They live underwater for up to 5 years, but once they are flying above the water as adults, they only live for a couple of weeks.
They have existed for over 325 million years and ancestral species had wingspans of 75cm.ĭragonflies spend the early years of their lifespan underwater, where they stalk ponds and streams, hunting other invertebrates and even tadpoles and small fish. These efficient aerial predators are amongst the most successful hunters in the world. If you pause and watch at any of the pools in and around Lachlan Swamp you can’t help but see a wide range of different dragonfly species. Various other species have also colonised the area, including bats, wing ferns and soft bracken, palms and sedges and paperbark figs, which have created a mid storey that feels almost like a rainforest. This species can easily handle waterlogged soils and has thrived, with generation after generation of new seedlings filling in gaps in the canopy as old trees die. They were deliberately planted in the late 1800s and replaced a lower and more open swampy heath environment. The swamp paperbarks are the dominant species in the swamp forest. The green open spaces of Centennial Parklands are an essential part of the system, allowing rain to refresh and replenish the groundwater, like a green island in an urban area. Lachlan Swamp sits on the headwaters of this system and stays wet throughout the most protracted droughts, supporting the swamp forest and marsh surrounding the spring. It bubbles to the surface where conditions allow and feeds the wetlands that still stretch from Centennial Parklands through suburbs like Eastlakes down to Botany Bay. Like a giant sponge these rocks then release that water gradually. Deep, sandy soil allows rain to penetrate easily, filling up the porous sandstone layers beneath and throughout the Botany Sands with water.
It exists because of the unique geology of this part of Sydney. This natural spring has been a resource for people and animals in the Sydney area for thousands of years and was an essential source of fresh drinking water for the establishing city. What makes Lachlan Swamp a special place? Let’s explore together and meet some of the animals that call it home.
A place where clear, clean water bubbles up from the ground and supports a community of plants and animals living in amazing abundance right under our noses. Nestled in the middle of Centennial Parklands is one of the hidden gems of Sydney – Lachlan Swamp.
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