Lake Wendouree
looking towards Ballarat
Location	Ballarat, Victoria
Lake type	artificial lake
Basin countries	Australia

Lake Wendouree is an artificially-created and maintained shallow urban lake in the city of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. Image File history File linksMetadata Lake_wendouree. ... Ballarat is a city in regional Victoria, Australia, approximately 120 kilometres north-west of Melbourne, with a population of 84,000 people. ... Capital Melbourne Government Constitutional monarchy Governor David de Kretser Premier Steve Bracks (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 37  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $222,022 (2nd)  - Product per capita  $44,443/person (5th) Population (End of September 2006)  - Population  5,110,500 (2nd)  - Density  22. ... A man-made lake in Keukenhof, Netherlands A lake is a body of water or other liquid of considerable size contained on a body of land. ... A reservoir (French: réservoir) is an artificial lake created by flooding land behind a dam. ... This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... A man-made lake in Keukenhof, Netherlands A lake is a body of water or other liquid of considerable size contained on a body of land. ... Ballarat is a city in regional Victoria, Australia, approximately 120 kilometres north-west of Melbourne, with a population of 84,000 people. ... Capital Melbourne Government Constitutional monarchy Governor David de Kretser Premier Steve Bracks (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 37  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $222,022 (2nd)  - Product per capita  $44,443/person (5th) Population (End of September 2006)  - Population  5,110,500 (2nd)  - Density  22. ...

Since 1864, when a rowing course was first cut through the reedy swamp, it has been carefully nurtured by council and public-spirited citizens. Drought has almost dried the lake up completely, as of October 2006. A drought is a period of time when there is not enough water to support agricultural, urban, human, or environmental water needs. ... 2006 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

History

The name Wendouree comes from a local aboriginal word wendaaree which means 'go away': a story is told that when William Yuille asked an aboriginal woman the name of the swamp, that was her reply. When Ballarat was first surveyed in 1851 by WS Urquhart the swamp was recorded as Wendouree. Australian Aborigines are the main indigenous people of Australia. ...

A corroboree was staged at the Wendouree Swamp in March 1857 and was witnessed by a Ballarat Times reporter. A Corroboree is a ceremonial meeting of Australian Aborigines. ...

In ancient times Lake Wendouree was originally a stream which flowed to the west but a lava flow caused it to be dammed on three sides and it now drains to the east, eventually into the Yarrowee River. Look up lava, Aa, pahoehoe in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

The lake was the venue for rowing events at the 1956 Summer Olympics. The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were held in 1956 in Melbourne, Australia, although the equestrian events could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations. ...

Features

Pavillion on Lake Wendouree.

The lake is surrounded by a park reserve, which features several heritage boat and rowing sheds at the southern end and a pavillion and Olympic memorial at the other. Image File history File linksMetadata Ballarat_lake_pavillion. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Ballarat_lake_pavillion. ...

Wildlife

The reed beds and islands provide sanctuary for a variety of wildlife. Of the recorded 166 species, the most commonly seen waterbirds are: Black Swan, Duck, Dusky Moorhen, Swamphen, Coot, Musk Duck, Great Crested Grebe, Silver Gull and Little Pied Cormorant. Information boards at the Fairyland Wetland Walk provide details about species and habitats. Binomial name Cygnus atratus Latham, 1790 Subspecies Black Swan New Zealand Swan (extinct) Synonyms Anas atrata Latham, 1790 Chenopis atratus The Black Swan, Cygnus atratus is a large non-migratory waterbird which breeds mainly in the southeast and southwest of Australia. ... Subfamilies Dendrocygninae Oxyurinae Anatinae Aythyinae Merginae Duck is the common name for a number of species in the Anatidae family of birds. ...

About 100 native water-rats are scattered around the shore and are sometimes seen in Fairyland at dawn and dusk. The diversity of pondlife is rich and attracts numerous school groups making visits for environmental science field studies.

Transport

Double-decker horse-drawn trams began carrying visitors to the Ballarat Botanical Gardens in 1887. A vintage electric tramway operates around the lake. The volunteers of the Ballarat Tramway Museum have preserved fifteen trams and memorabilia from Ballarat's tramway era. Attracting twenty thousand passengers each year, it is one of Ballarat's most popular tourist attractions. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The Ballarat Botanical Gardens Reserve covers an area of 40 hectares which is divided into 3 distinct zones. ... Ballarat is a city in regional Victoria, Australia, approximately 120 kilometres north-west of Melbourne, with a population of 84,000 people. ...

Recreation

Boating has long been an important sport and leisure activity on Lake Wendouree which hosted the rowing, kayaking and canoeing events for the 1956 Summer Olympics. The track around the lake provides an interesting 6 km challenge to walking, cycling and running enthusiasts who complete the circuit in their thousands each week, irrespective of the weather. For serious athletes, the record for running the 6 km lap of the lake is 16 minutes and 10 seconds, set in 1992 by Marathon Olympian Steve Moneghetti. In recent years, it has been the venue for the annual Goldfields Festival. // Boating, the leisurely activity of traveling by boat typically refers to the recreational use of boats whether power boats, sail boats, or yachts (large vessels), focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, such as fishing or waterskiing. ... The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were held in 1956 in Melbourne, Australia, although the equestrian events could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations. ... Police officer on a bicycle Cycling is a recreation, a sport and a means of transport across land. ... Modern day marathon runners The word marathon refers to a long-distance road running event of 42. ... Steve Moneghetti (born September 26, 1962 in the town of Ballarat, Victoria) is a long-distance runner from Australia, who was not considered to be a good runner in primary school as he never managed to win a single medal. ...

Drought

Lake Wendouree dry lake bed caused by the current drought conditions.

No Swimming

The current drought has caused Lake Wendouree to dry up. Despite warnings by the local council and news publications, local enthusiasts have been combing below the surface of the dry lake bed for artifacts, including antique glass bottles. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 324 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Photo taken of Lake Wendouree (December 29th, 2006) showing dry lake bed. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 324 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Photo taken of Lake Wendouree (December 29th, 2006) showing dry lake bed. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2816 × 2112 pixel, file size: 2. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2816 × 2112 pixel, file size: 2. ...

Coordinates: 37°33′S, 143°50′E Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...