Many early Europeansettlers, usedto the lush greenmeailows
of Englanil, thought their new lanil strange anil rcpulsizte.
Theyfelt a neeil to tame anil clear the lanil to make conditions
hospitable, To them, the oalue of the land was purely
economic.The local fauna often endeilignobly in a dinner pot,
or elseits aery existencezaasthreateneilzahenthe natural
habitat zaasclearcd to make zoayfor introiluceil animals or
farm crops.
Time changeseoerything,howeoer,anil efforts are nout being
made to re-purchasepioately ozanedareasof high
conseroationaalue. Alex Erington talks about...
E
:
E
The uncleored Wongomine
Reserveond lts gount
powderbork trees
(Eucolyptus occedens)
provlde o shorp conirost with
fhe surroundingformlond
(top).
The groceful honey-myrtle
(Meloleuca rcdulo) is one ot
mony ottroctive species
found in the Wongomine
Noture Reserve(obove).
43
hen the Swan River
ColonY was founded in
1829under CaPtatn
were,not
difficult-to-develoP areas
ana
extent
pursued to the same
Iano
iemainedvacantCrown
After a hundred Yearsof EuroPean
a
settlementmore than five ano
reserves'
national parks and nature
tn W.A., ihe sub-committee's
a
report in 1962Proved to b€
to.
valuablecatalYstand gurde
polrcres'
developing conservation
environment, however' were
to change'
graduallY
-wtl"r"rt'inbeginning
tiie PastPeoPIehad
prized land PrimarilY for its began
aericulturalvalue,they now.
intrlnsrc
some
tJ seeit as having
value.
souqht out the most fertile'
',,uhiableland. Less attractive'
ln 1q58,130Yearsafter t.he.SYan
tne
River ColonYwas founded'
Committee
Through Reserves
(CTRC).The CTRCwas to revrew
siSnificant
,',uiionutpr.ttt
'"aa and other
for
proposals
consider
."*tt"t
further reseryes'
'systems'
A number of regions or
throughoutthe Statewere a senes
revieri'edbY the CTRC' and
for
issued
Public
oi rePortswere
.omment and endorsedbY Cabinet'
It'ssurprisingihot ihis delighttul
wattzto.
oolden-hued
-acuminota, tlowet
found ot MoresDY
nome
Ronge,hos no common
(right)
Reserve
The MoresbYRonge Noture
oT
seo
o
in
is o verdont islond'
(below)
unduloting formlond
E
44
value and recommendedits
purchaseas and when it came onto
the market. As a result, in 1976the
EPA establisheda Parks and
ReservesCommittee to advise on
the purchaseof freehold land to
add to or createnational parks and
natule reselves.
Negotiationswith the family
resumed in 1985,but there were
complications.
It was only a 2 ha
block and all the family's proceeds
from the sale would have had to be
used for the legal costsof
transferring ownership. As a result
there was little incentive for them
to sell.
The establishmentof the Parks and
ReservesCommittee saw the full
turn of the wheel from 1829,wiih
the Statenow actively looking to
buy back, for conservation,land
releasedin earlier years.
The Parks and ReservesCommittee
met 19 times from 7976to 1983and
determined the purchasepriorities
of a large number of properties
acquired with the $2.5million
placed at its disposal.No funds
were made available to the
Committee in the 1983/84financial
year, and it met for the last time on
16June1983.
With the amalgamationof the
State'sthree major land
managementagenciesto form
CALM in March 1985,the
ConservationLands Acquisition
Committeewas formed to take
over from the Parks and Reserves
Committee.The new Committee
first met in October 1985.In the
threeyears of its existenceit has
beeninvolved in a number of very
important conservationland
acquisitions.Theseinclude:
BengerSwomp
BengerSwamp, 2 km west of the
SouthWest Highway between
Harvey and Bunbury, is one of the
most important wetlands in the
South-west.An important
waterbird breeding and feeding
area,it is one of only sevenSouthwest breeding sites for the
endangeredFreckledDuck, and
hasthe highest number of
AustralasianBitterns recorded ir
the district. It is also an important
seasonalwetland for a wide range
of other waterbirds, such as diving
ducks and waders.
