eltham Copper Butterfly
• Visit the Indigenous Plant Nursery
• Enjoy a picnic in one of the shelters or open lawn spaces

Families may also enjoy the walk from the Eltham North Adventure Playground (5 minutes) along the bike trail over Diamond Creek to visit Edendale.

School holiday activities

A variety of activities for school-age children will be held daily over the Easter holidays. See School Holiday Activities or subscribe to our ‘What’s on at Edendale’ email list to find about our activities for families - edendale@nillumbik.vic.gov.au.

Guided education tours

Tours for different groups are available for pre-school aged children and adults. Please call (03) 9433 3711 for further details.

Indigenous Plant Nursery

The Indigenous Plant Nursery at Edendale produces and sells a range of indigenous (local native) plants. Indigenous plants of Nillumbik are propagated from seeds collected from the local area, or from plant cuttings. A large amount of the work done in the nursery is supported by a group of skilled volunteers.

Local Friends Of groups also use the facilities available at Edendale to propagate their plants for revegetation projects within the Shire.

A variety of local indigenous plants, stakes and tree guards are also available to buy from the nursery throughout the year. Plant stock is available for sale in forestry tubes or six inch pots.

The nursery is open every day, except Christmas day, from 9.30am-4.30pm.

For more information about selection and purchasing plants contact edendale@nillumbik.vic.gov.au or phone (03) 9433 3703.

Some benefits of indigenous plants

Many of Nillumbik’s local indigenous plant species make ideal garden plants as they require little or no maintenance, need little water and can provide habitat for native animals that inhabit the local area. Dense prickly shrubs and mature trees, such as Acacia verticillata (Prickly Moses) and Eucalypts melliodora (Yellow Box), provide homes for a large range of insect, bird and mammal species.

Indigenous plants also provide spectacular displays of showy flowers throughout the year. If you plan your garden carefully and select a wide variety of species, you can create a mass of brilliant colours throughout each of the seasons.

It is important when using indigenous plants to select those that occur naturally within the Shire (plants that are of local provenance). Many nurseries carry species of indigenous plants that are not grown from locally collected seeds or cuttings. These plants may actually endanger the local genetic stock through interbreeding. When purchasing indigenous plants always make sure you ask where the seed or cutting material was collected – if it’s not from the Nillumbik area, don’t buy it.