Category: Articles

Feral Cats

I expect you all have heard the good news that feral cats have been declared a pest species in Victoria, which means that shortly our Park staff will be allowed to work to reduce their number. But how to do it most efficiently and reasonably humanely? I came across a most interesting article in the Bush Heritage edition 12 Jun 2018

That Tricksy Felixy

I recently visited Currawinya National Park to learn more about Felixer cat traps from their inventor, cat management expert Dr John Read

It’s well known that cats have a huge and often catastrophic impact on native species and are notoriously difficult to control. We urgently need an effective solution that that can be deployed in diverse landscapes, not just to bring endangered species back from the brink of extinction, but also to prevent other species declining to that point. Felixer traps are a promising candidate.

Feral … Read the rest

Grasslands Seed Project

Canberra’s National Botanic Garden has been building up a collection of photographs and illustrations of Australian native plants for many years, which they are now working on digitising. They are also asking serious photographers to contribute reliable identified photographs to the index.

Also a collection of photographs of plants and habitat mostly from southern Victoria. … Read the rest

Introducing the Nature Glenelg Trust

When I was at the Cavendish Red Gum festival I listened to an exciting presentation on this trust and I believe it will be of great interest to our group.

Nature Glenelg Trust is established as an environmental organisation for the following purposes:

  • To protect and enhance the natural environment, with a particular emphasis on wetland conservation and restoration activities, supported by the Habitat Restoration Fund.
  • To generate and provide high quality scientific information that enhances management of the natural environment.
  • To support and undertake key conservation ecology research.
  • To promote public awareness of nature through education, and involving the community in the activities of the Trust.

How did it all begin?

In 2011 a small group of people, with a range of complementary skills and a passion for practical solutions, got together to develop a new way of getting more environmental work to happen “on the ground” in their … Read the rest

From the Editor

Welcome to our slightly late April newsletter. Some of you shouldn’t be receiving it because you are unfinancial but we have decided to be kind and give you a last free copy. Please fix before the New Year starts. Not sure? Contact our treasurer Judith on 53836247.

Unable to get to any of our activities but would like to help us? We welcome contributions from members- articles, poems, memories, art, photos …. This is your newsletter.

Last issue I mentioned the rising number of tourists and the official numbers have just been announced.  In 2017 Grampians received over 53,000 international overnight visitors – up 3.5% on the YE 16 and visitors stayed 352,200 nights in our region – up 22.9% on YE 16.

And finally do remember we have a website, administered by our very reliable Frank van der Peet down in Apollo Bay. This newsletter will shortly be up … Read the rest

2018 August Prez Sez

It has been a dry time in the park, with only a couple of rain events so far this year. Particularly in the north, a lot of trees are under pressure and new growth after fires is dying in many areas, particularly where the rock layer is not far below the surface. Some hillsides look like autumn colours, until you realise that there are only natives growing, and they are suffering. Our summer has continued a long time but the weather has finally taken on an autumn feel with those beautiful pleasant days and chilly damp nights. Even the odd misty morning. I love this time of year! It also allows struggling vegetation to survive until winter rains arrive. I still worry about lightning strikes and careless fires with the current fuel load of dead vegetation.

                Combine this with grazing pressures the vegetation is doing it tough, particularly on the … Read the rest

From Parks Victoria August 2018

OUR VERY BUSY RANGER IN CHIEF is seconded to the North East at the moment. Thank you Tammy Schoo for a comprehensive update, which I have unfortunately needed to shorten for the printed version.

It was all hands-on deck over the busy Easter and Victorian and South Australian School holiday period in the Grampians. High visitor numbers saw every campsite booked out weeks in advance and popular day visitor areas were brimming with families and international visitors.

Luckily there were minimal callouts for emergencies and antisocial visitor behaviour. Unfortunately however there were a higher than usual amount of campfires left unattended, rubbish left behind and  people ignoring signage – such as ‘no dogs permitted in National Parks’, ‘no entering the Balconies and Boroka lookout rock platforms’ and ‘no swimming at Mackenzie Falls’.  Interviews were conducted at the Balconies for visitors climbing over barriers and fines may be issued.

The Grampians … Read the rest

Talks By Members – 24 February 2018

We started the year with two presentations by our own members, followed by a  picnic tea/ BBQ (bring your own)  in Halls Gap afterwards.

            The first was presented by Ben Gunn, an archaeologist residing at Lake Lonsdale. Ben recently gained a Ph D for his work. Over the years Ben has spoken to FOGGS about local art sites, and we knew he was also doing much work in the north of the country so we were very much interested in hearing about what he had learnt.

“Art of the Ancestors: Analysing ceiling art of Nawarla Gabarnmang in Arnhem Land”

Ben’s thesis was about the development of a new way of recording and analysing rock art by incorporating three techniques: DStretch from rock art, Harris Matrix from archaeology and the Morellian Method from fine art. Using the ceiling art from Nawarla Gabarnmang in western Arnhem Land he was able to … Read the rest

Clean Up Australia Day – 3 March 2018

FOGG has been involved with cleaning up around the Grampians for over 30 years.

On Saturday, the 24th of March, seven FOGG members met with Parks Victoria staff in the Halls Gap picnic area. We were provided with gloves, rubbish bags and rubbish grabbers, and allocated two target areas to clean; Silverband Falls and the picnic grounds adjacent to Lake Bellfield.

There was very little rubbish found at Silverband Falls, however we did collect a number of bags of Scotch Thistle from the creek banks, most not far off seeding. We found quite a lot of rubbish at the picnic grounds next to Lake Bellfield including litter, rusted posts and bits of metal, and bird wire. All up, we collected more than 15 bags of rubbish weighing approximately 60kg. Overall, it was a very successful day.

Our thanks to Parks Victoria staff for providing our gear, and more importantly, a … Read the rest

March 26 2018 : Bunbury, Bunyips, and Bunjil: the family letters of Capt Richard Hanmer Bunbury of Barton Station

2018 Professor Ian D. Clark, Federation Business School, Federation University Australia, Ballarat

Professor Ian Clark, a Western Victorian local now at Federation University Ballarat, gave us a fact-filled afternoon talk on the 1840 accounts of Capt. R. H. Bunbury of Barton Station, south of Moyston; the origins of the Bunyip as recorded by early settlers in conversation with local Aboriginal people and from Aboriginal ground drawings in Western Victoria. The Bunyip also was a key player in the story of Bunjil and in the interpretation of the painting of Bunjil in the Black Range near Stawell. Bunyips have been recorded from most areas of Victoria, and while all are associated with waterholes or rivers, the descriptions vary considerably: from a giant emu to a fur seal to an extinct Palorchestes (that died out some 40,000 years ago). The best description, however, comes not from verbal accounts but from a depiction … Read the rest

March Committee Meeting Report – 13 April 2018

New curtains in the Mural Room have been put up following our suggestion

Rodney has purchased an EPirb

Bill and Rodney attended the fire conference on 18.10.17.

Volunteer Parks Training Day: Rodney and Margo attended. Following up from this Rodney has established a FOGGS page in the Parks portal and will maintain it. (Activities and possibility profiles of members) see further article.

Treasurer’s Report:  Discussion re members who have not renewed,  decided to leave as it is now close to the call for annual subs in July.

General Business: The seat on Zumsteins to Fish Falls track is in progress, Rodney to follow up as to when it is expected to be completed. The funding for this originally came from the Friends of Zumsteins group.

Activities were discussed  and this quarters confirmed. It was suggested that we hold some activities on Sundays.

 Golton Gorge   FOGGs agree to … Read the rest

Friends of Grampians Gariwerd