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Ode to Bill's Hut in Petford
By Maria Bajema
To Bill's Hut in Petford we all take the drive The Bush Walking Club keeps this old hut alive
We arrive at the camp site, there's chores to be done
Turn on the tank taps so the water will run
The wooden dunny seat is lowered to the ground
Stored suspended in air, cause white ants abound
The sun shines brightly on the old iron roof
Deluxe covered camping that is water proof
A wood stove, kitchen sink, and concrete floor
Furniture, pots and pans and crockery galore
Running water in the creek is but a trickle
Dependent on rain that can be quite fickle
Soon listening to sounds of the gentle breeze
As it skips merrily through the gum trees
The bush atmosphere brings peace to my heart
The mountains beyond also play in their part
No TV, phones or traffic distracting the quiet
No take away drive-throughs to add to our diet
The wind vane spins wildly from a wind gust
That it stays on its axis is a matter of trust
Binoculars, cameras, bright torches and chairs Equipment used to spy on possum glider pairs
The shower's a bonus, although a mite cold Don't be a chicken, you would think us all old
Herbie, the possum, scouts out our food It's possum secure and he thinks us quite rude
Deep, meaningful discussions, we all have our say Under a clear starlit sky and bright Milky Way
In every direction, bush walking trails abound
Mountains, waterholes and soda springs to be found
Friendships, walks and fond memories to hold dear
As we all camp at Bill's Hut in Petford this year
The Tablelands Bushwalking Club
Newsletter – May 2014
The Tablelands Walking Club P O Box 1020
Tolga 4882
www.tablelandsbushwalking.org
President – Sally McPhee - 4096 6026
Vice President – Patricia Veivers - 4095 4642
Vice President – Tony Sanders – 0438 505 394
Treasurer – Christine Chambers – 0407 344 456
Secretary – Travis Teske - 4056 1761
Activities Officer – Wendy Phillips – 4095 4857
Health & Safety Officer – Morris Mitchell – 4092
2773
Newsletter Editor – Travis Teske - 4056 1761
If a Walking Trip is Delayed – What Your Emergency
Contact Needs to Know.
Occasionally trips are delayed due to unforeseen circumstances. Before leaving on a Tablelands Walking
Club (TWC) outing you should tell your emergency
contact (family member or friend) where you are going
and give them a copy of the phone numbers of the
Committee Members as members of the Management
Committee will be the Contact Officers.
Contact should be with any member of the Tablelands
Walking Club Management Committee. The phone
numbers of the committee members are found at the
beginning of the Walks Program or the Newsletter. Move down the list until you find someone at home.
If there were a situation that required a search or rescue,
members of the Committee would liaise with experienced
walkers within TWC and with the Police and SES. They
will also hold membership details for all TWC members, including the name of a family member or friend to
contact in case of delay or emergency.
The articles and information in this document are printed in good faith.
The club does not accept responsibility for errors or omissions in this document or for the manner in which the information contained in this document is interpreted or implemented.
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Bill’s Hut - Petford
Bill’s Hut is for the use of Club Members and their visitors. The hut is on private land and all care should be taken to keep the hut and surrounds neat and tidy. Before going you must contact the
owner just in case they have something going on at the property. If they don’t answer leave your
message with name and phone number. They will contact you if that time is not suitable. This rarely happens. Contact: Bill & Sharon McGrath 4093 5159.
When you have settled in please complete and sign the Activity Form which will be inside the hut
pinned to a wall near the stove. Visitors with you to sign as well.
Bill’s Hut is named after the person who built and lived in it. Thanks mainly to Col & Jean Wilson who visited the area many times and befriended Bill and the owners of the property. On Bill’s death
the owners said that the club could use it if they looked after it and treated their property with respect.
To get to Bill’s Hut travel to
Petford and approximately 3.8 km from the rail crossing you will
cross Oakey Creek and just past there you will see the entrance to
the track into the hut. This is
marked with black and white markers.
The track is suitable for high clearance vehicles. Once you go
through the markers turn right and follow the track for
approximately 1.3 km. You will cross over two cement
causeways. After the 1.3 km the
track then turns to the left. Do not go straight ahead as you will
end up back in Petford. Keep following this track and you will
eventually see the buildings of the hut.
There are many great walks in the area which have been marked on a map which can be found on the back of the entry door. All of these are on McGrath land. One place not to go near is a mining site
called Dover Castle Mine.
Once there, there are a number of things to do to settle in and consequently to do when you leave.
To open up the keys are in a tin behind the water heater in the shower
Open up the louvers etc. There may be a possum or two in the house. Some louvers do not
close properly so do not force them.
Turn on taps at tanks. There are two up at the Happy Yard Tanks which you will find on your
left as you enter the property. There is another tap at the tank outside the kitchen. Please use
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water sparingly as this is dry country. You could always take your own water for drinking and cooking.
There is a stove to use. Make sure that when you leave, the wood box is topped up. (Wood can
be found in the old tanks near the entrance gate). Also refill the twig-wood buckets. When you leave make sure the fire is out and that you empty the ash tray under the stove.
