Buckley Falls

Buckley Falls is a small waterfall on the Barwon River at Highton, about 6 km west of central Geelong and 10 minutes by car. It’s a free council reserve with a lookout high above the river, steps down to platforms at the falls, and riverside paths that run downstream to the old paper mill at Fyansford. Park at the small car park beside the falls, or at Queens Park and walk up the river.

Don’t expect Niagara. The drop is a few metres over rock ledges. The river, the red gums and the old mill are the reason to come.

Getting there and parking

The council lists the reserve at 10-30 Buckley Falls Road, Highton. From the city it’s a 10-minute drive west.

Option	Where	Best for
Small car park by the falls	Gravel road off Buckley Falls Road, opposite number 35	A quick look at the lookout
Lower car park	31 Buckley Falls Road	The upstream walk
Queens Park car park	Queens Park Road, Highton	Walking or riding the River Red Gum Walk to the lookout

Checked October 2026. The car parks by the falls are small. On a sunny Sunday, Queens Park is the safer bet.

There’s no public transport to the gate that we could confirm. Cycling in along the Barwon River paths from Geelong is the other way to arrive, and the Geelong parking guide covers the city end.

The lookout and the falls

The main lookout is a viewing platform high above the river on Buckley Falls Road. From there, a 250 m path runs south along the clifftop to stone steps that lead down to wooden platforms beside the falls.

The water drops over a weir along the top of the falls. The Barwon Paper Mill built it in the 1870s during a dispute over water rights, and it’s still visible. Upstream is Baum’s Weir, from 1850. A family outings guide counts three cascades on this stretch: Baum’s Weir, the main falls and one opposite the old paper mill.

How high are the falls? Wikipedia says 4 m, a family playground guide says 2 m. Small, either way.

Walks along the Barwon

Walk	Distance	Time	Notes
Lookout to falls platforms	250 m clifftop path plus steps	Not published	Stone steps
Buckley Falls upstream (Walking Maps)	2.82 km	About 42 minutes	Very easy; lower section not for prams
River Red Gum Walk from Queens Park	Not published	Not published	Walk or ride to the lookout
South Geelong to Buckley Falls loop	About 10 km	Not published	Paths on both banks, 72 m climb
Barwon River Trail	About 20 km loop	Not published	Via Fyansford and South Geelong

Checked October 2026. Only Walking Maps publishes a time, for the 2.82 km upstream walk.

The upstream walk starts at the lower car park. Follow the signs for the riverside walk to the mill, climb the stairs to the Bunyip Pool lookout, then carry on upstream. Turn back at the lower lookout, or follow the river towards Rivergum Drive and return on the “high road” across the parkland. Walking Maps warns about snakes and some overgrown sections, so wear long pants in summer.

Downstream to Fyansford. From the falls, follow the River Red Gum Walk downstream, cross the bridge at the Barwon Aqueduct River Trail and head for Fyansford Paper Mills. Visit Geelong and the Bellarine describes the mill as a makers’ hub with a gallery, a ceramist and somewhere for a drink.

The full loop. The Barwon River Trail is a continuous loop of about 20 km through Fyansford and South Geelong, on shared paths both sides of the river. Runners use the 10 km South Geelong to Buckley Falls section, which climbs about 72 m.

Birds to watch for include tawny frogmouths, gang-gang cockatoos and rainbow lorikeets, and a swamp wallaby is sometimes seen at the water’s edge.

A bit of history

The falls are named after William Buckley, an escaped convict who lived with the Wadawurrung people for more than 30 years from 1803. In 1835 he said his favourite place was “the locality now known as Buckley’s Falls”, and surveyor John Helder Wedge made the name official in 1836.

The river powered industry here. The Barwon Paper Mill at Fyansford started production in August 1878 and ran until 1923, using water diverted from Baum’s Weir. Later an ice company used the site, and the navy stored sea mines there. It’s now on the Victorian Heritage Register as the Barwon Paper Mill Complex and has been open to the public since 2001, with studios, workshops and a cafe.

The Rotary Club of Highton runs tours of the old mill complex, according to Wikipedia.

Fyansford itself, where the Moorabool River joins the Barwon, is named after Captain Foster Fyans, Geelong’s police magistrate from 1837.

Tips

• Bring wheels. Visit Geelong and the Bellarine suggests bikes, scooters and a picnic for an afternoon on the river paths.
• No toilets at the falls. Use the facilities in town or at Fyansford.
• Dogs on a lead. Council rules apply across the reserve.
• After rain is best. The falls are small, so a full river makes the trip.
• Hold small hands. The path to the platforms runs along the clifftop and down stone steps.

Buckley Falls fits well before or after a city morning. The Geelong Botanic Gardens and the waterfront are back in town. For a bigger walk and a real summit, head north to the You Yangs.