°'jgii J Excursion to Broadmeadows; 221; 



EXCURSION TO BROADMEADOWS. 



The excursion to Broadmeadows on Saturday, nth March, 

 was well attended, the president and about sixteen members 

 and friends, including four ladies (who were not deterred by 

 the walk of 3J miles from the station), being present. The day 

 was fine, though somewhat close and oppressive, owing to the 

 amount of moisture in the air, resulting from the recent rains, 

 and from the same reason the fine views usually obtainable 

 on this outing were quite spoiled. As we approached Glenroy 

 the sides of the railway were seen to be, in places, quite blue 

 from the wealth of flowers of the common Bluebell, Wahlcn- 

 bergia gracilis, doubtless induced by the wonderful summer 

 rains. Here and there the lowly convolvulus, C. eritbescens, 

 in varying shades of pink, was prominent enough to be picked 

 out from the train. Those who are familiar with the portions 

 of the North-E astern line near town may probably wonder what 

 there is to see around such a desolate wayside station as Broad- 

 meadows, which seems to be situated on a bleak basaltic 

 plateau If they want to see the beauties of the district they 

 must go westward for two or three miles and visit Gellibrand's 

 Hill, easily seen from the station, standing up perhaps 250 feet 

 above the general level of the country ; but before reaching it 

 one has to descend nearly as much into the valley of the Moonee 

 Ponds Creek and its tributaries, so that the walk is by no means 

 monotonously flat. Crossing a piece of open land opposite the 

 station to reach the road, we were surprised to find several 

 plants in bloom one would hardly expect to see at this season 

 of the year, notably Glycine clandestina, a pretty little climber 

 of the leguminous order, here trailing along the ground, sending 

 up its racemes of delicate purplish flowers. Convolvulus 

 erubescens was in all shades, from the palest to the deepest 

 pink ; and, as it seems to be hardy, and always in flower, a 

 patch of it in a garden would look well. This part of the Broad- 

 meadows district is geologically interesting, for, starting on 

 the volcanic, one passes over Silurian and alluvial formations 

 and then on to the granitic. This is first met with about a 

 mile from the township, on the Greenvale road, and hereabouts 

 a noticeable change in the vegetation occurs. The paddocks, 

 which were treeless (perhaps because they had been cleared, 

 years ago) become more wooded, and as we approached Gelli- 

 brand's Hill many fine Red Gums, Eucalyptus rostrata, were 

 passed. At their bases grew numerous specimens of the 

 luminous fungus, Pleurotus candescens. The hill is not far from 

 the road, and on its sides many huge bosses of grey granite 

 stand up, in pleasing contrast to the green grass. Some 

 attempted a short cut across a stubble field, but soon regretted 

 it, for the recent rains had made the going very heavy. A 



