New trail shares stories and secrets of Trigg Bushland Reserve

Launched on Saturday by City of Stirling Mayor Mark Irwin AM and Nyoongar Elder Len Yarran, the trail shares the stories and secrets of one of Perth’s most precious remnants of coastal bushland.

Trigg Bushland Reserve is a Bush Forever site that stretches from sea to tree, with parallel and parabolic dunes under 170 hectares of coastal heathland and tuart woodland.

Rottnest pines and Rottnest tea trees stand as living reminders of a time when Rottnest Island/Wadjemup was still connected to the mainland.

The Wadjak Nyoongar people lived off and cared for the land for thousands of years before and after the formation of Rottnest Island/Wadjemup, moving between coastal and inland areas with the changing seasons.

In the 1800s and 1900s, European settlers used the area to move and graze stock, cut timber and plan a subdivision which never eventuated.

Eventually set aside as a Class-A Reserve in 1989 on the back of community advocacy, the reserve is managed by the City with the help of Friends of Trigg Bushland.

Signage installed along the new Trigg Bushland Story Trail gives fascinating insights into Aboriginal culture, post-European settlement history and the area’s rich biodiversity.

From the brown goshawks and microbats that dart through the sky to the sandgropers that burrow below the surface, the reserve is teeming with life.

Towering tuart trees and striking red desert quandongs stand out among the vegetation, but the story trail also highlights unassuming species like the coastal sword sedge, which provided a strong material Nyoongar people used for ropes, baskets and shelters.

The story trail consists of two separate loops on either side of Elliott Road in Karrinyup and Trigg, with a combined length of around 6km or 2.5 hours.

It was a collaboration between the City, Friends of Trigg Bushland, Ngalang Maya Wangkiny (Our Place Talking) group and other community members who shared their knowledge.

Saturday’s launch event at Trigg Bushland Reserve follows the opening of the City’s first story trail at Lake Gwelup in late 2024.

“Story trails are a great way to connect people to where they live and give them a greater appreciation of local history, culture and the natural environment,” Mayor Irwin said.

“Trigg Bushland Reserve is a special part of our City and this gives people the opportunity to immerse themselves in it, get some exercise and learn a lot of new things along the way.

“I want to thank members of the Friends of Trigg Bushland and the Ngalang Maya Wangkiny knowledge holders’ group for helping us bring this project to life.”