Native Vegetation of Victoria

Grass, Forest, and Fire: The Native Vegetation of Victoria, Past and Present

Victoria’s native vegetation tells a story of both deep time and deep culture. For millennia, Indigenous peoples managed vast mosaics of grasslands, woodlands, wetlands, and forests through fire, harvest, and careful stewardship.
These were living, cultural landscapes — shaped by ecological law and ceremony. Within decades of colonisation in the 1830s, much of that ecological balance was disrupted.
Today, though much has been lost, the revival of traditional practices and ecological restoration continues to reconnect people, plant, and Country.

Before Colonisation: Landscapes of Grass, Forest, and Wetland

Early explorers’ records, Indigenous oral histories, and modern ecology all describe Victoria as a land of extraordinary diversity and abundance:

• Volcanic Plains Grasslands:
  Extending west from Melbourne to the South Australian border, these basalt plains formed one of the world’s largest native grassland ecosystems. Dominated by Kangaroo Grass (Themeda triandra), Wallaby Grass (Rytidosperma spp.), and Yam Daisy (Microseris walteri), they supported abundant wildlife and were sustained by cool burns.

• Grassy Woodlands:
  Open plains with River Red Gum and Yellow Box, providing shade, timber, and food for both people and animals.

• Wetlands and Swamps:
  Lakes and floodplains such as Lake Condah, Lake Bolac, and the Murray floodplains teemed with eels, fish, waterbirds, and edible plants like Cumbungi (Typha spp.) and Reeds (Phragmites australis).

• Mountain Forests:
  In the east, towering Mountain Ash (Eucalyptus regnans) and Tree Ferns created cool temperate rainforests — among the tallest flowering ecosystems on Earth.

• Coastal Heathlands:
  Along the Bass Coast and Gippsland, dense Banksia, Melaleuca, and Tea-tree thickets offered nectar, medicine, and wood for tools.

These were not wildernesses. They were cultural landscapes, cared for through intricate systems of fire, harvest, and ceremony (Presland 1994; Gott 2015).

Indigenous Land Management and Cultural Burning

Fire was one of the most important tools of ecological care across Victoria. Indigenous fire knowledge was precise — varying in season, intensity, and purpose.
Cultural burning was used to:

• Keep grasslands open for kangaroo, emu, and wallaby.

• Stimulate yam daisy and tuber growth for food.

• Prevent destructive wildfires by reducing fuel loads.

• Maintain a mosaic of vegetation ages to support biodiversity.

This system, known as fire-stick farming, supported stable populations and abundant ecosystems far beyond what unmanaged land could produce (Pascoe 2014; Gott 2015; Wadawurrung TOAC 2021).

Colonisation and Ecological Disruption

From the 1830s onward, colonisation radically transformed Victoria’s landscapes.

• Grazing:
  Sheep and cattle trampled soft soils, destroyed tubers, and stripped grasslands bare.

• Clearing and Ploughing:
  Grasslands and woodlands were cleared for wheat, grazing, and dairying.

• Wetland Drainage:
  Swamps were drained for farmland, devastating eel fisheries and bird habitats.

• Logging:
  Old-growth mountain ash and box–ironbark forests were felled for timber, fencing, and fuel.

• Fire Suppression:
  Indigenous burning was outlawed, leading to fuel build-up and catastrophic wildfires.

• Invasive Species:
  Rabbits, foxes, and weeds rapidly altered ecological balance.

Within a single generation, Country managed for tens of thousands of years was stripped and fragmented (Williams & Clarke 1996).

Victoria’s Vegetation Today

Modern Victoria retains only a fraction of its pre-colonial vegetation cover:

• Less than 1% of the original Volcanic Plains Grasslands survive.

• Around 30% of forests and woodlands remain — often regrowth or fragmented.

• Wetlands have declined by over 70% across many catchments (DCCEEW 2021).

Ecological Communities

• Critically Endangered:

• Natural Temperate Grassland of the Victorian Volcanic Plain

• Grassy Eucalypt Woodland of the Victorian Volcanic Plain

• Seasonal Herbaceous Wetlands (all EPBC-listed).

• Threatened Forests:

• Box–Ironbark Forests and Old-growth Mountain Ash remain under pressure from logging and altered fire regimes.

Conservation and Revival

• Indigenous-led cultural burning is returning across Victoria, led by Wadawurrung, Wurundjeri, and Gunaikurnai Traditional Owners.

• Restoration projects are replanting native grasses and Murnong in reserves, farms, and schools.

• National Parks such as Grampians (Gariwerd) and Alpine National Park protect critical remnants.

• Community Partnerships: Landcare, Traditional Owner corporations, and government agencies are uniting ecological science with cultural knowledge.

Cultural and Contemporary Significance

For Indigenous peoples, native vegetation continues to nourish both body and spirit:

• Food: Revival of Murnong, native millet, and edible herbs connects communities to ancestral harvest cycles.

• Medicine: Plants like Lemon Myrtle, Native Mint, and Wattle bark are reintroduced for healing.

• Ceremony and Identity: Plants are used for smoking ceremonies, body decoration, and song.

Restoring native vegetation is not only ecological work — it is cultural healing. Replanting, burning, and storytelling restore relationships between people and Country, renewing identity and continuity.

Conclusion

Victoria’s native vegetation has endured one of the most dramatic transformations in Australia’s history. Once sustained by fire and ceremony, these ecosystems were fractured by colonisation. Yet they persist — in remnant grasslands, in wetlands that still breathe, and in the living memory of Indigenous custodians.
The future depends on truth-telling and collaboration, recognising that ecological repair and cultural revival are inseparable. Through Indigenous leadership, Victoria’s grasslands, forests, and wetlands can live again — vibrant, resilient, and connected to Country.

Reference List

DCCEEW (Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water) 2021, Nationally Threatened Ecological Communities of the Victorian Volcanic Plain: Conservation Advice, Canberra.
Gott, B. 2015, ‘Aboriginal use of plants in south-eastern Australia’, Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria, vol. 127, no. 2, pp. 64–73.
Pascoe, B. 2014, Dark Emu: Aboriginal Australia and the Birth of Agriculture, Magabala Books, Broome.
Presland, G. 1994, Aboriginal Melbourne: The Lost Land of the Kulin People, McPhee Gribble, Melbourne.
Williams, J. & Clarke, M. 1996, Vegetation Changes in Southeastern Australia Since European Settlement, CSIRO, Melbourne.
Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation (WTOAC) 2021, Cultural Fire Strategy for Wadawurrung Country, Geelong.

Written, Researched and Directed by James Vegter (22 October 2025)

MLA

Sharing the truth of Indigenous and colonial history through film, education, land, and community.
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Copyright MLA – 2025

Magic Lands Alliance acknowledges the Traditional Owners, Custodians, and First Nations communities across Australia and internationally. We honour their enduring connection to the sky, land, waters, language, and culture. We pay respect to Elders past, present, and emerging, and to all First Peoples’ communities and language groups. This article draws only on publicly available information; many cultural practices remain the intellectual property of their respective communities.