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Highbury Aqueduct Reserve

Highbury Aqueduct is a 51 ha reserve located in the City of Tea Tree Gully, approximately 10 km north east of Adelaide. The reserve has been a community park since 2013 and has become popular with local residents for walking, bike riding, bird watching, gardening, exercising and conservation.

The reserve is home to the Pioneer Court Community Garden and is an active Bush For Life site.

The Kaurna people are the traditional custodians of this land and we acknowledge and respect their ongoing connection to Country.

Giant pine scale management

Pine tree removals at Highbury Aqueduct Reserve recently occurred in 2023 and 2024/25 as part of the South Australian response to a biosecurity threat - invasive insect Giant pine scale (Marchalina hellenica). Giant pine scale is a serious biosecurity threat to South Australia’s pine trees and the forestry industry and poses an inherent risk to green space trees in metropolitan Adelaide.

Given the risk Giant pine scale poses to Adelaide’s street, park and garden trees, along with South Australia’s $3 billion forest industry; the South Australian forest sector, state government agencies and local government will continue to take steps to protect our trees from this pest.

During a comprehensive surveillance program supported by our forest industries recently surveying thousands of trees across North Adelaide, Adelaide, Hope Valley, Highbury and the suburbs in between, additional detections were made in Hope Valley Reservoir Reserve and its surrounds, including the Highbury Aqueduct Reserve. These detections are in areas where there have been previous detections, or immediately adjacent to those areas.

Annual surveying for the pest is typically undertaken between August to September due to its life cycle, and additional detections in recent months were anticipated as further surveillance, including re-checking trees, was undertaken before tree removal works commence. This year’s surveillance has not found any detections in new areas, only in areas of previous detections. To reduce the risk of further spread to other pine trees, affected pine trees will be felled at Highbury Aqueduct Reserve commencing in December 2025.

Removal of affected pine trees is regarded as the quickest and most effective eradication method against the pest. Tree removal also assists in stopping the pest spreading onto other unaffected pines. Tree removal is necessary and science-based, targeting Pinus halepensis (known as Aleppo Pine or Pinus Tree), and any other susceptible pine and conifer species if present, in affected areas. Native pine trees such as Callitris pine and other native trees are not susceptible to Giant pine scale and will not be removed in the operations. Unfortunately, people, animals and especially birds can spread GPS when it is at a sticky stage of its life cycle. This presents a significant challenge due to the difficulty of detection during the early stages of infestation, particularly when present in low numbers high in tree canopies.

At Highbury Aqueduct Reserve, pine trees are being removed within areas near Valley View drive, Windsor Road, Boundy Road and Historic Drive.

These areas will be closed to the public while the tree removals are underway and for a short quarantine period once tree removals are complete. This includes part of the Aqueduct walking trail from Boundy Road through to Historic Drive.

A detour via Kent Road and Torrens View Court, Highbury will provide an alternative walking route. There will also be an increase in vehicle movements around these areas during this work, and we’re committed to minimising any impacts to the community where practicable.

Revegetation plans are in development for cleared areas. Revegetation will take place after the quarantine period, with the focus on planting locally native species and restoring habitat.

Prior to the felling of any pine trees, any wildlife that is found, including protected animals and the eggs of protected animals, will be managed appropriately in accordance with relevant legislation.

Giant pine scale can be detected by looking for masses of the characteristic white cotton-like secretions the pest leaves on the trunks and branches of pine trees when it feeds.

Community vigilance remains critical—GPS sightings should be reported to the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline: 1800 084 881.

Further information on the pest is also available at www.pir.sa.gov.au/giant-pine-scale

Areas where pine trees have already been removed

Tree removals that were undertaken as part of the 2023 and 2024/25 response to Giant pine scale are now complete and the reserve has been re-opened to the public and the initial site remediation works are now also complete. The remediation involved an extensive program of works to address the poor condition the site was left in after the tree felling works occurred. The remediation included initial site clean-up and removal of pine branch debris, the grinding of remaining tree stumps, smoothing out of the land contours that were impacted by heavy machinery which left ruts in landscape, repairs to the walking trail and access track that had been damaged, installation of erosion control devices, the carting in and spreading of good quality mulch to stabilise and bring nutrients back to the barren soils. The remediation also included the planting of over 4,500 seedlings of locally native plants species including a mix of tall trees, shrubs and grasses. Species selected are suitable replacement habitat and food for native fauna including Yellow-talied Black Cockatoos. Ongoing maintenance of that site is still underway, including watering of seedlings, regular mowing and brush-cutting of long grass and weed control within the revegetation pods. Although the initial remediation activities are complete, it will take some time for the new plants and grass to become established and start to resemble reserve vegetation. Further new plantings will be introduced in following years once the original plantings have had a chance to colonise the barren area. The remediated sites and plantings will be maintained by the Department for Environment and Water (DEW) who are responsible for managing Highbury Aqueduct Reserve. We ask for your patience while we continue to maintain and care for the new plantings.

Visitors to Highbury Aqueduct Reserve

Visitors to Highbury Aqueduct Reserve are advised to stick to the designated trails and not remove any wood material from the reserve.

To report any observations of Giant pine scale please contact the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline on 1800 084 881.

Please note that surveillance for Giant pine scale will continue into 2025/26 and if there are further detections of Giant pine scale within the reserve, this may require removal of additional pine trees and the further establishment of restricted areas around infected trees.

For more information about Giant pine scale visit Giant pine scale - Department of Primary Industries and Regions South Australia - PIRSA

For enquiries regarding the management of giant pine scale at Highbury Aqueduct Reserve, please email NPWS-AMLR-PLS@sa.gov.au

Trails and parking

Please note, the walking trails at Highbury Aqueduct Reserve are Grade 3 shared use walking and cycling trails and can be steep in parts.

