The national park was declared in 1941. It was initially known as Dandenong National Park but was changed in 1944 in honour of Winston Churchill. The park is profuse with birdlife such as parrots, honeyeaters, wrens, thornbills and a colony of melodious bellbirds at Bellbird Bend. Kangaroos and wallabies have been reintroduced as they died out in the 19th century. They can be seen in the early morning and at dusk.
Echidnas are quite common and so are green and golden bell frogs in summer.
Snakes can be seen on warmer days. They are protected and tend to flee at the vibrations of approaching footfalls. Much of the wildlife is nocturnal. Eucalypt and wattle species are many. Due to clearing in the past, open woodland tends to be more common than forest.