The Budjan Galindji Nature Reserve is 20 hectares of protected grassland right in the heart of the Gungahlin Suburbs between Franklin and Harrison.
Formerly known as Franklin Grasslands, it has been renamed Budjan Galindji, meaning bird water in the Ngunnawal language. This name, gifted by the Winanggaay Ngunnawal Language Group, honours the Latham’s Snipe — a migratory waterbird that finds refuge in the wetlands here.
This amazing patch, just south of the Franklin shops, is home to Golden Sun Moths, Superb Parrots, Lizards, Grasshoppers and home to one of only 3 known populations of the vulnerable Ginninderra Peppercress plant, which can only been found in the ACT.
The site was formally declared apart of the Canberra Nature Park in 2020, and formerly opened on the 12th of November 2025 after extensive landscaping work which:
Added two new walking tracks
Improved water drainage to support the expanded wetlands
Added 'interpretive nodes', featuring local artwork depicting the Golden Sun Month, Superb Parrot and Striped Legless Lizard.
Budjan Galindji Grassland has 400 more plants now thanks to a bunch of dedicated volunteers who braved the wind the today.
The new plants will add to the biodiversity and conservation value of the grasslands. Looking forward to the next planting day (might schedule for a warmer time of year)
March 13, 2022
A big thanks to everyone who came out today for bit of hands on environmentalism cleaning up the Budjan Galindji Grasslands in Franklin.
I’m often asked what’s going to be developed here, the answer is nothing we are preserving and restoring this precious landscape!
Friends of Grasslands and ACT Parks and Conservation Service have been working on the site for a few years now and have now started a planting garden to grow lots of stock to put back into the grasslands.