There is no unauthorised vehicle access into the Highbury Aqueduct Reserve.

Cars can be parked on any road or street provided that parking restrictions are observed.

Please DO NOT park in front of reserve gates – these need to be accessible at all times for maintenance and emergencies.

The map below shows the Aqueduct trail in dark orange with linking trails to the Torrens Linear park in light orange, as well as the nearest public toilets.

View a map of Highbury Aqueduct Reserve

History

This iconic place has a fascinating history from the 1870s, when the state government bought the land and developed the aqueduct to transfer water into the Hope Valley Reservoir.

The old aqueduct infrastructure has now been decommissioned.

A brief history Highbury.

Master plan

The Master Plan for the Highbury Aqueduct Reserve was released after extensive community consultation. It proposed that the reserve serves as a park for the local community and provides a blueprint for its future development.

Following the completion of the Master Plan in 2013, works were undertaken to reduce risk throughout the reserve, remove boundary fences to allow public access and shared use trails were constructed. Several other projects across the site include stormwater erosion control, revegetation works, tree management and weed control.

See the Master plan and Master Plan map.

Recent stormwater management project

A stormwater management project was undertaken in early 2023 at Highbury Aqueduct Reserve within the stormwater channel adjacent Freshford Avenue. The stormwater management project is now complete.

Find out more about the 2023 stormwater management project.

Achievements

A lot of hard work has gone towards implementing the Master Plan – there have been many achievements and there will be many more to come. The 'A brief history of Highbury' document link above details achievements at Highbury Aqueduct Reserve. We are proud to have:

constructed a 4km main shared use trail through the reserve including linking trails to Linear Park.
carried out revegetation, bush restoration and weed removal throughout the reserve.
held school and community planting days.
undertaken stormwater management projects.
carried out tree risk mitigation works across site.

Significant progress has been made towards implementing the Master Plan objectives thanks to the invaluable partnerships developed to support the restoration of the reserve. We would like to thank the Green Army, Aboriginal Learning on Country, The Carlisle group, Bush For Life, Pioneer Court Community Garden, Local Residents and Friends Group, Conservation Volunteers Australia, Natural Resources Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges and more recently the Green Adelaide Board.

Management of the reserve

Management of the reserve includes maintenance of fire tracks, entrance gates and signage as well as regular rubbish collection, slashing and brush-cutting for fire management purposes, weed control, tree management, restoration, revegetation and community engagement.

Things to see and do in Highbury Aqueduct Reserve

Know before you go

Trails can be susceptible to weather events and surfaces may vary - be aware of varying trail surface conditions including slipperiness and uneven surfaces.
Please stay on the designated trails.
Be aware of other trail users and share the trails.
Please comply with all signs.
Beware of snakes – this is their home, if you don’t bother them they shouldn’t bother you!
Fires and smoking within the reserve are not permitted.
During the fire danger season – usually November to April – trail users are asked to use caution and should not use the trails during Total Fire Ban Days.
Remember to plan your walk or ride, check the conditions on the day and tell someone where you are going.
Wear appropriate footwear and protect yourself from heat, cold, wind and rain.
There are no safe drinking water sources within the reserve or along the trails – carry sufficient food and drinking water.
Tread lightly and leave no trace- there are no bins in the reserve – please take your rubbish with you.
There is no camping permitted in the reserve and no camping facilities provided.
Dogs on a leash or under effective control are permitted in the reserve. It is your responsibility to always maintain effective control of your dog.
Consider keeping your dog on a leash to prevent conflict – dogs may be aggressive toward wildlife or other park visitors.
Even friendly dogs can knock people over causing injury.
If your dog is unleashed, it is more likely to impact on native wildlife.
Even if your dog is friendly, other dogs may not be.
Please do not collect firewood, pick flowers, disturb vegetation, interfere with wildlife in any way.

How can I get involved?

Bush For Life

Highbury Aqueduct Reserve has a 3 ha Bush For Life site behind Valley View Drive. The site contains a remnant patch of Blue Gum woodland and is home to over 65 indigenous plant species, providing habitat for echidnas, koalas, kangaroos and possums, to name a few. Many bird species also visit, including a flock of up to 150 Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos.

The Bush For Life program trains volunteers to care for precious remnant bushland sites like the Highbury Aqueduct Reserve. The site coordinator runs regular group activities and is always looking for help. If you would like to get involved, please email Megan or call 0408 878 075.

Pioneer Court Community Garden

The Pioneer Court Community Garden was established by local residents over 20 years ago, when the land was owned by SA Water. These intrepid gardeners created a productive and beautiful garden of fruit and nut trees and vegetables – home to over 180 different kinds of plants.

There are garden plots available so if you’d like to lease one to grow your own veggies and/or help manage the existing orchard, please register your interest. Email Pioneer Court Community Garden, or phone Marina Birch (President) on 0417 816 782.

You can also check out their Facebook page.

Volunteering with rangers

If you live locally and would like to help with weeding or revegetating, contact the Senior Ranger for Highbury Aqueduct Reserve on 0407 610 359.

Contact

If you live locally and would like to help with weeding or revegetating, or

if you have further queries or would like more information on the Highbury Aqueduct Reserve
if you would like to report land management issues, such as dumped rubbish, damaged infrastructure or vegetation issues

Please contact the Public Land Stewardship Team:

Email: NPWS-AMLR-PLS@sa.gov.au

Phone: Contact the Black Hill Office on 8336 0901 and ask to speak with someone from the Public Land Stewardship Team