Abstract:We use historic plans and recent field observations to reconstruct and describe the former (pre-1750) character and distribution of vegetation on the Werribee Plains, near Melbourne. The primary outcome of this research is a detailed vegetation map. The ecological factors controlling the distribution of trees and open-plains are also discussed. The results show that most of the area was treeless grassland at the time of European settlement (1835). This grassland was broken up by clearly-defined areas of Eucalypt forest, some of which remain. There is, in contrast, little remaining trace of the woodlands of Allocasuarina and Banksia, which we show were once widespread on the plains and stony rises beyond the Eucalypt forest. This work is timely, given the proposal for the creation of two large new reserves in the area, which contain many areas that may be subject to restoration.