 Centrally located between Ballarat and Daylesford, this park embraces the hills once roamed by the artistic Lindsay family. Today you can explore the park on a variety of short and longer walks, picnic by tranquil St Georges Lake or relax in the park's peaceful surroundings. Things to Do St Georges Lake
Popular with visitors and wildlife, St Georges Lake was once a mining dam used to supply water to the Creswick State Battery for crushing quartz. Today it is a popular summer base for water activities. There are free gas barbecues and toilets are provided in the main picnic area and wood barbecues in another picnic area east of the main area on the inlet creek. Slaty Creek
 Close to the township of Creswick, Slaty Creek is a great place to enjoy a bush picnic. Panning for gold along the meandering creek or taking a stroll beside old water races are two popular activities. Sit and watch the bush come alive with many species of birds. There are three camping areas with wood barbecues and tables on the creek flats surrounded by tall Manna Gums. The main area has toilets and is more suitable for larger groups. Koala Park
Koala Park has a network of walking tracks for visitors and there's a good chance of spotting a Koala, although you are more likely to see one at Slaty Creek or Eaton's Dam. In 1942, forestry students constructed a netting fence in a section of the forest to be used as a breeding area for Koalas. Koalas were released in the enclosure to breed and boost the numbers of the local population. However, they were able to climb the fence and so dispersed into the surrounding forest.
Fossicking
Panning for gold along Slaty Creek is a popular pastime in the park. All adults must hold a current Miner's Right to engage in fossicking. Remember to fill any holes and leave the area as you found it. Relics must not be disturbed or removed.
Facilities Following John La Gerche's initial efforts, the State established a plant nursery at Creswick, which still operates around the old nursery office. The Creswick Landcare Centre also operates from this site. Facilities at the Landcare Centre include electric barbecue and picnic area, Landcare displays, information and educational walks. There are several picnic areas in the park. Wood barbecues are provided at most and gas barbecues are available at St Georges Lake.
Toilets and water are available at the Landcare Centre and Nursery and St Georges Lake and Number 1 area at Slaty Creek has toilets only.
You can camp for short stays at the Slaty Creek area. This is suitable for motor homes as well as tents. Campers should bring their own drinking water and firewood.
Heritage
Intensively mined during the gold rush of the 1850s the Creswick area saw many methods of mining. Surface or alluvial mining by puddling, hydraulic sluicing, shaft and reef mining were some of them. Relics preserved and protected within the park include remains of water races, quartz stacks and hut sites. Chinese mine shafts and mining dams are present, including the old stone and earth wall of Eaton's Dam.
The surrounding forest supplied timber for local firewood, mines and buildings. By the end of the 1890s, the forests had mostly been cleared to support the mining industry. With the hills left scarred and badly eroded John La Gerche, a pioneer of the time, was one of the first people to re-plant the eroded gullies and slopes of Creswick with trees. La Gerche's original plantings are now over one hundred years old and protected as part of Creswick Regional Park.
Fauna
Common birds in the area include Grey Currawongs, Crimson Rosellas, White-throated Tree-creepers, Grey Fantails, thornbills, robins and honeyeaters. Two migratory species found in the gullies are the Rufous Fantail and Satin Flycatcher.
Koalas and Black Wallabies are common, although they can be difficult to locate. The Koala's main food source is the Manna Gum, a white-trunked tree with hanging ribbons of bark on its trunk. It is common in damper gullies along with Candlebark Gums.
Vegetation
Eucalypts growing in the park include Messmate, Manna Gum, Scent-bark, Broad-leaved Peppermint and Narrow-leaved Peppermint. Candlebarks also grow in gullies and are easily recognised by their stark white trunks.
Victoria's floral emblem, the Common Heath, is one of the plants frequently found growing under eucalypts. Look for its pink or white bells. There are many plants from the pea family growing, including the rich purple flowered Hardenbergia or "Sarsparilla".
Looking After the Park - All native plants and animals are protected.
- Firearms are not permitted in the park.
- Dogs are permitted in the park but must be kept on a leash at all times.
- Fires may only be lit in the fireplaces provided. No fires, including barbecues, may be lit on days of Total Fire Ban.
- Creswick is in the Central Total Fire Ban District.
- Do not camp within 20 metres of waterways. Camping is not permitted at St Georges Lake and powerboats are not permitted.
- Please take your rubbish with you when you leave.
- Vehicles, including motorcycles, must not be driven off open formed roads. All vehicles must be registered and drivers licensed.
- Do not disturb or remove any historic relics or artefacts.
Precautions Walkers should always stay on designated tracks as there are many deep mine shafts throughout the park.
How to Get There
Creswick Regional Park is 120 kilometres north-west of Melbourne, half way between Ballarat and Daylesford on the Midland Highway. Map of the park is available here
Accessibility Koala Park
A section of the Koala Park walk is paved and allows viewing of koalas and their habitat. This path later deteriorates into a dirt track. The picnic area has a shelter and fireplaces but no toilets. Slatey Creek Picnic Area
There are both camping and picnic sites at Slatey Creek, but the area is rough, without sealed surfaces or formal paths. There are some low obstacles. The designated toilet does not meet all access criteria. St Georges Lake
The St Georges Lake site is relatively flat with well maintained gas barbecues and picnic tables on a grassed area. There is a partially sealed walking track (some sections of gravel) around part of the lake, offering generally good accessibility. The designated accessible toilet does not comply with current standards for access
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