The Swamp was intensively
^19^14
subdivided in
and 1929,
resultingin a mosaicof more than
A brealthrougheventually came.
Legal advice suggestedthe option
of compulsory resumption of the
land under the PublicWorks Act.
This would ensure that the family
receivedthe equivalent of the full
purchaseprice in cornpensation,
w i t h o u th a v i n gt o p a y t h e c r i p p l i n g
legal fees.The family agreed to this,
and the State'sfirst 'agreed
resumption' of conservationland
took place.
Pollenloden tufts of pink on
this undescribedMeloleuco
speciesprovide o dointy
meol for the locol insect ond
bird life ot Wongamine
Reserve(below),
MoresbyRonge
I
6
150blocks as small as 2 ha, which
were mostly used for growing
potatoesand other vegetablecrops
up until the late 1960s.
In its 1976System5 Report, the
EPA drew attention to the scarcity
of conservationreservesin the
Geraldton area,and the scenic
attraction of the Moresby Range.It
recommendedlooking out for
suitable land, so that if any cameon
the market and funds were
available,a national park could be
established.
Unfortunately, there were no areas
large enough to warrant national
park status,but a few isolated,
unclearedblocks have sincebeen
acquired as nature reserves.
Sincethe early 1970sprogressive
acquisition of the privately-owned
blocks has taken place.Only 13
blocks now remain in private
hands.Overall, it is a great success
story; obtaining ownership of Lot
44, however, proved a great
challenge.
One of thesepurchasesis notable.
In the mid- j970sa conservationminded family who lived in ihe
area purchasedone of the
unclearedblocks. The family had
the foresighi to maintain the 43 ha
block in its original condition to
protect its conservationvalue especiallyits native flora.
The owner died in 1979,and left
the block to his three sons,but the
legal transfer was never completed.
In 1983the son who was appointed
executorof the will offered the land
to the State,but no funds were
availableand the saledid not
proceed.In 1984that son died, and
left no will.
This block has a dense,blanketlike
cover of woody evergreenshrubs.
Its vegetationis immensely rich
and diverse,with over 300 species
of flowering plants and ferns. Over
55 bird specieshave been observed,
as well as an abundanceof
mammals, reptiles,amphibians and
rnsects.
45
All thesesPecieswere documented
by the owner, who had a livelY
interest in natural history
The owner describedhis objectives
in buying the block, which he called
the 'Howatharra Hill Reserve'rn
"to
the following terms:
Personally
own such a ;irgin habitat, PURELY
for the satisfactionof knowing that
it has been rescuedfrom eventual
destruction,and simPlY to maintain
'retreat' or natural area to
it as a
which lthose]...whoappreciatesuch
things...cango, alwaYsknowing
ihat it will still be there - not to
return some months or Yearslater
only to find it bulldozed under'"
:
EveniuallY,when the familY moved
permanentlYoverseas,the
bepartment neSotiatedwith them'
Agieement was reachedand the
block was PurchasedbY the
State.It is now a valuable nature
reserve.
H
Wongomine
WongamineNature Reserveis
situaled about 12 km north-eastof
Toodyay. It was originally set aside
'Water and StoPPing
in 1901as a
used
PIace',which was extensivelY
it
1944
In
bv soldfields' travellers.
of
because
b"cime a timber reserve
wandoo
its valuable stands of
(Eucalvptuswandoo)and brown
In
mallei (Eucalyptusastringens).
reserve,
1975it was made a nature
following a suggestionfrom the
ToodyaYNaturalists'Club'
€
t
R
The reservecontainsboth wandoo
dominated woodlands, which
characterisethe hills region of the
central Part of ToodYaYShire, and
salmon gum and York gum
dominatid communities, which are
more typical of woodlands of the
wheatbelt.
