About

Wirraminna occupies four hectares of formerly unused ground around the old government dam, between the school and the recreation ground in Burrumbuttock, 30 km north of Albury, in southern NSW. From its beginning in 1995, it has developed into an environmental education centre that provides opportunities for discovery and learning about the natural environment, the ecology of the local woodlands and the beauty of native plants for our gardens. Over 2000 primary school children visit Wirraminna annually, from schools throughout the region. It also provides a popular outing for clubs and organisations in the district, and many locals and visitors to the region call in to explore the gardens and learn about our local environment. Extensive interpretative signage around the park tells the environment story.

Wirraminna has been created and is maintained by a group of dedicated volunteers, and has been supported by a wide range of funding sources, including local government, local businesses, Natural Heritage Trust, private charities and Landcare Australia. We have very strong links with Burrumbuttock Public School, and have been State and National winners of the Landcare Education Award. The achievements at Wirraminna have inspired many other local schools to make better use of their grounds for environmental education.

In 2005 Wirraminna received financial support from the Australian Government’s Regional Partnerships program, which with matching local support enabled the construction of a rammed earth building, which has greatly increased our capacity to provide educational resources and displays. This Discovery Centre is used for school and community activities and provides display, teaching and storage resources for regional schools and the Wirraminna volunteers. A newly installed aquarium display of native fish has provided an exciting new window on the aquatic environment of the Murray-Darling Basin..

The Centre is continually evolving and improving our story of the beauty and interest of our natural environment and how it can be protected and enhanced.