On the last morning of the campout there was the usual choice of field trips, including Lake Pertobe, Hopkins River Mouth and Thunder Point area. This was followed by lunch beside Lake Pertobe. 1. Board walk near Hopkins River Mouth. 2. Looking for birds on the Hopkins River. Photos: Denis Hurley. 3. Pickering Point. Photo: Read more…

Joan Shanahan is a life meber of th Warrnambool Field Naturalists Club. She has been Secretary or Treasurer for 14 terms over 30 years. This has been a wonderful contribution to the Club, made even more worthy by her being highly capable in carrying out her administrative duties. She organized end-of-year dinners, was a Committee Read more…

Ian Robert McCann was born on July 4, 1914. At times he worked as Assistant Town Clerk (Stawell), cost accountant (G.J. Coles), as a poultry farmer, and Tourist Promotion Officer (Stawell). Ian’s interest in natural history began in the Middle East, where he served during the 1939-45 war. Ian became interested in the studies of Read more…

Early days. Ellen was born on Prospect Station near Seaspray where her father was manager. While she was still a baby the family moved to a bush block on the Sale/Seaspray Road, then when Ellen was six her father bought a farm at The Heart by the Latrobe River, and there she grew up with Read more…

Tom Hyland is a life member of the Warrnambool Field Naturalists Club. He served as President five times and has been Vice President and a member of the Committee on many occasions. He has always contributed enthusiastically to proceedings of the Club. He has a great love of the countryside and could always come up Read more…

Mary Griffith has served five times as President of the Warrnambool Field Naturalists Club and has held a position on the Committee for many years. Mary’s passion for the natural world has helped grow membership from residents in Port Fairy. Mary’s life membership of Warrnambool FNC inscription : In appreciation of her valued contribution to Read more…

Society for Growing Australian Plants. Ted Errey was a foundation member of The Society For Growing Australian Plants (SGAP), and one of its stalwarts and also a most knowledgable member. He served as president and was an expert on all things to do with propagation, growing and promoting native plants. His contribution was recognised by Read more…

Ray Bradfield called a public meeting in February 1976, for the possible formation of a field naturalists club in Castlemaine. The meeting was very well supported, and Ray was elected as the Club’s first president. Ray’s service to the Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club was but one aspect of a life of many years of community Read more…

The Western Victoria Field Naturalists Clubs Association started on August 20, 1960 at the inaugural meeting, convened by Wimmera FNC. and held at Halls Gap. In 1996 the WVFNCA merged with the Victorian Field Naturalists Clubs Association. In 2003 the VFNCA was renamed the South-east Australian Naturalists Association (SEANA). A provisional list of officers and Read more…

Vicroads Edition 6: map: 29B8, page 593 S2 Location: The walk begins at Jacka Park, High St (in Calder Hwy). Follow the path beside Nardoo Creek. Cross Reef St and continue to to Tantalla St. Turn right along Tantalla St, and right along Hospital St. Walk through the caravan park. The reservoir is on ther Read more…

Vicroads Edition 6: map 30 E4 (E3, F3). Location: The park is 5km north of Mitiamo, and approx 65 km north of Bendigo. The road to Sylvaterre passes through the park. The Park has two main sections The cypress-pine forest and granite outcrops. The grassland plains to the north east of the park. These notes Read more…

Vicroads Edition 6: map: 44H3. Location. The Cascades are on the Coliban River, and are signposted on the Metcalfe-Malmsbury Road, on the outskirts of Metcalfe. What to do Look for potholes in the granite rocks bird watch have a picnic beside the river. The Coliban River. The Coliban River rises near Trentham on the Dividing Read more…

Vicroads Edition 6: Map 554 A9-J5 Location.There are at least four sections. Downstream of the weir. Walk from the car park close to the west end of Barnes Blvd. The Wimmera River eastwards from the weir to the Western Hwy Bridge. Access from Barnes Blvd. The wetlands on the west side of the Botanic Gardens. Read more…

