Lane Cove Council

Transcription

Lane Cove Council

THE NATURAL
ENVIRONMENT
OF
LANE
COVE
BY
LYNNE McLOUGHLIN
WITH PLANT SURVEYS BY
VAN KLAPHAKE
The Natural Environment of Lane Cove
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I wish to thank those people who have so willingly assisted in assembling materials and information for various
parts of this book detailing the natural environment of Lane Cove. In particular, I wish to thank Susan Butler,
Lane Cove Council Bushland Management Officer, for her great support and encouragement for the project
from its inception as environmental education material, through the production of the Teachers’ Guide, to its
present form. Susan also produced all the maps, assisted with illustrative material, co-ordinated the production
of the listings for the appendices and acted as editor for both the Teachers’ Guide and this publication.
Special thanks are due to Van Klaphake who surveyed, identified and listed the plant species of our bushland
reserves, assisted by Sandy Coe. Van also drafted the vegetation maps, contributed to the birds and the animals
listings and assisted with the mushrooms listing. Thanks also to Jon Kingston and Simon Pitcher for their
painstaking work in preparing the listings for the extensive appendices.
Assistance was also much appreciated from Sheila Walkerden, for information and listings on birds, John
Diversi, for listings and information on reptiles and Dennis Ormsby, for material on mammals.
Lynne McLoughlin
February, 1992.
Maps: Susan Butler
Illustrations:
Susan Butler –
Geology/soils cross-section
Boyden & Partners – Stormwater control
Kevin Hardacre –
Praying mantis
Birds: Firetail, Currawong, Pardalote, Wren
Anne Hopkins –
Recreation at Fairyland
Van Klaphake –
Juncus
Animals: Gecko, Snake, Frog, Fox
Bird food niches
Birds: Pelican, Cormorant, Kookaburra. Ibis
Toni May -Weeds:
Morning Glory, Madeira Vine, Dandelion, Cobblers Peg,Lantana, Broadleafed Privet,
BalloonVine, Kikuyu Grass
Jocelyn Maughan – Brushtail Possum
Daniel McLoughlin – Dumping, bike riding, Bush under Siege
Lynne McLoughlin – Environment Web, Flying Fox, Impacts: taking flowers & logs, Tree lopping, feral cat.
Plants: Lillypilly, Commelina, Pittosporum, Tradescantia. Weed walkmaps. Ferry
Judy Messer –
Plants: Casuarina, Eucalypt, Lillypilly, Epacris, Hakea, Banksia, Acacia. Ringtail
possum,
Tony Moody –
Vegetation & wetland zonations
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service –
Sugar’ Glider
Simon Pitcher, fromWaterBoard Sewage overflow point
Victorian Dept of Conservation & Environment –
Mammals: Feathertail Glider, bats, Tawny Frogmouth
Water Board –
Clean Rivers and Creeks Begin at Home
Published by: Lane Cove Municipal Council, Longueville Road, Lane Cove. 2066
February, 1992. Reprinted 2014
ISBN 0 9500855 7 X
Copyright © Text: Lynne McLoughlin, 1992
2
Contents
1. INTRODUCTION
CONTENTS
2. THE BARE ESSENTIALS
5
2.1
2.2
2.3
Climate
Topography
Geology and Soils
3.1
3.2
3.2
The General Values of Bushland
State Policy on Bushland
Special Values of Lane Cove Bushland
11
12
12
4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4
4.5
4.6
4.7
4.8
Naming Vegetation Communities
Factors Affecting Vegetation Communities
Wetlands and Swamps
Wet Sclerophyll Forest
Dry Sclerophyll Forest
Heath
Missing Communities
Changing Communities
14
15
17
18
20
21
22
23
5.1
5.2
5.3
5.4
5.5
5.6
5.7
Wildlife in the City
The Mammals of Lane Cove
The Reptiles of Lane Cove
The Amphibians of Lane Cove
Fish of the Lane Cove River
Insects and Spiders
Introduced Animals
25
25
28
31
31
32
32
6.1
6.2
6.3
Birds in the Environment
The Impact of Settlement on Birds
Birds in Lane Cove
33
33
36
7.1
7.2
The Local Tribes
Aboriginal Survival in the Environment of Lane Cove
40
40
8.1
8.2
8.3
Early Impacts
Continuing Problems
Repairing the Damage and Reducing the Impacts
43
43
47
3. THE VALUES OF BUSHLAND
4. VEGETATION COMMUNITIES
5. THE ANIMALS OF LANE COVE
6. THE BIRDS OF LANE COVE
7. THE ABORIGINES OF LANE COVE
8. EUROPEAN IMPACTS ON LOCAL BUSHLAND
8
8
8
3
9. WEED INVASION – A SPECIAL PROBLEM
9.1
9.2
9.3
9.4
9.5
9.6
The Nature and Extent of the Problem
How Weed Invasion Occurs
Keeping Weeds out of the Bush
Restoring the Bush
Bush Regeneration
Identifying Weeds
10. THE LANE COVE – AN URBAN RIVER SYSTEM
10.1 Description
10.2 How People Have Used the River System
10.3 Reducing Adverse Impacts on Waterways
REFERENCES
Further Reading
APPENDICES
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
INDEX
4
Native Plants of Lane Cove Municipality
Native Plants found at Riverview 1881–1908
Fungi of Lane Cove Municipality
Bushland Weeds of Lane Cove Municipality
Catchment Vegetation Maps
Animals of Lane Cove
Birds of Lane Cove
50
50
52
52
53
55
59
59
66
72
74
86
88
89
98
105
110
115
Introduction
1. INTRODUCTION
Lane Cove is a relatively small municipality of 1,056 hectares on the Lower North Shore (Map 1), almost
completely contained within the catchment of the Lane Cove River (the east side of Greenwich drains to
Berrys Creek and the Parramatta River). It is bounded on the east by the Pacific Highway, also the eastern
edge of the catchment, and on the west and south by the river itself. Mowbray Road serves as the boundary
to the north.
163 hectares of the total area is zoned as Open Space, of which 74 hectares is classified as bushland (Map
2), as at 1989 (some areas have been added to public open space since). This represents only 7% of the
Municipality and less than half of the total open space. Thus it is a very precious resource, fortunately at
present augmented by further bushland areas in public or private ownership which are not zoned as open
space. Many residents who live on the edge of reserves maintain parts of their property close to the bush in
a natural state, increasing total bushland and wildlife habitat.
This volume is a direct off-shoot of a previous publication specifically designed for educational use. In 1991,
Lane Cove Council, with the assistance of the Department of Planning’s Metropolitan Greenspace Program,
produced an Environmental Education Package for Lane Cove schools. This Package was designed to assist
teachers, particularly at primary level, interpret the natural environment of their local area. It consisted of a
variety of readily available resource materials such as books, posters, leaflets and videos and was accompanied
by a specially written Teachers’ Guide.
5
The Natural Environment of Lane Cove: A Teachers’ Guide provided background information on each
element of the local natural environment, as well as student activities and worksheets on each topic, tree lists
and a map for each school site, other plant lists and a bird list.
The production of such a comprehensive set of materials for classroom use and provision of these packages
to local schools was a pioneering initiative for local government in promoting awareness of the local
environment amongst its children. Lane Cove Council has been committed to bushland preservation and
protection for over 20 years. Their commitment to this project thus reflects a long history of concern for the
natural environment of Lane Cove.
Council believed it important that the children of Lane Cove both understand and appreciate their local
environment. Whilst the importance of environmental education in schools had been recognised in the 1989
Environmental Education Curriculum document, there was a significant shortage of locally based information
and materials for teachers to translate this document into meaningful local experiences for children. The
Environmental Education package was designed to meet this need.
However, it soon became obvious that the information about Lane Cove’s natural environment contained in
the Teachers’ Guide should be more readily available. This present volume represents the information
component of the Teachers’ Guide, with the addition of detailed reference listings on the plants, animals,
birds and fish of the municipality to further extend its value as an information base for general use. For more
detailed information on each area covered, consult the references for each chapter listed before the
Appendices.
For the existence of such a wealth of collected data specific to the Lane Cove environment we owe a debt of
gratitude to people who, over the years, have been so interested in the area as to collect a variety of information
allowing us now a wide view of its natural components. We thus appreciate the work of people such as Tom
Dixon of St Ignatius College, who encouraged their birdwatchers and compiled years of their data, Van
Klaphake who has worked in our bushland for many years acquiring detailed knowledge of its plants and
animals, bush regenerators who have lived in Lane Cove observing and caring for our bush, and researchers
at Macquarie University and elsewhere who have built up knowledge of the river and its aquatic life.
The major gap remaining in our knowledge is that we lack a true picture of the state of our animal populations,
particularly our mammals. Thus this is an important area for future study.
6
Introduction
7
2. THE BARE ESSENTIALS
This chapter outlines the main features of the non-living, or inorganic, part of the natural environment of
Lane Cove which provides the framework for its plants, animals, birds and insects and which has heavily
influenced the way they have evolved.
2.1 Climate
Sydney is located on the east coast of the continent, in a temperate zone (between the tropics and the colder
sub-arctic regions). This means it experiences moderate temperatures year round and moderate year round
rainfall from moisture laden winds blowing onshore from the Pacific Ocean.
The climate of Lane Cove is similar to that of general metropolitan Sydney. This records an average rainfall
of more than 1200mm, the wettest months being January to July, with less rainfall in late winter and spring.
Extremes of temperature are infrequent: average maximum summer temperature is around 24°C and the
average minimum 18°C Average winter temperatures are: maximum 16°C, minimum 7°C.
However, the municipality generally slopes to the south and west from its boundary on the Pacific Highway
ridge. It is thus exposed to weather which comes into Sydney from the south and west: the cold southerlies
and westerlies in winter and the hot, dry westerlies and ‘southerly busters’ in summer.
Yet, in any area where there are variations in topography of hills and valleys, there are significant differences
in aspect and resulting microclimate. Protected valleys have more moderate temperatures than exposed ridges,
south facing slopes are cooler and moister than north facing slopes, west facing slopes are drier as well as
colder in winter, hotter in summer than east facing slopes.
2.2 Topography
The municipality consists of a series of alternating ridges and creek valleys in the lower Lane Cove River
Valley. Its eastern boundary, the north-south tending ridgeline of the Pacific Highway, is the edge of the
Lane Cove River catchment and the highest part of the municipality (90-100m above sea level). From here
the land slopes west and south to the river which forms the western and southern boundary. Tributary creeks
have cut into the sides of the main river valley to form the series of often steep-sided ridges and valleys
which run from the Pacific Highway ridge down to the river, illustrated opposite on Map 3.
Above Figtree Bridge, Stringybark Creek and the former Stoney Creek (in the valley which Blackman Park
now occupies) flow directly into the river. Below Figtree Bridge the shoreline is much more deeply indented
with bays into which the creeks drain ie. Tannery Creek into Bums Bay, Tambourine Creek into Tambourine
Bay, Gore Creek into a little bay next to Woodford Bay and Berrys Creek into Gore Cove.
All the bays along this part of the river are, like the many other bays around Sydney Harbour, the result of
flooding of the lower parts of the tributary creeks when the sea level rose after the last ice age. The spurs
between were then left jutting out into the river as peninsulas.
2.3 Geology and Soils
The Lane Cove River has carved its valley into the extensive plateau on the northern side of Sydney Harbour,
known as the Hornsby Plateau. The Lane Cove, along with Middle Harbour to the east and Berowra Creek
and Cowan Creek to the north, and all their tributary creeks, have left little of the original flat plateau surface.
Only the ridges which now form the divides between these river systems survive.
The Hornsby Plateau is made up of a series of almost horizontal layers of sedimentary rock formations,
mainly of sandstones and shales. These layers are slightly tipped on an angle sloping downwards from the
coast inland. The lowest layers of the plateau observable at the surface are the Narrabeen series of sandstones
but they are only visible at the coast before dipping underground.
8
The Bare Essentials
9
Above the Narrabeen sandstones is a thick layer of Hawkesbury sandstones. The topmost, and thinnest, layer
is Wianamatta shales, much like the icing on the cake of the bulk of Hawkesbury sandstones. However, as
the rivers and creeks have cut deeply and widely into the plateau, there is little of the ‘icing’ left. Thus the
shales are found only on the ridge tops while the sandstone is found on the valley slopes down to the creeks
and rivers, as shown on Map 4. In the process of cutting their valleys, these creeks have often left spectacular
cliffs and outcrops in the sandstone, one of the distinctive features of Sydney’s northside scenery.
The two major rock types in Lane Cove, sandstone and shale, give rise to distinctly different types of soils.
Sandstones produce sandy, stony soils which do not hold water or nutrients well and dry out easily. As these
soils are on the slopes they also tend to be shallow where rain washes the material further down the slope.
Sandstones are also associated with more rugged topography: steep slopes, cliffs and rock outcrops at the
surface. Such topography results from the way sandstone on valley slopes both is undercut by water which
seeps to the base of the rock layer, and weathers vertically along joint lines in the rock, eventually breaking
away in large chunks along these vertical joint lines. Shale produces deeper and more fertile clay soils, which
also hold water more easily. Being also on the flatter land of the ridges, these were the soils first used by
farmers on the North Shore. As shale weathers and breaks down more evenly, the topography associated
with the shales is marked by smoother, less steep slopes on the valley sides, and an almost flat grade on the
ridges.
Where elements of the two rock types mix, a more intermediate soil is present. This soil is stony but deeper
than the sandstone soils and a little more fertile. It can occur where there are alternating beds of sandstone
and shale in a transition zone between the Hawkesbury Sandstone and the Wianamatta Shale or where the
clay soils from the ridge have moved downslope to sandstone areas.
The cross-section below illustrates the changes in soils and topography which occur with differences in the
underlying geology. A comparison of Maps 4 and 5 also reveals the clear relationships between geology and
soils.
There are pockets of different soils. On the flatter areas along the Lane Cove River north of Figtree Bridge
and along some of the creeks are alluvial soils (sediments deposited by the river). In addition, a number of
areas no longer have natural soils evident as they have been filled eg. Blackman Park, Burns Bay Reserve,
Gore Creek Reserve and the golf course.
10
The Value of Bushland
3. THE VALUE OF BUSHLAND
3.1 General Values of Urban Bushland
All urban bushland (bushland in, or adjacent to, urban areas) is important for a variety of reasons outlined
below (adapted from National Trust, 1988). Lane Cove bushland also has some special values, discussed
later.
Scenic Heritage
The Australian bushland has special characteristics of colour, smell, texture which give it a uniquely
Australian quality. The Australian natural landscape is distinctive and recognisable and part of our natural
and cultural heritage.
Scientific Values
The Australian landscape is ancient and complex and its scientific values barely researched. The topography
of the Sydney Basin is very varied and consequently it supports a remarkable range of flora and fauna. Rare
plants and animals still exist in the bushland scattered though the city.
The geological history of the urban area may also be illustrated in its bushland remnants. At the very least,
the original rocks and soils of the area can be seen in the bushland. It may also contain volcanic intrusions,
craters, caves, rock weathering formations, cliffs and features such as monoclines. Rock formations and their
different soils also contribute to the enormous variety in vegetation.
Historic Landscape
The natural history of an urban area is exemplified by its remaining native flora and flora. The different
combinations of individual plants within each locality are the result of thousands of years of evolution and
adaptation to the characteristics and conditions of that area. The remnants are all that is left to show us what
existed in our suburbs prior to European settlement.
Local urban bushland also has considerable archaeological importance. It contains artefacts and relics which
may vividly illustrate the occupation of the area over centuries. The bushland is a vital link with generations
of the original inhabitants, the Australian Aborigines, and their way of life. As written accounts were not
kept by the Aborigines, middens, rock shelters, axe-grinding grooves, rock engravings and paintings in
remaining bushland are all that may survive of the period prior to 1788.
Urban bushland can also contain evidence of early European settlement with stone roadways, walls, bridges,
wells and steps often being revealed when weeds (which invaded these areas after abandonment) are cleared.
Other aspects of cultural history found in bushland are tree stumps left from logging operations, remains of
early homesteads, terracing, old dams and even abandoned tools.
Wildlife Corridors and Habitat
The range of vegetation strata (levels from ground cover to tree canopy) in bushland provides important
wildlife habitat. Many species of birds and animals arc able to survive ncar, and even in, our suburbs only
because of the shelter and food provided by the native vegetation.
Urban bushland also acts as wildlife corridors allowing migrating species to ‘filter through’ large cities. Even
a small area of bushland may be an important link in the chain of bushland reserves forming a wildlife
corridor. Narrow foreshore reserves often serve such a purpose, as well as providing roosting and nesting
sites for waterbirds.
11
‘Green Space’
Much of our urban bushland exists as remnant ‘fingers’ along the valleys where it was once too difficult to
build. These fingers are now important as open space areas which separate identifiable suburbs and bring
the natural environment close to many people. Even weed infested, degraded bushland can serve this purpose
and be valued by local residents. Yet residents and local Councils arc recognising the value of good quality
bushland with Councils now prepared to devote increasing funds to bush regeneration work.
Bushland also makes the urban environment more pleasant by modifying air temperatures, wind velocity
and air pollution levels. It holds the soil and absorbs the rain thus reducing the speed and volume of
stormwater run-off and consequent problems of flooding, It can act as a screen between residential and
industrial areas and help reduce noise levels eg. along busy roads.
Education Resource
Over 80% of the people of NSW lives in urban areas, particularly in the cities of Newcastle, Sydney and
Wollongong. Small natural areas in these highly built up areas are an important education resource from preschool to tertiary level. The bushland provides for fieldwork in the natural sciences as well for outdoor activity
programmes in physical and personal development.
Local urban bushland also has high educational values for the general public. Natural areas within our cities
provide experiences not available to most urban dwellers throughout the world. An understanding of the
‘natural’ world developed by urban dwellers in their own local environment helps develop appreciation and
respect for national parks, nature reserves and other areas of high conservation value throughout the country.
Recreation Resource
Bushland areas, depending on their size, can provide for a variety of recreational activities from the more
‘passive’ to the very ‘active’. Children have traditionally loved the opportunities for exploration, adventure
and creative games provided by their local bush. Adults can enjoy bird-watching, bushwalking, picnicking,
rock-climbing, abseiling and orienteering. Bushwalking, in particular, is becoming increasingly popular with
state and local governments devoting funds to the development of walking tracks, and schools adopting it as
a sporting activity.
3.2 State Policy on Bushland
Prior to 1986 there was no recognition of bushland as an urban land use in its own right. Land was zoned as
‘open space’ but this gave no protection to bushland as it included playing fields, ovals and developed parks.
Bush could be cleared for such purposes while remaining open space. Bushland conservation groups lobbied
for some years to have urban bushland areas separately recognised and protected. For example, the Union of
Lane Cove Valley Conservationists (an umbrella group for all the locally based conservation groups in the
Lane Cove Valley) drafted a Regional Environmental Planning Policy aimed at protection of the bushland
of the Lane Cove Valley, which was submitted to the then Department of Environment and Planning.
In 1986 the State Government officially recognised the values of the urban bushland of all areas in a State
Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP). SEPP 19 – Bushland in Urban Areas, gazetted October, 1986, is
aimed at preserving the quality of those areas of bushland reserved for public open space. It demands that
councils carefully consider the environmental impact of development proposals affecting urban bushland
areas and provides that no further areas of bushland reserved for public open space should be alienated to
other uses.
3.3 Special Values of Lane Cove Bushland
The bushland of Lane Cove holds all the general values, although some, such as the recreation activities, are
limited due to the small size of the reserves. Its fingers separate and define the various parts of Lane Cove
and bring the bush close to many residents. It is certainly habitat for the remaining wildlife and provides
links, especially along the river, to the bigger chunks of bushland further up the Lane Cove Valley. If used
12
The Value of Bushland
wisely, it can be an important educational resource for local schools and an exciting place to explore for local
children.
Historically, our bush contains remnants of both Aboriginal and European settlement. There are caves and
rock overhangs around the shoreline once used by the Aborigines for shelter, often with middens nearby.
We also have some paintings and.carvings in our reserve areas.
Of European settlement there are remnants in a number of reserves. There are terracing and stone steps in
different parts of Tennyson Park. The dam on Stringybark Creek was constructed late last century and the
channelling of the entrance to the creek created early this century for the paper mills located here on the
creek. In Tambourine Bay Park there is a well, once important for the whole district, and there are ruts worn
in the rock by the iron wheels of bullock carts in Gore Creek Reserve. Convict chains were still in Gore
Creek Reserve until the 1940’s and pottery fragments are often found. Large remnants discovered should
not be disturbed. Instead, the historian/archivist at Lane Cove Municipal Library should be informed so that
their historical importance can be determined and recorded. Small fragments can be taken in for inspection.
Lane Cove bushland also has some special values found only in some bushland areas. Many of the rivers
and waterways dissecting the eastern part of Sydney are lined with grey-green slopes of Sydney’s eucalypt
bushland. Lane Cove is a waterside municipality with well over 50% of its boundary lying along the Lane
Cove River. It is thus fortunate to share this distinctive scenery of blue waters and wooded slopes, sandstone
outcrops crowned by twisted pink limbs of the Sydney Red Gum, mysterious stands of mangroves and lively
long-legged waterbirds.
This bush along the foreshores complements the water in many ways: aesthetically it is a backdrop to the
waterways and it provides for water-oriented recreation especially picnicking and boating. It also provides
nesting and night roosting sites for the mud-wading waterbirds and it preserves places along the shoreline
where the Aborigines spent much of their time, gathering food.
The Lane Cove Council logo uses just these aspects, the winding river, the green bushland slopes and the
distinctive pink trunks of the Sydney Red Gum so common in our bush, to symbolise the special character
of this municipality. Located so close to the centre of a large city, this area is fortunate in retaining bushland,
both along the river foreshore and along its
tributary creeks.
This new logo (below) was adopted in
1988. Prior to this time the logo featured
the old Figtree Bridge built over the Lane
Cove River from Linley Point to Hunters
Hill in 1885. At the time, this bridge, along
with the old Gladesville Bridge and the
Iron Cove Bridge, also built in the 1880’s,
was the only link to the city centre by road
for the whole North Shore. It was also the
only bridge anywhere across the Lane
Cove River linking the North Shore with
Ryde and areas west of the river.
Thus the Figtree Bridge was a very
important transport link for Lane Cove
Municipality when it was incorporated in
1895 and adopted a logo (at right). It was
also a feature on the river well known to
the many people who visited the recreation
areas along the river by boat and ferry (see
Chapter 10 for more details).
13
4. VEGETATION COMMUNITIES OF LANE COVE
4.1 Naming Vegetation Communities
Communities are named in several different ways:
1. The most commonly used terms are very broad descriptions of the vegetation type, such as ‘heath’ or
‘rainforest’. ‘Sclerophyll’ is frequently used in these broad descriptions. It refers to vegetation with ‘hard
dry leaves’ such as eucalypts.
2. These general terms can be more specifically defined by referring to the dominant (ie. most common)
plant species in the community. This is usually limited to two or three species. For example, a common
association in Lane Cove is Smoothbarked Apple – Sydney Peppermint.
3. A community can also be named by its structural characteristics ie. height of the tallest plant layer and
density of its leaf cover. This gives rise to terms such as ‘open woodland’, ‘low shrubland’ or ‘closed
forest’. This classification, devised by Specht, is shown in the table below.
Classification of Australian Vegetation by Structure (Sprecht, In Gibson and Anderson, 1981)
Life form of
tallest stratum
Trees* >30 m
Trees* 10–30 m
Trees* <10 m
Shrubs* >2 m
Shrubs 0.25–2 m
Sclerophyllous
Non-sclerophyllous
Shrubs <.25 m
Sclerophyllous
Non-sclerophyllous
Hummock grasses
Herbaceous layer
Graminoids
Sedges
Herbs
Ferns
100–70%
(4)†
Foliage projective cover of tallest stratum
70–50%
(3 + )
50–30%
(3 – 1)
30–10%
(2)
<10%
(1)
(T)† Tall closed-forest
(M) Closed-forest
(L) Low closed-forest
Tall forest
Forest
Low forest
(Tall open-forest) ‡
Open-forest
Low open-forest
(Tall woodland) ‡
Woodland
Low woodland
—
Open-woodland
Low open-woodland
(Z) Closed-heathland
(C) —
Heathland
—
Open-heathland
Low-shrubland
Shrubland
Low-shrubland
Open-shrubland
Low open-shrubland
(S) Closed-shrub
(D) —
Scrub
Tall open-shrubland
(W) —
–
–
Hummock grasssland
Open hummock grassland
(G) Closed (tussock)
grassland
(Y) Closed-sedgeland
(X) Closed-herbland
(F) Closed-fernland
(Tussock)
grassland
Sedgeland
Herbland
Fernland
(Tussock)
grassland
Sedgeland
Herbland
Fernland
Open (tussock)
grassland
Open-sedgeland
Open-herbland
—
Very open (tussock)
grassland
Very open-sedgeland
Very open-herbland
—
—
—
Tall shrubland
Dwarf open-heathland Dwarf open-heathland
(fell-field)
(fell-field)
Dwarf shrubland
Dwarf open-shrubland
(H) —
—
Open-scrub
—
* A tree is defined as a woody plant usually with a single stem; a shrub is a woody plant usually with many stems arising at or near the base.
