Woodlands Historic Park totals over 700 hectares. It was first established as a public park in 1980 and contains many physical links to the landscape of the settlers in the 1840s, including the restored Woodlands Homestead. The park contains valuable remnants of the most southerly Victorian extent of grassy woodland open forest.

The basalt plains flora consists mainly of grasslands, herbs and tussocks with mainly River Red Gum cover. In contrast, the higher areas have an unusual mixture of gums as well as Drooping Sheoke. The remnant Grey Box, River Red Gum and Yellow Box woodland character has, for the most part, been retained. The vegetation and wildlife typical of the 1840's is being researched and progressively restored to the landscape.

The Woodlands Historic Park also contains scarred trees and surface scatters, evidence of the Woiworung Aboriginal people, who lived in the area before Europeans arrived. The descendants of the Woiworung still retain a close identity with the land around Melbourne.

The 'Back Paddock' was fenced in 1987 as a Nature Reserve to protect native wildlife from dogs, cats and foxes. The endangered Eastern Barred Bandicoot was re-established here in 1988 and this colony is playing a major role in securing the species' future. Sightings of Eastern Grey Kangaroos are a certainty; you may also see echidnas, skinks and Eastern Blue-tongue lizards basking in the sun.