Loughie’s Bushland is located in Ringwood North along Kubis Drive and Glenvale Road.
The 4 ha (10 acres) reserve is 90 per cent bushland with a number of plants of regional conservation significance with over 185 indigenous species.
It is home to a variety of birds, with a high diversity of plants, including some locally rare species. The presence of koalas and echidnas has been recorded.
Ponds have been installed in the Glenvale Road section of the reserve which adds habitat for frogs and insects to the biodiversity of the site.
The land’s conservation value was recognised by its designation as a ‘Land for Wildlife’ property in 1994.
Brief History
The site of Loughie’s Bushland was originally a mixture of orchards and native vegetation owned by Anthony Loughnan in the 1900’s.
The land has since been used as a pine plantation and has been subject to wood harvesting for the nearby Antimony Mine and subdivision and development.
After the First World War, the property was divided into smaller holdings of 10-20 acres. A lake which was popular with the public existed for several years near the Glenvale Road entrance.
It was created by Anthony Loughnan’s damming of the creek. The dam was removed during the early stages of development in the area in the 1970s.
Council purchased the site in three stages from 1993 to 1995, responding to public concern for the land’s high conservation value.
Loughie’s Bushland consists mainly of Valley Heathy Forest, with a patch of Swampy Riparian Woodland. The following list represents some of the common and some of the rare and significant (*) plants found in the reserve.