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Parwan Valley

Other Name Rowsley Valley, Yaloak Vale Location GLENMORE VIC 3340 - Property No L10280 File Number L10280 Level State

[1/2] L10280 Parwan Valley [2/2] Parwan 2 better.jpg

Statement of Significance

What is significant?
The Parwan Valley is a spectacular geomorphological landform with strong visual appeal. It was one of the first areas of settlement in Victoria, and although close to Melbourne, retains many landscape features associated with its long history as a farmed landscape.

How is it significant?
The Parwan Valley is significant for aesthetic, historic, social and scientific/technical reasons at State level.

Why is it significant?
The Parwan Valley is the only broad re-entrant valley incised into the prominent Rowsley Fault scarp that marks the western side of the Melbourne Basin. Incision has exposed the relationship between the basalt cap and the underlying Early Tertiary sediments.

Its apparent suitability for agriculture and proximity to Melbourne led to very early colonial occupation, with most of the land subsequently sold to the squatting families. The proximity of the Melbourne market encouraged subdivision for dairy farming. But as they struggled to make a living, the dairy farmers cleared the valley floor and sides. This led to the development of spectacular and devastating soil erosion in the unstable sediments of the valley sides and, in turn, to pioneering work on erosion control by the Soil Conservation Authority of Victoria. The poor and unstable soils have restricted development, allowing many characteristics of the early farming landscape to be preserved, including some simple early farm dwellings and the Lady Northcote Children's Farm site.