Vicroads Edition 6: map: 44F9 Location: Harcourt North Reservoir is on Barkers Creek. It has frontages on McIvor Road and on the Harcourt North Road. What to do look for water birds. Look in the deeper water near the dam wall, and in the shallow water at the edges walk around the reservoir, if the Read more…

Vicroads Edition 6: Map 59E2, 628 H4 Location. Turner St, Castlemaine. From the Castlemaine Post Office, drive north (towards Bendigo) and turn right along Turner Street to the park entrance. What to do walk along some of the tracks through the park follow the nature trail bird watch have a picnic at the picnic tables. Read more…

Vicroads Edition 6: Map 58H5. Location. The most accessible deposits are beside the Newstead -Creswick Road, where the road passes through the Strathlea Forest. The rounded stones and gravels contrast with the Ordovician strata that are exposed elsewhere. What to do Look for the Permian tillites in the road cutting and in the farmland to Read more…

Vicroads Edition 6 maps: 76F2, 565 T5, 566A5. Location: Driving west from the city centre, turn right into Pleasant Street and continue to the lake foreshore. Wendouree Parade circles the lake. Drive to the west end of the lake and the botanic gardens, where there is ample parking. What to do: look for water birds Read more…

Field Naturalists’ Club of Ballarat hosted the South East Australian Naturalists Association autumn camp in Ballarat on the weekend of 13-16 March. Seventy naturalists from 13 Field Naturalists Clubs around Victoria attended. Visitors came from Portland, Warnambool, Timboon, Geelong, Castlemaine, Bendigo, Alexandra, Melbourne, Ringwood, Latrobe Valley and Sale. Naturalists went on excursions, led by local Read more…

It is a pleasure to report, in my role as Working Party convenor, that the SEANA Autumn 2017 Camp held over the extended weekend of Friday 17th – Monday 20th March was a great success. Hosted jointly by the Sale & District FNC and Latrobe Valley FNC, 120 naturalists registered, making it one of the Read more…

Leader: Garry Cheers.   This excursion was very well attended with 15 cqard and about 35 people. We travelled in convoy and almost lost each other in huge clouds of dust. The outlook as we drove along was not at all promising – even the Smilax wilting in the drought conditions. Garry started his walk Read more…

Our first stop was at the Paddy Ranges Wildflower Reserve No 2 on the western edge of Maryborough. This was once the best wildflower area in the district but the ravages of fire, drought and grazing by wallabies have lessened the spectacle. Careful observation was necessary because there were few plants flowering in abundance but Read more…

Leaders: Lyle and Eileen Courtney   Many of us had never heard of them! They would have taken a long time to make. Possibly they were worked over hundreds of years. The three wells are oblong in shape, and up to 1.3m deep. Coversor lids were put over the wells to conserve the water by Read more…

Plant List – plants given in the text   Ballart, Cherry (Exocarpos cupressiformis) Bindweed, Blushing (Convolvulus angustifolia) Bitter-pea, Narrow-leaf (Daviesia leptophylla) Box, Grey (Eucalyptus microcarpa) … Long-leaf (E. goniocalyx) … Red (E. polyanthemos) … Yellow (E melliodora) Bursaria, Sweet (Bursaria spinosa) Buttons, Scaly (Leptorhynchos squamatus) … Wiry (L. tenuifolius) Cassinia, Drooping (Cassinia arcuata) Correa, Common Read more…

Grebe, Australian .. S .. Hoary-headed .. S Cormorant, Little Black .. H Ibis, Sacred .. S Heron, White-faced .. S Spoonbill, Yellow-billed .. S Swan, Black .(+3y) .. S Shelduck .. S Duck, Musk .. S .. Pacific Black .. S .. Pink-eared .. S Teal, Grey .. S .. Chestnut .. S Shoveller.. Read more…

