U3A GIG LaGerche Walk and Seedbank visit 7th February 2023.
La Gerche Gully Circuit Walk, Saw Pit Road, Creswick. Morning Visit The La Gerche Gully Circuit Walk takes you on a journey through time. Sawpit Gully Plantation reveals the story of John La Gerche, Creswick’s first forester and one of Victoria’s first Landcarers. Using his own initiative, La Gerche created a large and unique experimental plantation with a diverse range of conifers and deciduous trees. John La Gerche’s vision for the future and enduring efforts were formally recognised when Sawpit Gully Nursery and Plantation area was listed as a Heritage Place in the Victorian Heritage Register, 14 th November 2014. A BYO lunch was enjoyed by the group at Calembeen Park, Creswick. The two beautiful lakes there are home to birdlife and waterlily displays. Chinese miners first mined here for shallow alluvial gold between 1850s and 1860s. Many walked the lakes, enjoying locals fishing, birdwatching and walking the local tracks. Seeding Victoria Creswick Visit, Saw Pit R