† Symbols and numbers given in parentheses may be used to describe the formation, e.g tall closed forest — T4, hummock grassland — H2.
‡ Senescent phases of Tall forest.
Table from H. Recher, D. Lunney & I. Dunn, A Natural Legacy, Pergamon, 1986.
All three ways of naming communities are commonly used in reference to vegetation, depending on the
purpose of those referring to the community. For example, the Forestry Commission generally uses the
dominant species as their interest is in the particular species of trees in an area.
The description of the vegetation communities of Lane Cove in this chapter is based on the broad descriptive
categories but also refers to dominant species in distinguishing various communities within the broad
categories as well as some of their structural characteristics.
The major community types originally present in Lane Cove were wetlands, dry sclerophyll forest (open
woodland or forest), heath, and wet sclerophyll forest (tall forest). Within these broad types there were a
14
Vegetation Communities of Lane Cove
number of variations of different major species as a result of slightly different conditions. Despite the
depredation of settlement, there still remain examples of most of these communities in Lane Cove.
Plants of these natural vegetation communities of Lane Cove demonstrate quite distinctive characteristics as
a result of the particular environments and conditions in which they grow.
4.2 Factors Affecting Vegetation Communities
A large and obvious component of the natural environment is its vegetation. Due to the wide variety of
influences interacting to produce vegetation, it can vary enormously from place to place, not only in the
actual plants, or species, present, but also in the ways the individual species are grouped together to form
communities. Vegetation can even vary greatly within small areas as pockets of different conditions produce
different groupings of plants responding to the varied conditions.
For example, although Lane Cove is a relatively small area with the same general climate, it has a varied
topography and variation in soils, both of which act to create different conditions and different communities.
Although we have lost considerable portions of some of our vegetation communities to settlement, others
still exist in bushland reserves and other patches of bush. Walking through these reserves, we can frequently
observe the way the vegetation changes as local conditions which affect it change.
Often conditions change gradually and the vegetation communities grade from one type into another without
sharp, definable boundaries. Where they grade into one another, species typical of both communities are
present, for example as conditions gradually get moister, drier, cooler or hotter.
Sometimes, however, there is a sharp break or boundary between communities. A most obvious example of
this in mountain areas is ‘the treeline’ , or the break between the forests of the slopes below and the alpine
grasses above, which occurs where it becomes too cold for the trees to survive.
In some mountain valleys it can act in reverse with the trees above and grasses on the floor of the valley
where the cold air settles in a ‘lake’ and it is colder than the slopes above.
Other sharp changes in conditions occur with a sharp change in rock type and accompanying soils and at the
edges of estuaries, rivers or lakes. In the latter there is often not just one change in conditions (particularly
in the amount of moisture and/or salt) but several over a short distance from the water, creating zones of
vegetation with each change. This zonation pattern, as illustrated below, can be seen in many places around
Sydney, including the Lane Cove River just north of Blackman Park (although the seagrasses would not be
present).
15
In the rest of the bushland areas of Lane Cove the natural vegetation has distinct patterns which result from
the particular combination of soils, topography and aspect. The protected and moist gullies with pockets of
accumulated deep, fertile soils carry a wet sclerophyll forest of tall eucalypts with an understorey of rainforest
plants. Moving up onto the sandstone slopes the soils become thin, sandy and dry and the vegetation changes
to open dry sclerophyll forest with a shrubby flowering understorey. Where the top of the ridge is also
sandstone and exposed and dry, the forest becomes drier and more open towards the top until it changes to
a heath in the most exposed areas. By contrast, where the sandstone of the slopes gives way to a clay capping
on the ridge, the forest becomes taller, moister and more closed as it becomes the wet sclerophyll forest with
mainly grassy understorey of the ridge.
16
4.3 Wetlands and Swamps
Conditions
In Lane Cove, wetlands occur in distinctive zones bordering the river where there is very moist soil, usually
with periodic inundation by the tides or creek flows (see diagram on previous page). The nature of the
communities and their particular species varies with the height and distance from the water (which determines
moisture levels in the soil) and the amount of freshwater input from creeks (determining the salinity of the
soil).
Associated with bodies of freshwater are a different type of wetland with different species to those which
tolerate the salt water along the river. There are also small swamps in patches of poor drainage in bushland
areas.
Communities and Species
Mangroves occur in the zone closest to the water
with the taller Grey Mangrove, Avicennia marina,
next to the water and the shorter River Mangrove,
Aegiceras corniculatum, on the inland side where
there is better aeration in the soil (it does not have
the pneumatophores of the Grey Mangrove). Both
mangroves have thick, tough leaves with
mechanisms to excrete the salt they take in with their
water. They both also bear seeds which have swollen
and begun to grow before they are shed, a
mechanism to allow quick establishment in the soft
mud. Salt marsh areas behind the mangroves have
very high salt concentrations as evaporation of the
high tide water leaves the salt behind. Thus these
areas support only the various grasses and sedges
which have adaptations to high salt levels.
Casuarinas Inland and a little upslope from the
saltmarsh, where it is less salty, is the zone of Swamp
Oak, Casuarina glauca, sometimes with Paperbarks.
Freshwater wetlands occur in Lane Cove mainly
where artificial dams have created small bodies of
fresh water. These carry water plants such as
Pondweed and Duckweed, as well as swamp species
such as Bullrushes, Typha australis, around the edge.
Swamps may occur in areas with poor drainage and
plants in such areas must adapt to waterlogging ie.
lack of aeration in the soil, and often to quite acid
conditions in the soil.
Fruit or ‘nut’ of
Casuatina littoralis
Juncus ptismatocarpus
Remnants
Mangroves are found along much of the shoreline, especially upstream of Figtree Bridge. Excellent examples
of the full range of communities in a zonation pattern are found along the River Walk to the North of
Blackman Park and in Tambourine Bay on the east side of the creek.
A small freshwater wetland is found on the lake formed by the dam on Stringy Bark Creek There are some
patches of swamp related to poor drainage in Warraroon Reserve above the stone bridge.
17
4.4 Wet Sclerophyll Forest
Conditions
These are eucalypt forests in moister conditions and generally with reasonably deep, fertile soils, either on
the ridges with clay soils or in the more protected gullies where there is a build-up of alluvium. These
differences in location produce two different communities.
There is often confusion between ‘rainforest’ and the vegetation of the moist gullies. In Lane Cove the
communities in the moist gullies are ‘sclerophyll’ because their major trees are eucalypts. The understorey
in these areas often contains species which have rainforest characteristics but this does not mean the area is
a rainforest.
Communities
The association of the clay ridges was Blue Gum with Blackbutt where it is drier, and also with Turpentine.
In the moist gullies the community is dominated by Turpentine, Blackbutt and Red Mahogany with
‘rainforest’ understorey species including Coachwood, Lillypilly, Cheese Tree and Pittosporum.
Plant Characteristics
Wet Sclerophyll Forest Plants
Wet sclerophyll, or tall open, forest is found in conditions between those of rainforest and those of the dry
scIerophyIl forest. Thus the plant characteristics lie between the two extremes. The dominant trees are
18
eucalypts with their leathery leaves but many of the rainforest understorey plants with the bigger, softer and
greener leaves are found below.
However, the trees are taller and straighter with denser canopies than in the dry sclerophyll as there is plenty
of moisture and the soils are fertile.
Tall straight trunks result from denser growth of plants and less light. This is found at its greatest extreme in
a rainforest where the competition for light forces trees to grow very tall and straight with few side branches
and a small but dense canopy head. At the other extreme, the openness of vegetation in a woodland, such as
the dry sclerophyll, allows trees to twist in various directions and develop numerous side branches.
SOME COMMON LANE COVE NATIVE EXAMPLES
Ceratopetalum gummiferum
Eucalyptus pilularis
Eucalyptus saligna
Omalanthus populifolius
Syncarpia glomulifera
Eucalyptus pilularis
Christmas Bush
Blackbutt
Sydney Blue Gum
Bleeding Heart Tree
Turpentine
Rainforest Plants
Lane Cove has no actual rainforest but it has quite a number of areas where the major trees are eucalypts
(hence ‘sclerophyll’ forest) with an understorey of ‘rainforest’ plants. Rainforest plants live in a sheltered
environment, in valleys under the taller trees, where there is shelter, warm temperatures and plenty of
moisture. They do not have to conserve moisture: frequently they have to be able to shed it quickly so that it
doesn’t weigh the plant down. Thus these plants tend to have broad, glossy deep green leaves which are often
soft to touch. They may have a downward sloping point at the tip, a ‘drip tip’ for shedding water and a leaf
shape which channels the water to this tip.
These plants also often have quite dense canopies (foliage cover) as there is plenty of moisture for a lot of
leaves. This canopy increases the shade below so that there is often little growing on the ground below these
plants, apart from ferns.
Most plants flower most brightly in the sun. As the rainforest plants live in shady environments, their flowers
tend to be small and white to cream colours. However, they do then bear berries or fruits which may be
luscious, fleshy and varied in colour. The berries shine amongst the deep foliage to attract birds to eat the
berries and disperse the seed.
(Found as understorey in wet sclerophyll forest)
Acmena smithii
Backhousia myrtifolia
Cyathea australis
Cyathea cooperi
Elaeocarpus reticulatus
Ficus rubiginosa
Glochidion ferdinandi
Pitiosporum revolutum
Piuosporum undulatum
Smilax australis
Tristaniopsis laurina
Lilly Pilly
Grey Myrtle
Rough Tree Fern
Tree Fern
Blueberry Ash
Port Jackson Fig
Cheese Tree
Yellow Pittosporum
Mock Orange
Lawyer Vine
Water Gum
Acmena smithii
19
Rainforest plants are generally killed outright by fire. Fires will burn the edges of these wet areas but rarely
extend far into their moist environment. Thus these plants have not developed adaptations to survive fire.
Remnants
There is a small vestige of the clay ridge Blue Gum and Blackbutt association in the upper part of Stringy
Bark Creek in, and just downstream of, Stringy Bark Reserve, as well as in the very upper part of Bushland
Park near Ronald Avenue. The moist gully association can be seen in the middle section of Bushland Park.
4.5 Dry Sclerophyll Forest:
Conditions
Dry sclerophyll forest is open eucalypt forest on the dry, infertile sandstone soils of the valley slopes. Thus
it has many plants with adaptations to dry conditions.
‘Sclerophyll’ means having hard, leathery leaves, such as eucalypts have. Dry sclerophyll forest plants exhibit
characteristics which contrast directly with rainforest plants in almost every way as they live in an
environment where water is scarce and must be conserved. Thus the leaves are not only hard and leathery
but may be small or narrow to reduce water loss from transpiration. They may also have a waxy coating for
the same reason. Leaf colour is a dull drab olive green giving the typical look of the Australian bush.
In the natural forest trees are not tall and their canopy, or foliage cover, is often quite open as their sandstone
soils lack both the water and fertility for growing dense leaf cover or tall trees. Thus they let plenty of light
and sun through to lower levels allowing the growth of many understorey plants. Sydney sandstone vegetation
is quite remarkable for the variety (diversity) of plants which have developed in such an inhospitable
environment. The understorey plants carry a wonderful variety of bright flowers, also an indication of the
openness of their environment where the sun can reach them.
These forests were frequently burnt and the plants have developed a variety of mechanisms to survive fire
while some have come to depend on the fire occurring to reproduce or grow successfully. Plants such as
eucalypts have normally dormant (epicormic) buds below the surface of their bark. Those parts of the trunk
and branches which are not damaged by a fire can sprout new growth from these buds. They may also use
this mechanism after other forms of damage such as a severe storm or insect/fungal attack. Many of the trees
have either a thick bark or a white reflective bark to protect against the heat of fire or their climatic situation.
There are many shrubs in these dry sclerophyll areas which are killed above the ground by a fire but their
roots survive. These shrubs then resprout at ground level from the lignotubers. Yet other plants need a fire
to effectively spread their seeds or open the hard casing to let the seed germinate. Banksia plants are killed
by a fire but the seed pods on their cones only open properly with the strong heat of a fire to release plenty
of seeds for new plants. As the new plants do not grow under the shade of a parent plant, it fits neatly that
the fire kills the parent plant.
Acacias (wattles) produce seed with a very hard seed coat for protection while it remains in the soil for years
till the right conditions come for it to germinate and grow. A fire is required to crack open this hard seed
coat and the fire also provides the ‘right’ conditions of open ground with plenty of sun and an ash bed with
nutrients for plant growth. Many other small flowering plants also require these conditions to germinate and
grow.
Communities
The lower slopes which have more moisture, more shade and more soil washed down from above support a
community dominated by Smoothbarked Apple (or Sydney Red Gum) and Sydney Peppermint, sometimes
20
Acacia floribunda
Acacia longifolia
Acacia parramauensis
Allocasuarina littoralis
Allocasuarina torulosa
Angophora bakeri
Angophora costata
Angophora floribunda
Banksia ericifolia
Banksia integrifolia.
Banksia marginata
Banksia serrata
Crowea saligna
Eucalyptus globoidea
Eucalyptus gummifera
Eucalyptus haemastoma
Eucalyptus paniculata
Eucalyptus piperita
Eucalyptus punctata
Epacris longiflora
Grevillea linearifolia
Hakea dactyloides
Lambertia formosa
Persoonia levis
Sally Wattle
Sydney Golden Wattle
Wattle
Black She-Oak
Forest She-Oak
Narrow-Leafed Apple
Sydney Red Gum
Rough Barked Apple
Heath Banksia
Coast Banksia
Silver Banksia
Old Man Banksia
Pink Waxflower
White Stringybark
Red Bloodwood
Scribbly Gum
Grey Ironbark
Sydney Peppermint
Grey Gum
Native Fuschia
White Spider Rower
Hakea
Mountain Devil
Broad-leaved Geebung
Epacris longitlora
with Blackbutts where the soil is deeper. The upper slopes communities which tend to be hotter and drier
with least soil accumulation, sometimes called transition to heath, are dominated by Scribbly Gum, Narrowleaved Apple and Red Bloodwood.
Remnants
The lower slopes community is our major remnant plant community in Lane Cove as these were in the gullies
left undeveloped due to their slope. This community can be found in most of the reserves.
There is less of the upper slopes community but there are some patches north of Epping Road, east of Pindaroo
Place.
Hakea dactyloides
Hakea sericea
4.6 Heath
Conditions
Heath is found in the harshest environmental conditions ie. where it is most exposed and driest with the
shallowest, least fertile soils. Thus heath faces environmental conditions even more extreme than the dry
sclerophyll forest. It is found on the lower exposed sandstone ridge tops where the soils are extremely thin
21
and very poor, often only in pockets on shelves of sandstone. The plants have developed a number of
characteristics to survive these very harsh conditions of exposure to heat and drying winds, lack of soils and
nutrients and lack of moisture in the soil.
With the lack of moisture and nutrients, heath has very few trees. It consists mainly of a dense shrub layer
up to two metres high. The dense compact growth of the shrubs reduces exposure of the ground and individual
plants to wind and sun and creates a cooler, more humid microclimate. The leaves have varied mechanisms
to also reduce water loss through transpiration. Many heath plants have very small leaves or needle-like
leaves and some rely on very hard leathery leaves. Others have fine hairs on the underside of the leaf to
create a layer of still air around the stomata (the “holes” through which the plant loses its water in
transpiration).
To find water and survive in shallow soils many have a wide spreading shallow root system and others store
moisture in an underground stem, or lignotuber. The lignotuber also provides for regrowth after a fire has
destroyed the plant. As a dry area community, heath has always experienced fire and its plants have various
adaptations to survive occasional fires. Fire can even be important to clear away dense but old growth and
allow new plants to germinate and grow. However, very frequent fire can expose these areas to erosion and
loss of the few soils and nutrients they have.
Heath tends to grow in one relatively even height layer. With such exposure to the sun, the plants have also
developed a wide array of bright flowers.
Banksia ericifolia
Banksia marginata
Kunzea ambigua
Heath-leaved Banksia
Silver Banksia
Kunzea
Banksia ericifolia
Communities
Our remaining heath is a tall heath type (to 2m) with small trees and shrubs including Banksias, Tea Trees
and Kunzea.
Remnants
Heath is usually found on the most exposed parts of the upper slopes and ends of the ridges on sandstone,
although pockets can be found on sandstone shelves in dry sclerophyll forest. There is very little remaining
in Lane Cove as the ridges and upper slopes are mainly developed, but some can be seen on Manns Point,
Greenwich around the grassy picnic reserve and lookout, and there are small pockets amongst the upper
slopes dry sclerophyll forest.
4.7 Missing Communities
The major missing communities are heath and the Blue Gum High Forest of the ridges now covered by
development. This forest consisted dominantly of Blue Gum and Blackbutt in differing proportions according
to aspect and other factors. The ground below these tall forests appears to have been mainly grasses and
ferns. The major existing remnants of this type of vegetation, once covering the ridges of the North Shore,
22
are the Dalrymple-Hay State Forest at St Ives, the Cumberland State Forest at West Pennant Hills and the
Ludovic Blackwood Sanctuary at Beecroft.
Also largely missing from Lane Cove is another clay soil community – that of Red Stringybark, Grey Gum,
and Turpentine, There is a remnant of this community in Twin Road Forest in East Ryde.
Stands of Forest Oak were also once found on the clay ridges of the upper North Shore but Lane Cove does
not have any of this community now, if it did originally.
Most of the trees of the clay ridges were valuable timber species and the major economic activity on the
North Shore for at least the first forty years of settlement was timber cutting in its forests. For example, much
of our Turpentine became the piles for Sydney’s wharves as it was found to be resistant to marine borer and
the Forest Oak provided the shingles for the roofs of many settlers houses. Timber-cutting then gradually
gave way to farming and the grand forests disappeared.
However, although the communities have gone, there are still existing individual trees of the species which
comprised these communities, including a number in the grounds of schools located on the ridges.
4.8 Changing Communities
In the areas of remaining native vegetation in Lane Cove there are many areas where the communities have
changed since settlement brought changes to some of the conditions which affect them. There have been two
major changes:
1. The change of areas from true dry sclerophyll with typical dry sclerophyll understorey plants (many of
the lovely flowering plants of the Sydney sandstone flora) to areas which have the dry sclerophyll trees,
such as Smooth-barked Apple, with wet sclerophyll understorey of ‘rainforest’ species. Dry sclerophyll
forest seems to be acquiring wet sclerophyll understorey for two reasons:
* In many locations stormwater from developed areas flows directly into dry sclerophyll bush slopes
from pipes, off roads etc bringing much greater amounts of moisture than were present previously.
* The bush now rarely experiences fire. This enables some species, such as Pittosporum, which are
normally killed by fire and used to grow in the wetter areas which were not burnt, to expand into the
drier areas. These ‘rainforest’ type species have a much denser canopy than the dry sclerophyll species
and they then shade out the usual species of these areas. With the increased shade, conditions become
moister encouraging still more ‘wet’ species to grow.
Thus many dry sclerophyll understorey species, including both flowering shrubs and herbs, are becoming
rarer in Lane Cove, as well as disappearing entirely from some reserves.
2. Along the river foreshore communities have changed as sedge marsh and reed beds have given way to
mangroves. This has occurred as settlement has provided very favourable conditions for the growth of
mangroves. Settlement has put into the river great quantities of silt, eroded from roads and cleared land,
and nutrients. Thus mangroves have grown on new mudflats along the river’s edge as well as taking over
former saltmarsh areas. This happened in the mouth of Stoney Creek (now Blackman Park) which, in the
1880s was still the wide, open mouth of a creek with a few clumps of reeds and mangroves. By the time
it was designated as a rubbish tip in the 1950’s the whole area was filled with mangroves. Change from
saltmarsh to mangroves has
occurred extensively opposite on
the Ryde shore in Buffalo Creek
and Kittys Creek. Most of the rest
Acacia longifolia,
of our foreshores where silt has
Sydney Golden Wattle,
accumulated, have acquired far
named for its long, narrow leaves,
more extensive stands or fringes
or foliage
of mangroves than they carried in
1788.
23
NATIVE MAMMALS KNOWN TO OCCUR IN KU-RING-GAI CHASE
BANTRY BAY AND THE LANE COVE VALLEY, 1978
Scientific Name
MARSUPALIA
Dasyuridae
Antechinus stuenii
Paramedilae
Parameles nasuta
Isoodon obesulus
Phalangeridae
Trichosaurus vutpecula
Burramyidea
Cercartetus nanus
Aerobates pygmaeus
Petauridae
Petaurus breviceps
Pseudocheirus peregrinus
Macropodidae
Wallabia bicolor
Macropus rufogriseus
Phascolarchidaae
Phascolaretos cinereus
RODENTIA
Muridae
Rattus fuscipes
Rattus lutreolus
Hydromys chrysogaster
Pseydomys novaehollandiae
MONOTREMATA
Tachyglossidae
Tachyglossus aculeatus
Ornithorhynchidae
Ornithorhynchus anatinus
TOTAL CONFIRMED SPECIES
Ku-ring-gai
Chase
Bantry
Bay
Lane Cove
Valley
Stuart's marsupial mouse
+
+
+
Long-nosed bandicoot
Short-nosed bandicoot
+
+
+
+
Brush-tailed possum
+
+
+
Pygmy possum
Feather-tail glider
+
+
Sugar Glider
Ringtailed possum
+
+
+
+
+
Swamp wallaby
Red-necked wallaby
+
+ (i)
Koala
+
Southern bush rat
Eastern swamp rat
Eastern water rat
New Holland mouse
+
+ (ii)
+
+
+
Spiny anteater (Echidna)
+
+
+
Platypus
+ (iii)
7
6
Common Name
17
+
(data from all available sources)
(Order as In Kirsch and Calaby, 1977, based on Ride, 1970)
Notes
(i) may be escapees
(ii) first record for Ku-ring-gai: Sept., 1977, A.B. Rose, N.P.W.S.
(iii) actually in Muogamurra Reserve, adjacent to Ku-ring-gai Chase
24
Table from: Sarah Stephens, The Impact of Man on the Mammals and Birds of the Lane Cove River
Valley, Centre for Environmental Studies, Macquarie University, 1978.
The Animals of Lane Cove
5. THE ANIMALS OF LANE COVE
5.1 Wildlife in the City
Animals are the least frequently seen part of the natural environment and, for this reason, often the most
exciting when we do see them. Many people, especially children, enjoy finding and observing animals of all
sizes from the industrious ant to a speeding kangaroo or a cuddly koala.
We tend to believe that cities have no wildlife left apart from insects and birds. Yet the recent NSW Urban
Wildlife Survey found considerably more than this in many urban areas, if we just stop to observe it.
The most obvious component of the wildlife is the birds, dealt with in a separate chapter, but there are other
animals which have survived development. Some prefer their native bushland habitats, highlighting the
importance of our bushland remnants. A few have adapted to suburbia so well that they are more common
there than in their natural habitat.
No study has yet been done to determine the currently existing species and population numbers of mammals,
reptiles and amphibians specifically in Lane Cove. Such studies are difficult to undertake as, unlike plants,
animals do not stay in one place. In addition, many of our animals, particularly the mammals, are hard to
find because they are nocturnal and most of the survivors are those which are small or have been best able
to hide from their many predators. The information in this chapter represents the best estimate based on
available information in the absence of such a study. The poor known or assumed status of most of the animals
listed in this chapter and in Appendices 6.1 – 6.3 illustrates the enormous impact of the loss of habitat to
settlement and predation by introduced animals. These lists do not include those animals which became
extinct in the area some years ago.
For further information on the Urban Wildlife Survey and other general remarks on wildlife in the suburbs,
see Urban Wildlife of NSW.
5.2 The Mammals of Lane Cove
Of all our wildlife, mammals have been the most severely affected by the spread of settlement. In areas such
as Lane Cove where the remaining bushland is long and narrow, most larger mammals cannot survive as
there is both insufficient area to support them and too much pressure from surrounding suburbs and their
people.
Yet those which have survived, mainly tree dwellers or smaller bush dwellers, are quite common well
supported by the remnant bush and gardens of our suburbs.