The toilet seat needs to be lowered and then raised when you leave. This is to keep the white
ants from getting to it. Give it all a wash down when you leave. Also put some Phenol down
the hole before covering it up. Leave it as you find it.
Taps for turning on the water in the shower will easily be found. Make sure you latch door
after returning key when you leave.
The hut is wired for power. If you take your generator there is a plug in the little tin outhouse
beside the toilet. The master switches are on a power board inside the rear wall of the hut.
If you use the mower please ensure that you replace the fuel. Fuel for the mower is in the tin
marked 25:1 and can be found in the shed behind the hut.
When you leave please make sure the shed and hut is locked and all gates closed to the yard to stop
brumbies and cattle entering.
It may sound like a lot but have a good stay and keep the hut and grounds neat and tidy for all club
members.
The tanks in the Happy Hour Yard The tanks near the front gate where the firewood
is stored
En
joy y
ou
rself
He is friendly but you must
keep your food covered.
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For those who measured, tagged and found every plant on the mountain – And you thought you were going for a walk to see the falls
article from Andrew Ford
Telopea Journal of Plant Systematics
Volume 15: 107–110 Publication date: 3 October 2013 dx.doi.org/10.7751/telopea2013014 plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/Telopea • escholarship.usyd.edu.au/journals/index.php/TEL • ISSN 0312-9764 (Print) • ISSN 2200-4025 (Online)
Rediscovery of Prostanthera albohirta C.T.White (Lamiaceae) Andrew Ford1 and Barry Conn2
1CSIRO, Ecosystem Sciences, Tropical Forest Research Centre, PO Box 780, Atherton, Queensland 4883, Australia. [email protected] 2National Herbarium of New South Wales, Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, Mrs Macquaries Road, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia.
Abstract The northern Queensland species, Prostanthera albohirta C.T.White (Lamiaceae) is very inadequately known and is officially regarded as
extinct. The recent discovery of P. albohirta from the Mount Emerald area of Queensland (Australia) represents the first collections of this
species since 1932. Habitat preferences, conservation notes and photographs of the species are here provided.
Introduction Prostanthera albohirta C.T.White was described from a single collection by L.J. Brass in 1932 from Mount Demi, west of Mossman, Cook District, North Queensland (White 1936). Attempts to re-collect this species by several botanical collectors have been unsuccessful. Hence, both the Australian national authority (EPBC 2013) and the Queensland State authority (Nature
Conservation (Wildlife) Regulation 2006) regard P. albohirta as being Extinct. During discussions between the two authors regarding tropical species of Prostanthera in northern Queensland, it became
apparent that unidentified collections from the Mount Emerald area, west of Tolga (Cook district, Queensland) were of P. albohirta.
Prostanthera albohirta C.T.White, Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland 47: 74 (1936). Fig. 1 Holotype: Queensland: Cook District: Mt Demi summit, L.J. Brass 2102, 6 Feb 1932 (BRI). For detailed description of species – refer White (1936).
Distribution: Previously known by type collection from the summit area of Mount Demi, near Mossman, and now from the Mount Emerald area on the Great Dividing Range, west of Tolga. Both localities are from the Cook botanical district, Queensland,
Australia. In addition, both localities are also within the Wet Tropics Bioregion, although the Mt Emerald population sits a little east of the Einasleigh Upland Bioregion (see http:// www.environment.gov.au/parks/nrs/science/bioregion-framework/ibra/maps.html)
Fig.1. Photograph of flowering branchlets showing indumentum of branchlet,
abaxial surface of leaves, prophylls and outer surface of calyx; oblique profile view
of corolla (Ford 6174). Photographer: A. Ford
Habitat: The original collections from Mount Emerald (Holmes 173, Ford 2360 and Ford 5361) occurred in one small area in a protected gully dominated by stunted Syncarpia glomulifera (Sm.) Nied, with a dense under story of mesic shrubs
including: Acrotriche aggregata R.Br., Bertya polystigma Gruening, Pittosporum revolutum W.T.Aiton and Pomaderris argyrophylla N.A.Wakef. However, the latest
collection (Ford 6174) came from a wet, low grassy woodland that is approximately 20 metres from the populations that were previously known. The habitat of the Ford 6174 collection included the same understorey shrub species, but the ground-layer
included more grass species such as Entolasia and Panicum. Little is known about the habitat preferences of this species on Mount Demi, except that it occurred ‘on an exposed cliff face’ (Brass 2102). The vegetation occurring on Mount Demi is
predominantly tropical upland rainforest. The species is known to occur at elevations of 900–1100 metres, although the collections only represent two localities.
