Forrestdale Lake
| Forrestdale Lake | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Location | Perth, Western Australia |
| Coordinates | 32°09′30″S 115°56′16″E / 32.15833°S 115.93778°ECoordinates: 32°09′30″S 115°56′16″E / 32.15833°S 115.93778°E |
| Type | Brackish seasonal groundwater |
| Primary outflows | groundwater; evaporation |
| Basin countries | Australia |
| Designation | Forrestdale Lake Nature Reserve; Forrestdale and Thomsons Lakes Ramsar Site |
| Max. length | 1.6 km (0.99 mi) |
| Max. width | 1.3 km (0.81 mi) |
| Surface area | 2.45 km2 (0.95 sq mi) |
| Surface elevation | 22 m (72 ft) |
Forrestdale Lake is a lake nature reserve in the City of Armadale, Western Australia, approximately 25 kilometres (16 mi) south of the central business district of Perth, the state capital, and on the southern fringes of the Perth metropolitan area. It lies immediately south of the suburb of Forrestdale, and 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) south-east of Jandakot Airport. It is a still largely natural wetland, with some adjoining native vegetation, surrounded by land developed for housing and agriculture, that regularly supports large numbers of shorebirds and other waterbirds.
Before European settlement the lake was used by Aboriginal people as an important site for tortoise hunting, with campsites occupied for long periods. It is associated with the Waugal, a powerful and important water serpent in Noongar mythology that created rivers and lakes, and maintains the flow of waters to its resting places.
The first non-Aboriginal settlement occurred in 1885, when William and Alfred Skeet were granted a 'Special Occupation' license for 100 acres (0.40 km2) adjoining the lake, as well as licences to cut and sell timber. Farming around the lake began in 1893; much of the land was cleared, crops were trialled along with dairy and poultry farming. By 1898, the area around the lake had been set aside for a township with recommendations made for its subdivision. The Jandakot region started producing vegetables, apiary products and dairy produce for the Fremantle markets.
From the 1920s agriculture gave way to sheep and cattle grazing, which continued through the next 50 years. During the 1940s the west side of the lake was heavily grazed by livestock, particularly during the drier summers when the lake’s fringing vegetation served as supplementary fodder. As a result, the land on the west side of the lake lacks native understorey plants and is infested with introduced plants such as arum lilies.
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