As clearing and settlement, first for farms then for suburbs, began in this area over 170 years ago, Lane Cove
long ago lost the large familiar mammals such as kangaroos, wallabies and koalas. The platypus could not
survive when streams became muddy and polluted by stormwater outfalls and detergents which destroy the
waterproofing of their fur. Ground dwelling native cats and bandicoots also gradually disappeared as bushland
areas constricted.
Today bushland of the Lane Cove Valley has far fewer species of mammals than Ku-ring-gai Chase (an area
with a very similar natural environment), even in the larger areas of bushland in the upper part of the Valley
(see table opposite). In Lane Cove Municipality there would be few bandicoots and echidnas left. However,
our mixture of bushland pockets and plentifully treed gardens suits possums and bats very well and they are
frequently seen and heard in the evenings.
The major native survivors in all animal groups are those which are small and well camouflaged so that they
can hide from predators, or are protected from predators by spikey armour (echidna) or by living in trees
(possums, bats and sugar gliders). The major enemies of the native animals are introduced and feral animals,
particularly foxes and cats. To find most native animals requires keen observation of the signs of their
presence. Our native mammals are mainly nocturnal but the various signs of animal presence can often be
25
seen on walks eg. nests, droppings, sounds. In the evening possums and bats can often be seen around the
house and garden and animals may occasionally be spotted in the bush if observers are very quiet.
All three major groups of Australian mammals, monotremes, marsupials and placental mammals are
represented in Lane Cove. Animals known to be, or possibly, still present in Lane Cove are listed in each
grouping with an indication of their status as known.
Monotremes
Echidna (Spiny anteater)
Tachyglossus aculaetus
Unlikely
Antechinus stuartii
Unlikely
Echidnas are ant and termite eaters. They are mainly diurnal but often also active at night. At any danger
they roll into a ball, presenting only their spiky armour. They have distinctive cylindrical droppings which
are large and full of ant shells – a good sign to look for as indicating their presence.
Marsupials
Stuart’s Marsupial Mouse
(Brown Antechinus)
Long-nosed Bandicoot
Sugar Glider
Feathertail Glider
Ring-tailed Possum
Brush-tailed Possum
Eastern Pygmy Possum
Perameles nasuta
Petaurus breviceps
Acrobates pygmaeus
Trichosurus vulpecula
Cercartetus nanus
Unlikely
Predicted
Unlikely
Common
Common
Unlikely
Feathertail Glider
Marsupial mice are mouse size but very different. They have slender tails and short broad feet. They also
have a mouth full of sharp teeth (house mice have chisel-like gnawing teeth) as they are carnivores eating
insects and lizards. They are nocturnal and live on the ground, often in hollow logs or under debris.
Bandicoots live on the ground digging small conical holes with their forelimbs. They then explore the hole
with their pointed snout to eat earthworms and insects. They are nocturnal and live in a well-hidden nest
during the day but the holes they dig in search of food can be found. They have not been sighted for many
years in Lane Cove and may not be present any more.
The Brush-tail Possum is the most common local possum and they are active at night in trees (and house
ceilings). They are vegetarian, eating fruits, buds, bark and eucalypt leaves. They are territorial and solitary,
often having noisy disputes over territory.
Ring-tail Possums also live in trees and are active at night, using their ‘prehensile’ tails to grip braches almost
like a 5th leg. They sometimes make nests, called dreys, which can be seen in the bushland in the dense but
fine leafed foliage of trees such as Banksia ericifolia and Kunzea ambigua. Although they are territorial, they
are much more sociable than brushtails and sometimes share nests. Their diet is similar to the Brush-tail.
Unlike the Brush-tail, they rarely nest in houses.
If possums are heard thumping across the roof at night, they can be located by quietly searching the area
they were last heard in with a torch. Their eyes glow brightly in the torchlight when located.
Gliders are possums with a membrane of fur-covered skin stretched from the hand to the feet to enable them
to glide from tree to tree. They are both small and hard to find with the Feather-tail particularly small and
secretive. The Sugar Glider is nocturnal and eats gum (sugars) exuded from eucalypts and acacias (wattles)
as well as flowers, fruits and insects. They are social animals and often live in groups of up to seven or eight.
26
Brushtails are larger than Ringtails
with a thick, dark bushy tail. The
Ringtail has a tapering tail, the end
third of which is white.
BATS AND GLIDERS
There are three groups of possums and some species in each group are gliding possums. There are
two groups of bats: large fruit-eating bats and small insect eating bats. All bats fly. There are some
important ways bats and gliding possums are the same and important ways they are different.
SIMILARITIES
1. They are mammals: warm-blooded, furry, giving birth to baby young which suck their mother's
milk.
2. They feed at night.
3. Most have only one young each year.
4. All species are protected in NSW.
5. Their survival is threatened from loss of habitat due to clearing of trees and forests.
6. They do not harm people or spread disease.
BATS
DIFFERENCES
1. Bats are placental mammals.
2. Bats are the only mammal which can truly fly
and whose major means of movement is flight.
3. Wing is a thin membrane from shoulder to tips
of specially elongated forearms and forearms
and fingers which are enclosed in the wing
and make it move.
4. Wings are flapped in flight and long
distances can be covered.
GLIDERS
Gliders are marsupial mammals.
They only glide short distances between trees.
They have a skin flap stretched between the
outer edge of the hand and the ankle.
The flap is held outstretched as they first leap,
then glide.
Sugar Glider
Grey-headed Flying Fox
27
Placental Mammals
Fruit Bats or Megabats
Little Red Flying Fox
Pteropus poliocephalus
Pteropus scapulatus
Common
Predicted
Microbats
Gould’s Long-eared Bat
Lesser Long-eared Bat
Gould’s Wattled Bat
White-striped Mastiff Bat
Nyctophilus gouldii
Nyctophilus geoffroyi
Chalinolobus gouldii
Tadarida australis
Occasional
Common
Common
Occasional
Bats are the only mammals which can fly, unlike the possums which only glide short distances between trees
(see the table on the previous page for other similarities and differences).
Megabats, also known as Fruit Bats (after their eating habits) or Flying Foxes (after their appearance) are
larger bats with large eyes and a long ‘dog-like’ snout. They do not echo-locate (use a type of sound radar
for navigation) but have very good vision with their large eyes. They live in large colonies (eg. at Gordon)
and at night disperse to feed on fruits and blossoms. They have a bad reputation with orchardists for
decimating valuable fruit crops. However, their preferred food is eucalypt blossom and native fruits and
berries, especially from rainforest species. They only raid orchards when natural food sources are scarce.
Microbats are also nocturnal but they are small, with small eyes and they use ultrasonic pulses for navigation
(echolocation) and to catch insects, their major food source.
There may also be native rats in Lane Cove but they have not been found in any recent survey.
5.3 The Reptiles of Lane Cove
Reptiles are a fascinating group of animals, variously ignored, maligned or feared. Yet they are a common
component of urban wildlife, more frequently and easily seen than the mammals.
Many reptiles, which include lizards, snakes and turtles, have a number of interesting body adaptations which
allow them to live in a variety of harsh and difficult environments. Such adaptations include a skin which
seems dry and leathery but is actually a series of tiny interlocking scales which both protects them against
predators and conserves water. This skin is relatively inflexible so that it is shed each year to allow for growth,
or more frequently by young animals.
The following describes the various groups of reptiles and lists those found in Lane Cove.
Lizards
Lizards are the largest group of reptiles. They are distinguished by having:
* legs
* a fleshy whole tongue (although it is forked in goannas)
* a tail as long, or longer, than the body
* an external ear opening
* food mainly insects with some leaves and flowers; large lizards also eat small snakes, frogs and nestling
birds (which they tear and grind, unlike snakes which swallow whole)
There are five different families of lizards: goannas, skinks, geckoes, dragons and legless lizards.
GOANNAS
Lace Monitor
Sand Goanna
28
Varanus varius
Varanus gouldii
Unlikely
Unlikely
Goannas, or monitor lizards, are diurnal and some of the group, up to 2 metres long, are the largest lizards
in Australia. The 30 species of monitor lizards in Australia represents three-quarters of the world’s total.
They have well developed limbs and claws with a long neck and tail and coarse skin.
The long neck enables them to draw back a long way before making a quick dart at their prey.
SKINKS
Garden Skink
Three-Toed Skink
Fence Skink
Copper-tailed Skink
Cunningham’s Skink
White’s Skink
Skink
Weasel Skink
Red-Throated Skink
Eastern Water Skink
Yellow-bellied Skink
Eastern Blue-tongue
L. guichenoti
Saiphos equalis
Cryptoblepharus virgatus
Ctenotus taeniolatus
Egernia cunninghamii
Egernia whuii
Lamphropholis delicata
L. mustelina
Leilopismaplatynota
Sphenomorphus quoyii
S. tenuis
Tiliqua scinoides
Common
Common
Occasional
Rare
Predicted
Predicted
Common
Common
Rare
Common
Occasional
Occasional
Blue-tongue
Lizard
Skinks are the largest group of reptiles in Australia. They are generally fairly smooth-scaled, often appearing
shiny. Most are active during the day and have short, well developed legs and a short, round body. Small
skinks are very agile and dart into cover when alarmed. Larger skinks rely more on threatening poses, such
as baring a brightly coloured mouth, enlarging the neck area or making hissing noises.
GECKOES
Wood Gecko
Leseur’s Velvet Gecko
Southern Leaf-tailed Gecko
Thick-tailed Gecko
Diplodactylus vittalus
Oedural eseurii
Phyllurus plalurus
Underwoodisaurus milii
Unlikely
Rare
Occasional
Predicted
Leaf-tailed Gecko
Geckoes are small lizards, usually nocturnal, sheltering beneath logs and stones or under loose bark on trees
during the day. Their feet may be clawed or have circular pads enabling them to climb smooth surfaces and
cling to the underside of tree limbs, rocks etc. The tail of some species looks like the head. The tail can be
discarded if the gecko is attacked, and a new one grown.
DRAGONS
Jacky Lizard
Bearded Dragon
Eastern Water Dragon
Amphibolurus muricatus Predicted
Amphibolurus barbatus Unlikely
Physignathus leseurii
Occasional
LEGLESS LIZARDS
Burton’s Legless Lizard
Common Scaly-Foot
Lialis burtonis
Pygopus lepidopus
Dragons generally have a rough scaly skin and crests or frills around the neck and head which are often used,
together with a brightly coloured mouth, in a threatening display. They are active during the day and generally
on the ground but many are capable of climbing and swimming.
Rare
Unlikely
This is a small group of lizards unique to Australia with no forelimbs and the hindIimbs reduced to a flap.
They look very like snakes but can be distinguished from them by a number of features including a broad
fleshy tongue (snake tongues are forked) and uniform scales round the body (snakes have broad scales on
the belly).
29
Snakes
The outstanding difference between lizards and snakes is in the structure of the lower jaw which allows an
amazing amount of distension for the snake to swallow animals larger than its own head whole. With no
limbs the rest of the body has no bony structure to constrict the passage of large meals down the body.
Other distinctive features of snakes are:
* A thin forked tongue which darts in and out to take particles from the air to test – its sense of smell.
* Small finely pointed teeth to grip their prey (not for cutting or chewing).
* Smooth sinuous movement with the entire body following the same path, enabling it to creep up on its prey
without disturbing it. The movement occurs through a series of waves of muscles which lift small sections
of the body and push it along.
* A tendency to hibernate in winter.
Most snakes are not venomous to adult humans. Even if they are venomous they prefer to escape rather than
attack. They will bite if injured or startled, cornered or taunted. If snakes are encountered they are best just
observed and allowed to move or escape as they wish.
There are four major groups of snakes:
BLIND SNAKES
Blind Snake
Rhamphotyphlops nigrescensRare
(formerly Typhelina nigrescens)
Blind Snakes live mainly below ground and under rocks and are very similar to earthworms in appearance.
They eat termites and ants and their eggs.
PYTHONS
Diamond Python
Morelia spilotes ssp. spilotes Predicted
Pythons are non-venomous but with powerful bodies which twist around their prey to choke it.
Their tail is prehensile (used for gripping). There are only a small number of python species in Australia,
mostly in northern Australia but they include Australia’s largest snakes (up to 6 metres long).
COLUBRID SNAKES
Common Tree Snake
Dendralaphis punctulatus
Predicted
These are harmless snakes which have either no fangs or rear fangs so positioned it is difficult to inflict a
bite on humans. They also have a prehensile tail. Although common in other parts of the world, there are
only a few species in Australia.
ELAPID SNAKES
*Common Death Adder
Golden-Crowned Snake
Yellow-Faced Whip Snake
Red-Naped Snake
*Black-Bellied Swamp Snake
*Eastern Tiger Snake
*Red-Bellied Black Snake
Acanthopis antarticus
Cacophis squamulosus
Demansia psammophis
Furina diadema
Hemiaspis signata
Notechis scutatus
Pseudechis porphryiachus
Predicted
Unlikely
Predicted
Unlikely
Unlikely
Predicted
Occasional
Red-bellied Black Snake
Elapid snakes have front fangs which are well positioned for injecting venom. They are the largest group of
snakes in Australia. Although most are not dangerous, some of them are amongst the world’s deadliest snakes.
Those which are dangerous amongst the Lane Cove snakes above are marked with a *.
30
Turtles
Turtles are predominantly aquatic. In Australia they fall into two main groups: the long necks and the short
necks. Both appear similar with a retractable neck and webbed, clawed feet which can all be withdrawn into
the shell in times of danger. They spend most of their time in the water but may be found crossing dry country
to get from one swamp to another. There is only one species of turtle in Lane Cove:
Long-Necked Tortoise
Chelodina longicollis
5.4. The Amphibians of Lane Cove
Rare
There are approximately 200 species of frogs in Australia, of which 9 are found in Lane Cove. All frogs have
the same basic body shape but they vary in other ways, particularly in size and colour patterns. As colour for
camouflage is an important protection, frog colour frequently relates to habitat. Many of the NSW tree frogs
are green with pale white or yellow underbelly and the ground frogs are brown, black or putty colour.
There are two major families of frogs which have different characteristics, discussed below. Both families
are represented in Lane Cove.
Leptodactylidae (Myobactrachidae) – Ground Dwellers
The ground dwelling frogs have skins which are rougher and may have raised bumps. They do not have
suction caps as they do not climb but live on, or below, the ground. Their colours are duller earth colours but
many have distinctive striped or spotted patterns.
Common Eastern Froglet
Giant Burrowing Frog
Eastern Banjo Frog
Striped Marsh Frog
Red-Crowned Toadlet
Ranidella signifera
Helsioporus australiacus
Limnodynastes durnerillii
Limnodynastesperonii
Pseudophyrne australis
Hylidae – Tree Dwelling Frogs
Occasional
Unlikely
Common
Occasional
Unlikely
Frogs of this group are distinctive for their smooth skins and small suction caps on their fingers and toes
which allow them to climb trees and stick to vertical surfaces or upside down. Although these frogs need
water for breeding, they are often found well away from water, even in homes and garages.
Leseur’s Frog
Peron’s Tree Frog
Leaf Green Tree Frog
Verreaux’s Tree Frog
Litoria leseurii
Litoria peronii
Litoriaphyllochroa
Litoria verreauxii
5.5 Fish of the Lane Cove River
Predicted
Unlikely
Predicted
Unlikely
Tree Frog
Over 50 species of fish were found in the Lane Cove River in a 1977 study (see Appendix 6.4). Yet the Lane
Cove River bordering Lane Cove Municipality provides two different environments for aquatic life which
affects the number and type of fish found there. Below Figtree Bridge the river is estuarine ie. its salinity is
close to that of seawater and it includes the variety of marine microenvironments required to support a
diversity of marine life, including a diversity of fish species.
There is deep water, shallows with mudflats and sea grasses, rocky shores and mangrove flats. This section
of the river thus supports a range of fish species and is important as a nursery area for juvenile fish such as
flathead, Whiting, sand mullet, leatherjacket and silver biddy.
Above the Figtree Bridge area is a more riverine environment as the freshwater component of the water
increases. Species in this section must be euryhaline (able to tolerate both fresh and salt water) and diversity,
31
or the number of different species, drops as does abundance (the total number of fish). Here the most common
species are the flat-tail mullet and the sea mullet.
Prawns and various types of shellfish have also been common in the river in the past but are less common
today.
5.6 Insects and Spiders
Butterflies are the only part of the invertebrate world appreciated by most people. The rest are generally
despised as a nuisance when they invade our homes and gardens or regarded with terror as the deadliness of
the funnel-web and red-back spiders is transferred to all other spider species.
Recent documentary and television programmes have shown us what an amazing world of invertebrates
exists around us. Many have evolved complex behaviour patterns and relationships with plants or other
animals. They play a very important role in the health of natural systems in many different ways from the
pollination of plants to the breaking down of plant and animal remains.
Insect populations out of control are an indication of imbalance in natural cycles, usually induced by the
activities of people.
Actual species found in Lane Cove are not detailed in this
section but there are many varieties of butterflies, moths, beetles
and spiders to be found, as well as grasshoppers, ladybirds,
cicadas, flies, wasps, praying mantids, crickets, dragonflies and
bugs (insects which suck). There are also termites, ants,
cockroaches and various other insects on the ground and in the
leaf litter. See references for works which provide detail to help
identify many of these creatures which can be found anywhere
there are earth and plants.
5.7 Introduced Animals
Praying Mantis
Introduced animals have become very prevalent in urban bushland reserves, in the same way as introduced
plants (weeds or feral plants) have taken over the vegetation in many areas. At the same time as we have
disturbed the native animals and reduced their habitat, we have also introduced a number of animals which
can outcompcte the natives. However, the damage which feral animals are doing to our wildlife is less easy
to see than the damaging effects of weeds. Native mammals are mainly nocturnal and all the animals are shy
and tend to hide, even when they are present. How difficult it is to then assess how great the damage is to
their numbers in any given area!
The major impact of introduced herbivores is to compete with natives for food supply and habitat.
Some species reproduce so prolifically that they can quickly outstrip native populations and place great
demands on food resources. Carnivorous species, on the other hand, such as cats and faxes, prey directly on
native wildlife and there is likely to be a direct correlation between the numbers of these animals present in
a reserve and the damage done to wildlife. Even well-fed domestic
cats hunt instinctively and will proudly bring home their latest ‘kill’,
often a native bird or small animal. (Cat owners should always have
Fox
a bell on their cat’s collar and keep their cats inside at night when they
do much of their hunting and native mammals are active).
INTRODUCED SPECIES IN LANE COVE
Black Rat
Rattus rattus
Brown Rat
Rattus lutreolus
House Mouse
Mus musculus
Rabbit
Oryctolagus cuniculus
Fox
Vulpes vulpes
Feral/Stray cat
Felis catus
32
Occasional
Occasional
Occasional
Predicted
Common
Occasional
The Birds of Lane Cove
6.
THE BIRDS OF LANE COVE
6.1. Birds in the Environment
Birds are an important part of the natural environment, playing a vital role in various parts of the functioning
of ecosystems. Yet, people tend to value birds because they like them. They are pretty, or little and cute, or
make delightful sounds, or behave in interesting ways we can observe. We like to watch flocks of birds
wheeling and swooping across the sky, go and feed the ducks on the pond in the park with the children or
stop and listen to the variety of their calls in some quiet bushland.
They have inspired poets, artists and musicians, as well as producing in many people over the ages, the deep
desire to fly.
On the other hand, birds may not be appreciated when they eat a farmers’ fruit or grain crop or when cockatoos
and parrots attack the timber on our deck. Yet, whether loved or hated, birds are so often seen in terms of
what they do, or don’t do, for us, or to us. Due to their mobility, and the fact that they visit our gardens, they
are not often considered as part of a functioning ecosystem in the bushland and the impact of our settlement
on the birdlife is rarely realised.
Birds both play their part in the operation of the ecosystem, and are dependant on it. Birds serve their function
primarily through the food they eat, be it insects, nectar, seeds or berries.
The insect eaters are extremely important in controlling the numbers of various insects. Without the birds to
prey on them, populations of insects can explode and wreak terrible havoc on crops and native vegetation.
Practices of the past which have ignored the role of birds have resulted in significant destruction of both. For
example, it is thought that slaughter of the locust-eating Australian Bustard last century has significantly
contributed to the continuous cycle of locust plagues we now experience. It is also thought that overclearing
of bird habitat contributed to the defoliation of New England forests by Christmas Beetle and subsequent
dieback of the forests.
Other insect-eaters are the currawongs, which devour regular plagues of stick insects in the forests of Southeastern Australia, and silvereyes which eat large quantities of aphids. Insect control in your garden by birds
can be a good reason for not keeping a cat, or at least putting a bell on it, so that the birds will visit.
Like bees, honeyeaters perform a very important role in pollination of flowers by taking the pollen with them
from flower to flower. Cross-pollination from a variety of species is important to the long-term health of
vegetation, Many birds eat the seeds of plants while some birds prefer the berry fruit which many plants
bear, especially the plants of wetter areas. The birds then distribute the undigested seeds in their travels and
this ensures continued survival of the plant in many places. (In the case of birds eating the berries of weed
plants, this mechanism of dispersal is unfavourable to the bush but should encourage us to remove the weed
plants.)
6.2. The Impact of Settlement on Birds
Despite their mobility birds, like other animals,live in, and are adapted to, particular habitats. We tend to
associate birds with the tree tops but although many do live in this environment, others are ground dwellers,
both nesting and feeding there. Some spend most of their time in the air or on the water while others wander
on mudflats during the day and roost in nearby trees only at night. Many small birds like shrub habitat in
which they have plenty of protection and cover – they have neither the wing power to be constantly flying
up to the tree-tops, nor the desire to compete with the larger birds there.
Thus birds occupy different niches in the environment and many species can live in the one area with different
sources of food and different living spaces. Each species is dependant on its particular environment. Any
change in birds’ surroundings means a change in both the species mix and the numbers in each. The
disappearance or appearance of trees, bush, grass and shrubs determine whether birds survive, increase or
withdraw.
33
FOOD NICHES
Birds occupy, and gather their food from,
different parts of the environment to more
efficiently use resources and minimise
competition between species.
Birds of the air gather insects, birds in and
around the tree canopy look for insects,
seeds or nectar while others gather these in
the shrub layer, birds on the ground search
for insects or grass seeds, waders gather
small aquatic animals on the mudflats and
swimming birds dive for fish.
Settlement by people clears away large areas of bush almost completely, thus removing the habitat for many
birds until gardens and other vegetation are re-established. Settlement also has considerable impact on the
bird habitat of the remaining bushland, particularly along its edges. These impacts may be:
* Use of pesticides and herbicides on gardens, road verges, ovals etc where ground dwellers feed.
* Clearing of shrubs to create a ‘park’ with mown grass under scattered larger trees.
* Noise
* Predation by cats
* Changes in fire patterns making vegetation more, or less, dense, than individual birds prefer.
* Invasion by weeds which reduces the native food sources and changes the density of vegetation growth,
making the habitat unsuitable.
The birds most likely to be eliminated by the destruction of large areas for settlement are the largest birds as
they have the largest range (area over which they move in search of food) eg. eagles, and those whose habitat
has disappeared altogether eg. in Lane Cove, those which lived only in the forests of the shale ridges.
The birds most likely to be affected by the kinds of habitat changes listed above which occur in remaining
bushland, are the smaller birds and the ground and shrub dwellers.
Birds introduced by settlement also compete with native birds for food and habitat, sometimes taking over
certain niches. Introduced birds also tend to thrive in the more disturbed areas such as built-up areas, gardens,
weed patches etc. Common mynas, starlings and house sparrows now make up 75% of the bird population
in some suburban areas, as illustrated on the next page.
However, settlement can also benefit some native birds with greater availability of food and by providing
more of certain types of habitat such as cleared and grassed areas, ponds and lakes.
Currawongs appear to have dramaticaly increased their numbers due to the availablity of winter food berries
of introduced plants such as lantana, privet, pyracantha and camphor laurel. However currawongs then prey
on the nestlings of smaller birds. With increased currawong populations, this has probably meant large losses
in the numbers of the smaller species over the last 20 years.
34
BIRDS IN THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT
common starling
Sturnus vulgaris
before development
density of birds: 6/ha
number of species: 13
woodland is cleared
new suburb is built
striated pardalote
Pardalotus striatus
red-rumped parrot
Psephotus haematonotus
Australian magpie
Gymnorhina tibicen
density of brids: 2/ha
suburb two years old
gardens established
growth to maturity
established suburb
20 years old
native species
introduced species
house sparrow
house sparrow
Passer domesticus
pied currawong
Stepera graculina
density of birds: 6/ha
house sparrow
The illustration above demonstrates the impacts that settlement has on bird populations, with a significant initial
decrease in bird species and in total numbers of birds, but with a recovery over a period of time as gardens are
planted, trees grow and the habitat diversifies. However, the variety of species in the study represented here (in
Wagga Wagga, NSW) did not recover to pre-settlement levels and most of the increase in total numbers of birds
was of the introduced house sparrow:
* Study by D.N. Jones "Temporal changes in the suburban avifauna of an inland city", Aust Wildl. Res. 8: 109-19.
