Saturday, July 28, 2012

SOUTHERN CORROBOREE FROG VIDEO



A fascinating look into the Southern corroboree frog and the breeding program that works to save the species. The video is produced by Canberra film maker Richard Snashall and introduced by the 7.30 report...

"ABC Television's 7.30 program ran this story about the effort of dedicated people to enhance future prospects for the critically endangered Southern Corroboree Frog. The film was produced and presented by Richard Snashall with funding from the Australian Alps National Parks (with thanks to ABC Television)."


Richard Snashall's Youtube Channel

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Thursday, July 26, 2012

LANYON CEMETERY


Lanyon cemetery is closed to the public but sits within a white fenced square a few minutes walk from the Lanyon Homestead. Its a strange little cemetery that leaves me wondering at its lack of headstones yet numerous burials. Not really much there to see, the enclosure, a stand of very old pines, a main monument (pictured) and a few headstones.

Trove keeps turning up new clippings and this one relates the regions first burial, that of William Wright killed whilst duck shooting...

Queanbeyan Age - Friday 30 May 1913


National Library of Australia



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Thursday, July 19, 2012

MOUNTAIN PYGMY POSSUM IN 2012



I'm a big fan of local film maker Richard Snashall's documentaries. This is a second interview following a previous video filmed 5 years ago where Richard interviews Dr Linda Broome, the world's leading authority on the rare Mountain Pygmy Possum (Burramys parvuswhich lives above the Australian snowline.


On a side note a similar species, the Eastern Pygmy Possum(Cercartetus nanuswas re-discovered in July last year in Namadgi National Park (post here).


Richard's Youtube channel


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Tuesday, July 17, 2012

FOLLOWING THE GUDGENBY RIVER


The Gudgenby River is a tributary of the Murrumbidgee River in the south of the Australian Capital Territory. With it's headwaters in the Booth Range it swings in towards the Bobeyan Road within the confines of the Namagi National Park before winding nearly parallel to the whole southern road as it travels down towards its Murrumbidgee River confluence.

The Sydney Morning Herald - Monday 16 December 1907



National Library of Australia

A few minutes of video today as I explored for a new area to set cameras in an attempt to video a little river wildlife. I'm pretty specific about the places I try these cameras and it all boils down to location, location. I travelled from a few kilometres below the headwaters where you can just about step over the flow down past the river's several intersections with the Bobeyan/Nass Roads to Tharwa. 

Several walks up and down the river bank at the Park end and I've found a few worthwhile and secluded spots where animals regularly break through the thick scrub for a drink. At the top end it's actually an area I would only enter, as far in as I have, in the winter months. It's very thick and looks a bit snakey...


Some Gudgenby River facts...

The Gudgenby River drops around 422m over its 34.7km length.

It starts at an elevation of 995m and ends at an elevation of 573m where it joins the Murrumbidgee River near Tharwa.

The following 7 creeks and 2 rivers feed the Gudgenby River (by descending elevation): Bogong Creek (981m), Middle Creek (981m), Hospital Creek (962m), Dry Creek (925m), Nursery Creek (906m), Orroral River (842m), Half Moon Creek (654m), Booroomba Creek (644m) and Naas River (631m).

The Sydney Morning Herald - Wednesday 13 November 1901

As for the sign shown in the video protesting the Construction of a dam in the valley. I find the site was originally suggested to be Canberra's water supply as far back as 1901.

I'm glad they didn't do it...






National Library of Australia

As for the pioneer Michael Herbert...

The Canberra Times - Saturday 25 February 1939


National Library of Australia
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Wednesday, July 11, 2012

MURRUMBIDGEE BUNYIP


I was out setting a trail camera today and as I drove past the Lambrigg Homestead with the Murrumbidgee flowing strongly after yesterdays rains I was reminded of the spate of Bunyip sightings nearly a century ago in the area. The mythical Bunyip was reported to be an aquatic creature roughly the size of a mastiff dog that lived in the waterways.

The sightings are recorded at the junction of the Ginninderra Creek, around Queanbeyan and near Point Hut Crossing (Lambrigg - photo above) where it was reported that the settlers managed to capture one briefly before its overnight escape back into its 'native element'...

Queanbeyan Age and Queanbeyan Observer - Friday 4 October 1918


National Library of Australia

Trove has another Very good read called 'Is there a Bunyip?'

Map showing Lambrigg and the Murrumbidgee River...

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Friday, July 6, 2012

MURRUMBIDGEE WOMBATS #3


Three o'clock in the morning and enduring a chilly -5 degrees Celsius the wombat above goes about his business seemingly unaware of the camera monitoring his burrow. This is my third and final video from an area on the banks of the Murrumbidgee near Canberra.

I think I have a pretty good handle on the native and feral species hanging around the river now. From here it is back into the mountains with the cameras...


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Wednesday, July 4, 2012

CAT AND WALLABY


This is a portion of an article called 'Bush cat is shy but ferocious' from the SMH published in 1954. The portion below relays the tale of a Queanbeyan octogenarian's experience with a Rock wallaby (now locally extinct) and the now very rare and endangered Tiger cat or modern day Quoll...

The Sydney Morning Herald - Thursday 25 November 1954

Full article National Library of Australia

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History lost through lack of funding

  The following ABC article laments the possible loss of many historical audio visual records that are waiting for digitising into modern fo...