Chauncy Vale Wildlife Sanctuary was established as one of the oldest private conservation areas in Tasmania. Much of the reserve (337 of the present 380 hectares) was gazetted on July 3rd, 1946, as a private wildlife sanctuary under The Animals and Birds Protection Act 1928 following application by the owners, Nan and Anton Chauncy.
The sanctuary was bequeathed to the local council (now the Southern Midlands Council) by Anton Chauncy in 1988, with a later gift of the house and home paddocks by his and Nan's daughter, Heather. A sub-committee of Council manages the sanctuary under a gazetted Management Plan (1994) and a Business Plan endorsed by Council and the support group, Friends of Chauncy Vale Inc. Under these plans there is an entrance fee of $2 per adult, but school groups visit free of charge. A fee of $2 per person is charged for entry to the house. School groups admitted to the house for a $15.00 Group Fee. Friends of Chauncy Vale Inc. organises an annual Open Day on a Sunday in January with exhibitions, stalls, afternoon teas and guided walks.
The Vale is visited by bushwalkers, bird watchers, field naturalist groups, picnicking family groups and school parties. There is a carpark with bus turning circle plus several areas suitable for picnics and gatherings. Rudimentary facilities include pit toilets, barbecues and a day shelter hut with wide verandahs. Some formed tracks lead to points of interest such as Secret Cave, Brown's Caves Creek and Guvy's Lagoon. Near the main carpark is an information shelter from where a path leads up and through the garden to the house where Nan Chauncy's work and items of interest are displayed.
Day Dawn the house at Chauncy Vale, is of particular interest as the home of distinguished children's author, Nan Chauncy (1900-1970). This house was built mainly in slipform concrete by Nan's father and her brother, Jan, between 1916 and 1918. It was later extended by Nan and her husband, Anton, in the 1940's and 1950's. The furniture in the house is that which was used by the Chauncys in the 1960's.
There was -and still is- no electricity but the family enjoyed the simple and frugal life there and much of Nan's writing was inspired by the cottage's bush setting. A large fenced garden in front of the house contains typical hardy introduced shrubs and plants such as iris, lilac, rosemary, broom and large beds of daffodils. A big pine tree at the corner of the verandah was planted by Nan's family to commemorate the end of the First World War in 1918. It was in their early years of married life at Chauncy Vale that Nan and Anton extended the original property to include the large area of creek, cave and forest habitats which they then acted to protect by means of having it proclaimed a private sanctuary. The whole sanctuary is a valuable heritage and natural environment study site. It forms part of a complex environment with a rich diversity of ecosystems, varying from dry sclerophyll vegetation on sandstone to wet forest on dolerite clay. It is home to a considerable variety of native fauna and was used by Tasmanian Aboriginal tribes before European settlement and as a refuge by early bushrangers.
Flat Rock Reserve adjoining Chauncy Vale was transferred to the Tasmanian Land Conservancy on 25th August 2006. In partnership with the Southern Midlands Council, Friends of Chauncy Vale, Gunns Limited, the Commonwealth Government and State Governments with the Tasmanian Land Conservancy concluded the successful purchase of the 455 ha reserve. Flat Rock Reserve includes remnant silver peppermint and grassy blue gum communities. There is also important rock plate habitat for threatened annual plant species and orchids. The new reserve is managed jointly by the Southern Midlands Council, Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania, Friends of Chauncy Vale and the Tasmanian Land Conservancy. For further information www.tasland.org.au
Chauncy Vale is located 40km north of Hobart and 4km east of the township of Bagdad. It is the top end of a narrow valley running east-west between the Midland Highway and the Coal River Valley.
Chauncy Vale is open 9 am to sunset daily, with the exception of days with total firebans in 62 telephone area.
Entry fee is $2.00 per adult (No charge for children)
"Day Dawn", the Chauncy family home is open on the first Saturday each month, from
2 pm until 4 pm. Entry fee to house is $2.00.
For school groups visiting "Day Dawn", there is a flat $15 fee.
Group bookings only at other times, Ph. (03) 6268 6365
The Friends of Chauncy Vale publish a monthly newsletter.
Southern Midlands Council Kempton Office (03) 6259 3011
Friends of Chauncy Vale Membership (03) 6268 6183
Group Bookings Katrina Wilton (03) 6268 6365
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Note: For house tours Group bookings outside advertised times must be booked well in advance, to avoid disappointment |
Photograph acknowledgments: Colin Vincent
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