Illustration from A Natural Legacy: Ecology in Australia, eds H. F. Recher, D. Lunney & I. Dunn, Pergamon, 1986.
35
6.3. Birds in Lane Cove
Australia has about 700 different species of birds including about 500 land birds, 100 swamp and sea birds
(the rest are migratory birds and rare visitors). 158 species of birds have been identified in the Lane Cove
Valley below De Burghs Bridge. Not all of these would be found in Lane Cove (especially the freshwater
species living above the weir in the State Recreation Area). In addition, some of them have been sighted only
very rarely. Many are migrant species which fly long distances to arrive for the spring and summer months
whilst others visit the area occasionally.
Appendix 7 is a comprehensive list of the birds of Lane Cove. It may not include every bird ever seen in
Lane Cove but does include those likely to be seen, even if rarely, as well as a guide to the most common
habitat for each bird. This listing is able to draw on detailed works available specifically on birds of Lane
Cove. Far more is known of the species and status of our birds than of our animals particularly through the
long-term records of several birdwatching clubs.
A 1978 Macquarie University study by Sarah Stephens (see references) using available bird watching records,
compared the effects of settlement on bird species and populations in areas with with different levels of
development. This study found that, although actual species varied a little due to different habitats, there was
little difference between the total number of species present in the Lane Cove Valley and in Ku-ring-gai
Chase where there are larger areas of bush less affected by settlement. There was also little difference in the
abundance of the various species with similar proportions of the total number of species found to be common,
uncommon or rare in the two areas.
The study also reported changes which had been observed in birds of the Lane Cove Valley over the previous
30 years. There had been major increases in 9 species (3 of which are introduced), major decreases in 19
species and extinction of 3 species. However, it is difficult to be accurate with bird studies. Often areas closest
to settlement have records of more birds than areas further away simply because there are more bird watchers
making observations. It does not necessarily reflect the true differences in birds of those areas.
Lane Cove has a variety of different habitats for birds including gardens, woodland and forests, open
grasslands, mangroves, estuarine mudflats and a freshwater darn. To understand the world of birds it is useful
to consider them as part of various broad groupings based partly on their habitat or their characteristics and
partly on what they” eat and the way they obtain their food. The birds listed here are all the Lane Cove birds
in each group which are relatively common or likely to be seen in gardens, on bushwalks or around the
shoreline. Introduced birds are indicated by *.
Water Birds
Aerial Birds: usually seen flying over water or resting around the shoreline, includes albatrosses, petrels,
gulls, gannets, terns, shearwaters and frigate birds.
Silver Gull
Crested Tern
Swimming Birds: usually seen swimming or perched near water. They all have short legs with at least some
webbing between the toes. They include penguins, cormorants, shags, phalaropes, grebes, ducks, swans and
geese.
Australian Pelican
Pied Cormorant
Little Pied Cormorant
Little Black Cormorant
Black Duck
Mallard
Grey Teal
Chestnut Teal
36
Little Pied
Cormorant
Pelican
Wading Birds: usually seen on beaches, mudflats, islands and
around swamps and lakes. They have long necks, legs and bills
for wading in shallow water and poking around the mudflats for
their food. They include egrets, herons, bitterns, storks, cranes,
oystercatchers, stilts, curlews, godwits, plovers and snipe.
White-faced Heron
White Egret
White Ibis
Royal Spoonbill
Spurwing (Masked) Plover
Reed Birds: usually secretive and hard to see but quite vocal and
obviously heard in reed and swamp areas. They include crakes,
rails, ganninules and the reed-warbler.
Dusky Moorhen
BIRD BODY DESIGN
There are many different types of birds living in all different parts of the environment from high in the air to low on the
ground or in the water. Thus they are able to use many different sources of food and spaces to live without competing with
each other. Their bodies display many features which adapt them to best live in their particular habitat, or be able to
efficiently obtain their food.
The bills and the legs and feet of birds are parts of their bodies with these special design features.
Short stubby but strong bill
for collecting insects from
leaves and under bark
Strong hooked bill
for tearing meat
Webbed feet for
swimming
Strong legs and a
flat foot for walking
Long legs and bill for wading and
finding food in mud or shallow water
Bill with strong upper
and lower sections for
cracking seed
Curved toes with one toe
opposite to others for
clutching onto branches
Long curved bill for
collecting honey
out of flowers
Large bill for catching fish
Heads and feet drawings mainly from Brian Shadwick, Skills Through Science Vol. 2, Science Press, 1988.
37
Land Birds
Ground Birds:
a) birds which feed on the ground and never, or very seldom, perch on trees. These are mainly birds of the
open plains so there are very few in Lane Cove – only the Painted Button-Quail which is not common.
b) birds which feed and spend much time on the ground but also perch in bushes and trees. These include
pittas, thrushes, scrub-birds, bristlebirds, wagtails, larks, pipits, whipbirds, wedgebills, babblers, quailthrush, grasswrens, scrubwrens, whitefaces, chats, starlings, mud-nest builders, magpies and lyrebirds.
White-browed Scrubwren
Willie Wagtail
Eastern Whipbird
*Indian (Common) Myna
Red-browed Firetail
Magpielark (Peewee or Mudlark)
Black-backed Magpie
Grass Birds: usually seen in long
grass, including quail, emuwrens, cisticolas, grass-birds,
fairy-wrens and grasswrens.
*Spice Finch (Nutmeg
Mannikin)
Red-browed Firetail
*House Sparrow
*Common Starling
Aerial Birds: swifts and swallows
which spend much of their time
in the air.
White-Throated Needletail
Welcome Swallow
Tree Martin
Birds of Prey (daytime): eagles,
hawks, falcons and kites.
Nankeen Kestrel
Little Falcon
Nocturnal Birds of Prey: owls,
frogmouth and nightjars.
Tawny Frogmouth
Boobook Owl
Tawny Frogmouth
Large ‘Bush Birds: usually seen
active or perching in trees.
Although they may obtain food
on the ground, most of their time
is spent in the trees. They often
eat small reptiles, animals and
birds, as well as insects.
Pied Currawong
Australian Raven
Grey Butcherbird
Black-backed Magpie
38
Currawong
Medium-sized ‘Bush’ Birds: usually seen perching in trees. Although some feed on the ground, they spend
most of their time in the trees.
*Domestic Pigeon
Crested Pigeon
*Spotted Turtle Dove
Sulphur Crested Cockatoo
Galah
Crimson Rosella
Eastern Rosella
Rainbow Lorikeet
Fan-tailed Cuckoo
Indian Koel
Sacred Kingfisher
Kookaburra
Dollar Bird
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
Red Wattlebird
Little Wattlebird
Noisy Friarbird
Noisy Miner
Olive-backed Oriole
Spangled Drongo
Kookaburra
Small ‘Bush’ Birds who spend most of their time in the trees.
*Red-whiskered Bulbul
Superb Blue Wren
*Eastern Yellow Robin
Golden Whistler
Rufous Whistler
Grey Shrike-thrush
Black-faced Monarch
Leaden FIycatcher
Grey Fantail
Rufous Fantail
Brown Thornbill
Striated Thornbill
White-cheeked Honeyeater
Yellow-faced Honeyeater
White-plumed Honeyeater
New Holland Honeyeater
Eastern Spinebill
Grey-breasted Silvereye
MistIetoebird
Spotted Pardalote
Superb Blu Wren
Spotted Pardelote
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7.
THE ABORIGINES OF LANE COVE
7.1 The Local Tribes
Aboriginal people were grouped according to their language and dialect. In the Sydney region there were
three major language groups: Kuring-gai in the north, Dharawal in the south and Dharug in the west (the
central area between the Harbour and Botany Bay, east of Parramatta, is disputed by academics ie. whether
the aborigines here spoke a dialect of Dharug or Kuring-gai). The major groups, or tribes, were divided into
sub-groups, or clans, sometimes speaking different dialects of the main language. The names of the clans
were formed by adding “gal” to the name of the area where they lived.
Kuring-gai was spoken at least in the area from the Lane Cove River to the coast, Port Jackson to Botany
Bay. Near the harbour, in the areas of the present Lane Cove and North Sydney, were the sub-group
Cammeraigal” who were renowned as powerful warriors. The following are excerpts from the writings of
two of the officers on the First Fleet pertaining to the Cammeraigal:
Those who live on the north shore of Port Jackson are called Cam-mer-raygal, that part of the harbour
being distinguished by the name Cam-mer-ray. Of this last family, or tribe, the selllers had heard
Ben-nil-long and other natives speak (long before they were other wise known) as of a very powerful
people who could oblige them to all end wherever and whenever they directed. They were afterwards
found to be the most numerous tribe yet discovered. It so happened they were also the most robust
and muscular.
To the tribe of Cam-mer-ray also belonged the exclusive and extraordinary privilege of exacting a
tooth from the natives of other tribes inhabiting the sea-coast, or of all as were within their authority.
The exercise of this privilege places these people in a particular point of view and there is no doubt
of their decided superiority.
(David Collins, Account of the English Colony in NSW, 1798)
Whenever he (Bennilong) recounted his battles, “poized his lance, and showed how fields were won,”
the most violent exclamations of rage and vengeance against his competitors in arms, those of the
tribe called Cam-ee-ra-gal in particular, would burst from him. And he never failed at such times to
solicit the governor to accompany him, with a body of soldiers, in order that he might exterminate
this hated name.
(Watkin Tench, A Complete Account of the Settlement of Port Jackson, 1793)
The clan was both the basic landowning unit possessing sacred sites within a specified territory and the basic
economic unit which hunted and gathered food for its members within that territory. It consisted of a few
related families numbering up to 50 or 60 people. However, the whole group did not necessarily stay together
all the time. Families would separate and go different ways to find food but the whole group could be quickly
gathered in the case of a dispute with a neighbouring clan, where a local surfeit of food was found or for
ceremonial purposes.
7.2 Aboriginal Survival in the Environment of Lane Cove
Almost everything the Cammeraigal used, wore or ate had to be found in their territory of North Sydney/Lane
Cove. They made their own tools, weapons, canoes, nets and carry baskets from the materials found in the
bush. They ate only what they could find in the bush or the harbour and river and they slept under the
sandstone rock overhangs which abound in the area, or, where there was no suitable overhang, in a simple
lean-to made of branches covered with sheets of bark.
Note that the Retirement Village next to Lane Cove Public School is NOT named after the local Aboriginal
tribe. The Kamilaroi were located in northern inland NSW.
40
The Aborigines of Lane Cove
The only item which the Aborigines of eastern Sydney seem to have obtained from outside their own
territories in the time prior to European settlement was stone suitable for hatchets. This came from the Nepean
River by trade or ceremonial gift exchange. Apart from hatchets, stone tools were rare in coastal areas at this
time. Shell was used instead of stone for cutting and scraping.
However, more plentiful stone tools have been found in archaeological sites in coastal areas dating from over
one thousand years ago. This indicates that the local Aborigines adapted over a period of time to their
environment, substituting the local resource for their more traditional, but locally hard to get, stone.
All the groups living along the coast and estuaries depended on the sea as the basis of their livelihood. The
Cammeraigal utilised those resources edging their territory: the harbour and the river. They called the river
we know as Lane Cove, “Turrumburra”, which has been said to mean ‘the second waterway on the right
facing the setting sun’, an obvious meaning sitting in a canoe on the harbour but has not been confirmed as
correct.
Both the men and the women fished from canoes – the men with spears and the women with hooks and
lines. Turtles were caught and shellfish were an important part of the diet, gathered mainly by the women
from the rocks edging the water and from the mud and sandflats in the river. They ate a variety of shellfish,
notably rock and mud oysters, mussels, cockles, crabs and turbans.
By the time the Europeans arrived, centuries of collecting shellfish, then gathering for a fire and a meal
nearby, had resulted in large accumulations of the discarded shells in middens along the shoreline, sometimes
out in the open and sometimes next to a rock shelter. There was so much of this shell that it was able to be
collected by the new settlers and used for lime in mortar for building.
Despite this collection, middens can still be found in bush areas along the water’s edge.
However, in winter when fish and shellfish were scarce or in stormy weather when they were difficult to
catch or collect, the Cammeraigal depended more on their land-based resources. These were found in three
major environmental zones:
* the wet sclerophyll forest and rainforest vegetation of the moist creek gullies rich in fruits such as figs,
lillypilly, native grape and apple berries.
* the dry sclerophyll forest and heath of the sandstone slopes and lower exposed ridges which provided
sweet nectar from Banksia, Grevillea and waratah flowers, fruits such as brush cherry, native currant and
geebungs and small animals such as bandicoots, bush rats, possums and native mice.
* the tall forests of the shale ridges under which grew bracken fern and grasses. The bracken fern root was
an important source of carbohydrate in the winter while the open grassy areas under the trees attracted
larger mammals such as kangaroos and wallabies and made them easier to hunt.
Birds from all zones, including waterbirds of the shoreline areas were also part of the Cammeraigal diet.
The Aborigines major tool for manipulating their environment to enhance the food supply it provided, or to
make hunting easier, was fire. Of the three major zones (above) those burnt would have been the sandstone
slopes and the grasses under the tall forests. The moist gullies along the creeks are too wet to burn and many
of the plants which grow there are sensitive to fire ie. they are killed by a fire and do not have the regenerative
techniques of plants in the drier zones.
The sandstone areas were burnt to trap animals and possibly to get better crops of the fruits from new growth.
The Cammeraigal were described by Governor Phillip as frequently burning in dry weather to catch rats and
other animals. Another First Fleet officer, Captain Hunter, commented that;
“...two thirds of the trees in the woods were very much scorched with fire”.
Most of the sandstone areas would have been burnt on an irregular basis with anyone area experiencing fire
as frequently as five to seven years apart and others as much as fifteen years apart.
Thus at anyone time the bushland was an irregular mosaic of burnt and unburnt areas providing for a variety
of stages of growth of plant systems and habitat for animals, some of whom prefer open areas and others
prefer plenty of shelter in the dense growth of areas unburnt for some time.
On the ridges, the grasses under the tall forests were probably burnt to keep them free of shrubs.
41
The local tribes used the ridges for travel (as we do) and probably preferred them clear of shrubs which made
travel difficult. Shrub invasion would also eliminate the bracken fern they depended on in winter. Captain
Hunter commented:
We have also had much reason to believe, that those fires were intended to clear that part of the
country through which they have frequent occasion to travel, of the brush or underwood, from which
they, being naked, suffer very much inconvenience.
They probably also burnt to encourage new grass growth to attract kangaroos and wallabies, thus making
hunting easier because they would know where to find them. The strong ties of Aborigines to the environment
on which they so depended is illustrated in their cultural life, the stories of the dreamtime and their art., which
strongly feature elements of the natural world around them. The North Shore of Sydney originally had many
Aboriginal art works because, with so much sandstone area, it has many caves and shelters in which drawings
could be done and an abundance of flat sandstone ledges and cliff-tops for carvings, also known as engravings.
Much of this art has been lost through past ignorance as houses and other buildings spread over the
Aborigines’ lands. In other places there are no buildings but it is 200 years since the Aborigines were here
and the carvings have been eroded away by the weather and can no longer be seen. The Aborigines dealt
with this problem by regularly recutting important engravings. Paintings have survived better because they
are more protected from the weather in caves and shelters.
Preservation of the remnants of Aboriginal art raises some difficult questions. It has been suggested that the
carvings which have become very faint should be re-engraved today so that they can be preserved. Others
say this cannot be done because it would not necessarily be done in the same way as the carving was originally
done and would destroy ‘the original’. Another way of protecting the carvings is to erect a shelter over them
but this is expensive, would invite vandalism of the shelters and the carvings, and would affect the feeling
of the bush environment in which they were created.
As often happens in such cases, nothing has been done and many carvings can no longer be found on the
rocks while others can only be seen by using special techniques.
Engravings recorded in the 1890s
(from files of Lane Cove Library, original source unknown)
Note: Only selected aspects of the life of the Aborigines of Lane Cove have been covered here, notably those relating to
their use of the environment. Other aspects of the life of Sydney Aborigines, as well as more detail on tools, weapons and
fishing methods are covered in the various reference works given for this chapter.
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European Impacts on Local Bushland
8. EUROPEAN IMPACTS ON LOCAL BUSHLAND
8.1 Early Impacts
European settlement of the North Shore has had some major and obvious impacts on its bushland which we
can do little about as they happened in the past. These include:
* Clearing of almost all of the vegetation communities of the shale ridge tops because these were the flat,
fertile areas most suitable for farms and, later, for suburban development. There are now very few
examples left of this type of vegetation on the North Shore for us to see what it was like and only a tiny
vestige in Lane Cove.
* Loss of many animal species from the Lane Cove Valley and, especially from Lane Cove. A 1978
Macquarie University study showed that, of 17 species of mammals found in Ku-ring-gai Chase, 11 were
missing from the Lane Cove Valley which would once have been present (see the table in Ch. 5). In
addition, this study did not include kangaroos or native cats which are reported to have also once been in
the Lane Cove Valley. As the areas of bushland in Lane Cove Municipality are relatively small some of
the mammals still found in the upper parts of the Valley, such as echidnas and bandicoots, may now have
disappeared from Lane Cove.
* Logging of the remaining bushland for large timber trees and for firewood. Cutting out the most valuable
timber species may have altered the balance of species in some areas ie. the less valuable trees would
now be much more common than previously.
* Alteration of burning practices, or the fire regime, which has resulted in changes in the nature of the
vegetation communities in much of the remaining bushland. As described in the previous chapter,
Aborigines burnt much of the bush on a regular basis. European settlement disrupted this pattern and the
eventual result was much worse bushfires than had been induced by the Aborigines because fuel was
able to build up to a much greater level. In addition, the lack of fire with which the vegetation had evolved
over thousands of years has resulted in changes in the composition of the vegetation communities. In
particular there has been loss** of some of the ground flowering plants and shrubs in the dry sclerophyll
forest which liked the open conditions maintained by fires. There has also been expansion of plants, such
as Pittosporum which is normally a moist gully plant, into areas where it could not expand previously,
because it would have been killed by the fires.
In non-urban bushland, such as national parks, fires do occur accidentally and fires are sometimes
deliberately started to reduce the summer fire hazard and/or for ecological reasons. However, fragments
of bushland within urban areas, such as in Lane Cove, are generally too small to set fire to without
endangering the houses which surround them. Any fires which start are usually put out as quickly as
possible.
8.2 Continuing Problems
Bushland in, or close to, urban areas which has managed, usually by fortunate chance or the dedication of
some individuals, to survive development is today still under a lot of pressure just because it is close to the
built up areas. The worst pressures are felt along the boundary of a bushland reserve. Thus the longer the
boundary, in proportion to the area of the reserve, the worse the impacts on that reserve. Unfortunately, all
Lane Cove’s reserves are long and thin as they are on the steeper slopes along creek lines by-passed by
development.
The causes of the pressure on bushland, and the impacts which result, need to be recognised and, where
possible, remedial action taken to ameliorate the impacts so that we can protect those little bits of bush we
have left. Threats to these remnants come from many sources.
** This refers to loss within a local area. It does not necessarily mean general extinction.
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Alienation and Fragmentation
Bushland has always been ‘land-in-waiting’: potential development sites waiting for city expansion to make
the fortunes of its owners and developers, The red brick cancer of urban sprawl continually eats away at the
bushland areas in, and adjacent to, existing suburbs. Just when an expanding population needs that bushland
even more, it is lost forever to development.
Bushland has also traditionally been seen as ‘free’ land for all kinds of other uses which then destroy its
value as bush. Such alienation includes:
* Use of bushland valleys as ‘service corridors’ in which to place sewerage pipes, electricity transmission
lines and freeways.
In Lane Cove we have sewerage pipes down or across many of the reserves along the creeks (this has
had particularly disastrous consequences ~ see Ch. 9.2). There is a high voltage transmission along the
Lane Cove River as far as Blackman Park with accompanying sub-station on the Lane Cove side and a
transfer station on the Ryde side from which the line proceeds to the city underground. For 25 years it
was also planned to put a major freeway down the Lane Cove River from the vicinity of Channel Ten at
North Ryde to Figtree Bridge at Hunters Hill. This would have obliterated much of the narrow strip of
bushland on the Ryde-Hunters Hill side of the river, as well as destroying the peaceful values of any bush
on the Lane Cove side. This part of the Lane Cove Valley Freeway has now been dropped from RTA
planning.
* Giving pieces of bushland reserves to ‘worthy’ community uses such scout halls and guide huts. We have
scout halls in Warraroon Reserve, Aquatic Reserve, Longueville and in Greendale Reserve, Greenwich.
* Leasing land to recreational uses such as a golf club or bowling club. This occurred because such
recreation fitted into the ‘Open Space’ zoning in which bushland was included. At least some of Lane
Cove golf course was created by filling a bushland valley. In the early 1970ls it was proposed to extend
the golf course further into the bushland of what is now Bushland Park. Lane Cove’s Bushland and
Conservation Society had its origins in the fight to save this bush from such development. Also, Macquarie
University Rowing Club has its boatshed on foreshore bushland reserve at Tambourine Bay.
* Filling of valleys or wetland areas (often as a way of getting rid of unwanted rubbish), then converting
to sports fields or grassed parks, as has occurred at Blackman Park, Gore Creek and Burns Bay.
Fragmentation of bushland occurs as development spreads and leaves only small isolated pockets of bush.
Larger blocks of bush divided by a road or a service corridor suffer similar problems. As the harmful effects
on bush are felt around its edges, the more edges which are introduced, the more animals and plants which
are lost.
Inappropriate Use
There are a number of activities for which people
frequently use the bush but which cause a lot of
damage. These activities are inappropriate in the very
small areas of bush within the urban areas yet, because
they are close, they are the areas most likely to be
affected.
Dumping: Bushland is seen as not really belonging to
anybody, or at best, it belongs to ‘the government’.
Thus it is used as a dumping ground by those too lazy
or too cheap to dispose of their unwanted rubbish
properly. Dumping old car bodies and general
household rubbish is a frequent and obvious misuse of
the bush and industrial dumping is also only too
frequent. In Lane Cove a major dumping of used car
tyres over a cliff caused enormous and expensive
problems for Council recently in getting them removed.
44
However, the most frequent form of dumping is of garden refuse and lawn clippings. Some people dispose
of this material in the bush because it is easy to throw it over the back fence or wheel it across the road in a
wheelbarrow. Others may feel they are doing the bush a favour by providing it with ‘compost’, In other cases
it is not the homeowner doing the dumping but the person hired to do the lawn mowing and paid to dispose
of the clippings (properly!). Yet this form of dumping
causes some of the worst problems we now have in
bushland and some of the worst degradation. These
problems are further explored in the next chapter.
4-Wheel Drives and Bikes: The use of vehicles can cause
immense damage even when they are driven on established
tracks or fire trails. Walking tracks which are intended for
light pedestrian traffic are often unable to withstand the
impact of trail bikes or BMX bikes and severe erosion may
result with tracks becoming unusable by walkers. In Lane
Cove bushland, trail bikes have been frequent users of the
River Walk to the north of Blackman Park. This is only a
narrow strip of bushland and the area has sensitive wetland
areas which are easily damaged by bikes. Use of the area
by bikes is also dangerous to walkers and the noise is
certainly likely to destroy their peaceful walk.
Horse Riding: Horse riding is a more peaceful activity than use of vehicles but, unfortunately, can also cause
considerable damage in bushland unless carried out on properly constructed trails.
Seedlings may be trampled, larger plants damaged, rocks dislodged and tracks eroded, especially on any
slope. This tends not to be a problem in Lane Cove as there are few people with land on which to keep horses.
Encroachment: Land owners on the edge of reserves may encroach on the reserve are by mowing I to keep
it tidy’, for extending the garden, building a barbecue area, incinerator, cubby house, part of the swimming
pool, or perhaps a boathouse, in the case of a foreshore reserve. Every small piece lost or altered reduces
animal habitat and the variety of plant species.
Stealing: Some people still regard bush as public property for the taking – an idea which stems from the
past when using the resources of the bush was necessary for survival. However, this is not the case today.
Removal of bush rock for garden landscaping deprives small animals of shelter and removes part of the
landscape of the bush. Taking ‘dead’ logs and branches also robs small animals of shelter while flower
picking diminishes the beauty of the bush for others and means there will be fewer seeds for new plants.
45
Cubby-houses: Nailing planks onto trees will damage the trees. Likewise, cubbies at ground level in or near
bushes can cause damage through wear and tear of a lot of use in one small area. Use of bush materials to
make the cubby obviously destroys trees and plants.
