Bungalook Newsletter
Issue No 30 October 2009
Plant Orders for 2010
Plant orders for 2010 need to be with Liz Henry by December in order for us to be propagating sufficient plants to be ready for the coming year. There will be a slight modification of the order form, but it will be available on the website in the near future.
Dates for your Diary
Parkland Advisory Committee Forum - Waratah Room, Whitehorse Centre
Wednesday 30th September - 6 45pm (refreshment and light snack) for a 7 pm start
Cr. Helen Harris - Mayor of Whitehorse will provide the opening address and a highlight of the evening will be a presentation by Sean Dooley, birdwatcher, comedian, writer.
RSVP to: Christine Baumann on 9262 6371 or e-mail ardadmin@whitehorse.vic.gov.au asap
Bungalook Excursion - Karwarra Australian Plant Garden
Meet at 10.00 a.m., Thursday 15th October 2009. Location
is Mt. Dandenong Tourist Road, Kalorama, (Mel. 120 B9), next to the
Kalorama Reserve and Tennis Courts. See map below for routes to the garden.
Join us for a tour of the two hectare landscaped botanic garden, guided by the
new Director Lindy Harris. There is a wide range of Australian native and
indigenous plants. The walking track is rated 'easy', and there are picnic
facilities, toilets and a nursery. Entry to the gardens is free. B.Y.O.
morning tea and lunch.
Whitehorse Spring Festival - Sunday 18th October 10:am to 3-4:pm
Whitehorse Council, Nunawading
Displays from Bungalook and Greenlink Community Nurseries, Advisory Committees, the Blackburn and District Tree Preservation Society in conjunction with ParksWide and EcoVision, Children's activities including face painting and the ant house!
Helpers from committees are required, even for an hour or so.
Please contact either Margaret Witherspoon e-mail wcipp@yahoo.com.au
WCIPP Inc. (Bungalook) AGM and a Special General Meeting will be held on Wednesday 25th November at 7.30 p.m.
Volunteer Expo - Wednesday 18th November 2 pm - 7 pm, Box Hill Town Hall
A display of the work of community nurseries and bushland parks advisory committees. More news later.
Friday Walks
30-10-09 Campbells Croft/Abbey Walk, Abbey Walk, Vermont Mel. 63D3
Christmas Day this year falls on the 4th Friday - there will be no walk on this day!
Wandinong Sanctuary
Do you know the property named Wandinong Sanctuary in Canterbury Road, Blackburn? In 1913, 3 acres, 3 roods, 25 perches were purchased in the name of Janet Emily Billing. In 1914, she married Albert Arthur Hooke. Between then and 1949, the property was extended, and in 1950 some land was sold. Between 1956 and 1961, small transfers were made to the Country Roads Board to widen Canterbury Road.
This is where we spent a very pleasant Friday morning on 28 August, 2009, strolling around looking at the vegetation - Arthropodium strictum (Chocolate lilies) in bud, some early inflorescences on Microlaena stipoides (Weeping Grass), many large clumps of Stipa (spear grass), mature specimens of Bursaria spinosa, and many more delightful species; the revegetation works replacing weedy grasses with weeping and wallaby grasses and interspersed with wildflowers are coming along nicely.
The following are extracts from "Wandinong - Its Origins, Objectives and Development" City of Nunawading, written by members of the Wandinong Sanctuary Advisory Committee in the 1986.
The name "Wandinong" was given to the property by Mr. and Mrs. A. A. Hooke when it became their homestead in 1914. This name was derived from two sources: keen cyclists, they shared an early trip to Wandin; this, together with the title of a favourite book, Ethel Turner's The Camp at Wandinong, inspired selection of the name 'Wandinong' for the property.
The original drive-way was established from Canterbury Road to the house and some evidence of it still remains. They were a bicycle-oriented family; opposed to the motor car. Mr. Hooke bought his bicycle in 1912 and covered some 110,000 miles on it and was in the possession of the Nunawading Historical Society (however it has since disappeared, but Mrs. Hooke's bicycle was presented to what is now the Whitehorse Historical Society by two of her grandchildren in 2008).
Clearing was kept to a reasonable minimum as the beautiful bush was the principal attraction of the site. The trees were mainly various eucalypts, some quite large, and wattles. There were two or three fine specimens of "wild cherry" which were greatly prized.
Trees were planted to commemorate the birth of their children and a plaque has now been placed beside each tree. In the early 1930's, a cow was introduced and, during the next 15 years or so, she and her successors significantly altered the vegetation. There are graves for a dog and a cat, and chooks were kept for eggs and the occasional meal.
Mr. and Mrs. Hooke were members of the Tree Society and considered leaving the property to the Society; however, the Society believed that it would not be able to afford to look after it. In August, 1973 the titles were transferred to the "Mayor, Councillors and citizens of the City of Nunawading". In the terms of the Deed, Wandinong was to be "a sanctuary for birds, wildflowers and native vegetation and a place of public resort and recreation", with steps to be taken "to preserve the native bird population and encourage its continuance".
The Deed also stipulated that two representatives of the Blackburn and District Tree Preservation Society Inc. be on the Committee of Management of Wandinong Sanctuary (presently Les Smith and Liz Henry.). The Committee was launched in November 1973.
Wandinong Sanctuary officially opened 9 May 1976 (Mrs Hooke died three months
later, aged 85).
Liz Henry
Whitehorse Volunteer Network
This Network was formed because there was interest in a local network to support and strengthen volunteering in Whitehorse. Some Terms of Reference are that membership be limited to "Not for Profit" organisations, that it promotes volunteering, and that the Network meets on a bi-monthly basis.
There is General Discussion - what would members like from the Network? Those
in attendance provided an overview of their group/organisation and identified
some of the challenges around volunteerism for them. Things such as: managing a
volunteer database, managing people with disabilities who volunteer, volunteer
turnover, writing submissions, public liability and other insurance issues, Risk
Management for office bearers, language, financial, increased regulations e.g.
police check redone every 3 yrs, lack of information for residents around what
is on offer in Whitehorse, etc.
The meetings, which include breakfast, are held at 8.30a.m. on Tuesdays in the Courtyard Room, City of Whitehorse.
I have no idea when the next meeting is but the other two were on 30 June and 25
August, so my guess would be the next will be on 27th October?
Contact Ann Clendinnen, Civic Participation/Volunteer
Officer Community Development, on 9262 6116 or mobile 0408 387 736 or
ann.clendinnen@whitehorse.vic.gov.au
Amanda Simpson
Wirrawilla Walk Excursion - Monday 9th November
As mentioned previously at the
Nursery there is a suggestion for a short day trip to Toolangi on Monday 9
November, spared by the February bushfires. The main focus of the excursion
would be to visit Wirrawilla Walk, a cool rainforest area just the other
side of Toolangi and at the foot of Mt. St. Leonard (MEL 510R11). The walk is
very easy and there would be plenty of time to admire the ferns, mosses and
lichens as well as the taller vegetation including Arctic Beech and Tree Ferns.
We could stop for lunch at the
Singing Gardens Restaurant, of C.J. Dennis fame. After lunch there would be the
possibility of visiting the Toolangi Forest Discovery Centre, or returning via
Healesville (and the vineyards?).
For details on the Wirrawalla Walk see:
<http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/CA256F310024B628/0/2C115EB9210DA777CA2571290015C494/$File/Wirrawilla.pdf
Please give a preliminary indication by 1st October of your intention:
a.
Numbers interested in attending the Wirrawilla Walk - very likely /
definitely
b. Numbers interested in lunching at the Singing Gardens Restaurant - very
likely / definitely.