History of the BAIGUP Wetland

Written by Harry Bastow, Chair of Friends of Baigup

The Reserve was a part of the original locations W and X . In 1830 the location W (408 hectares) was granted to James Birkett and location X (419 hectares) was granted to Edward Birkett son of James Birkett. A short time later the father and son died.. The location W was sold to James Drummond in 1839 and a few months later location X was sold to Mamaduke Hutton.. The reserve is now identified as part of locality M51 and has been variously know as the " Swan River Saltmarshes" and also as the "Garratt Road Reserve"..

There is no record of any Aboriginal names specific to the reserve. However, the existence of numerous freshwater springs means it is almost certain that portions of the reserve were used as "water holes" and possibly as a family campsite. In 1992 it was agreed that an Aboriginal name should be given to the reserve. Two suitable names were considered, the Nyoongar term for rushes - Baigup, and for river - Beeler. It was recommended that the reserve be known as " Baigup Wetland Reserve " chosen to recognise the significant stretches of Shore Rush ( Juncus kraussii ) and other rushes which extend along the foreshore.

The Baigup wetland probably constitutes one of the most degraded of the remaining fringing vegetation habitats around the Swan-Canning Estuary. The wetland is believed to have originally been a Melaleuca-Juncus Community, with Casuarinas extending along the foreshore and Eucalyptus rudis bordering the alluvial plain. With the advent of urbanisation in the area, The Baigup Wetland has had a variety of human uses over the past 100 + years. It was originally used for market gardening. Chinese immigrants established the first gardens in 1898 and the gardens were worked until the 1970's.

The river was an important source of transport in the early years. Boats were used to ferry people to and from Garratt Road Bridge to what was then known as the Perth Race Course. The first Bridge was opened on the 1st January 1935, and the second section of the bridge completed in 1972 before becoming an important recreational area and is now recognised as a significant reserve for the protection of flora and fauna of the Swan River.

The incidence of fire at Baigup has been very high . The Fire Brigade has attended numerous fires at frequent intervals over the years. Fire has been a significant historical factor that has played a major role in the decline of the native vegetation. An increase in fire frequency has disadvantaged the Melaleuca communities while enabling the exotics to spread.

In 1986, a gas pipeline was constructed between Garratt Road Bridge and Kelvin Street, thus disturbing the remnant vegetation. The gas pipeline in question was a small part of SECWA's overall plan to provide additional gas supplies from East Perth via a pipeline lateral connecting with the main Dampier-Perth line. The access road was built through the wetland with the understanding that following the laying of the pipeline the road would be removed. Consequently, a thick rubber mat was rolled along the length of the of the wetland and covered with layers of stone and sand to facilitate easy retrieval of materials. At the completion of laying of the pipeline, Bayswater and Stirling City Councils were approached to maintain the access road and convert it into a dual- use path. The councils agreed with the plan and the causeway was levelled and bituminised. Ten culverts and five double pipes were installed in an effort to maintain effective water movement towards the river.

In 1871 the Perth Road Board was formed and was located at Maylands The name changed twice Between 1961( Shire of Perth ) and 1970 ( City of Stirling ) In 1997 Maylands was the jewel in a tug of war between City of Bayswater and City of Stirling. The acceptance transfer to City of Bayswater took place on the 20th January 1998 and the City of Bayswater took control of the jewel as from 1st July 1998.

The Baigup Wetland Reserve has two key problems which was best addressed by the installation of two artificial lakes in the current Typha and weed communities..The first lake was constructed immediately below the entry point of Swan Lake Drain which delivers a high nutrient, often toxic input of chemicals into the reserve, principally via the main stormwater drain. This filtering lake was constructed in 2000. The second Lake which was constructed in 2001. It has no aesthetic or conservation values . This lake is to address the extensive weed zone landward of the dual purpose path which is a fire hazard and source of propagules for adjacent vegetation communities and private properties

Physical Characteristics of the Baigup Wetland

The Baigup wetland fringes the river between Garratt Road Bridge and Swan View Terrace in Maylands. It is a vegetated alluvial plain of just under 1 kilometre long and approximately 500 metres wide at its widest point. The catchment area for this wetland extends about 2 kilometres inland and is divided up by the topological nature of the Bassendean sands upon which the ground water lies.

The sediment within the wetland is comprised of essentially Bassendean sands, with regions of alluvium, peat, clay, swamp and other river deposit typically found with floodplains. Blocky mottled sediments of varying particle sizes are present, sandy silts to medium grained sands. These sands are very porous and are associated with a high water table. Other features of this environment include low permeability and corrosion potentials, moderate slope stability and a moderate bearing capacity.