Illegal tree lopping: The issue of views from peoples homes is a perennial problem in an area such as Lane
Cove where so many people can look out over water and such views are regarded as a valuable property
asset. Requests are made of Council to lop the trees on their reserves to maintain views and occasionally the
less scrupulous will go into reserves and lop, or even cut down, trees themselves.
Cutting down or lopping of trees on a public
reserve is punishable by heavy fines for those
convicted. Yet frequently, if the offenders had
waited a little, their problem may have been solved
without drastic action. Many of our native trees
such as Eucalypts and Angophoras are open
canopied (their branches and leaves are relatively
sparse) and, although they block views for a few
years when young, they will grow higher allowing
sight line through the branches which then frame
and enhance the view. Many neighbours disputes
would also be solved if such open-canopied trees
were planted in locations where a tree is desired
but it could affect a view, and those with the view
exercised some patience.
There are, however, situations where a potential water or city skyline view is completely blocked by
intervening bushland. This simply has to be regarded as a worthy view in its own right. Individual property
owners cannot expect the removal of trees on reserves, which belong to everyone, for the sake of their private
views, particularly if the views did not exist when they bought the house.
Pets and Feral Animals
Introduced animals are yet another threat to our bushland. These affect the wildlife which we don’t often
see. Thus we often do not realise the effect the non-native animals are having on the natives.
Although we long ago lost the larger mammals such as koalas, kangaroos and wallabies from Lane Cove
bushland, we still have many possums, blue-tongue and other lizards, native rodents and birds.
However, many of these can easily fall prey to either feral
animals or domestic pets, especially cats. In Lane Cove
bushland areas there are feral (or wild) cats, foxes and
probably rabbits. The cats and faxes have to prey on the
native wildlife to live while the rabbits compete with the
natives for living space, or habitat.
Lane Cove River State Recreation Area with its plentiful
grassy river flats for food and bushland for burrows
supports a large population of rabbits.
Even well-fed domestic pets are a problem. It is instinctive for cats to hunt and they will even bring back
their prize of a bird or mouse (they don’t distinguish between native mice and the imported house variety)
proudly to their owners. Dogs on walks through the bush can scare the native wildlife and even hurt them
with an overabundance of enthusiasm.
Stormwater and Drainage
One of the biggest problems faced by bushland next to suburbs is the water falling on those housing areas,
from rain or from hoses, which then drains into and through the bush via stormwater drains. Bushland which
lies along creeks downslope of the housing as we have in Lane Cove, is particularly vulnerable.
46
Stormwater is picked up from all ‘hard’ surfaces ie. roads, footpaths, paved areas and roofs. ‘Soft’ vegetated
areas, on the other hand, absorb water, filter it and let it percolate down through the soil to the creeks relatively
slowly. Stormwater pipes usually disgorge into the nearest creek but, if there is no creek, the flow is directed
straight into the bush. This stormwater impacts the bush and the creeks in a number of ways:
Flooding and Erosion: Storm water increases flooding and erosion of creek banks after heavy rain because
a much greater volume of water is going into the creek than prior to development. If there is no creek, the
stream of stormwater can cause erosion and gullying of the slope it passes over.
Weed Invasion: Where drains disgorge onto a normally dry bushland slope, which usually supports a dry
sclerophyll sandstone vegetation, the natural vegetation cannot cope with the increased water and dies. Weeds
then flourish in this moister environment with the seeds also brought in by the storm water.
Siltation: As any bare soil surfaces are eroded in rain, the soil is taken with the stormwater and deposited in
the creeks, obliterating former rockpools and other features, or further downstream and deposited in the bays
and the river, creating ugly mudflats (discussed further in Chapter 10).
Pollution: Storm water also brings other undesirable clements into the bush and the creeks: nutrients
(especially nitrogen and phosphorus) leached from road base materials, from the fertilisers put on lawns and
gardens and from the dog excreta in the streets, soaps and detergents from carwashing, oil leaked onto streets
from cars and all sorts of litter. The problems of litter, oil and detergents are obvious but the nutrients are
also a great problem. Excess nutrients in water cause algal blooms while additional nutrients in the soils of
the bush favours weeds and wet sclerophyll/rainforest vegetation to the detriment of the dry sclerophyll
bushland.
Construction Works
Poor planning of development on the edge of bushland and poor construction practices often result in
considerable unnecessary damage. This includes physical damage to the trees and bushes, changed soil levels
around trees, unstable earth banks left open to erosion and weed invasion and inadequate provision for
stormwater drainage. Construction of service roads and fire trails also opens areas in the heart of the bush to
weed invasion and soil erosion.
Altered Fire Regimes
Patterns of fire in the bush substantially different to the patterns with which the vegetation evolved has an
impact on the bush which can be significant ecologically, yet go unnoticed by the casual observer. Fires more
frequent than the plants are adapted to will kill many species as they will not have matured sufficiently to
produce viable seed. Fires less frequent allow the vegetation to grow very densely, encouraging particular
species at the expense of those which need the open bush and sunlight to grow and flower.
Weed Invasion
This is one of the greatest threats to our bushland and is dealt with separately in the next chapter.
8.3 Repairing the Damage and Reducing the Impacts
Unfortunately the effects of some of the problems described above are irreversible. For example, we cannot
change the size and shape of our reserves to make them more viable and less vulnerable. However, there are
a number of problems we can do something about.
Alienation and Fragmentation
Most bushland which has already been alienated cannot be retrieved (except some leased lands which have
not been cleared). However, we can, as citizens, strongly resist the alienation of any further bushland to uses
which destroy its bushland values or fragmentation by allowing it to be used as a service corridor. It is too
easy to let it go in a piecemeal fashion – a little bit here and a little bit there until there is nothing left. We
47
must also resist the argument that it is degraded and ‘might as well be developed’. Most degraded bushland
can be restored.
In the same way, landowners with a boundary along bushland should be encouraged to appreciate it as a
public asset and the values it offers as bushland rather than trying to ‘improve’ it into an extension of their
garden or using it as a refuse dump. A little bit· taken along the back of a lot of houses adds up to a large area
of bush alienated, fewer places for animals to live, and for people to walk.
Inappropriate Uses
There is one simple solution to dumping – DON’T! If everyone disposed of their own messes, including
garden rubbish, properly and legally there would be no problem. Dumping in bushland is completely
antisocial and thrusts the cost of these individuals’ garbage disposal onto the other ratepayers of the
municipality. In addition, this costs far more than it would have originally as it is often time consuming and
difficult to get at and may involve special pick-up arrangements.
As already discussed, use of vehicles, bikes or horses in the bush is not appropriate in the small reserves we
have. Trail bikes and vehicles are simply not permitted in the bush, and if any are observed the Council
Ranger (see under ‘Lane Cove Council’ at front of white pages) should be rung immediately with details so
that he can take action. It is very difficult for Council to stop this type of damage without the watchful help
of local citizens.
Preventing wilful and unauthorised lopping of trees is also very difficult without the help of locals as the
lopper virtually has to ‘be caught in the act’. Residents who live near the bush should regard themselves as
‘honorary rangers’ and if they observe anyone damaging the bush, the Bushland Management Officer or the
Ranger should be rung immediately at Council on 9911 3555. (Ranger after hours: 0434 568 604).
Encouraging appreciation of bush as a view in its own right, or as framing a view, is also important.
Pets and Feral Animals
Cats are not compatible with native wildlife. However, as many people enjoy having a cat they should
endeavour to protect the wildlife by putting a collar with a bell on their cat. It is difficult for the cat to catch
its prey when the prey is warned by a tinkling bell. Even those who do not live near the bush have birds
coming into the garden which need protection.
One of worst offences against wildlife is to dispose of unwanted kittens by dumping them in local bushland.
They become feral cats and live only by killing the native animals.
Stormwater and Drainage
There are two types of problems associated with stormwater: those of the location and design of stormwater
outlets which cause volumes of water to flow over bush slopes,and those of the contents of the stormwater.
The first are largely a councilor government responsibility as discussed below.
The second group, which impact more on the quality of the water and our waterways, are the responsibility
of all members of the community. This second group are discussed in Ch. 10.3.
There are a number of things councils can do to ameliorate the impact of stormwater outlets in the bushland:
* Install pipes to carry the water right down to the creek or river so that the water is not flowing through
the bush.
* Install detention basins to catch the water and let it flow out more slowly through a ‘low-flow’ pipe
thereby preventing the erosion caused by heavy flows. Lane Cove Council installed two such basins in
Warraroon Reserve in 1990 where stormwater discharge from roads along the western boundary was
causing gullying and erosion and killing trees.
* Direct the flow into appropriate locations by the use of rock walls or other structures. This was done in
another location in Warraroon Reserve in 1991, where major storm water pipes collected water from
roads and houses and disgorged it straight into the reserve in three adjacent locations.
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* Where heavy flow is unavoidable but causing erosion, the banks can be lined with stone. If placed
irregularly this both breaks up the flow of the water and looks more natural. In 1990 this was been done
at the end of Mars Road, West Lane Cove, where torrents of stormwater from the road and part of the
industrial area had dug a deep gully down the hill towards the river.
* Incorporate much better stormwater drainage design for all new developments which takes into account
possible impacts on bushland.
Weeds
The problem of weed invasion and the solutions are dealt with in the next chapter.
BUSH UNDER SIEGE!
Our fragments of bush line the creeks of the municipality, hemmed in by housing on the slopes and ridges
and subject to all manner of abuses from above.
49
9. WEED INVASION – A SPECIAL PROBLEM
9.1 The Nature and Extent of the Problem
The biggest continuing threat to the survival of our bushland reserves as bush is the invasion and takeover
of the native plant communities by exotic (non-native) plants.
Unwanted plants in a reserve are called weeds whether they are exotic ie. from countries outside Australia,
or Australian natives which come from another part of Australia and therefore do not belong. However, the
worst problems for our reserves are caused by the various exotic plants, many of which, once they take hold
in an area of bush, can expand and dominate the natives very quickly.
Weed invasion generally starts around the edges of reserves (the ‘edge effect’ described in chapter 8, again!)
and along the creeks. As there is very little of Lane Cove’s reserves that is not along an edge or a creek, all
of our reserve area has been, are being, or could be, affected by weeds.
Weed invasion is insidious in that it starts in a small way but, unless attended to, it can soon affect large
areas without us noticing it happening until it is too late. Growth of plants such as Lantana is particularly
vigorous in wet weather, Once weeds dominate an area of bush, it is time-consuming, laborious and expensive
to remove them sensitively and restore the bush.
Reserves which become dominated by weeds lose values in many ways. Native plant species are lost,
sometimes permanently from that area unless replanted. With the loss of native plants the birds and animals
which depend on them for food and particular types of shelter are lost from that area, or considerably reduced
in numbers. For people, the reserves no longer provide pleasant recreation opportunities. Weeds usually form
impenetrable thickets, especially the very common weeds of Privet and Lantana, preventing access and
blocking walking tracks. Even where tracks are still accessible, a walk though a jungle of Privet or Lantana
is not particularly interesting or pleasant compared to native bush with its variety of plants and animals.
It is obviously better to prevent weed invasion in the first place. However, where it has already occurred due
to events in the past, it is possible to retrieve the bush and once again make it a haven for native plants and
wildlife to live and people to visit and enjoy.
9.2 How Weed Invasion Occurs
Plants which are weeds in the bush are also those which threaten the garden. They are plants which, in this
climate, in this country thrive and multiply very easily. When their seed or plant cuttings reach the bush,
they germinate easily and grow quickly, outcompeting the plants around them to take over. They also have
no natural enemies, such as insects or fungal diseases, to attack them and cut them back. They thus thrive
just as well in the garden as they do in the bush.
There are many exotic garden plants which do not become problems in the bush even though they may have
seeds which are dropped there or cuttings dumped. This is because they do not have the strong growth and
competitive abilities of the problem plants in this climate. If their seeds do germinate in the bush, they grow
only weakly or do not survive at all.
The problem plants vary from area to area. This is for several reasons:
* Different plants have the competitive edge in different climates where it may be hotter, colder, wetter or
drier.
* Areas with still or slow moving water bodies, such as dams, lagoons and rivers, have significant problems
with water weeds.
* Even within suburban Sydney, differences reflect the plants popular in gardens of the area which have
overgrown and unwanted parts dumped in the bush. For example, succulents are a particular problem in
the coastal areas where they are a popular garden plant to cope with harsher coast conditions.
50
Weeds get into the bush in a variety of ways:
Weed Invasion
* Birds, as well as other small animals, love those juicy berries which are produced prolifically on many
invasive plants, such as Privet, Camphor Laurel, Lantana and Ochna, After eating the berries they deposit
the seed far and wide wherever they next perch on a fence or a tree. Thus it doesn’t matter how far away
from the bush a plant or tree with berries is, its seeds can easily be transported there by the birds which
are so mobile.
* Likewise plants with light seed which is dispersed by the wind can reach the bush from considerable
distances away. No part of Lane Cove Municipality is far enough away from the bush to be able to have
these plants, or berry plants, without the risk of contributing to weed invasion.
* Dumping of garden refuse and clippings is one
of the biggest sources of weed invasion. It
explains why many of our reserves look dreadful
where we pass by, with vines climbing up all
over the trees and a multitude of non-native
plants happily taking over. Clippings which are
dumped tend to be of the most vigorous weeds
because they also grow rapidly and invasively in
the garden. They are also the type of plant which
grows readily from cuttings such as Kikuyu
grass, Tradescantia, all manner of vines such as
Morning Glory, and all types of succulents.
* Stormwater brings many seeds into the bush,
picking up anything which has fallen on roads,
paths or any other surface which drains into the
stormwater system. As the stormwater is
discharged into the local creeks or straight into
the bush, seeds get an easy ride into the bush.
This explains why creeks in bush reserves also
usually have significant weed invasion.
Once the seeds reach the bush, exactly where they establish and take hold frequently depends on other factors.
For example, berries and windblown seed would be dispersed by wind and birds or animals randomly over
a reserve. Yet invasion occurs at some locations and not others. There are two major conditions which
encourage weeds to establish:
* Disturbance ie, clearing of an area, or the leaving of any bare soil surface. Weed species then colonise
such cleared or bare surfaces more quickly and vigorously than the natives.
In our reserves this has most commonly occurred with the laying of services, especially sewerage.
Sewerage had to follow creek lines as it works on gravity and pipes were laid through the bush up to 60
years ago. At the time the impact of ugly pipes on the landscape was recognised and they were placed
underground with only the round concrete inspection points, or sometimes an aqueduct across a creek,
visible. However, the impact of leaving cleared and bare areas in the bush along the route of construction
was not realised and, as a consequence, gas, water, and especially sewerage installations, can be located
and followed by the bands or pockets of dense weeds.
* Unnaturally high moisture and nutrient levels caused by inflows of stormwater from the suburban areas
surrounding the bush. Our native species, especially those of the dry sclerophyll communities, are adapted
to low moisture conditions and infertile soils whereas the weed species prefer higher levels of water and
nutrients. Increasing moisture and nutrients in a normally dry area frequently results in death of the native
species whilst the weeds thrive. As the weed seeds are brought in with the water and nutrients in the
stormwater it constitutes an explosive little package just ready to take over.
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9.3 Keeping Weeds Out of the Bush
Anyone who has a garden can assist in preventing more weeds from reaching the bush:
* By removing from their garden all invasive plants which have berries or windblown seed and, preferably,
the problem vines and creepers, some of which have windblown or waterborne seed. See Making Your
Garden Bush Friendly (available from Lane Cove Library) for pictures to identify these plants and advice
on eradication.
* By not planting any of these same plants or any of the problem vines and creepers. The vines and creepers
tend to be uncontrollable in the garden requiring a lot of cutting back and creating a problem of disposal.
* By NEVER dumping any garden refuse in the bushland – it is unsightly for those who wish to enjoy the
bush and it causes enormous problems. Many plants only become a weed problem when clippings are
dumped in the bush and these are able to grow and spread. Likewise lawn clippings causes great problems,
smothering natives and spreading grasses through seeds and plant parts.
All residential properties receive 24 green waste collections per year, as per the waste calendar. Refer to
Lane Cove Council’s website for details or contact Council’s Waste Co-ordinator on 1300 655 006 for a
waste canlendar.
Specifications for collection include:
• A maximum of 3 Green bins per property per collection.
• No green waste will be collected in any type other than the 240L green bins.
* By ensuring that any gardener, gardening or mowing service or tree lopper guarantees to dispose of the
material from the garden properly, such as bagging for the Wednesday pick-up or at an authorised tip,
eg. a tip docket can be requested before paying such a contractor.
9.4 Restoring the Bush
Bush which has been degraded or damaged by the variety of forces which impinge on it can be repaired and
restored with commitment of sufficient time, effort and money. Local Councils and Government Authorities
are increasingly devoting funds to such restoration work and requiring land developers with bushland to both
set aside part of their land in the development as native bush and to pay for its restoration.
The first regeneration work done in Lane Cove was by volunteers at Greenwich Point in 1967, In the early
1970’s in what is now Bushland Park, just after it was saved from being buried under fill and turned into a
golf course, major regeneration work was done by members of the new Lane Cove Bushland and
Conservation Society. This area was an excellent example
of the problems and extensive weeding necessary due to
invasion along the line of a sewer pipe installation down
the creek, yet also of how such an area could be returned
to pleasant and viable bushland using regeneration
techniques. Volunteers from the Bushland Society also
worked in a number of other reserves at this time.
Lantana
52
Lane Cove Council was then the first Council in Sydney
to recognise the value of bushland by employing bush
regeneration teams. This reflects the strength of
community response to bushland issues since the 1970s
with the Bushland and Conservation Society enjoying
continued strong support.
Today Lane Cove Council employs a number of people
specifically on restoration work, as well as contracting
regeneration work’ to private firms. Developers can also
Weed Invasion
be required to have work done. As part of the redevelopment a few years ago of an industrial site on Stringy
Bark Creek the owners, S.C. Johnson, have been required to allocate funds over a 10 year period for the
restoration of the bushland area on their site between Stringybark Creek and the Epping Highway. Volunteer
groups have again started to work in their local bush under the guidance of experienced regenerators.
In the Lane Cove Valley, above De Burgh’s Bridge, the Water Board is spending a large sum over 4 years
from the environmental levy paid with water rates, to restore bushland areas along the Lane Cove River and
tributary creeks affected by the installation of sewerage lines several decades ago.
In restoring a piece of bushland some, or all, of the following may be necessary:
* Clearing out of dumped rubbish of all descriptions, often those items difficult to dispose of by regular
means eg. cars, mattresses, vehicle tyres.
* Clearing loads of silt out of the creek. Such silt comes from erosion of bare surfaces in developed or
developing areas or from eroding creek banks. The silt fills in the beautiful rockpools and obscures other
lovely sandstone features.
* Attending to problems of stormwater inflow where this is causing erosion or damaging bush and
promoting weed invasion.
* Clearing and replanting of patches where no native plants remain and natural germination does not occur
due to lack of good seed in the soil.
* Weeding the bush by a method known as bush regeneration.
9.5 Bush Regeneration
Bush Regeneration techniques were first developed by two sisters,
Eileen and Joan Bradley, in Ashton Park, Mosman in the 1960’s
and became known as the Bradley method of bush regeneration (see
Bradley, 1988). It was adopted by the National Trust in its reserves
in the early 1970’s and the techniques are used by the many bush
regeneration teams now working in bushland around Sydney. Some
groups, including the National Trust, have modified aspects of the
method and other groups follow the original Bradley method closely
but the essential aims and techniques remain similar.
The Bradleys developed their method and techniques in response
to the ineffectiveness of methods of weed control in bushland used
at the time, especially by local councils – the ‘slash and bum’
methods. Large areas of weeds would be cleared and either taken
away or burnt on the spot. Sometimes the clearings were, then
planted with native trees and sometimes they were not. The result
of all this activity was a regrowth of weeds a few months later, often
worse than previously, whilst the planted areas were unable to
survive without a lot of maintenance.
Thus the essential aim of bush regeneration is to return bush to a
stable weed-free state requiring only very low maintenance to
maintain that state (eg. inspection once every six months to a year
to remove any new seedlings from bird dropped seeds).
This is accomplished by weeding the bush in a very low disturbance
way, mainly using hand tools such trowel, secateurs, pliers and
knife. The weeds are carefully taken out from amongst the natives
with minimum disturbance to the natives or to the soil and soil litter
which contain the seeds from which new natives can grow to
replace the weeds which have been pulled out. For more detail on
bush regeneration and its methods, see Buchanan, 1989 (in
references).
53
NATIVES OR NOT?
Pittosporum undulatum (Mock Orange), Broad-leaf Privet and Lillypilly may easily be mistaken for each other as they
have similar glossy green leaves and live in similar environments of moist shady areas.
Lillypilly (native)
Tree with leaves glossy dark green above,
paler green below; small creamy flowers
in summer; large fleshy-white pink or lilac
berries; smooth greyish bark.
Broad-leaf Privet (WEED)
Tree with large dark green leaves; dense sprays of strong
smelling white flowers in early summer, grape-like clusters
of small purple-black berries, smooth grey bark with raised
pores giving a bumpy look.
Tree with longish, bright green glossy leaves with
wavy edges and blisters from leaf miner attack on
underside; orange berries; medium size white
flowers with a sweet smell like orange blossom.
Pittosporum (native)
A very invasive exotic creeper, known as TRADESCANTIA (Wandering Jew), looks very similar to an innocent native
creeper, called COMMELINA. Tradescantia is generally well known to most gardeners as it climbs over and smothers
almost anything in the garden with its thick blanket of fleshy stems and leaves, just as it does in the bush. However,
the pretty native look-alike is not invasive but will form a pleasant ground cover. Look particularly for the bright blue
flowers to distinguish the Commelina.
Tradescantia has fleshy, glossy green
leaves and stems, deep green in full
shade but lighter in the sun. Leaves feel
cold to touch. Flowers are small and white
at the ends of the long trailing stems.
Commelina’s leaves are mid green, not
glossy and are daintier and more pointed
than on Tradescantia. Distance between
nodes (places where leaves join the stem)
is longer. Stems are sometimes purple.
Small flowers are bright blue with 3
separate petals.
54
Tradescantia
(WEED)
Commelina (native)
Weed Invasion
Formerly even larger trees were taken out by hand but this
was very laborious and most bush regenerators now accept
the use of glyphosate herbicide (eg. ‘Round-up’, known as
‘Zero’ in more dilute form), carefully and in moderation,
to kill them.
Once the weeds are removed, patience is required to wait
for germination of this seed and growth ie. natural
regeneration. Where no natural regeneration occurs, due
perhaps to previous removal of topsoil, or filling over it,
or to increased water in the soil rotting the seeds, planting
may be necessary. However, if planting is required, it is
with plants grown from seed from the plants already
growing in that reserve and will include a variety of species
from smaller shrubs up to the trees.
Kikuyu Grass
9.6 Identifying Weeds
The main weeds of Lane Cove bushland are listed in Appendix 4. Some of the worst weeds of these are
illustrated and easily identified by colour photographs in the booklet Making Your Garden Bush Friendly, or
on the poster Bush Enemies (sec references). The best times to identify most weeds are in spring/early summer
when they are in flower or in late summer and autumn when they bear distinctive fruits.
Care must also be taken to correctly identify a number
of the weed species which have native look-alikes
before pulling them out. The natives, Lilly Pilly and
Pittosporum, are sometimes mistaken for the weed,
Broadleaf Privet. Likewise, the native creeper,
Commelina, is often mistaken for the invasive weed,
Tradescantia (Wandering Jew). Opposite is a guide to
distinguishing the natives from the weed species.
There are a number of easily accessible locations in the
various parts of Lane Cove where a variety of weeds,
and their effects on the native vegetation struggling to
survive beneath the invasive blanket are readily
observed. These sites are all “classic” examples of
either weed invasion in and/ along a creek where weed
seeds, water and nutrients have come down from the
suburban area and/ or along edges of bushland used as
dumping grounds for garden rubbish which then
spreads.
Most noticeable (and disastrous for the bush) at all sites
is infestation of vines over everything from rocks and
rubbish to the tall trees. Such vines smother and kill the
natives if not removed soon enough.
Central Lane Cove: The main gully of Lane Cove
Golf Course, easily accessed via Longueville Road and
Richardson Street West. Weeds can be viewed from the
access paths around the gully and between holes.
Balloon Vine
The golf course was created by filling a bushland valley — the whole floor of the valley in some parts, or
one side. This has destroyed much of the original environment as well as severely impacting the bits that are
55
left. The fill has eroded into the stream below and by providing a lot of bare dirt has provided areas for weeds
to invade.