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Notes: The discovery of P. albohirta from the Mount Emerald area is surprising given the extent of potential habitat between (and north of) Mount Demi and Mount Emerald. There are many areas above 900 m altitude that harbour scrubby gullies amongst rock outcrops which appear suitable but from which the species has not been found, this is despite several collectors being active
in those areas. It appears as though fire regimes play a significant role in determining the population structure and presence of P. albohirta. The
Mount Emerald collections from the sheltered gully represent an area that has not been burnt for many years. In response to the lack of fire or other disturbances, the five plants of P. albohirta had become openly branched and poorly formed. As a result of a fire in a nearby gully in 2009, the plants that were at least 11 years old were killed. There was no sign of coppice growth at
ground level from where the stems had originally been. It is assumed the stems were totally incinerated. However, nearby a healthy population now thrives in a much more open and sunny community. From these observations it is apparent that P. albohirta is an obligate seeder, but it is not known at what age plants become reproductive. Therefore, local fire regimes are
critical if P. albohirta is to survive in the Mount Emerald area.
The affinities of this species are unclear. White (1935) regarded P. albohirta as closely related to P. rugosa A.Cunn. ex Benth from New South Wales. There are two other, morphologically unrelated, species of Prostanthera which occur within 10 km of Mt Emerald in north Queensland, viz. P. clotteniana (F.M.Bailey) A.R.Bean and Prostanthera sp. (Dinden P.I. Forster 17342).
Both of these species have glabrous to glabrescent leaves with entire margins and a calyx which enlarges markedly during fruit maturation, however P. albohirta has densely hairy leaves with 1–4 bluntly pointed lobes on each side of the margin and a calyx which does not enlarge during fruit maturation.
Conservation status: We strongly urge reassessment of the extinction-risk listing status of P. albohirta under both Queensland
and Commonwealth legislation, and incorporation of it in relevant conservation management plans and guidelines. There is a very strong prima facie case that it now satisfies the requirements for ‘Critically Endangered’ status sensu IUCN (2001), at least under Criterion D (population size <50 individuals). On Mount Emerald there are currently less than 50 plants known in an area
no larger than 100 m2
. Searches of nearby areas have so far failed to discover additional occurrences. This species has only been collected once from the summit area of Mount Demi and attempts to recollect this species from this area by the second author have failed and P. albohirta should be regarded as probably locally extinct at this location. Nearby
areas which contain similar rock faces should be explored. Other specimens examined: Queensland: Cook: Mt Emerald, Herberton Range: Ford 2360, 4 April 2000 (BRI, CNS); Ford 5361, 18 Aug
2008 (BRI, CNS, NSW); Ford 6174, 1 May 2013 (BRI, CNS, MEL, NSW); Holmes 173, 24 March 2000 (BRI, CNS).
Acknowledgments
This work has been funded through the Australian Government’s National Environmental Research Program. Bob Makinson is warmly thanked for making many improvements to the paper.
References EPBC (2013) - Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (2013). Prostanthera albohirta
in Species Profile and Threats Database, Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities,
Canberra. Available from: http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicspecies.pl?taxon_id=82052 (accessed 21 February 2013).
IUCN (2001). IUCN Red List Categories: version 3.1. IUCN Species Survival Commission. (IUCN: Gland, Switzerland) Nature Conservation (Wildlife) Regulation (2006). Extinct in the wild plants. Department of Environment and Heritage Protection, Queensland Government. http://www.ehp.qld.gov.au/wildlife/threatened-species/extinct-in
wild/extinct_in_the_wild_plants.html (accessed 21 February 2013). White CT (1936). Contributions to the Queensland Flora, No. 5. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland 47: 74. Manuscript received 5 June 2013, manuscript accepted 19 September 2013
© 2013 Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust
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Wild River Station - Easter 2014 by Sally McPhee
Cyclone Ita had been and gone and our camp site was high and dry despite being 2 or 3 metres under
water the previous week-end. We certainly had no
shortage of fire wood!!
About a dozen people travelled to Wild River Station over the long week-end for some fun, socializing and
bushwalking. After setting up camp on Friday we
had a short afternoon walk over some nearby hills with views to the Bluff State Forest. We dropped
down a ridge and walked back along Whelan Creek
to our camp near the junction of the Wild River and Copper Creek to complete a pleasant 6 kilometre
walk.
Friday we followed an old 4 wheel drive track along
the Wild River. The walk was reasonably flat but a few rocky hills and long grass late morning saw us
happy to stop for lunch and a swim near the
junction with Evelyn Creek. We took a slight different route home, ignoring the hills and crossing
an abandoned air field. Flat ground at last!! The
walk was close to 20 kilometres and there were lots of tired feet at the end of the day.
Sunday saw a few brave souls don their walking shoes, grab their compasses and maps and head
into the hills in the Bluff State Forest. Morning tea
was beside beautiful Oaky Creek and lunch near the
junction of Whelan and Oaky Creek. Of course a swim was also mandatory.
The club would like to thank our hosts Doug and Tania Quirk for their hospitality and offer of a
peaceful and beautiful camping spot on the Wild.
Morning Tea on the Wild River
Eighteen Kilometres down. Where’s Di’s hat?
Crossing Whelan Creek
Oaky Creek
