Category: 2021

Clean Up Australia Day

For the Grampians Gariwerd our Clean Up Australia Day occurred six days after the national event but the delay was a sensible choice to avoid crowds of tourists who flood the national park on the Labour Day long weekend.

FOGG members totalling half a dozen plus one community member gathered at Halls Gap with our Parks Vic leader Joy to be briefed on the task for the day. McKenzie Falls was to be our destination and we were most grateful for the youth of Waverly Christian College who also joined the Working Bee. Clearly the youthful legs of year 11 and 12 students were more appropriate to descend and ascend the steps to the bottom of the falls.

After an acknowledgment to the traditional owners of the land of our national park and an OH&S briefing, the short convoy set off for the Falls car park. On arrival there was … Read the rest

Mystery Mounds In The Mud

One of our favourite areas in the region is the open forests east of Gariwerd. Over the years Di and I became increasingly intrigued by numerous round earth mounds we were seeing in these magnificent Red Gum forests. Our son, Tom and partner Matilda regularly join us on our walks and have helped us to map and record our observations.

Over the last year we have drawn on the insights of our local archaeologist Ben Gunn, and Jake Goodes from Parks Victoria who have been assisting us to better understand the mounds. Apparently, the “donut” shaped mounds are similar to the remains of Aboriginal dwellings found elsewhere in Victoria.

An invitation from Ben and Leigh provided us with the opportunity to take a stroll in one area of Red Gum forest between Halls Gap and Stawell, with 22 FOGGS members, to talk about the earth structures.

On 10 April our … Read the rest

Advisory Group Meetings, January 15 And March 2 2021

January 15  Meeting

After our acknowledgement of country, the January meeting was totally spent on discussions on the draft management plan. Several of us had already circulated our comments to the group and others commented and gave their thoughts. We had hoped to hear comments from the traditional owner groups but found they were completely snowed under, with many requests and quite under- staffed.

Assorted comments:

  •               the language in the plan could end up being divisive
  •               How does GG management set the joint management up so it has the most chance of success?
  •               It appears to be Melbourne driven.
  •               Disappointed that the AG was not consulted
  •               Far too short a time for feedback
  •               What will be done with the feedback?
  •               Will reasons be given for accepting or rejecting comments?

Rhonda told us that PV will publish a discussion paper on the web, with a table to help the community see … Read the rest

Who is Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park there for?

Article From Parkwatch March Edition (Shortened)

Parks Protection Campaigner Phil Ingamells takes a look at the Greater Gariwerd Landscape draft management plan.

After a bizarre group of bare-chested neo-Nazis stormed Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park in January, burning a cross and waving supremacist symbols atop the landscape, it might be time to take a deep breath and consider, coolly, whose park it actually is – and why we manage it.

Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park is public land, but that requires a bit of clarification. There are many categories of public land established under various old or new laws, and though the “public” might own these areas, activities on that land are commonly restricted.

With a management plan for Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park well overdue, Parks Victoria faced a bit of a dilemma: Traditional Owner status has not been legally established, but almost certainly will be during the life of the new … Read the rest

Book News

There’s quite a bit happening with new books. We still have copies of our reprint of Ian McCann’s wildflower book available to members at $10 plus postage if needed.

Also available at various local stores is an excellent new fold-out leaflet by Joy O’Brien, “Wildflowers of the Grampians: A Guide to Common and Notable Species” which has photos of 111 local flowers with a great deal of information on flower and leaf characteristics, flowering time and more.

And FOGG member Judy has sent in a review of the book I have recently written and published with Anthea Nicholls of Pomonal Publishing.

Book Review: “Grampians to Gariwerd” written by Margo Sietsma, publ. 2020. (Available through the author, and at Halls Gap News Agency and Pomonal store)

This is an interesting collation of diary entries from early trips to a family holiday house in Halls Gap in 1986. The author has added … Read the rest

Bits and Pieces

The Easter weekend saw a huge number of visitors enjoying our Park in perfect weather. Among them was a group of Junior Field Naturalists to whom a couple of us were able to show bits of our natural environment: Catherine and Clive their bush property, Anthea and I the Botanic Garden and a walk to Venus Baths. Courtesy of FOGGS, each family was given a copy of the geology brochure, and we fielded many enquiries about edible plants, insects (especially ants) and more. It was a joy to see their enthusiasm and it is so important to engage the next generation.

We had many visitors walking through the Botanic garden in Halls Gap, which is all Grampians Flora. There’s a poster about FOGGS on the noticeboard and membership forms can be taken. Last year we got a sizable grant from DELWP which we are busy spending. I’ll let you know … Read the rest

History – from November 1994

Tidying up my photo albums I came across a copy of the Halls Gap monthly newsletter “Fill the Gap” from November 1994.There’s an article headed “F.O.G.’S NEWS”. (1994 was before we added Gariwerd to our title). The article reports that our next activity was to meet at the Giant Koala at Dadswell’s Bridge to look for small milkworts with the Department of Conservation and Environment. It also has details of our application for a grant to research the impact of foxes on the small mammal populations of the Grampians Heathlands. Unfortunately, we didn’t receive the grant but some FOGGIES assisted Ed Muelman in his PhD research into small mammal populations. I find it interesting that even though Halls Gap was already a cat-free town, we concentrated on foxes and had no thought as to the impact of cats.… Read the rest

Golton Gorge Track

The Walking Track Support Group have now finished their work on the Golton Gorge track. It was to have had an official opening, but it was cancelled due to it being a total fire ban that day. Another opening was planned, but then the virus restrictions came in. The walk is now open to the public but there is still no word on an official opening. Several FOGG members have worked with the Walking Track Support Group.… Read the rest

Friends of Grampians Gariwerd