Obvious weeds in the gully are Morning Glory, Balloon Vine, Small-Leaf Privet and Broadleaf Privet,
Tradescantia, Lantana, Madeira Vine and Camphor Laurel. There is also some Bamboo and Pyracantha and
Willow Trees. The Plant with very large starshaped leaves is Castor-Oil Plant.
Native trees can be seen struggling to survive amongst this smothering blanket of weeds although there are
also a number of dead trees which have not survived the fill and general disturbance to their environment.
The problems of weeds invading along watercourses where it is damp and there are plenty of nutrients is
evident here.
On the upper slope on the east side of the track on the cast side of the gully is a different mix of weeds with
Cotoneaster, Cassia, Lantana, Chinese Privet and assorted other garden plants. Under much of the weed on
this slope is a sandstone cliff sporting ferns which could be an attractive feature of the golf course.
North Lane Cove: The edge of Mowbray Park near Mowbray Public School. Start at the end of Hatfield
Street past the point where the road turns into Hart Street. Continue downhill and turn left and follow a trail
at the back of the houses. The first part of the trail which separates the houses from the bushland reserve has
been constructed at least partly with fill. Downslope there is a massive infestation of Morning Glory
smothering almost everything. Notice that these houses have not oriented their yards or their living spaces
to the bush outlook. Rather as you walk along the trail there are incinerators and things people prefer out of
sight sitting on the public land beyond their boundary lines – perhaps an indication of their attitude to these
bush areas.
56
Weed Invasion
Continue along the trail to a small park and follow the trail as it continues behind the houses beyond the park
for approx. 75 metres. The same picture exists right along this “edge”: a band of weeds including Small-leaf
Privet, Cotoneaster, Lantana, Crofton Weed, Cassia, Blackberry with a few other assorted garden plants such
as a Banana Tree and a Flame Tree and various soft leaved low weeds such as Cobblers Peg.
Return to the park and cross to Vim Street, turn right and go down to the end of the street. The bush off the
end of Vim Street is Mowbray Park but on this edge only a few natives are visible. Instead there is a typical
pile of dumped rubbish, bricks etc and dumped garden rubbish including lawn clippings, as well as the weeds
Broadleaf Privet, Cassia, Crofton Weed and Mulberry trees. On nearby Willandra Street there are Camphor
Laurels (including a very large one) opposite the back boundary of the school.
Lane Cove West: along the downslope
side of Moore Street
Here masses of Balloon Vine are
smothering all the other vegetation but
there are also Broadleaf Privet, Lantana,
Tradescantia,
Cotoneaster,
Cassia,
Bamboo, Arrowhead Vine, Fishbone Fern,
Camphor Laurel, and a few other garden
plants such as Mulberry and Ivy. The
reasons for this invasion are obvious from
all the piles of garden refuse across the
road from almost every house. The people
of this street have kept their yard tidy by
dumping their refuse on our bush! The
further problem of all this is that over time
the seeds and vines keep moving downhill
into the good bush below. Perhaps people
who dump on the bush don’t deserve to
live overlooking lovely bush valleys?
Greenwich: The entrance to Gore Creek
Reserve on St Vincents Road off River
Road Not far past its intersection with
Gore Street, the road curves to the right
and a gully can be seen on the right
smothered in Morning Glory. Walking
down the hill, the gully amply illustrates
the way that weeds thrive in the moist
gully environment where there are also
nutrients from the stormwater with seeds,
and sometimes cuttings, washed down
from gardens higher up the creek.
Yet, even on the high side of the road here
(normally weeds don’t like steep dry
slopes) are plenty of weeds amongst the
natives and, just past the last house, the
Cobblers Peg
influence of gardens can be seen in the
great number of seedlings taking off from
some well established trees with leaves
which look like large Rhus leaves. Also very obvious on the high side of the road are Pittosporum, a native
which used to be found in the gullies. Where the slopes are not now burnt (fires kill Pittosporum) it is invading
up into these drier areas. After identifying the tree, notice the way its dense canopy creates a ‘closed-in’
effect which stops most of the usual native ground level plants from growing.
In this area Balloon Vine competes with Morning Glory for the honours of the largest takeover and there are
57
also Lantana, Small-Leafed Privet, Wandering Jew, Ginger Lily and Madeira Vine (look for the Iambs tails
starting to form in late summer), Cotoneaster, Camphor Laurel and Asparagus Fern as well as a few Elephants
Ears in the creek. The willows also do not belong but they do not spread the way the problem weeds do.
Should the Gore Creek Reserve entrance be cleared of its weeds, an alternative, though not as dramatic, site
is at the end of Hinklcr Road, reached via Kings Langley Road, where a band of weeds separates a small
grassed area from the bush below. The major weed is Lantana but there is also Fishbone Fern, Ginger Lily,
Small-Leafed Privet, Cassia, Crofton Weed, Tradescantia, Asparagus Fern, Arrowhead Vine, Camphor Laurel
and Black-eyed Susan.
Dandelion
Morning Glory
58
The Lane Cove – An Urban River System
10. THE LANE COVE – AN URBAN RIVER SYSTEM
10.1 Description
The headwaters of the Lane Cove River rise in high ground near Hornsby. With its tributaries it drains a
catchment of 93 square kilometres. Much of the catchment is developed for residential purposes, housing a
population of 210,000 persons (1980). It also contains small areas developed for light industry and some
large undeveloped areas of native bush and other vegetation (eg. grassed picnic areas of Lane Cove River
State Recreation Area).
Of the river’s total length of some 25 kilometres, the upper half is freshwater, impounded by a weir near
Fullers Bridge. The lower half is saline and tidal. The Lane Cove River is the largest tributary of the
Parramatta River, which it joins at Woolwich.
The river is joined by a large number of tributary creeks along its length. These drain the various corners of
the catchment in a typical dendritic pattern (so named after the dendrites, or nerves, in the body but also
resembling the branches of a tree). The erosive work of the river and these tributaries has created the rugged
ridge and valley topography of the entire catchment area.
Although there are some large chunks of undeveloped bushland in the upper catchment, by far the greatest
part of the catchment is developed. This creates many problems for the creeks and the river, discussed in
10.3.
For many aspects and issues pertaining to the river we must look outside just the local area to understand
what is happening and to devise solutions to problems. For example, much of the pollution in the river along
our boundary and the silt deposited in our bays and our part of the river comes from much further upstream.
10.2 How People Have Used the River System
Aborigines
The Aborigines used the Lane Cove River as a major source of their food, particularly a variety of fish and
shellfish. It was probably also a travel route, rather than just a barrier to be crossed, and they were skilled in
making and using their canoes. The creeks provided the Aborigines with their fresh water for drinking.
Exploration
Some of the earliest exploration of the North Shore was via the river. In February, 1788 a survey party led
by Captain Hunter took depth soundings along the lower river as far as the present Figtree Bridge. In 1789
there was exploration further up the river as far as the head of navigation which was not far from the present
De Burghs Bridge. Our evidence for such exploration comes from the naval charts of the time which show
the river upstream sufficiently accurately to indicate explorers actually reached this far (see next page).
However the twists and bends of the river above Linley Point seem to be shown more accurately in the 1790’s
than the lower portion of the river, downstream of Linley Point, was to be shown for nearly 100 years. All
of the early maps of the river (here and in the nest pages) display significant distortion of the size and shape
of the bays, coves and peninsulas of the lower river until the survey of 1888. We can only speculate whether
such inaccuracy was due to poor mapping techniques or to the fact that as an isolated, mainly unsettled area,
Lane Cove was not important enough to map accurately.
Early European settlers relied almost exclusively on the river as a transport route. The North Shore was very
wild and undeveloped for many decades and traversing the area with all its valleys was extremely difficult,
except along the main ridge (now the Pacific Highway but originally called the Lane Cove Road). Even on
this main ridge the “road” was a frequently impassable track until the 1850s and not much better for the next
30 years. Thus the river was a major mode of transport route for most of the 19th century.
59
EXPLORING THE RIVER
Above is part of a chart of Port Jackson drawn between 1788 and 1792 by Lt. William Bradley, a naval
officer on the First Fleet. Bradley explored the harbour with Captain John Hunter who also drew charts
of their surveys. Their charts were the first ever drawn of the harbour and show the first explorations of
most parts of its coves and rivers. From the charts can be seen how far the Lane Cove was explored in
the first few years of the colony.
Timber
There were many valuable timbers in the forests of the North Shore, especially the tall forests of the ridges,
and one of its earliest economic activities was timber-getting. Sometime between 1805 and 1809 a
government ‘sawing establishment’ was established in what is now West Killara. Convicts cut the timber
from the substantial forests of the area and it was taken down a track (now Fiddens Wharf Road) to be loaded
onto boats and sent into the town. By 1819 the timber which the government was interested in had diminished
in this area and the government activities moved further up the catchment to the Epping/Eastwood area from
which the timber was taken down to the Parramatta for transport.
However, there was still a lot of timber to cut for various purposes and boats continued to ply the liver laden
with timber for several decades. Much of it was loaded from the old government wharf at West Killara, which
60
MAPPING THE RIVER
Survey of Port Jackson
1822
1857
1888
Using the charts of the lower river in this chapter, compare the way the features along the river are
drawn with a present map of Lane Cove. Look at the bays: Tambourine Bay, Burns Bay, Woodford Bay
and Gore Creek’s cove; and the peninsulas: Linley Point, Riverview, Longueville, Northwood and
Greenwich. (Remember that the mouth of Gore Creek was filled this century.)
61
came to be known as ‘Fidden’s Wharf’, after Joseph Fidden whose boat carried much trade on the river for
many years. There was still a procession of boats laden with firewood to be seen coming down the river in
the 1850’s bringing timber cut from the Field of Mars Common which stretched along the west side of the
valley from Boronia Park to Cheltenham in an area of approx 6,000 acres (2430 ha.).
Farming
As the farmers replaced the timber-getters, many settlers came to farm the various alluviall1ats all along the
river right upstream to the present De Burghs Bridge area. These farms relied on river transport to get goods
in and out especially the bigger farms, such as those around the present Fullers Bridge where the produce
from prolific citrus and pear orchards had to be got to market. For many years farmers on the ridge also found
it quicker to bring their goods down to the wharves on the river, rather than make the journey on the Lane
Cove Road, then have to take the punt at North Sydney.
Industry
When the farms began to decline around the beginning of this century the demands of industry for river
transport increased. In fact, many early industries in Lane Cove located near the water due to the availability
of the river for transport.
The earliest of these were the tanneries, producing belts and other leather products, established from about
1859 on the creek running into Burns Bay, which became known as ‘Tannery Creek’.
Another factory, manufacturing wood pipes, was also located on Burns Bay. A tannery and boiling down
works was established on a bend of the river next to the present Epping Road Bridge in about 1882. By 1894
this had been replaced by a cornflour factory (which has grown and expanded over almost 100 years and
still occupies the site, albeit under different ownership). Both factories relied on the river to cheaply transport
raw materials to the site and finished products out as there was virtually no access overland apart from rough
tracks.
In 1912 paper board mills were established on Stringy Bark Creek and the lower part of the creek and its
entrance were modified to create direct boat access right into the mills. The mills were destroyed by a bushfire
in 1928, ironically because the fire had cut road access and neither the harbour’s fire tender nor fire engines
loaded on punts could get upriver past Figtree Bridge because it was low tide and the silted river was too
shallow.
Other industry followed in Stringy Bark Creek: Robert Corbett chemical industries, later taken over by CSR.
However, for these industries, and the cornflour mills, the advent of motorised lorries and road links which
enable transport of raw materials and products ‘door-to-door’ without unloading, together with almost
complete silting up of the channel in some places, gradually spelt the end of industrial river transport above
Figtree Bridge.
However, one major industry, which began in Greenwich in 1903, is still very much tied to its water transport:
the oil storage and distribution depot established by John Fell and Co., now owned by Shell.
Passenger Transport
For the first 40 – 50 years of the colony, settlement was sparse and scattered around an extensive harbour.
Water transport was vital with the lack of adequate roads and bridges yet there were not enough settlers in
anyone place to support conventional ferry services. Thus there were many watermen plying the harbour
with small boats transporting passengers one, or a few at a time, to individual destinations. The official rate
for such a trip in 1841 to the wharf at Woodford Street, Longueville was four shillings and sixpence.
By the 1850s the population of Lane Cove and Hunters Hill was sufficient for the Joubert family of Hunters
Hill to establish a regular ferry service from the city to the lower Lane Cove River. The Jouberts ran this
service until 1906 when they sold it to the Balmain New Ferry Company and, with several other changes of
ownership, there is still a ferry service on the lower river today.
In the 1890s the fare on the ferry was one shilling single and over many years the service called at up to nine
wharves from Greenwich to Figtree which became the terminus when the first Figtree Bridge was built in
62
1884 (the wharf was located where the
southern end of the new Figtree Bridge
now stands),
With the prevalence of cars today,
restricted services call at Greenwich,
Northwood, Woolwich and the
Alexandra St. Wharf, Hunters Hill,
thus still providing a pleasant and
leisurely way to reach the city for
residents of Lane Cove and Hunters
Lane Cove River Ferry, S.S. Northcote
Hill, even if not reaching as far up the
river as previously, nor as frequently.
A private ferry service also ran to and
from Longueville twice per day until early 1991 but even it had to cease operation for lack of customers with
more people working varied hours rather than the old “9 – 5”.
In 1908 some leading citizens of Lane Cove and Hunters Hill decided to open up the river above Figtree
with a motor launch service to carry passengers, mail, livestock and merchandise. The Upper Lane Cove
Ferry Service ran a feeder service from the steamferry terminus at Figtree to Fiddens Wharf at Killara, calling
at about eight wharves on the Lane Cove, Ryde and Chatswood banks on the way. Although this service
used flat bottomed launches, they still began to have trouble getting right up the river. Eventually the service
was sold in 1918 to the owners of ‘Fairyland’, a picnic grounds on the river opposite Mowbray Park.
The students of St. Ignatius College at Riverview also relied on the river for transport, almost exclusively,
for many years. The first students attended in 1880 and from that time would arrive and depart by boat and
the school’s own wharf. The countryside between the school and the centre of Lane Cove was very rugged
and the river was much more convenient access to the school for students coming from a variety of locations.
Special ferries would also be chartered by St. Ignatius and St. Joseph’s College (Hunters Hill) to transport
footballers and barrackers between the colleges and from the colleges to other parts of Sydney for ‘away’
games.
Recreation
In the 1880s a small boat took passengers on excursions up the river from the ferry terminus at Figtree. From
this grew extensive use of the river for recreation. At the turn of the century the Lane Cove River was highly
regarded as a beauty spot and became increasingly popular especially as a “poor man’s” recreation spot. It
was described most fulsomely in newspaper articles of the 1890s and early this century (see next page).
This recreation was based on row boating and picnicking. Picnickers could reach the river by ferry services
which came from various parts of Sydney on weekends and public holidays and either visit one of the two
major ‘pleasure grounds’ on the river or hire rowboats from Figtree and row up river, Slopping at the many
little reserves and picnic spots along the way. A favourite trip for the energetic was to row right up to the
Blue Hole, the head of navigation of the river, close to the present De Burghs Bridge.
After the weir was built and the Lane Cove River National Park opened in 1938 rowboats could only go as
far as the weir but the Park provided greatly increased opportunities for picnics along the banks of the river.
There were two more developed picnic areas, known as pleasure grounds, with various facilities and organised
activities, such as refreshment rooms, dances in an open air dance hall and equipment for rides. ‘The Avenue’
pleasure grounds was located in what is now the foreshore areas and playing fields of Hunters Hill High
School while ‘Fairyland’ (initially known as ‘The Rest’) was located further upstream opposite eastern
Mowbray Park. Despite the difficulties for boats navigating the river at low tide, Fairyland would be crowded
with launches from all over Sydney on holidays, as illustrated opposite, and the proprietors also ran their
own boat to Figtree to meet the steam ferries.
Picnic based recreation continues to be an important foreshore use but picnickers now gct to the picnic spots
by car. However, the parts of the river with suitable picnic spots are in two distinct sections: downstream of
Figtree Bridge where the Lane Cove side, in particular, has a number of nicely developed reserves, and the
63
“A VERITABLE FAIRYLAND”
80 to 100 years ago the Lane Cove River was becoming very popular as a beauty spot and a good
place for recreation such as picnicking and boating. People would catch the ferry as far as possible:
to Figtree, or even as far as Killara (from 1909 to about 1916). They then hired a rowboat to go further
up river. Here are some descriptions of the river written in the newspapers at the time about trips up
the river:
“Indeed it is doubtful whether there is any river more picturesque than that of the Lane Cove River from the bend
which conceals the Parramatta to the point where it becomes a tiny streamlet, dancing and leaping among the
grey masses of rock and time-worn boulders which seek to impede its course.”
“It has taken us but an hour, and the distance, by the varied scenes which break at every corner and turn, give
one the feeling of having travelled a full score of miles. It is a place for a landscape artist to rave about, it is a
place for a poet to dream himself into ecstasies over.”
The river was described as a “veritable fairyland” with “visitors being struck with the wealth of beauty
spots and the diversified character of the scenery”.
About halfway up the river from Figtree:
“The Rest is the first place reached where a halt may be made for a cup of tea. ....Here are moored half-a-dozen
row boats, and there are parties of young people scattered about in groups reclining here and there on the sward
enjoying the soft serenity of it all. It is a long pull, but if the tide is taken both ways is not so laborious a task as
it looks.”
“On you wind, free for a day in Nature’s own domain...A suggestion here and there of rock-faced precipices lends
its touch of variety and mild romance; while, especially at high tide, the more commonplace mangroves add their
quota of rural effect.”
From near the present Fullers Bridge:
“the banks for the space of a few miles are lined with fruit trees, the overhanging branches often touch the glassy
water and you may pick fruit without even getting out of the boat”,
Past the orchards:
“The scene now changes and becomes fairy-like indeed, trees dropping their boughs in the crystal stream,
and bulrushes, waratahs and Christmas bushes extending to the water’s edge.”
Arriving at Fairyland for a day’s outing
64
Lane Cove River State Recreation Area much further upstream. In between, mangroves block most of the
shoreline and there is only Blackman Park where the picnic areas are not on the edge, or in view, of the
water.
Boating also remains a common pastime on the river but today they are frequently motorboats and activity
is limited to sightseeing. There are few places to stop a boat and picnic or walk above Figtree as was once
popular. Water skiing on the river has become common in recent years but causes a number of problems.
The water ski boats come up river and base themselves at one of a number of small beaches along the river
upstream of Figtree Bridge (there is one at Blackman Park). However, the river is too narrow to safely ski in
a number of places and a skier was killed on the river in the mid-1980s. The constant noise of the power
boats adversely impacts the residents who live near this section of river and the boats are detrimental to other,
quieter boat uses of the river such as canoeing.
Canoeing is perhaps the modern equivalent of the rowboats of days gone by, both above and below the weir.
A common trip is to launch the canoe just downstream of Fullers Bridge and paddle downstream with the
tide.
Rowing Regattas held on the river, mainly associated with the two colleges, also attracted people from all
over Sydney and were big events on the river. Today rowing is still an important sport and, in addition to St
Josephs and St Ignatius Colleges, Sydney and Macquarie Universities’ rowing clubs and the North Shore
Rowing Club are based on the river. The long hulls of boats from all these clubs can frequently be seen
practising up and down the liver.
Stormwater Disposal
All water which falls on any hard surface such as roads, roofs, carparks and footpaths in the entire catchment
of the river ends up in the river. This water, known as urban stormwater, is drained from hard surfaces into
storm water drains which go underground to the nearest creek valley where they discharge into the bush or
into the creek itself.
The problems thus caused for the bushland were discussed in 8.2. This chapter considers the problems caused
for the waterways.
Whilst it is natural for water falling on a catchment to drain to its river, urban stormwater is highly polluted.
As it washes everything off all hard surfaces it contains the substances which fallout from car exhausts and
other air pollution, dog faeces, litter, grease and oil, detergents from car washing etc. People often see the
nearest stormwater drain as a convenient disposal point for any awkward liquids they have, such as oil from
cars and even industrial waste. By doing this they are not just using the drain for disposal, but fouling our
waterways which we use for recreation.
Sewage Overflow
Sewage from the northern half of Sydney east of Blacktown is taken across the city to North Head for
treatment and marine disposal via a major sewerage line, the Northern Ocean Outfall Sewer, known as the
NOOS. This crosses the Municipality of Lane Cove passing first under the Lane Cove River in tunnels dug
through the sandstone. In Burns Bay and Gore Creek valley viaducts carry the NOOS across the valleys.
When it rains, extra water always gets into sewerage systems through cracks in pipes and wrong connection
of stormwater pipes to the sewerage lines. The NOOS was built in the 1920s and, whilst designed to
accommodate a wet weather flow much greater than normal dry weather flow, it is now running at nearly
full capacity in dry weather and cannot accommodate the increased flow in wet weather.
Thus the system overflows and the overflow points are on major creeks and rivers, including the Lane Cove
River where the NOOS crosses a short distance upstream of Figtree Bridge. Obviously this adds considerably
to the pollution load in the river in wet weather when it already carries much polluted urban stormwater.
Flushing by the tides eventually disperses the pollution.
65
10.3 Reducing Adverse Impacts on Waterways
The major problems experienced by our waterways are:
* Flooding and the erosion of creek banks
* Pollution of creeks by urban stormwater and pollution of the river and some creeks by sewage and urban
stormwater,
* Siltation: blocking of creeks and obscuring of their lovely rock features by silt, loss of bays to mudflats
and increasing shallowness of the river due to silt deposition. In Lane Cove we receive the results of
erosion way up in the catchment as the silt is carried down and deposited in our part of the river.
The Lane Cove River near Figtree Bridge, and most of the bays downstream: Burns Bay, Tambourine Bay
and Gore Creek’s cove, are significantly affected by the deposition of silt and the build-up of unsightly
mudflats. These mudflats are not only unattractive at low tide but they prevent the launching of boats and
impede navigation, as well as exacerbating pollution by decreasing the depth of water and the flushing effect
of the tides. Dredging is a very expensive operation. Much of the river from Fullers Bridge to near Figtree
Bridge was dredged in the 1950’s and 60’s but as a commercial operation to gain the sand which lay beneath
the mud. The sand is now gone and a commercial operation will not be possible again.
The first of these problems needs to be tackled by government, particularly the local council. As an initial
step, Lane Cove Council had a hydrology study of its bushland completed in 1986 to examine the problems
associated with stormwater, drainage and creeks in the bushland A number of its recommendations to
ameliorate these impacts have since been implemented or constructed.
For the other two major problems, it is mainly up to individuals to play their part in the solutions.
We all have a responsibility to act in a way which will not create, or worsen, the problems.
Flooding and Erosion of Creek Banks
This is largely caused by the much greater flows of water
pouring into creeks after rain. Water from hard surfaces is
collected by stormwater drains much more quickly than water
which falls on soil or vegetation percolates down through the
soil and into the creeks. Thus we now have more water hitting
bushland slopes and the creeks all at once with great erosive
power.
The solutions are:
* Creation of areas which can hold the
collected water after rain (called
detention basins) and let it out slowly
through small diameter pipes, known
as ‘lowflow’ pipes. In developed
areas the basins may be carparks,
grassed reserves or other open space.
66
Such areas and pipes are being required by Council in new developments but are more difficult to create
in older areas.
* Lining of creek banks with natural stone where a large flow of water is unavoidable.
* Construction of stilling basins in creeks to reduce velocity of water and thus its erosive effect (scour). As
the rushing water flows in, it is first stopped as it fills the basin, then slowed by hitting the water body.
* Including grass and plantings wherever possible in developed areas rather than hard impervious surfaces.
Home owners should consider this factor when planning landscaping and keep paved areas to a minimum
eg. driveways with part grassing are preferable to full concrete. For developments requiring plans for
exterior areas (units, townhouses, industrial and commercial) Council now considers the balance of ‘hard’
and ‘soft’ surfaces before giving approval.
Pollution from Urban Stormwater
Much of the pollution in urban stormwater comes from individual sources which governments can do little
to directly control. Rather, it is up to each individual to act in an environmentally responsible way and help
protect our waterways. Consider the creeks and waterways beyond your backyard in these ways:
* Do not wash cars (or anything else) in driveways or anywhere where the soapy water runs into gutters
and storm water drains because this just ends up in the creek, river or bush. Instead, wash the car on the
lawn where washing water can be absorbed and the water useful rather than wasted.
* Try to ensure your dog does not defecate on roads or footpaths. If it does, a ‘pooper scooper’ and paper
bag would be handy to remove the problem to a bin. Doggie ‘do’s’ cause faecal contamination of the
water and provide nutrients, thus encouraging weeds in the bush and algal blooms in water.
