SPIFFA NEWSLETTER SOUTHERN PENINSULA INDIGENOUS FLORA AND FAUNA ASSOCIATION INC

PO BOX 480 ROSEBUD VICTORIA 3939

REGISTERED NUMBER A0024178

WEBSITE: www.spiffa.org

1st December 2013 Vo lume 24 Number 4

SPIFFA BARBECUE

& AGM will be held on Monday 2nd

December at

Hickinbotham’s Winery

194 Nepean Highway Dromana

(near Wallaces Road).

BBQ begins 6.00pm. BYO

food, and don’t forget the car-

rot for Bert the Clydesdale, or

he’ll pinch your vegie burgers

off the hotplate! Alcoholic

drinks available at bar.

If fire-ban day, bring salads etc.

See website: www.spiffa.org for

further information.

The good rains which have continued into November have resulted in lush growth,

both of weeds and native vegetation and when the hot weather hits we know we could

have similar problems to fire-ravaged New South Wales.

This is not helped by the tendencies of Shires to chemically kill weeds, leaving them

tinder dry alongside roads and freeways, where cigarette butts often start fires which

then threaten property and both humans and wildlife. The leaving of weed species such

as Polygala, to thrive and inhibit fire resistant plants such as Seaberry Salt Bush and

Bower Spinach, further increases fire risk. Persistent spraying of weeds with non-

specific, ie “kills everything”, herbicide eventually creates herbicide resistant plants.

These herbicides also pollute waterways when sprayed near drains. It is therefore nec-

essary to fight for the restoration of protective legislation whenever and however we

can. (SPIFFA November Enews). It is worth remembering that native grasses such as

Poas remain green over summer and carry less fuel load than introduced pasture

grasses.

Birdlife Australia has also sounded warnings about the coming summer season. Obvi-

ously the NSW bushfires have been devastating to all wildlife, birds included. The

organisation suggests that, during the heat (which kills) we should:

Provide easily accessible, clean, shallow water in the shade for drinking and

cooling off, but out of reach of cats and dogs. (see www.birdlife.org.au)

The foregoing is also important for possums and koalas– deeper vessels, but not too

deep, as exhausted animals, as well as birds, may not be able to climb out. If neces-

sary, place a stone or brick in the container.

Other animals such as lizards and small mammals may seek water at ground level, so

vessels placed in the garden under plants might be a saviour for them.

SUBSCRIPTIONS ($15)

WILL BE DUE AND PAY-

ABLE ON 2ND DECEMBER

AT THE AGM.

INSIDE:

P2: Aboriginal Fire on the Penin

sula , by Jeff Yugovic

P3: Weed Alert—African Orchid

(Disa Bracteata)

P4: Thanks to Committee,

Christmas Bush and Christmas

Wishes.

He’s heard, and he can’t wait!

Don’t disappoint him!

Photo, Google

BUSHFIRE SEASON AGAIN

They all need water

in the heat of sum-

mer

Photos: Internet,

Cameron Brown,

Gidja Walker and

Phillip Jensen

Aboriginal Fire on the Peninsula, Ron Hately and Bill Gammage

Jeff Yugovic, Mount Eliza (Berinjup)

12 November 2013

Ron Hately, author of The Victorian Bush: Its ‘Original and Natural Condition’, is sometimes placed in the 'no fire' model of

vegetation ecology. However he is referring mainly to forest vegetation throughout his book. He mentions grassland and wood-

land in passing only, despite them having occupied a larger area of Victoria than forests, but in these landscapes he does ac-

knowledge Aboriginal firestick farming:

Policy advocating frequent burning of forests appears to be founded on this myth that Aboriginals were firestick farmers in

Victorian forests (as distinct from woodlands and grasslands). (p. 111).

I conclude that Victorian Aboriginals did not have such a major effect on our forests, compared with the plains and wood-

lands, which undoubtedly bore deeply numerous signs of their traditions, hunting and gathering, arts and craft and general

land management. (from last paragraph in book, p. 186).

Bill Gammage, author of The Biggest Estate on Earth: How Aborigines Made Australia, is sometimes misrepresented as claim-

ing that all of Australia was burnt frequently by the Aborigines. However he acknowledges that:

[they] burnt the most useful land most and the most sterile or sensitive land not for generations (p. 162).

The two observers have different emphases and can be seen as largely complementary rather than opposed.

Beth Gott in Use of Victorian plants by Koories also discusses Aboriginal burning:

Evidence from Victoria and other states show that the country was subject to controlled burning, the timing, extent and fre-

quency of the fires being determined by the type of vegetation, the accumulation of litter, and the season. When Koorie

burning ceased, the areas previously kept open became covered with forest (p. 195).