Photographing the wildflowers. Maryborough FNC club rooms entrance. Lunch at Maryborough FNC club rooms among the ironbarks.   Group with ranger, Paddy Range. At the base of an old eucalypt, Havelock Conservation Reserve. Globular Wattle Scale (Cryptes baccatus) on Gold-dust wattle (Acacia acinacea) Amhirst Reef Photos this page: R. Smallwood

Leader: Brian Johns. The outing was to the large quartz reef at Amherst. The reef is thought to be the largest in Victoria. The reef has a low gold content, and so was not mined for gold. A wildfire swept the reserve in 1985. The intense heat killed many of the lichens on the rock Read more…

Saturday Excursions The leader was Park Ranger Samantha. The Box/Ironbark Forest was dry and dusty with the understorey stuggling from 9 years of prolonged drought. Some ironbarks appeared very dark in colour due to ash retained from bush fires 20 years ago. A solitary Wallaby bounded away as we explored the surrounds and found:   Read more…

The South East Australian Naturalists Association (SEANA) Spring Campout was held during the weekend of October 14th and 15th hosted by the Maryborough Field Naturalists. Ballarat was represented by Elaine and John Gregurke, Peter and Claire Dalman and Les Hanrahan. A few others had intended going but were unable. In total about 90 participants attended Read more…

The Maryborough Campout Amherst quartz reef Aboriginal Wells Paddy Ranges Wildflower Reserve no 2 Havelock Flora Reserve Paddy Ranges More photographs Bird List Plant List     The Spring campout was conducted at the Maryborough and centred on the Maryborough Field Naturalists Club clubrooms. Naturalists from many parts of Victoria were in attendance. Registration began Read more…

1. Entering Melba Gully. A beautiful rainforest area known for the glow worms at night. Photo: Val Hocking. 2. Otway Forest Road near Ayre Crossing. 3. The Otway Snail is endemic to the Otways. Its black shell is distinctive. On the walking track, Melba Gully. 4. Triplet Falls. Photo: Val Hocking. 5. Aire River crossing Read more…

Looking west from Red Rock, across two maar craters to the much larger Lake Coranganmite. Marr craters form as a result of an explosion which occurs when underground water is vaporised by molten rock below the surface. The small particles of rock (ash) fall down to form a layers of ash, called tuff. The iron Read more…

Leader: Trevor Pescott Who needs the Great Ocean Road with its endless lines of tourist vehicles whenyou can explore some of the emptier back roads of the Otways, and get to know other field nats as you car-pool with different people each day? Not us. And while the rough roads got windier, and the windscreens Read more…

Areas with black sandy soil carry heathland vegetation. One such area is about 5km north of Barwon Downs, in the Otway State Forest. In this area, the dominant tree is Messmate. Prickly Teatree sometimes forms dense stands. Other kinds of shrubs and understorey plants are abundant. 1: Hyacinth Orchid is a leafless, and gains nutrient Read more…

Some naturalists paid a visit to Lake Colac and the Colac wetlands. The water level was well below normal. Highlight was to see hundreds of Red-necked Stints on the lake shore. 1: The wetland is adjacent to the lake and can be reached via Chapel Street. 2: Part of the lake bed is exposed. Looking Read more…

The autumn meeting of South-east Australian Naturalists Association was at Forrest and organised by the Geelong Field Naturalists Club. A range of field trips were held during the six days of the meeting. Most trips were scheduled on more than one day. The trips were to   Goat Track (Barwon Downs) and West Barwon Dam Read more…

Hoary-headed Grebe s Australasian Grebe s Pelican bg Little Black Cormorant bg Little Pied Cormorant bg Great Black Cormorant bg Pied Cormorant t Darter b Great Egret bgo Intermediate Egret t Sacred Ibis bs White-faced Heron bgos Black Swan bgo Chestnut Teal bg Mountain Shelduck s Pacific Black Duck s Grey Teal bs Chestnut Teal Read more…