* Be sparing with fertilisers and pesticides in the garden. Rain can wash it off and into drains where it
doesn’t do the garden any good and it pollutes the creek or river.
* Don’t leave piles of leaves, lawn clippings or other rubbish in the gutters where it can then wash into
drains causing blockages and pollution.
* Dispose of all difficult liquids, such as unwanted oils, paints, garden chemicals etc. at a licensed Waste
Disposal Centre.
* Anyone who sees, or knows of someone dumping chemicals, oils, greases or other industrial wastes into
stormwater drains, or the sewer is encouraged to ring Lane Cove Council’s Environmental Health Officer
on 9911 3626.
Pollution from Sewerage
While it would seem that building bigger capacity sewerage lines is a government problem, this is actually
an action of last resort as it would be horrendously expensive (sending our water rates skyrocketing) and it
would disturb many residential areas.
Before embarking on such a scheme we should first make the existing lines work efficiently. At present many
homes and other properties have downpipes connected to the sewerage system rather than to the stormwater
Access hole
Normal sewage
level
Sewerage Overflow Point
Wastewater and stormwater find
their way into the sewerage system
causing overflow
Stormwater and raw sewage overflow
causing environmental pollution
67
system or drainage pit. This is one of the major causes of extra volume in the sewer line when it rains, thus
overflows occur. It is obviously inefficient to have sewerage capacity taken up just with water and then have
raw sewage overflowing into creeks and rivers.
The solution is to ensure that all downpipes go into the stormwater system. The Water Board is pursuing a
program of smoke testing to determine where the problems are, but it would be preferable if homeowners
took action themselves. Smoke testing involves putting smoke into the sewer system in the street and seeing
where it comes out. If it billows out the top of a downpipe, there is obviously a connection!
Siltation
Rain washes soil off any bare surface. No matter where this happens in the municipality it is then carried
downhill, through storm water drains to creeks and rivers. The results of 200 years of settlement and clearing
are all too clear at low tide with extensive mudflats in the river, especially around Figtree Bridge, and in the
bays.
In the bays, which were once the open mouths of creeks the process has been the growth of mudflats, followed
by colonisation of the flats by mangroves, then sometimes filling over the mangroves to create playing fields
or grassed reserves. The last has occurred in Burns Bay Reserve, Blackman Park and Gore Creek Reserve.
In Tambourine Bay the mudflats and the mangroves have grown but not been filled. In the filled bays the
process has begun all over again with the build up of more mudflats beyond the seawalls of the grassed
reserve.
The solution is simple in concept but difficult to execute. It is simply to prevent any silt washing off any
building, development or landscaping site in the whole of the catchment of the Lane Cove River and to
minimise erosion on bush tracks.
This requires considerable effort by many people and authorities. Anyone, be they individual, government
body, business or developer who clears vegetation, disturbs soil or places fill must be aware of the problem
of silt run-off and take steps to prevent it. The adequacy and effectiveness of the prevention measures have
to be monitored and steps taken to enforce their usc, if necessary.
This role would mainly be taken by local Councils who give approvals for building and inspect building
sites.
For more details on many of the issues discussed in this chapter, including, pollution, siltation and the past, present
and future uses of the river, sec McLoughlin, 1985.
68
CLEAN CREEKS AND RIVERS BEGIN AT HOME
Report any pollution
incidents including dumping
of any waste materials,
chemicals etc. into
stormwater or sewer to
NSW EPA Environment
Line 131 555.
Garage and shed
Unwanted household or garden
chemicals should never be placed
down the sewer or the stormwater
drains. Check with your Council for
local disposal depots if you have
particularly large quantities.
Fences, gates and
retaining walls
Gullies
Makesure your household gully
grate (usually outside the kitchen or
bathroom) is above ground level so
rain water doesn’t flow into it.
Gutters and downpipes
Roof gutters and downpipes should
connect to stormwater drains not the
sewer; illegal stormwater connections
lead to sewer overflows.
Fertilisers and pesticides
Choose fence, gate or retaining
wall designs which take into
account water flow. Managing
the flow of stormwater on your
property can avoid damage.
Minimise use of fertilisers and
pesticides. These chemicals are
easily washed off the garden by
stormwater and end up in local
creeks.
Lawn care
Coring your lawn lets it breathe and
aviods compaction. Coring also
helps water soak in, reducing runoff.
Garden clippings
Start a compost heap. Vegetable
scraps, tea leaves and grass
clippings make excellent compost
which is ideal fertiliser for gardens.
Footpaths and streets
Paved areas
Keep paved areas to a minimum. If
you are constructing a path or
paving a patio or pool surround,
choose a design or surface which
lets stormwater soak in.
Washing the car
Wash your car on a grassy area.
Sudsy water which flows down the
gutter ends up in your local creek.
Increased nutrients from detergents
cause a lot of problems in our
waterways.
Cars, trucks and
motor bikes
If you do your own oil change don’t
pour oil down the gutter or into the
ground. Dispose of the oil in a
sealed container in the garbage or
in a special Council cleanup.
Any rubbish, leaves or dog
droppings in the street end up in
stormwater drains causing blockages
or pollution problems.
Stormwater grates
Everyone can help by keeping
stormwater grates clear of litter,
leaves and stones. Blocked drains
can lead to local flooding.
69
WHO USED THE RIVER – THEN?
In the past the river has been used by a variety of different activities, some only for short periods and
some over many years.
Industries
Tannery and Boiling Down Works, 1880s, then
Clifford Love Cornflour Mills from 1894
Cumberland Paper Board Mills, 1912–1928, later
Robert Corbett, then CSR Chemicals, 1930s–1978
A. Radke & Sons Tannery, 1860s–1940 and
Ludowici &Co. Tannery, 1860s–1970s
Australian Wood Pipe Co. 1912–?
Rupert Kirk’s soap and candle factories 1831·1842
Salt and copra bond store
John Fell & Co. oil refinery (northern end)
Patent Asphaltum Co. (southern end)
later Shell Co. oil depot from 1903
Early Wharves
Gore’s Wharf, from the 1820s
Nichol’s Wharf, from the 1820s
Kirk’s Wharf, 1831-1840s
On edge of river near Epping Road, just
north of footbridge.
On Stringybark Creek, southwest side of dam
North side of Tannery Creek, halfway up the
creek
On Burns Bay Road, south on Mangrovite oval
Southwest corner of Woodford Bay
Manns Point, site of Greenwich Sailing Club
Western foreshore of Gore Cove from Manns
Point Park north to the reserve
Greenwich, on eastern shore of Gore Cove
Northwest corner of Woodford Bay at end of
Woodford Street, formerly Nichols Road
Middle of south shore of Woodford Bay
Ferry Wharves — Lower River, 1850s –
Greenwich
Ends of Lower Serpentine Road and Bay Street
Woolwich
End of The Point Road
Northwood
End of Northwood Road
Longueville
Ends of Stuart Street and Wharf Road
Hunters Hill
End of Alexandra Street, Lane Cove end of Mount Street
and Figtree, at location of south end of present bridge
Ferry Wharves - Upper River, 1908 – 1918
Boronia Park
End of Princes Street
Buffalo Creek
End of Park Rd which then extended as a path to the river
Lane Cove West
End of Penrose Street
East Ryde
End of Magdala Road
West Chatswood
End of Willandra St which then extended as a path to the river
St Ignatius Wharf
Centrally located on the end of Riverview point
Pleasure Grounds
‘The Avenue’
‘Fairyland’
The playing fields of Hunters Hill High School
Upstream from Epping Road Bridge, north side
of river, opposite Mowbray Park
On the river itself, the following occurred at various times:
* Boats transporting all the timber cut from the Lane Cove Valley
* Fishing
* Rowing up the river for picnics
* Regattas on the river adjacent to Riverview
70
WHO USES THE RIVER - NOW?
Today a variety of activities still use the river but these are more oriented to transport and
recreation and less to the commercial activities of the past.
Industries
Shell oil storage and distribution depot
Western foreshore of Gore Cove from Manns Point
north to the reserve
Ferry Wharves - Lower River
Greenwich
Woolwich
Northwood
Longueville
Hunters Hill
Lower Serpentine Road and end of Bay Street
Valentia Street
End of Northwood Road
End of Stuart Street
End of Alexandra Street
Tambourine Bay
In the bay between Greenwich Point and Manns Point
adjacent to Albert Street
Eastern end of Tambourine Bay Park
Longueville
Manns Point, adjacent to Prospect Street and the end
of Bay Street
End of Stuart Street
Swimming Pools
Greenwich
Sailing Clubs
Greenwich
Rowing Clubs
Longueville
Tambourine Bay
Burns Bay
Boat Launching Ramps
Longueville
Burns Bay
Aquatic Reserve
Western foreshore
Western foreshore
End of Dunois Street
End of Kooyong Parade
Picnic Areas
There are many parks dotted around the foreshore which are used for picnicking. On the Map. Directory
of Lane Cove these are shown as yellow.
Sewer Crossing and Overflow Point
The main sewer line crossing Sydney to the outfall
from North Head, called the Northern Ocean
Outfall Sewer (NOOS for short), crosses the river
a little south of The Boreen. It overflows into the
river here when there is moderate or heavy rain.
Other Activities
*
Waterskiing in the stretch of water between
Linley Point and Mars Road
*
Boats moored in all the bays
*
*
Canoeing (anywhere on the river)
Stormwater flowing down from the developed
areas to the creeks and the river
71
REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING
Most of the following references are available in Lane Cove Public Library, either for borrowing, or in the
Local Studies section for consultation. Those marked with an ‘ can also be purchased at the Library.
General
(covering material pertinent to a number of chapters)
Lane Cove Municipal Council Plan of Management for Urban Bushland, March 1990.
‘McLoughlin, Lynne The Middle Lane Cove River: A History and a Future, Monograph No.1, Centre for
Environmental and Urban Studies, Macquarie University, 1985.
Recher, H.F., Lunney, D. & Dunn, I., A Natural Legacy: Ecology in Australia, Pergamon, Sydney, 2nd edition,
1986.
Introduction
‘Project Environment Map and Information Directory, Municipality of Lane Cove.
Chapter 2: Geology, Soils and Topography
Chapman, GA & Murphy, C.L., Soil Landscapes of the Sydney 1:100,000 Sheet, Soil Conservation Service
of NSW, Sydney, 1989.
Walker, P.H. A Soil Survey of the County of Cumberland, Sydney Region, NSW Dept of Agriculture, Soil
Survey Bulletin No.2, 1960.
Chapter 3: Values of Bushland
National Trust of Australia (NSW) Urban Bushland Policy, May 1988, Updated, March 1991.
NSW Department of Planning Urban Bushland: Management Guidelines, 1991
Chapter 4: Vegetation Communities
Baker, M., Corringham, R & Dark, J., Native Plants of the Sydney Region, Three Sisters, 1989.
Benson D. & Howell, J. Taken For Granted: The Bushland of Sydney and its Suburbs, Kangaroo Press, 1990
‘Dove, Don Bushwalks Around Lane Cove, Project Environment, 1989.
Fairlie, A. & Moore, P., Native Plants of the Sydney Region - An Identification Guide, S.G.A. P. Kangaroo
Press, Sydney, 1989.
Harry Howard & Associates, Stringy Bark Valley Landscape Study, February, 1981.
‘Messer, Judy Growing the Native Plants of Lane Cove, Project Environment,.
Robinson, Les, Native Trees of Sydney, Gould League, 1988.
Robinson, Les, FieId Guide to the Native Plants of Sydney, Kangaroo Press, 1991.
Rotherham, E.R., Briggs, B.C., Blaxell, D.F. & Carolin, R.C., Rowers and Plants of NSW and Southern
Queensland, Reed, 1982.
Chapter 5: Animals of Lane Cove
Clyne, D., Wildlife in the Suburbs, Angus & Robertson, 1982.
Clyne, D. More Wildlife in the Suburbs, Angus & Robertson, 1984.
Griffiths, K. Reptiles of the Sydney Region, Three Sisters, 1987.
Hockings, F.D., Friends and Foes of Australian Gardens, Reed, Sydney, 1980.
Murray, E., Living with Wildlife, Reed, 1989.
Pastorelli, John (ed), Urban Wildlife of NSW, Angus & Robertson, 1990.
Stephens. S. The Impact of Man on the Mammals and Birds of the Lane Cove River Valley, Environmental
and Urban Studies Report No.34, Macquarie University, 1978.
Swan, K. A ReId Guide to the Snakes and Lizards of NSW, Three Sisters, 1991.
Tyler, M., Australian Frogs, Viking O’Neal, 1989
Walraven, E. Taronga Zoo’s Guide to the Care of Urban Wildlife, Allen and Unwin, 1990.
Chapter 6: Birds of Lane Cove
Adams, G.M. , Birdscaping Your Garden, Reed 1984
72
References and Further Reading
Adams, G.M., Foliage Birds, Popular Books, 1984.
Dixon, Thomas, The Birds of Riverview, 1980.
McDonald, J.D. Birds of Australia, Reed, Revised edition, 1984.
Pizzey, G. A Field Guide to the Birds of Australia, Collins, 1980.
Pizzey, G., A Garden of Birds, Viking O’Neal, 1988.
Simpson, K. & Day, N., Field Guide to the Birds of Australia, Viking O’Neal, 2nd ed’n, 1986.
Slater P., P. & R. Slaters’ Field Guide to Australian Birds, Wheldon, 1989.
Chapter 7: Aborigines
Clark, S. S. & McLoughlin, L.C. “Historical and Biological Evidence for Fire Regimes in the Sydney Region
Prior to the Arrival of Europeans: Implications for Future Bushland Management”, Aust. Geographer, Vol
17, No 2, Nov 1986, pp 101-112.
Conyers, B. Aboriginal Sites Planning Study, Lane Cove River State Recreation Area Trust, 1991.
Kohen, J.L. & Lampert. R. “Hunters and Fishers of the Sydney Region”, Australians to 1788, ed. by D.J.
Mulvaney & J.P. White, Fairfax, Syme & Wheldon Associates, 1987.
Leiper, G., Mutooroo: Plant Use by Australian Aboriginal People.
Low, Tim, Bush Tucker, Angus & Robertson, North Ryde, 1989.
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, Aborigines of NSW
The Australian Museum Aborigines of the Sydney Area, Leaflet 23, December, 1978.
Turbet, P., Aborigines of the Sydney District before 1788, Kangaroo Press, 1989.
Chapters 8 & 9: European Impacts and Weed Invasion
Adamson, D., Monaghan, N.M., & Smith, L.w. “Caring for Australian Bushland in Urban Areas”, Agfacts,
NSW Department of Agriculture.
Bradley, J. Bringing Back the Bush, ed by J. Larking, A Lenning & J. Walker, Landsdowne Press, Sydney,
1988.
Buchanan, R. “Edge Disturbance in Natural Areas”, Australian Parks and Recreation, August, 1979.
Buchanan, R. Common Weeds of Sydney Bushland, Inkata Press, Sydney, 1988.
Buchanan, R. Bush Regeneration: Recovering Australian Landscapes, TAFE Student Learning Publications,
1989.
Department of Environment and Planning, Urban Bushland in the Sydney Region, Sydney, 1986.
Department of Planning, State Environmental Planning Policy No. 19 - Bushland in Urban Areas, Circular
No 813, March 1989.
Department of Planning, Urban Bushland: Management Guidelines, Sydney, 1991.
*McLoughlin, L. & Rawling, J., Making Your Garden Bush Friendly, McLoughlin-Rawling, 2nd ed, 1991.
McLoughlin-Rawling, Bush Enemies, poster, 1991.
National Trust of Australia (NSW) Bush Regenerators’ Handbook, ed by P. Wright, 1991.
Rawling, J. The Bush Next Door, Brisbane City Council & Greening Australia, 1991. (book and video)
Chapter 10: The Lane Cove - an Urban River System
Boyden & Partners Hydrology Study of Bushland, for Lane Cove Municipal Council, June 1986.
*Russell, E., Lane Cove: A North Shore History 1788 - 1970, Council of the Municipality of Lane Cove,
1970.
State Pollution Control Commission Wet Weather Pollution of the Lane Cove River, February, 1980.
Water Board, booklets and accompanying videos, 1991
The Water Way
Hard Rain
Beyond the Bend
The Cost of Living
73
APPENDIX 1 –
NATIVE PLANTS OF LANE COVE MUNICIPALITY
Native plant survey carried out in 1991 by Van Klaphake, Lane Cove Council Bush Regenerator, with
assistance from Sandra Coe and other Council and contract bush regenerators.
Plant survey project jointly funded by Lane Cove Municipal Council and the "Save the Bush" Grant
Scheme.
Status for each plant in Lane Cove
Very Common
predominant species
in much of the area
found easily
Common species
widespread
throughout area
found easily
Fairly Common
plants/colonies
widespread in some
parts of area
found easily
without searching
Occasional
plants/colonies
scattered
not immediately
apparent
Uncommon
more than 4 plants
or 2 colonies, but
in low popUlations
plants only found
by searching
Rare
1-4 plants or 1-2
small colonies
plants only found
by searching
Unknown
previously recorded
since 1978
not seen in 1991
survey
74
Appendix 1
NATIVE TREES OF LANE COVE MUNICIPALITY
BOTANIC NANE
COMMON NAME
Acacia binervia
A.
floribunda
A.
implexa
A.
irrorata var irrorata
A.
longifolia
A.
parramattensis
A.
parvipinnula
Acmena smithii
Alectryon subcinerius
Allocasuarina littoralis
A. torulosa
Angophora bakeri
A. costata
A. floribunda
A. hispida
Avicennia marina
Banksia integrifolia
B. serrata
Callicoma serratifolia
Casuarina glauca
Ceratopetalum apetalum
C. gummiferum
Clerodendrum tomentosum
Cupaniopsis anacardioides
Elaeocarpus reticulatus
Endiandra sieberi
Eucalyptus botryoides
E.
capitellata
E.
globoidea
E.
gummiifera
E.
haemastoma
E.
notabilis
E.
paniculata
E.
pilularis
E.
piperita
E.
punctata
E.
racemosa
E.
resinifera
E.
robusta
E.
saligna
E.
siderophloia
Exocarpus cupressiformis
Ficus obligua
F. rubiginosa
Glochidion ferdinandi
G.f. var pubescens
Melaleuca linariifolia
M. styphelioides
Myoporum acuminatum
Notelaea longifolia
N. 1. var pubescens
N. ovata
Pittosporum undulatum
Coast Myall
Sally Wattle
Hickory
FAMILY
Mimosaceae
Mimosaceae
Mimosaceae
Mimosaceae
Sydney Golden Wattle
Mimosaceae
Sydney Green Wattle
Mimosaceae
Silver Stem Wattle
Mimosaceae
Lillypilly
Myrtaceae
Native Quince
Sapindaceae
Black She-oak
Casuarinaceae
Forest Oak
Casuarinaceae
Narrow-leaved Apple
Myrtaceae
Sydney Red Gum
Myrtaceae
Rough-bark Apple
Myrtaceae
Dwarf Apple
Myrtaceae
Grey Mangrove
Avicenniaceae
Grey Myrtle
Myrtaceae
Coast Banksia
Proteaceae
Old Man Banksia
Proteaceae
Black Wattle
Cunoniaceae
Swamp Oak
Casuarinaceae
Coachwood
Cunoniaceae
Christmas Bush
Cunoniaceae
Hairy Clerodendrum
Verbenaceae
Tuckeroo
Sapindaceae
Blueberry Ash
Eleaocarpaceae
Corkwood
Lauraceae
Southern Mahogany
Myrtaceae
Brown Stringybark
Myrtaceae
White Stringybark
Myrtaceae
Red Bloodwood
Myrtaceae
Scribbly Gum
Myrtaceae
Blue Mountain Mahogany Myrtaceae
Grey Ironbark
Myrtaceae
Blackbutt
Myrtaceae
Sydney peppermint
llyrtaceae
Grey Gum
Myrtaceae
ScribblyGum
Myrtaceae
Red Mahogany
Myrtaceae
Swamp Mahogany
Myrtaceae
Sydney Blue Gum
Myrtaceae
Northern Grey Ironbark
Myrtaceae
Native Cherry
Santalaceae
Small Leaf Fig
Moraceae
Port Jackson Fig
Moraceae
Cheese Tree
Euphorbiaceae
Cheese Tree
Euphorbiaceae
Myrtaceae
Prickly-leaf Paperbark
Myrtaceae
Northern Boobialla
Myoporaceae
Large Mock Olive
Oleaceae
Mock Olive
Oleaceae
Oleaceae
Sweet Pittosporum
Pittosporaceae
STATUS IN LANE COVE
Rare
Uncommon
Occasional
Uncommon
Uncommon
Uncommon
Occasional
FairIy common
Rare
Common
Uncommon
Uncommon
Common
Uncommon
Rare
Common
Common
Occasional
FairIy common
Occasional
FairIy common
FairIy common
Occasional
Uncommon
Uncommon
Fairly common
Rare
Rare
Rare
Occasional
Occasional
Uncommon
Rare
Uncommon
Common
Common
Rare
Uncommon
Occasional
Rare
Uncommon
Rare
Uncommon
Rare
Fairly common
FairIy common
Uncommon
Occasional
Rare
Rare
Common
Uncommon
Uncommon
Very common
75
NATIVE TREES CONTINUED
Rapanea howittiana
R. variabilis
Rhodamnia rubescens
Schizomeria ovata
Syncarpia glomulifera
Synoum glandulosum
Tristaniopsis collina
T.
laurina
Trochocarpa laurina
COMMON NANE
Brush Muttonwood
Muttonwood
Brush Turpentine
Crab Apple
Turpentine
Scentless Rosewood
Mountain Water Gum
Water Gum
Tree Heath
FAMILY
Myrsinaceae
Nyrsinaceae
Myrtaceae
Cuoniaceae
Myrtaceae
Meliaceae
Myrtaceae
Myrtaceae
Epacridaceae
STATUS IN LANE COVE
Occasional
Occasional
Rare
Uncommon
Common
Rare
Occasional
Occasional
Uncommon
NATIVE MISTLETOES OF LANE COVE MUNICIPALITY
BOTANIC NAME
Amyema congener
Dendrophthoe vitellina
Muellerina celastroides
M.
eucalyptoides
COMMON NAME
Mistletoe
Mistletoe
Mistletoe
Mistletoe
FAMILY
Loranthaceae
Loranthaceae
Loranthaceae
Loranthaceae
STATUS IN LANE COVE
Occasional
Uncommon
Uncommon
Uncommon
NATIVE CLIMBERS AND SCRAMLERS OF LANE COVE MUNICIPALITY
BOTANIC NAME
Billardiera scandens
Calystegia sepium
Cassytha glabella
C. paniculata
C. pubescens
Cayratia clematidea
Cissus hypoglauca
Clematis aristata
C, glycinoides
Comesperma volubile
Convolvulus erubescens
Eustrephus latifolius
Geitonoplesium cymosum
Glycine clandestina
G,
microphylla
Hardenbergia violacea
Hibbertia dentata
E, scandens
Kennedia rubicunda
Marsdenia suaveolans
Muehlenbeckia gracillima
Morinda jasminoides
Pandorea pandorana
Rubus hillii
R, parvifolius
Sarcopetalum harveyanum
Smilax australis
S, glyciphylla
Stephania japonica
Tylophora barbata
76
COMMON NAME
Apple Berry
Devils Twine
Devils Twine
Devils Twine
Slender Grape
Fire-leaf Water-vine
Travellers Joy
Old Mans Beard
Love Creeper
Australian Bind-weed
Wombat Berry
Scrambling Lily
Twining Glycine
Purple Twining-pea
Climbing Guinea-flower
Dusky Coral-pea
Scented Marsdenia
Slender Lignum
Morinda
Wonga Vine
Broadleaf Bramble
Native Raspberry
Pearl Vine
Lawyer Vine
Sweet Sasparilla
Snake Vine
Bearded Tylophora
FAMILY
Pittosporaceae
Convolvulaceae
Cassythaceae
Cassythaceae
Cassythaceae
Vitaceae
Vitaceae
Ranunculaceae
Ranunculaceae
Polygalaceae
Convolvulaceae
Philesiaceae
Philesiaceae
Fabaceae
Fabaceae
Fabaceae
Dilleniaceae
Dilleniaceae
Fabaceae
Asclepiadaceae
Polygonaceae
Rubiaceae
Bignoniaceae
Rosaceae
Rosaceae
Menisperneceae
Smilacaceae
Smilacaceae
Menispermaceae
Asclepiadaceae
STATUS IN LANE COVE
Fairly common
Occasional
Occasional
Common
Fairly common
Rare
Common
Uncommon
Uncommon
Rare
Uncommon
Fairly common
Rare
Occasional
Occasional
Occasional
Occasional
Rare
Fairly common
Common
Rare
Uncommon
Common
Rare
Rare
Uncommon
Uncommon
Common
Uncommon
Uncommon
Appendix 1
NATIVE SHRUBS OF LANE COVE MUNICIPALITY
BOTANIC NAME
Acacia elongata
A.
