Lake Guthridge
| Lake Guthridge | |
|---|---|
The shores of Lake Guthridge from Foster Street | |
| Location | Sale, Victoria |
| Coordinates | 38°6′45″S 147°4′30″E / 38.11250°S 147.07500°E |
| Type | reservoir |
| Basin countries | Australia |
| Max. length | 850 m (2,790 ft) |
| Max. width | 400 m (1,300 ft) |
| Surface area | 0.25 km2 (0.097 sq mi) |
| Max. depth | 2 m (6 ft 7 in) |
| Water volume | 325 megalitres (263 acre⋅ft) |
| Location | |
Interactive map of Lake Guthridge | |
Lake Guthridge is a small artificial lake in Sale, Victoria, Australia.[1] It is named after the first mayor of Sale, Nehemiah Guthridge. The lake is supplied by stormwater from a catchment area of around 70% of the town. Water from the lake is used for irrigation of open spaces in the town of Sale. Lake Guyatt acts as an overflow waterway.[2][3]
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.[4][5] In 1874, the Minister of Lands offered support for the idea of converting the lagoon between York Street and the Botanic Garden into an ornamental lake.[6] The wetland area was developed into a lake in 1884.[7]
There is a 2.37 km-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.[8] Royal spoonbills were recorded breeding around the lake in 2016 and 2019, joined by yellow-billed spoonbills and Australian white ibis in 2020.[9] The Sale Botanic Gardens are located on a 5 ha (12 acres) site on the eastern shore of the lake.[10]
As part of an initiative to provide recreational fishing opportunities for families in Gippsland, the lake has been regularly stocked with rainbow trout of a size that is "ready to catch", in readiness for the school holidays in June and September.[11][12] The lake has also been stocked with Australian bass fingerlings. In 2025, the Victorian Fisheries Authority restocked the lake with 800 rainbow trout and 5,000 bass.[13]
Grey-headed flying foxes roost around the shores of Lake Guthridge and Lake Guyatt. There has been a colony of these flying foxes in Sale since around 2014. The large size of the colony may result from the loss of suitable habitat in Eastern Victoria following bush fires.[14][15]
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.[16][17]
There have been instances of blue-green algal blooms on the lake, temporarily making it unsafe for water-based recreation.[18]
References
- ^ Stone, Derrick (12 November 2009). Walks, Tracks and Trails of Victoria. Csiro Publishing. ISBN 978-0-643-10009-1. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
- ^ "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.
- ^ Robinson, Peter (6 June 2004). "Sale; Sunday drive". Sunday Age. p. 38. ProQuest 367353745.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "History". Sale Botanic Gardens. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
- ^ "Bass boost for Lake Gutheridge in Sale". Victorian Fisheries Authority. 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.
- ^ "Media Release: Flying foxes take roost at Lake Guthridge and Lake Guyatt". Wellington Shire Council. 11 January 2021. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
- ^ "Media Release: Last chance to attend a Bat Chat". 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.
- ^ "Media Release: Lake Guthridge Algal Warning". Wellington Shire Council. 8 January 2018. Retrieved 26 November 2025.