Apple, Rough-barked Angophora floribunda   Ash, Silvertop Eucalyptus sieberi   Banksia, Saw Banksia serrata   Silver B. marginata   Beard-heath, Lance Leucopogon lanceolatus   Prickly L. sp   Blackwood Acacia melanoxylon   Blanket-leaf Bedfordia arborescens   Bloodwood Angophora floribunda   Bolwarra Eupomatia laurina   Boobialla Myoporum insulare   Boronia, Forest Boronia muelleri   Brown Beaks Read more…

Spotted Sun Orchid Streaked Rock Orchid Brown Beaks   Scented Leek Orchid Tall Leek Orchid Yellow Leek Orchid   Photos by Geraldine Harris

Cabbage Fan-palm Common Correa Dusky Coral-pea   Water Ribbons Wattle Mat-rush Hairy Fan-flower   Photos by Geraldine Harris

Dr. David Hollands, who with his doctor wife Margaret migrated from England in 1961, gave an outstanding talk as part of the evening program at the SEANA October Campout. A lifelong interest. David has had a life long interest in ornithology, and particularly in bird photography, which has resulted in the publication of a number Read more…

Early Days – the aborigines The aborinal population were Maap Bidawell, part of the Kurnai group linked to the larger Kruaetungalung( men of the east) – Yuan contacts. Early days – early European contacts included Captain Cook, the wreck of the Sydney Cove in 1797, and from the sea trade from Sydney to Melbourne and Read more…

What a great choice of location. Mallacoota provides a wealth of experiences for whatever your ‘field naturalist’ interests might be. One hundred and fifteen participants from Victoria and NSW took part in the 2005 Spring Campout organised by the Sale and District Field Naturalists’ Club. Organisation. Experience, planning, preparation and very hard work were quite Read more…

I think the final count was around 115 people staying in all styles of accommodation, some of them for about a fortnight. The road in from Genoa put on a floral show for them, lined with the white flowers of Clematis, the striking Wedding Bush (some were unfamiliar with this showy shrub), Snowy Daisy-bush, the Read more…

Crested Sun-orchid Running Postman   Heath Milkwort Butterfly Flag   Photos 1-3: Geraldine Harris. Photo 4: Peter & Kath Strickland

Leaders were Maureen and Bruce Hawkins. Maxwells Rainforest. The convoy traveled along the Princes Highway into New South Wales. About 8 km north of the Victorian NSW border we turned right off the onto Maxwells Road to reach Maxwells Rainforest Walk. Maxwells Rainforest Walk is one stop on a longer Wallaguraugh Forest Drive through Nadgee Read more…

Leader was Bob Semmens. On the northern edge of Gypsy Point along a narrow spit of land 1km long and 300 metres wide is surrounded by the Genoa River on three sides. A track leads along the spit. Tall Mountain Grey Gums at the beginning of the walk were home to a colony of Bell Read more…

My comment regarding the ice age wind is that I have read in Scientific American when discussing conditions during the last ice age. The wind in the northern hemisphere was cold and dry and of much greater strength than now. In addition a research report by Professor Archer of Sydney University on ice age conditions Read more…

The leader was Noel Schleigher. Cliff top above Secret Beach. Noel pointed out the nature of the top soil, being whitish sand called Parna which he said was blown there during the last ice age. Below this was reddish soil coloured by iron oxide which he said was characteristic of a warm and wet climate Read more…

17th Oct 2005   A beautiful calm morning and 35 of us gathered on the Jetty for our 7.30 start on the MY Loch Ard. Our captain was Bob Shooter, assisted by his wife Janice, and he told us many interesting bits of infornation on the lakes and the history of Ma1lacoota.   We headed Read more…

  The Bunker The Bunker is a second world war museum. First established in 1942, as an advanced operational base for the RAAF. It was one of a chain of defense along our coast line. Gabo Island was also part of tghe operations. A very interesting and historic part of our history of WWII. John Read more…