In 1985the Naturalists' CIub
advised the Governmentof an area
of uncleared,privately-owned land
adiacentto the northern boundarY
of the reserrre.It formed Part of the
adjoining farm which was uP for
sale.CALM officersnegotiatedan
aqreementto subdivide the
u"nclearedarea from the balanceof
the farm and add it to the reserve'
Botanicallythe areais very rich and
the diversitY of the flora is
increasedbY the sandPlain
heathlandsnear the northern
The irregular boundarY of the area
purchasedreflectsthe division
Letween the arableand non-arable
land.
this part of the shire.
Everyoneinvolved was haPPYwith
this ieal; the farmer was able to sell
the unclearedareawhich was of
Iimited value to him, and the
Powderborkond Plngle contribute
to the dense vegetotion ot
Wongomine, viewed from neorby
formlond (obove).
The lorge irregulorsection outlined
in green is the seciion of the form
'bought bock' to odd to
thot wos
Wongomine Reserve(left)
nature reservewas dnlargedbY the
addition of 86 hectaresof adjoining
land, enhancingits conservation
value.
CALM's bid to buY back our
natural heritagecontinues.It is
often a long and comPlicated
process,
but, in the final analYsis,
exertion to ensurethat
the
worth
remaining unsPoilt
our
of
some
are
areas
Preservedfor future
generations.
AIex Erringtonis CALM's Diaisional
Manager,Administrationand Finance,
and Chairmanof the Conseraation
LandsAcquisitionCommittee'
THELIBRARYI_-.....*I
DEFT.OONSEftVATTON
AN6
]AND MAilAGEMENT
2 9 DEC!988 i
GIMATUSTRALA"'".
EDIIORIAL
It is difficult to remember o time when
our doily news did not feoture some
environmentolcontroversy.To people
involved in environmentolreseorch
ond monogement,the populorityof
'the
environment' is o mixed blessing,
Volume4, No.2
1989
SummerEdition/Jonuory
KenruMecrc
NRrrvsCnnerroNs
Greoter public consciousnessof
environmentolissueshos meont
increosedfundingond, lo some
exfent, greoter prestige.But mony
scieniistsworking on ecosystemsqre
uncomforloble when their work is
ploced in the politicol spotlight.
The knowledge thot o scientific
observotionthot once would hove
been lucked owoy in o scientitic
journol io be reod only by o few
colleogues could become the centrepoint of o politicol controversyis
dounting.
Retoiningobjectivity in ony reseorch
oreo is difficult, Forihose engqged in
reseorchon the noturol environmentit
is even more difficult. Unlikethe physicol sciences in the noturol sciences
the truih is often comoutloged by
interoctionsbeiween foctors which
vory over time ond spoce. When the
resulisot thistype of reseorchore
ploced in the polilicoloreno,the
mixtureis often volotile ond ihe truth o
cosuolTy,
Nouaellejardins, multiculturalism
or laissez-faire:
whichgardenfashion
you
choose?
Turn to page22.
will
Whnt is really going on in the knni
forcst?On page 32 we takea lookat
the systemof conseroationreseraes
to preserue
that hauebeenestablished
this awe-inspiringf orest.
SrnaNpror
Wrr-oMennoN
To enoble scientistslo better seek the
truthond communicoteit, the
scientificcommunity hos odopted
"the
whot hos been colled
scientific
method".The scientiticmethod is o
code of conduct with rigid
requirements.An offshooi of thot code
is o set of ruleswhich scientisismust
follow, ot leost in reputoble scieniitic
journols,if they ore to hove thek
reseorch published,Unforlunotely,o
byproduct ot this is thot scientific
oriiclesore not the eosiestto reod ond
ore offen ploin boring.
