Lake Guthridge
| Lake Guthridge | |
|---|---|
 The shores of the reservoir, 2021 | |
  Lake Guthridge Location of the reservoir in Victoria | |
Interactive map of Lake Guthridge | |
| Country | Australia |
| Location | Sale, West Gippsland, Victoria |
| Coordinates | 38°6′45″S 147°4′30″E / 38.11250°S 147.07500°E |
| Purpose | Irrigation |
| Status | Operational |
| Opening date | 1884 (as a reservoir) |
| Owner | Wellington Shire Council |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam |
|
| Impounds | Urban run-off |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Lake Guthridge |
| Total capacity | 325 ML (263 acre⋅ft) |
| Surface area | 25 ha (62 acres) |
| Maximum length | 850 m (2,790 ft) |
| Maximum width | 400 m (1,300 ft) |
| Maximum water depth | 2 m (6 ft 7 in) |
Lake Guthridge is a small urban reservoir fed by stormwater, located in the town of Sale, in the West Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia.[1] Originally a natural low-lying wetland used for drainage and sewerage discharges, during the 1880s it was impounded for the irrigation of green spaces in Sale.
Owned by the Wellington Shire Council, the reservoir is supplied by stormwater from a catchment area that comprises approximately 70% of Sale. It is located adjacent to Lake Guyatt, a small reservoir that acts as an overflow waterway,[2][3] and the Sale Botanic Gardens are located on a 5-hectare (12-acre) site on the eastern shore of Lake Guthridge.[4]
The reservoir was named in honour of Nehemiah Guthridge (c. 1808–1878), the first mayor of the Borough of Sale, in 1863.[5]
Reservoir overview
In 1850, the area of the lake on the south side of Sale was a low-lying wetland, and had been used for drainage and sewerage discharges.[6][7] In 1874, the Minister of Lands offered support for the idea of converting the lagoon between York Street and the Sale Botanic Gardens into an ornamental lake.[8] The wetland area was developed into a reservoir in 1884.[9]
There is a 2.37-kilometre-long (1.47 mi) accessible walking track around the perimeter of the lake. The area is known as a bird-watching site, where diverse native and migratory species can be seen.[10] Royal spoonbills were recorded breeding around the lake in 2016 and 2019, joined by yellow-billed spoonbills and Australian white ibis in 2020.[11]
As part of an initiative to provide recreational fishing opportunities, the lake was stocked with rainbow trout of a size that is "ready to catch";[12][13] and with Australian bass fingerlings.[14]
Grey-headed flying foxes roost around the shores of the reservoir and Lake Guyatt, since c. 2014. The large size of the colony may be due to the loss of suitable habitat in Eastern Victoria following bush fires.[15][16]
The Lake Wellington Yacht Club has operated an accessible sailing programme known as Sailability on Lake Guthridge since 2000. In 2003, the Wellington Shire Council constructed a jetty at the lake to improve access to the sailing dinghies for those with a disability.[17][18]
In 2018, blue-green algal blooms appeared on the lake, temporarily making it unsafe for water-based recreation.[19]
See also
References
- ↑ Stone, Derrick (12 November 2009). Walks, Tracks and Trails of Victoria. CSIRO Publishing. ISBN 978-0-643-10009-1. Retrieved 23 July 2025 – via Google Books.
- ↑ "Water Management". Wellington Shire Council. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
- ↑ "Integrated Water Management (IWM) Plan 2020 - 2030" (PDF). Wellington Shire Council. 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
- ↑ "History". Sale Botanic Gardens. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
- ↑ "Obituary". Gippsland Times. 28 June 1878. p. 3. Retrieved 18 May 2026 – via Trove. National Library of Australia.
- ↑ Robinson, Peter (6 June 2004). "Sale; Sunday drive". The Sunday Age. p. 38. ProQuest 367353745 – via ProQuest.
- ↑ Carman-Brown, Kylie (18 October 2019). Following the Water: Environmental History and the Hydrological Cycle in Colonial Gippsland, Australia, 1838–1900. ANU Press. p. 169. ISBN 978-1-76046-285-7. Retrieved 23 July 2025 – via Google Books.
- ↑ "Untitled". The Gippsland Mercury. 3 February 1874. p. 3 – via Trove.
- ↑ Cornish, Richard (22 September 2012). "Six reasons to visit Sale: Your Weekend". The Age. p. 6. ProQuest 1042216277 – via ProQuest.
- ↑ "Lake Guthridge Accessible Walk, Sale". walkingmaps.com.au. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
- ↑ Lowe, Kim (July 2025). "Breeding events and success of Yellow-billed and Royal Spoonbills in Victoria" (PDF). Corella. 49: 33–43.
- ↑ "Bass boost for Lake Gutheridge in Sale". Victorian Fisheries Authority. 13 March 2009. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
- ↑ "Australia : All about the Bass in Gippsland". Camden. 21 May 2016. ProQuest 1790209511.
- ↑ "Ten million fish restocked in Victorian waters". Snowy River Mail. 12 July 2025. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
- ↑ "Flying foxes take roost at Lake Guthridge and Lake Guyatt" (Press release). Wellington Shire Council. 11 January 2021. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
- ↑ "Last chance to attend a Bat Chat" (Press release). Wellington Shire Council. 16 February 2024. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
- ↑ "Sailability Local". Lake Wellington Yacht Club. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
- ↑ "Sailability boost for Wellington". Gippsland.com. 25 November 2003. Retrieved 27 November 2025.
- ↑ "Lake Guthridge Algal Warning" (Press release). Wellington Shire Council. 8 January 2018. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
External links
Media related to Lake Guthridge at Wikimedia Commons
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