To mark its centenary, Parks Victoria and the Friends of Wyperfeld, (FOW), will be celebrating the park's history with a special gathering at the Wonga Campgrounds on Sunday 11th October.

A feature of the day will be the renaming of the Eastern Lookout Nature Drive, to James Barrett Nature Drive in recognition of the contribution made by Sir James Barrett to the establishment of Wyperfeld and other Victorian National Parks. Sir James chaired the park's first Committee of Management in 1922, and was largely responsible for subsequent major additions to its area. His grandson Hugh Barrett will be present on the day to cut the ribbon and officially open the road.

Back in the 1920s the park was just 4,000 hectares; today it is almost 360,000 hectares of pristine mallee scrub, grasslands and rolling sand dunes that were once a shallow sea bed. It has a rich history of both Aboriginal and European settlement, as well as its more recent transition into the state's third biggest National Park.

Wyperfeld is one of the state's most loved remote parks and is valued both by local and state-wide communities. The special character of its vast natural wilderness makes it a drawcard for those wishing to experience the 'big bush'. It has a reputation as a place of special connection with nature to its visitors.

It also has had a particularly strong and active Friends Group. Since 1976 this group of dedicated volunteers from both the city and closer to the park, and with wide ranging backgrounds has contributed significantly to the upkeep of the park, and put in many long hours on the ground with new signage, infrastructure and other developments.

Don Saunders is one of its longest running supporters and has had an ongoing connection since working part time in the park in the sixties, and as a former director of the Victorian National Parks Service. He says it's a very special place to him and one of the great National Parks.

“The first time you go there it seems a plain kind of place, but the more you get to know it, the more you learn about the relationship between its plants, animals and the weather.”

“It’s a very special place, and the more you look, the more you see,” he said.

Celebrations on the day will begin at 10.30am and will include an overview of the park's history and the formal opening of the James Barrett Nature Drive. A number of activities including guided walks, photographic displays and children's entertainment will be held in the afternoon.