International Wetland - Moulting Lagoon
Wineglass Bay Estate is located on the picturesque waterfront of Moulting Lagoon - a vast wetland of exceptional natural beauty situated at the northern tip of Great Oyster Bay, on Tasmania's stunning East Coast. This wetland is renowned for its rare and significant collection of wetland plants and animals, supporting an abundance of aquatic species and waterfowl. Moulting Lagoon has been designated as a Ramsar site - one of ten in Tasmania - due to its status as a wetland of international importance. It also serves as a crucial breeding and foraging habitat for Black Swans, with numbers reaching a staggering 14,000 in dry seasons.
The lagoon usually supports at least 8000 black swans, about 80% of Tasmania’s estimated breeding population. It is an important site for many Tasmanian waterfowl and shorebirds at different times of the year, including ducks, egrets, plovers, grebes and cormorants. The lagoon is also important to migratory shorebirds that escape the harsh northern winter by coming here, and you may see many wonderful international visitors here over the summer.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage - Moulting Lagoon
There are numerous Aboriginal heritage sites recorded within the Moulting Lagoon area, reflecting a deep and enduring cultural connection to Country. Evidence confirms that Aboriginal nations have inhabited Trowunna (Tasmania) for at least 37,000 years, making this one of the oldest continuing cultures on Earth.
At the time of European invasion, the area surrounding Moulting Lagoon was occupied by the Paredarerme people, also known as the Oyster Bay nation. The Paredarerme nation comprised around ten distinct bands, with a territory extending across approximately 7,800 square kilometres of land and coastline. This region provided abundant food resources, including shellfish, waterfowl, fish, and plant foods, and the lagoon itself played a vital role in seasonal movement, ceremony, and cultural life.
Moulting Lagoon was not just a place of sustenance, but a place of knowledge, story, and connection. Shell middens, stone tools, and other cultural markers remain as evidence of thousands of generations living in close relationship with this landscape.
Today, this area continues to hold profound cultural, spiritual, and historical significance for the Tasmanian Aboriginal community. It remains a living cultural landscape, where ongoing care, respect, and protection are essential to honour both the past and the continuing presence of Aboriginal people connected to this Country.