Serendip Sanctuary is a 250 ha (620 acres) protected area in Victoria, Australia, near the You Yangs and the town of Lara, some 22 km (14 mi) north of Geelong and 60 km (37 mi) south-west of Melbourne. Originally used for farming and other purposes, it was purchased in 1959 by the State Government of Victoria for wildlife research and the captive management and breeding of species threatened in Victoria, such as the brolga, magpie goose, Australian bustard, and bush stone-curlew. The sanctuary contains many different types of wetland and is home to many plant species as well, such as river red gums, tall spikerush, and tussock grass. Serendip now focuses more on environmental education about the flora and fauna of the wetlands and open grassy woodlands of the Volcanic Western Plains of Victoria. It was opened to the public in 1991 and is now managed by Parks Victoria.

Serendip Sanctuary is located in the traditional country of the Wadawurrung people. Wadawurrung country covers over 10,000 km² (3,900 sq mi) from the Great Dividing Range to the South Coast, including the Geelong and Ballarat greater districts. According to the Dreamtime legend, Wadawurrung country was created over 60,000 years ago, when ‘Bunjil’, a wedge-tailed eagle, summoned six men, all who were birds, to help create the land, the people and all living organisms. Bunjil taught the people social laws and rules, and how to respect the land of his creation. Once Bunjil had finished, he gathered his wives and his children, ordering ‘Belin-Belin’, who was in charge of the winds, to release a wind so strong it created the trees and plants. Belin-Belin's final release of wind was so strong it carried Bunjil and his family to the heavens. Bunjil became the star, Altair and his wives became stars on either side of him.

The first European settlers arrived in Geelong in 1836, entering Wadawurrung country. The rapid colonisation introduced a wave of disruption on the land, people, animals and culture. Country dispossession, language erasure and cultural nomenclature diminished Wadawurrung culture. The Wadawurrung population began to perish following the introduction of foreign disease including smallpox, plagues, and sexually transmitted diseases that were carried by the European settlers and their animals. Native animals became endangered from the introduction of exotic animals such as rabbits, foxes, and dogs that preyed on traditional animals and food vegetation resources. Wadawurrung culture never recovered from the rapid colonisation and subsequent environmental, health and culture changes, thus diminished their prevalence as a result.

Serendip Sanctuary includes facilities for recreational, educational and bird watching purposes. Facilities include:

Serendip offers an extensive range of activities for visitors, including bird watching, bushwalks, tours, and the use of recreational areas. There are four interconnecting walking tracks throughout the park for viewing of wildlife. Parks Victoria offers a free Junior Ranger's Program at Serendip, where families with young children can partake in educational park-based activities during school holidays and weekends.

Serendip Sanctuary's most popular tourist activity is bird watching. Serendip is home to over 150 species of native birds, including threatened and endangered species. The sanctuary provides prime bird watching sites for visitors with accessible bird hides and flight aviaries along each trail. The Marshland Bird Hide and Billabong Bird Hide both look out to the marshlands. The Wader Bird Hide looks over the west side of Lake Serendip. The Farm Dam Bird Hides' are located east of the North Arm lake. The flight aviaries are positioned on the Wildlife Walk observing both wetland and dry-land bird species.

Serendip's Wildlife Tours are run generally one Saturday per month, and every Saturday during the Australian summer. The tour is a free and educational-based guided walk on the Wildlife Walk track, focused on habitat and wildlife information about the Western Volcanic Plains. The tour is supervised and run by Serendip Sanctuary's volunteer park guides. The Wildlife Tour takes approximately 1.5 hours to complete.

Serendip's Wildlife Walk is their most popular trail for visitors, providing prime viewing and encounters with a large variety of native wildlife. The Wildlife Walk is an easy 1.5 km (0.93 mi) circuit and is suitable for all ages and fitness levels.