Discover Healesville

Healesville brings together art, local history and experiences in nature. These include visible art storage at the TarraWarra Museum of Art, parks with opportunities for picnics and walks, and presentations at Healesville Sanctuary. The Black Spur also shapes the character of the area. When choosing your holiday rental, consider which of these sides of Healesville you want to make the focus of your trip.

Art and local history

At the Eva and Marc Besen Centre of the TarraWarra Museum of Art, art storage is on view and includes more than 300 works. The Centre also has a learning centre and an event space. Art enthusiasts can therefore experience art in a different way from simply viewing exhibited works.

The Memo tells a piece of local history. The building was constructed in 1924 following a major community campaign to fund a memorial hall for soldiers. Its origins reflect community involvement in Healesville and the hall’s purpose as a place of remembrance. The building’s history thus adds a historical perspective on the town to its art offerings.

Parks by the Watts River and reservoir

Maroondah Reservoir Park has several picnic shelters, picnic tables, gas and wood-fired barbecues, and an information shelter.

Coronation Park offers a different mix: walking paths run along the Watts River, and there are also picnic tables, barbecue facilities and a rotunda. A riverside walk and a picnic break are two different reasons to explore the park. “Platypus rock” is also located there, along with an installed sculptural seat that embodies Healesville’s connection to the natural environment and native animals. So, alongside practical park facilities, the site also has artistic references. The difference matters when choosing a park: Maroondah Reservoir Park has picnic shelters and gas and wood-fired barbecues; at Coronation Park, walking paths follow the Watts River, and there is a rotunda.

Wildlife, railway and landscape

Healesville Sanctuary hosts a daily presentation, “Spirits of the Sky”, about Australian birds of prey. The Sanctuary also offers the “Kangaroo Experience”.

The Yarra Valley Railway is restoring the railway line between Healesville and Yarra Glen. Its focus is on restoring the line. The Black Spur offers a different kind of connection to the landscape: it stretches from Healesville to Narbethong and is known for its tall mountain ash trees and fern gullies. If you are especially interested in forest landscapes and scenic routes, you can make this a priority when planning your trip.

Choose Healesville based on the experiences you want to discover during your stay, and tailor your search for a holiday rental to that travel focus.

More places to discover: Yering, Dandenong, Caroline Springs, Mt Dandenong, Lilydale, Highett, Heidelberg, Carnegie.

For the broader travel overview: Melbourne.