Given fhot the environmenthos
become o mojor politicol issue,it is
importont ihof ihose involved in lhe
debote ore fully informed. Bui scientists
ore foced wiih o dilemmo, They need
Do our wild maton hauea future or
io populorisetheir work to reoch o
toill localgourmetskeepcatching
wider oudience,On the other hond,
they connot offord to lose objectivity.
themto thepoint of extinction?
Find out on page4,
Reliaethe euphoriaof the Augusta
whalerescueon page 78,
BecrToBesrcs
With today'smassioeland boomit' s
hard to imaginethat theStateonce
couldn'tgiuelandawayfast rnough.
Nou)thegooernmmtis buying back
our aaluableconseraation
areas.
Seepage 43,
DnsnnrGnvr
CONTENTS
TheGibsonDesertNature
Reseraecoaersoaer
1.8 millbn hectares.
It is a desolate
but subtly
beautifullandscape.Read
aboutthis uniqueareaand
the management
problems
it presentson page 48,
The Lostof the Wild Morron
by AndrewCribb ,.,,.,,..,,.,,..,,..,,.,,4
O u t o f t h e M o u t h s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , , . , ,
Ouifoxing the Fox
.................,..,...
by JackKinnear
12
Of Wholeond Friend
by Kylie Byfield..,..,..,,.,,..,,.,,..,
l8
Ar"rEnTHE
Fox
UrbonAntics
.,..,
b yJ o h nH u n t e r . . , , . , , . . , , . , , ,2. 1
Sxerns&ADDERS
Creotive with Notives
..,,..,,..,..,,.22
by LianaChristensen
Porffolio- SusonTingoy
by LianaCh stensen
,,..,..,,..,,..,27
B u s hT e | e g r o p h , . . , . . , , . . , , . . 3
, ,0. , , . ,
Foxesposea major threat to natiae
mammalsand otherfauna.Can we
outfoxthem?Seepage 72,
ConservotionReservesin
the KorriForest
by Barney White&
RogerUnderwood,..,..,,..,,..,..,,
32
A SrcHrTo BEuor-p
A Sightto Behold
b yJ i mL a n e , , . . , . . . , . . , . . , , . . 3, .9. , , . .
Whot'sin o Nome?
42
by PaulWilson,..,..,,..,,..,,..,,..,
BuyingBockthe Form
byAlexErrington
,,..,,..,,..,,..,..,
,.43
Endongeredl
Purdies DonkeyOrchid
by StephenvanLeeuwen,..,,..,,47
SIimandactiaesnakeshaaeemerged
hungryfrom their winter
hibernation.But they'renot all
aenomousSeepage 51 for tips on
liaing with snakes.
DeseriGem
by DavidPearson.,,.,,..,,..,...,..,
'Its pouch
can hold morethan its
bellycan', goesthepopularrhyme.
Find out moreaboutthisawkward
but gmcefulbird on pagei9.
Snokesond Adders
.,,.,,..,,.,,..,,..,..,,
51
by RayDickson
L e t i e r.s. , ., ,. .,,. , . .,,. , . .,,. , . .,,. . , .,..,. ,5. 4
Monoging Editol:SwetonStewort
Edilor:LionoChristensen
AssistonlEdilor:CqrolynThomson
Dgdgnerg:Robyn Mundy/Crqig Gofi ott
P.gducliqn:MorgoretWilkie/KorenAddison
bvTheColourSet
ColourSeoorotions
Printedin WeslernAustrolioby Koleidoscope
Cover Phologrqph
One of our noturolwondersthe beochesof HomelinPool
(ShorkBoy)consistof billionsof
smollshells.
(t)
-
Photoby BillBochmon.
I
i
Al moterlo copyight No porl of the contonts ot
the Dub icotion mov b€ feproduced wnhoul the
consent of the publishels
Publlshedby DrSSheo,ExeculiveDileclor,
Deporlmentof Conservolionond Lond
lvlonogement,50 HoymonRood,Como,
WesternAustrolio6152