The Lobster Ponds & Community
The Lobster Ponds Haven Story
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Founded and established in 2003 by Mr Don Bramich
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Since Mr Bramich’s death in 2011, several attempts have been made to keep the Lobster Ponds open
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2012 Mr Kevin Hyland was approached to re establish the Lobster Ponds and a team of volunteers set about to clean up the property and enhance the offerings.
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Fundraising – March 2012 fundraising commenced with an agreement with the Waratah Wynyard Council to hold two (2) Sausage Sizzles a month at the Foreshore Markets. 50% of the profits to go to the running of the Annual Tulip Festival and 50% to the Lobster Ponds.
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Registered and became affiliated with Wildcare Tasmania.
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2013 – In October the Lobster Ponds re opened coinciding with the local Tulip Festival
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The Lobster Ponds has remained open since October 2013 operating each week, Thursday to Sunday and other days for group bookings and private functions.
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2019 - construction started on the enclosure to house the endangered Orange Bellied Parrot.
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2024 - The endangered Swift Parrots are now cared for and can be viewed by the public in the walk-through aviary.
Volunteering
The Lobster Ponds is an educational/tourist destination where people can learn more about the endangered freshwater lobster. As a Volunteer you will be working in a unique rural setting not too far from the town of Wynyard.
Volunteers are needed for the cafe/kitchen, garden & maintenance areas, with interaction with visitors both in cafe and tour areas. We offer volunteers an opportunity to work in a pretty awesome environment setting. Don't worry if you don't have experience all you need is a great attitude and the willingness to learn and we will teach you the rest!
Please contact us for further details
Supporting TAFE Students
As well as supporting our volunteers, we are also involved with other groups in the community.
For several years now, students from the Work Pathways program at Tas TAFE, Burnie have been actively involved at the Lobster Pond Haven, visiting on a fortnightly basis. Their program is aimed at building employability skills and knowledge of a range of employment, volunteering and community options for people with disabilities. Please note that these students attend on Tuesdays, our non-opening days, and their cooking is purely for their own enjoyment and learning.
In conjunction with Wynyard High School two students spend every Thursday helping out with feeding and caring for the lobsters, upkeep of the gardens and ongoing maintenance of the ponds and surroundings.
Our venue helps to provide these students the opportunity to participate in practical applied learning activities in a real life/real work situation. Working alongside other volunteers at the Lobster Ponds Haven provide the students with invaluable work experience and exposure to positive role models from the community. The students have developed skills in food preparation, cleaning, manual handling, teamwork and grounds maintenance, being able to access a real life hospitality, tourism and conservation venue which adds value to their classroom based learning experiences.
If other community groups are interested in having the opportunity to use our facilities for their various projects, please contact us for further information.
Friends of The Freshwater Lobster
"Friends of the Freshwater Lobster" is a not for profit organisation set up by locals committed to the preservation of the species. The group, consisting only of volunteers, raises funds to maintain and operate the Lobster Ponds Haven, at picturesque Flowerdale – just a short drive from Wynyard.
Visitors to the Lobster Ponds can view some of the resident giants up close, (if you dare!). You can wander through the outdoor area designed to simulate the natural ecological environment of the Lobster as you view one of the four ponds in this setting.
Local school groups and Wildcare volunteers and community groups have assisted in the design and construction of gravity-fed aeration and filtration systems, and support the Lobster Ponds with on-going assistance with maintenance of the grounds.
As well as our volunteers in the garden and maintenance area, volunteers staff the on-site café, conduct site tours and perform any other tasks which may be necessary to present this unique site and venue to our visitors.
Your visit and support to the Lobster Ponds Haven is your valuable contribution to saving one of the world's 'not so cuddly' endangered species!