Our Landmark Series presents limited release wines under distinctive depictions of the Estate's much treasured attractions ... in this instance our Tahbilk Wetlands.
When Major Mitchell crossed and named the Goulburn River, he described it as ‘a fine river somewhat larger than the
Murrumbidgee.’ After camping overnight, he continued on ‘amongst lagoons .... fine sheets of water apparently much frequented by ducks and other aquatic birds.’ Through the centuries swampy lagoons and curving billabongs filled and dried and filled again.
With the construction of the Goulburn Weir in the late 1800’s, the average river height rose five metres and the complex web of billabongs became 8kms of permanent back waters – now the Tahbilk Wetlands.
In 1995 the first steps were taken to regenerate this area with the planting of additional understorey vegetation to attract greater numbers of native birds and animals. Prior to opening in 2005, these efforts were complemented by nature walking paths, timber boardwalks and bird hides.
The wetlands and billabongs at Tahbilk support a rich biodiversity and an impressive suite of natural values. Endangered and threatened species finding a home in the Tahbilk wetlands include a significant population of the endangered Freshwater Catfish along with the Murray-Darling Rainbowfish, Murray Short necked turtle, Small Scurf Pea and Watershield Lilly. A lengthy list of threatened bird species are also found at the site.