The Emu Plains Racecourse and Recreation Reserve is located in Balnarring, 80 km south east of Melbourne on Coolart Road, Melways ref 163 J9. The 63 hectare reserve includes important natural values and provides for a range of recreation opportunities including picnic race meetings run by the Balnarring Picnic Racing Club, community market run by Rotary of Hastings, the Hastings Pony Club and the Mornington Branch of Field & Game Club and also informal activities such as bush walking.
A Brief History
A reserve since 1860 Emu Plains has high regional significance for biodiverisity, with the heathlands being especially valuable. The open central heathland area is rich in flora species. With the extensive low heathland backed by stringybark forest, the landscape most resembles what the Bun wurrung and early European surveyors and settlers knew to be the Balnarring area: open plains set in forest. Nowhere else on the Mornington Peninsula can this visual experience now be found, as almost all of the plains are gone. It is presumed that emus once ran on th Balnarring plains although they are now extinct on the Mornington Peninsula. The reserve is also highly valued as an attractive environment for a range of recreational uses.
Official Chronology of Reserve
1860 - Tract of land called Emu Plain set aside as reserve. Residents subsequently laid out racecourse.
1863 - Area first used for race meetings. Hastings and Balnarring Racing Club founded. Race meetings held each Boxing Day.
1878 - Racetrack area temporarily reserved for public recreation. Trustees appointed.
1889 - Large Race meeting with 1200 attending.
1891 - Meeting held by new Balnarring and Bittern Amateur Racing Club.
1900s - Popular meetings held by Balnarring Racing Club. Centre of track covered with scrub.
1907 - Emu Plains Racing Club operating.
WW1 - Area used by armed services.
1922 - Track rail consisted by saplings laid in forks of other saplings - along straight only.
1924 - Area reserved 'temporarily' as site for 'Racecourse and Public Recreation', under Land Act 1915.
1928 - Bittern Racing Club registered under VRC rules.
1933 - Balnarring Picnic Racing Club reborn - picnic races held since.
WW2 - Area used by armed services.
1979 - Regulations for Reserve made. Empower CoM to manage area and grant clubs use of parts of Reserve, etc.
1989 - Incorporation of 9 member CoM Reserve. Summer markets commenced.
1999 - MPSC Planning Scheme shows Reserve as Public Park and Recreation Zone. Significant Landscape and Environmental Significance overlays apply to area.
* based on sources provided by DSE and the CoM.
All correspondence must be forwarded to Emu Plains Racecourse & Recreation Reserve, P.O. BOX 157, BALNARRING, VIC. 3926 or by email: secretary@emuplainsreserve.com