Consistent with these observations, the role of fire is fundamental to the conservation of grassy woodland on the northern Morn-

ington Peninsula and southern Victoria generally. Without fire these systems become overgrown, and overabundant herbivores

can eliminate plant species including entire tree canopies, resulting in biodiversity decline as well as being hazardous for human

life and property due to excessive fuel loads (see Yugovic 2013).

Ron Hately and Bill Gammage overlook the existence of historical survey plans which shed light on the original vegetation

structure of the country (e.g. GD Smythe, WS Urquhart). These annotated plans would have added a graphic visual dimension

to both books.

Reproduced here is an extract from George Smythe’s 1841 survey plan of the Mornington Peninsula. Note the open vegetation

on the Moorooduc Plain. It is likely this open vegetation structure was the result of Aboriginal burning in combination with

grazing by mammals (kangaroo, wallaby). If it was due to grazing alone, then that grazing would have had to be so severe that

understoreys would have been decimated and it is hard to see how there would have been any groundlayer and wildflower diver-

sity let alone plant food resources for the Koories. The logical explanation is that Aboriginal fire was primarily responsible for

this open landscape. It follows that biomass reduction is necessary for conserving this ecosystem.

Bushland at Peninsula Gardens, Jetty

Road, Rosebud Victoria.

Working bees last Saturday of month, next

10.00am 30th November.

Photos Cameron Brown

References

Gammage B 2011. The Biggest Estate on Earth: How Aborigines Made Australia. Allen & Un-

wen.

Gott B 1993. Use of Victorian Plants by Koories In Foreman Db & Walsh NG (eds), Flora of

Victoria Volume 1 Introduction, pp. 195—211.

Hately RF 2010. The Victorian Bush: Its ‘Original and Natural Condition’. Polybractea Press,

South Melbourne.

Yugovic J. 2013. Do ecosystems need top predators? Indigenotes 24(1): 8—14. See also

SPIFFA: http://www.spiffa.org/do-ecosystems-need-top-predators.html

NB. All inadequacies re map sole responsibility of editor-having-technology-problems! JD

WEED ALERT !

For those who do not receive Phillip Jensen’s

Enews, the November edition warns that “Disa

Bracteata, or African Orchid or Perennial African

Weed Orchid”, has been found on French Island,

at Devil Bend and in Greens Bush.

He warns that it is a “pernicious, self-pollinating

colony-forming weed with quantities of seed”.

Phillip asks that, if you see this plant, (picture

right)even in small quantities, to inform SPIFFA,

as plants such as this can be “well established over

large areas before they attract attention”.

Call: 03 5988 6529 or email:

Spiffa.secretary@gmail.com

OUR COMMITTE WILL POSSIBLY CHANGE AT

THE FORTHCOMING AGM, WHICH WILL BE

HELD AFTER THE BARBECUE (at Hickinbotham’s

Winery—see Page 1)

I know all will join in thanking our completely volun-

teer committee members for their hard work, most for

many years.

Their combined knowledge and effort result in Habi-

tat Management courses as well as an informative,

accessible website and many other activities.

Prominent among the foregoing are Gidja Walker (a

living encyclopaedia) who projects her unflagging en-

thusiasm and knowledge to all. Phillip, our secretary,

has shown genius in setting up and maintaining the

website. These people are living treasures. Ed.

SPIFFA is listed with Ritchies Community Benefit Scheme.

Please join or remember to present your card/tag when pay-

ing for purchases. The funds really help SPIFFA, as we are

a non-profit, volunteer organisation endeavouring to raise

awareness of the need to preserve our precious natural envi-

ronment and to help inform those who work in the field.

DEADLINE FOR NEXT NEWSLETTER:

15TH JANUARY 2014

Please send contributions to spiffa.secretary@gmail.com

ANY ITEMS RE YOUR EXPERIENCES OF NATURE

OR RELEVANT ACTIVITIES

WILL ALWAYS BE GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED.

CHRISTMAS BUSH (Bursaria Spinosa), common name de-

noting the fact that it flowers in the summer around Christmas

time. A small tree or shrub, it is related to Pittosporaceae, and

lives for 25—60 years, this species being found in the eastern

and southern States of Australia. It has a variable habit.

Thanks to Wikipedia for information and picture.

AND SO ANOTHER YEAR IS COMING TO A CLOSE.

WE HONOUR ALL WHO CONTRIBUTE TO PRESERVING THE

NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND WISH YOU AND YOURS A

HAPPY, SAFE AND RESTFUL HOLIDAY SEASON.

If undeliverable return to SPIFFA Inc

PO BOX 480 ROSEBUD VIC 3939 Surface

Mail