Jirrahlinga Dingo Conservation and Wildlife Sanctuary, located in the heart of the Chewton bushland, is a wonderfully engaging experience for people of all ages, right on our very own doorstep.
Follow the trail of arrows marked alongside the winding dirt track and you will find yourself at the top of a steep incline. Walking down into the historic goldfields gully, you will be met with the high howls of 150 dingos as they respond to the alpha dingo’s call.
Jirrahlinga (meaning to seek a home for a kangaroo) initially began in 1975 at Barwon Heads and was founded by Tehree Gordon and her husband Hamish, who took over the Dingo Farm at Chewton in 2005. The property was run down and required a significant amount of work, including rounding up and sorting a number of dingo packs that were loose and running wild in the valley.
Since then the couple, and a small group of dedicated volunteers and employees, have spent countless hours revegetating the property, building enclosures for the multiple varieties of native animals, relocating animals from their former Barwon Heads Sanctuary and are currently in the process of setting up an on-site cafe.
The space is now unrecognisable, with beautiful bush landscape, a large dam with swans and ducks floating on the surface, numerous quaint areas to sit and relax and an incredible range of native animals to visit and learn about. Plus, a surprisingly large number of dinosaurs scattered around the park for the kids to enjoy.
Head Keeper Rowan Mordy runs daily tours around the sanctuary, giving informative talks on the 300-plus animals and providing visitors with hands-on experiences and photo opportunities. There are snakes to be held, blue tongue lizards, a remarkably friendly wombat to pat, emus to feed, and hand-reared dingos to enjoy.
A large number of the animals at the park are unwanted pets – cockatoos that have become too noisy for their owners, who have realised that the birds can live to 100.
If you’re lucky you might get a chance to meet the owner of the park Tehree who has spent most of her life-saving animals and helping people in need. Over the course of her life she has taken in over 56 kids, teenagers and those in their later years. She has won countless awards and has been awarded the Order of Australia Medal.
During the recent floods, staff at Jirrahlinga have taken a wombat, koala and a few reptiles to flood-affected communities in Bendigo and Echuca and Tehree is hoping in the future to organise external visits to nursing homes and schools.
The sanctuary is currently looking for volunteers so if you’re passionate about Australian wildlife give them a call on 0493 387 144 or via email at: enquiries@jirrahlinga.com.au. Training is provided and they only require a few hours a week.
Jirrahlinga is open to the public Wednesday – Sunday with tours running 10.30am-12 pm and 1.30pm and a Junior Ranger Program running every school holidays. It’s sure to become a popular destination so make sure to check it out at www.jirrahlinga.com.au