Gobba Lake
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Gobba Lake

Gobba Lake is a man-made deepwater lake with historical significance.

Gobba Lake is a man-made lake with historic significance to the City. The deep-water lake is an old clay pit, left over from Walkenden's Brickworks.

Situated on the corner of Wyatt Road and Wright Crescent in Bayswater, the lake covers approximately 1.7 hectares of land. 

Gobba Lake is named after Gino Gobba, a member of the Bayswater Council from 1975 to 1978. The lake was a remnant clay pit from the earliest industry in Bayswater, Walkenden's Brickworks, which was established in 1887. It is located in an area that was once market gardens and pasture land for dairy cattle. This disused clay pit was excavated and transformed into a deep water lake.

Gobba Lake Jetty Gobba Lake Jetty

What was wrong with Gobba Lake?

The lake was created in an era when industries were not required to rehabilitate a site after they finished their operations.

Due to the lake's past use as a clay pit, it is very deep with very steep sides. This has caused:

  • A poorly functioning ecosystem with poor water quality and algal blooms
  • A lack of native water plants and invertebrates, which means less water birds visit the lake
  • A decrease in its use as a recreational destination due to the poor visual appeal and odour from the algae.
Gobba Lake Gobba Lake

What is being done to fix it?

The City of Bayswater has worked with the Friends of Gobba Lake since 1993 to reconstruct the lake as a habitat for wetland flora and fauna, and create a public open space for eco-recreational use.

Some of the works that have been completed include:

  • Extension of the lake to create a nutrient stripping sedge bed
  • Planting native plants to create habitats for local fauna
  • Building an island to re-establish native vegetation and create a bird breeding habitat
  • The removal of non-native sedges from the lake
  • Planting native sedges to encourage bird life and strip nutrients from the water
  • Installing a playground and pathway around the lake.

Gobba Lake has been successfully revegetated to function like a natural wetland and attracts an abundance of birdlife and turtles.

Friends of Gobba Lake

The Friends of Gobba Lake are a dedicated group of local community members passionate about protecting and maintaining the ecological health of the site. Their focus is on preserving this vibrant habitat and safeguarding the diverse wildlife that calls the lake and its surrounding environment home.

To ensure the lake thrives, volunteers regularly undertake the following activities:

  • Observe and tracking the health and wellbeing of local wildlife populations in and around the water.
  • Monitore the lake's condition and surrounding infrastructure to identify and report any necessary maintenance.
  • Actively participate in Council-initiated planting days to restore and enhance the native flora surrounding the lake.

Activities are scheduled in alignment with Council-driven environmental initiative and seasonal planting events. 

To get involved in the Friends of Gobba Lake, contact Group Coordinator Mark Fogliani via email to mfogliani@gmail.com

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The City of Bayswater acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land, the Whadjuk people of the Noongar Nation, and pays its respects to elders past, present and emerging.

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