faleata
A.
hispidula
A.
linifolia
A.
longissima
A.
myrtifolia
A.
stricta
A.
suaveolens
A.
terminalis
A.
ulicifolia
Acrotriche divaricata
Aegiceras corniculatum
Allocasuarina distyla
Amperea xiphoclada
Astroloma humifusum
A.
pinifolium
Astrotricha longifolia
Baeckea diosmifolia
B.
imbricata
B.
linifolia
Banksia ericifolia
B.
marginata
B.
oblongifolia
B.
spinulosa
Bauera rubioides
Boronia ledifolia
Bossiaea heterophylla
B.
obcordata
B.
scolopendria
Brachyloma daphnoides
Breynia oblongifolia
Bursaria spinosa
Callistenon citrinus
C.
linearis
C.
pinifolius
C.
rigidus
Cassinia aureonitens
C.
uncata
Correa reflexa
Crowea saligna
Cryptandra amara
Daviesia ulicifolia
Dillwynia retorta
Dodonaea triquetra
Epacris longiflora
E.
microphylla
E.
pulchella
E.
purpurascens
Eupomatia laurina
Gompholobium glabratum
G.
latifolium
Goodenia ovata
Grevillea buxifolia
G.
linearifolia
COMMON NAME
Swamp Wattle
Sickle Wattle
FAMILY
Mimosaceae
Mimosaceae
Mimosaceae
Flax Wattle
Mimosaceae
Mimosaceae
Myrtle Wattle
Mimosaceae
Hop Wattle
Mimosaceae
Sweet Scented Wattle
Mimosaceae
Sunshine Wattle
Mimosaceae
Prickly Moses
Mimosaceae
Ground Berry
Epacridaceae
River Mangrove
Myrsinaceae
Scrub She-oak
Casuarinaceae
Broom Sperge
Euphorbiaceae
Cranberry Heath
Epacridaceae
Pine Heath
Epacridaceae
Long-leaf Star-hair
Epacridaceae
Heath Myrtle
Myrtaceae
Myrtaceae
Swamp Baeckea
Myrtaceae
Heath Banksia
Proteaceae
Silver Banksia
Proteaceae
Proteaceae
Hairpin Banksia
Proteaceae
Dog Rose
Baueraceae
Sydney Boronia
Rutaceae
Fabaceae
Spiny Bossiaea
Fabaceae
Fabaceae
Daphne Heath
Epacridaceae
Breynia
Euphorbiaceae
Boxthorn
Pittosporaceae
Red Bottlebrush
Myrtaceae
Narrowleaved Bottlebrush Myrtaceae
Pineleaved Bottlebrush
Myrtaceae
Stiff Bottlebrush
Myrtaceae
Yellow Cassinia
Asteraceae
Sticky Cassinia
Astereceae
Common Correa
Rutaceae
Crowea
Rutaceae
Rhamnaceae
Gorse Bitter-pea
Fabaceae
Egg and Bacon
Fabaceae
Common Hop Bush
Sapindaceae
Fuchsia Heath
Epacridaceae
Coral Heath
Epacridaceae
Epacridaceae
Epacridaceae
Bolwarra
Eupomatiaceae
Fabaceae
Broad-leaf Wedge-pea
Fabaceae
Hop Goodenia
Goodeniaceae
Grey Spider-flower
Proteaceae
Proteaceae
STATUS IN LANE COVE
Rare
Occasional
Rare
Occasional
Uncommon
Uncommon
Rare
Occasional
Occasional
Fairly common
Uncommon
Fairly common
Rare
Occasional
Rare
Rare
Uncommon
Rare
Unknown
Rare
Uncommon
Rare
Occasional
Occasional
FairIy common
Uncommon
Uncommon
Occasional
Rare
Uncommon
Occasional
Uncommon
Rare
Uncommon
Rare
Unknown
Rare
Unknown
Occasional
Fairly common
Unknown
Unknown
FairIy common
Common
FairIy common
Uncommon
Fairly common
Rare
Rare
Unknown
Occasional
Unknown
Occasional
Fairly common
77
NATIVE SHRUBS CONTINUED
BOTANIC NAME
Grevillea sericea
Hakea dactyloides
H.
gibbosa
H.
sericea
H.
teretifolia
Helichrysum diosmifolium
Hibbertia empetrifolia
H.
fasciculata
H.
linearis
H.
riparia
Hovea linearis
H.
longifolia
Isopogon anemonifolius
I.
anethifolius
Kunzea ambigua
Lambertia formosa
Lasiopetalum ferrugineum
L.
parviflorum
Leptomeria acida
Leptospermum arachnoides
L.
polygalifolium
L.
squarrosum pink
L.
trinervium
Leucopogon amplexicaulis
L.
ericoides
L.
juniperinus
L.
lanceolatus
L.
microphyllus
Logania alblflora
Lomatia silaifolia
Maytenus silvestris
Melaleuca nodosa
Micrantheum ericoides
Mirbelia rubiifolia
Monotoca elliptica
M. scoparia prickly
Olearia microphylla
O. viscidula
Omalanthus populifolius
Persoonia lanceolata
P.
laurina
P.
levis
P.
linearis
P.
pinifolia
Petrophile pulchella
Phebalium dentatum
Phyllanthus gasstroemii
P.
hirtella
Phylotta phylicoides
Pimelea linifolia
Pittosporum revolutum
Platylobium formosum
Platysace lanceolata
P.
linearifolia
Podocarpus spinulosus
Polyscias sambucifolia
78
COMMON NAME
Pink Spider-flower
Broad-leaf Hakea
FAMILY
Proteaceae
Proteaceae
Proteaceae
Needle Bush
Proteaceae
Dagger Hakea
Proteaceae
Pill Flower
Asteraceae
Trailing Guinea-flower
Dilleniaceae
Guinea-flower
Dilleniaceae
Dilleniaceae
Erect Guinea-flower
Dilleniaceae
Narrow-leaf Hovea
Fahaceae
Rusty Pod
Fabaceae
Drumsticks
Proteaceae
Narrow-leaf Drumsticks Proteaceae
Tick Bush
Myrtaceae
Mountain Devil
Proteaceae
Rusty Petals
Sterculiaceae
Small Rusty Petals
Sterculiaceae
Native Currant
Santalaceae
Myrtaceae
Yellow Tea-tree
Myrtaceae
Tea-tree
Myrtaceae
Myrtaceae
Epacridaceae
Epacridaceae
Prickly Beard-heath
Epacridaceae
Lance-leaf Beard-heath
Epacridaceae
Small-leaved White-heard Epacridaceae
Loganiaceae
Crinkle Bush
Proteaceae
Celastraceae
Myrtaceae
Euphorbiaceae
Fabaceae
Tree Broom-heath
Epacridaceae
Broom-heath
Epacridaceae
Small-leaf Daisy-bush
Asteraceae
Asteraceae
Bleedinq Heart
Euphorbiaceae
Lance-leaf Geebung
Proteaceae
Laurel Geebung
Proteaceae
Broad-leaf Geehunq
Proteaceae
Narrow-leaf Geebung
Proteaceae
Pine-leaf Geebung
Proteaceae
Tonesticks
Proteaceae
Rutaceae
Blunt Spurge
Euphorbiaceae
Thyme Spurge
Euphorbiaceae
Phylotta
Fahaceae
Slender Rice-flower
Thymelaeaceae
Yellow Pittosporum
Pittosporaceae
Handsome Flat-pea
Fabaceae
Lance-leaf platysace
Apiaceae
Narrow-leaf Platysace
Apiaceae
Podocarpus
Podocarpaceae
Elderberry Panax
Araliaceae
STATUS IN LANE COVE
FairIy common
Fairly common
Rare
FairIy common
Uncommon
Occasional
Uncommon
Rare
Occasional
Rare
Rare
Rare
Rare
Rare
Common
Occasional
Occasional
Rare
Uncommon
Rare
Occasional
Rare
Fairly common
Rare
Occasional
FairIy common
Uncommon
Rare
Occasional
FairIy common
Occasional
Uncommon
FairIy common
Rare
Uncommon
Occasional
Uncommon
Uncommon
Occasional
Occasional
Occasional
FairIy common
Occasional
Uncommon
Uncommon
Occasional
Uncommon
FairIy common
Uncommon
FairIy common
Occasional
FairIy common
FairIy common
Rare
Occasional
Common
Appendix 1
NATIVE SHRUBS CONTINUED
BOTANIC NAME
Pomaderris elliptica
P.
ferruginea
P.
intermedia
P.
lanigera
Prostanthera linearis
Pultenaea daphnoides
P.
elliptica
P.
flexilis
P.
scabra
P.
stipularis
P.
viscosa
Ricinocarpus pinifolius
Senna odorata
Solanum lanciniatum
Styphelia longifolia
S.
triflora
S.
tubiflora
Tetratheca thymifolia
Trema aspers
Viminaria juncea
Woollsia pungens
Xanthosia pilosa
Xieria pilosa
Z. smithii
Xylomelum pyriforme
COMMON NAME
Rusty Pomaderris
Wooly Pomaderris
Narrow-leaf Mint-hush
Large-leaf Brush-pea
Rough Bush-pea
Fine-Leaf Brush-pea
Wedding Bush
Kangaroo Apple
Long-leaf Styphelia
Five Red Corners
Native Peach
Native Broom
Hairy Zieria
Sandfly Zieria
Woody Pear
FAMILY
Rhamnaceae
Rhamnaceae
Rhamnaceae
Rhamnaceae
Lamiaceae
Fabaceae
Fabaceae
Fabaceae
Fabaceae
Fabaceae
Fabaceae
Euphorbiaceae
Caesalpinaceae
Solanaceae
Epacridaceae
Epacridaceae
Epacridaceae
Tremandraceae
Ulmaceae
Fabaceae
Exacridaceae
Apiaceae
Rutaceae
Rutaceae
Proteaceae
STATUS IN LANE COVE
Occasional
Occasional
Unknown
Uncommon
Rare
FairIy common
Occasional
Common
Unknown
Uncommon
Rare
Rare
Rare
Rare
Uncommon
Rare
Rare
Rare
Rare
Uncommon
Occasional
FairIy common
Fairly common
Fairly common
Uncommon
NATIVE LILIES, IRISES AND SIMILAR PLANTS OF LANE COVE MUNICIPALITY
BOTANIC NAME
Arthropodium milleflorum
Blandiflora nobilis
Burchardia umbellata
Caesia parviflora
C.
vittata
Manella caerulea
D.
revoluta
Haemodorum planifolium
Laxmannia gracilis
Patersonia glabrata
P.
sericea
Schelhammera undulata
Stylidium lineare
S.
productum
Thysanotus juncifolius
T.
tuberosus
Tricoryne simplex
Triglochin striata
COMMON NAME
Pale Vanilla Lily
Christmas Bell
Milkmaids
Pale Grass Lily
Blue Grass Lily
Paroo Lily
Spreading Flax Lily
Strapleaf Blood-root
Slender Wire Lily
Leafy Purple-flag
Dwarf Purple-flag
Lilac Lily
Narrow-leaf Triggerplant
Triggerplant
Fringe Lily
Common Fringe Lily
Rush Lily
Streaked Arrow-grass
FAMILY
Liliaceae
Liliaceae
Liliaceae
Liliaceae
Liliaceae
Liliaceae
Liliaceae
Haemodoraceae
Liliaceae
Iridaceae
Iridaceae
Liliaceae
Stylidiaceae
Stylidiaceae
Liliaceae
Liliaceae
Liliaceae
Juncaginaceae
STATUS IN LANE COVE
Rare
Unknown
Rare
Uncommon
Rare
Common
Common
Uncommon
Uncommon
Uncommon
Uncommon
FairIycommon
Rare
Occasional
Rare
Uncommon
Uncommon
FairIy common
79
NATIVE HERBS OF LANE COVE MUNICIPALITY
BOTANIC NAME
Actinotus helianthi
A.
minor
Alternanthera denticulata
Aneilema biflorum
Apium australe
A.
prostratum
Atriplex semibaccata
Callitriche muelleri
C.
stagnalis
Cardamine paucijuga
Centella asiatica
Centipeda minima
Chamaesyce drummondii
Chenopodium pumilio
Commelina cyanea
Cotula australis
C.
coronopitolia
Dampiera stricta
Desmodium varians
Dichondra repens
Drosera auriculata
D.
peltata
D.
spathulata
Einadia hastata
E.
trigonos
Epaltes australis
Epilobium billarieranum
E. hirtigerum
Erodium crinitum
Geranium homeanum
Gnaphalium gymnnocephalum
Gonocarpus micranthus
G.
tetragynus
G.
teucrioides
Goodinia dimorpha
G.
hederacea
G.
heterophylla
Gratiola pedunculata
Hibiscus trionum
Hydrocotyle acutiloba
H.
peduncularis
H.
sp.
H.
tripartita
Hypericum gramineum
H.
japonicum
Isotoma fluviatilis
Lobelia alata
L.
dentata
L.
gracilis
Lythrum hyssopitolia
Mitrasacme polymorpha
Opercularia aspera
O.
hispida
O.
varia
80
COMMON NAME
Flannel Flower
Lesser Flannel Flower
Lesser Joyweed
Aneilema
Sea Celery
Creeping Saltbush
Swamp Pennywort
Spreading Sneezeweed
Caustic Weed
Scurvy Weed
Bachelors Buttons
Water Buttons
Blue Dampiera
Slender Tick-trefoil
Kidney Weed
Sundew
Pale Sundew
Common Sundew
Saloop
Smooth Willow-herb
Hoary Willow-herb
Blue Crows-foot
Cranes Bill
Creeping Raspwort
Raspwort
Raspwort
Ivy Goodenia
Brook Lime
Pennywort
Pennywort
Pennywort
Pennywort
Small St Johns Wort
Matted St Johns Wort
Swamp Isotoma
Purple Loose-strife
Mitreweed
Common Stinkweed
Stinkweed
FAMILY
Apiaceae
Apiaceae
Amaranthaceae
Commelinaceae
Apiaceae
Apiaciae
Chenopodiaciae
Callitrichaceae
Callitrichaceae
Brassicaceae
Apiaceae
Asteraceae
Euphorbiaceae
Chenopodiaceae
Commelinaceae
Asteraceae
Asteraceae
Goodeniaceae
Fabaceae
Convolvulaceae
Droseraceae
Droseraceae
Droseraceae
Chenopodiaceae
Chenopodiaceae
Asteraceae
Onagraceae
Onagraceae
Geraniaceae
Geraniaceae
Asteraceae
Haloragaceae
Haloragaceae
Haloragaceae
Goodeniaceae
Goodeniaceae
Goodeniaceae
Scrophulariaceae
Malvaceae
Araliaceae
Araliaceae
Araliaceae
Araliaceae
Clusiaceae
Clusiaceae
Lobeliaceae
Lobeliaceae
Lobeliaceae
Lobeliaceae
Lythraeae
Loganaceae
Rubiaceae
Rubiaceae
Rubiaceae
STATUS IN LANE COVE
Occasional
Occasional
Occasional
Unknown
Rare
Uncommon
Rare
Rare
Occasional
Common
Common
Rare
Rare
Rare
Common
Common
Rare
Uncommon
Rare
Fairly common
FairIy common
Uncommon
Rare
Rare
Uncommon
Rare
Occasional
Uncommon
Rare
FairIy common
Rare
Rare
Rare
Fairly common
Unknown
FairIy common
Occasional
Unknown
Unknown
Occasional
FairIy common
Rare
Uncommon
Uncommon
Rare
Uncommon
FairIy common
Rare
Occasional
Occasional
Uncommon
Common
Uncommon
Rare
Appendix 1
NATIVE HERBS CONTINUED
BOTANIC NAME
Oxalis exilis
O.
perennans
0.
radicosa
Pelargonium indorum
Persicaria decipiens
P.
hydropiper
P.
lapathifolia
P.
praetermissa
P.
strigosa
Plectranthus parviflorus
Polymeria calycina
Pomax umbellata
Poranthera ericifolia
P.
microphylla
Pratia purpurascens
Prunella vulgaris
Pseuderanthemum variabile
Pseudognaphalium luteoalbum
Ranunculus sessiliflorus
Rumex brownii
Samolus repens
Scaevola ramosissima
Senecio hispidulus
S.
minimus
S.
quadridentatus
Sigesbeckea orientalis
Solanum americanum
Stackhousia viminea
Tetragonia tetragonoides
Verbena officinalis
Vernonia cinerea
Veronica plebeia
Viola bederacea
Wahlenbergia gracilis
Xanthosia tridentata
COMMON NAME
Storks Bill
Slender Knotweed
Water Pepper
Pale Knotweed
Spotted Knotweed
Cockspur Flower
Polymeria
Pornax
Heath-leaved Poranthera
Small Porantbera
White Root
Self Heal
Jersey Cudweed
Swamp Dock
Creeping Brookweed
Purple Fan-flower
Fire Weed
Groundsel
Groundsel
Indian Weed
Slender Stackhousia
Warrigal Greens
Creeping Speedwell
Native Violet
Australian Bluebell
FAMILY
Oxalidaceae
Oxalidaceae
Oxalidaceae
Geraniaceae
Polygonaceae
Polygonaceae
Polygonaceae
Polygonaceae
Polygonaceae
Lamiaceae
Convolvulaceae
Rubiaceae
Euphorbiaceae
Euphorbiaceae
Lobeliaceae
Lamiaceae
Acanthaceae
Asteraceae
Ranunculaceae
Polygonaceae
Primulaceae
Goodeniaceae
Asteraceae
Asteraceae
Asteraceae
Asteraceae
Solanaceae
Stackhousiaceae
Aizoaceae
Verbenaceae
Asteraceae
Scrophulariaceae
Violaceae
Campanulaceae
Apiaceae
STATUS IN LANE COVE
FairIy common
Rare
Rare
Uncommon
Fairly common
Fairly common
Uncommon
Rare
Rare
Uncommon
Rare
FairIy common
Unknown
FairIy common
Common
Rare
Common
Uncommon
Unknown
Fairly common
Common
Rare
Uncommon
Uncommon
Rare
Uncommon
Fairly common
Rare
Uncommon
Common
Rare
FairIy common
Rare
FairIy common
FairIy common
NATIVE SUCCULENTS OF LANE COVE MUNICIPALITY
BOTANIC NAME
Carpobrotus glaucescens
Crassula sieberiana
Portulaca oleracea
Sarcocornia quinqueflora
Suaeda australis
COMMON NAME
Pigface
Australian Stonecrop
Pig Weed
Samphire
Sea Blight
FAMILY
Aizoaceae
Crassulaceae
Portulacaceae
Chenopodiaceae
Chenopodiaceae
STATUS IN LANE COVE
Rare
Uncommon
FairIy common
Fairly common
FairIy common
NATIVE GRASS TREES OF LANE COVE MUNICIPALITY
BOTANIC NAME
Xantborrboea arborea
X.
media
COMMON NAME
Grass Tree
Grass Tree
FAMILY
Xanthorrhoeaceae
Xanthorrhoeaceae
STATUS IN LANE COVE
FairIy common
Fairly common
81
NATIVE GRASSES OF LANE COVE MUNICIPALITY CONTINUED
BOTANIC NAME
Agrostis avenacea
Anisopogon avenaceus
Aristida ramosa
A.
vagans
A.
warburgii
Bothriochloa macra
Cymbopogon refractus
Danthonia longifolia
D.
racemosa
D.
setacea
D.
tenuior
Deyeuxia decipiens
D. guadriseta
Dichelachne crinita
D.
micrantha
D.
rara
Digitaria breviglumis
D.
parviflora
D.
ramularis
Echinochloa telmatophila
Echinopogon caespitosus
E.
ovatus
Entolasia marginata
E.
stricta
E.
whiteana
Eragrostis brownii
E.
leptostachya
E.
parviflora
E.
phillipica
Hemarthria uncinata
Imperata cylindrica
Isachne globosa
Microlaena stipoides
Oplismenus aemulus
0.
imbecillis
Panicum effusum
P.
simile
Paspalidium radiatum
Paspalum paspalodes
Phragmites australis
Poa affinis
Sporobolus creber
S.
virginicus
stipa pubescens
S.
ramosissima
S.
rudis
Tetrarrhena juncea
Themeda australis
Zoysia macrantha
82
COMMON NAME
Blown Grass
Oat Spear Grass
Wire Grass
Wire Grass
Wire Grass
Red Grass
Barbwire Grass
Wallaby Grass
Wallaby Grass
Wallaby Grass
Wallaby Grass
Long-hair Plume Grass
Tufted Hedgehog Grass
Forest Hedgehog Grass
Wiry Panic
Mat Grass
Blady Grass
Swamp Millet
Microlaena
Hairy Panic
Two-colour Panic
Water Couch
Common Reed
Sand Couch
Tall Spear Grass
Stout Bamboo Grass
Wiry Rice Grass
Kangaroo Grass
Prickly Couch
FAMILY
Poaceae
Poaceae
Poaceae
Poaceae
Poaceae
Poaceae
Poaceae
Poaceae
Poaceae
Poaceae
Poaceae
Poaceae
Poaceae
Poaceae
Poaceae
Poaceae
Poaceae
Poaceae
Poaceae
Poaceae
Poaceae
Poaceae
Poaceae
Poaceae
Poaceae
Poaceae
Poaceae
Poaceae
Poaceae
Poaceae
Poaceae
Poaceae
Poaceae
Poaceae
Poaceae
Poaceae
Poaceae
Poaceae
Poaceae
Poaceae
Poaceae
Poaceae
Poaceae
Poaceae
Poaceae
Poaceae
Poaceae
Poaceae
Poaceae
STATUS IN LANE COVE
Occasional
Fairly common
Uncommon
Common
Uncommon
Occasional
Uncommon
Common
Uncommon
Rare
Common
Occasional
Occasional
Uncommon
FairIy common
Occasional
Rare
Occasional
Occasional
Rare
Common
Uncommon
Common
Very common
FairIy common
Common
Uncommon
Uncommon
Rare
Occasional
Very common
Occasional
Very comon
Very common
Very common
Rare
FairIy common
Common
Occasional
Rare
Common
Rare
Occassional
Common
Rare
Occasional
Common
Very common
Occasional
Appendix 1
NATIVE SEDGES, RUSHES AND SIMILAR PLANTS OF LARE COVE MUNICIPALITY
BOTANIC NAME
Baunea acuta
B.
articulata
juncea
B.
B.
rubiginosa
Bolboschoenus fluviatillis
Carex appressa
C.
breviculmis
C.
inversa
Caustis flexulosa
Centrolepis strigosa
Cyathochaeta diandra
Cyperus brevifolius
C.
difformis
C.
gracilis
C.
imhecillis
C.
laevis
C.
leiocaulon
C.
mirus
C.
polystachyos
C.
sanguinolentus
C.
tenellus
Eleocharis gracilis
Fimbristylis dichotoma
F.
velata
Gahnia aspera
G.
clarkei
G.
erythrocarpa
G.
melanocarpa
G.
radula
Gymnostachys anceps
Isolepis cernua
I.
hookerana
I.
inundata
I.
nodosa
Juncus bufonius
J.
continuus
J.
flavidus
J.
homalocaulis
J.
krausii
J.
mollis
J.
pallidus
J.
planifolius
J.
polyanthemus
J.
prismatocarpus
J.
subsecundus
J.
usitatus
J.
vaginatus
Lepidosperma concavum
L.
filiforme
L.
flexuosum
L.
laterale
L.
lineare
L.
quadrangulatum
Lepyrodia scariosa
COMMON NAME
Twig Rush
Jointed Twig Rush
Bare Twig Rush
Soft Twig Rush
Marsh Club-rush
Tall Sedge
Curly Sedge
Variable Flat Sedge
Spike Rush
Common Fringe-rush
Spike-rush
Rough Saw-sedge
Tall Saw-Sedge
Black-fruit Saw-sedge
Settlers Flax
Swamp Club-rush
Sea Rush
Broad Rush
Branching Rush
Common Rush
Sword Sedge
Variable Saw Sedge
Scale Bush
FAMILY
Cyperaceae
Cyperaceae
Cyperaceae
Cyperaceae
Cyperaceae
Cyperaceae
Cyperaceae
Cyperaceae
Cyperaceae
Centrolepidaceae
Cyperaceae
Cyperaceae
Cyperaceae
Cyperaceae
Cyperaceae
Cyperaceae
Cyperaceae
Cyperaceae
Cyperaceae
Cyperaceae
Cyperaceae
Cyperaceae
Cyperaceae
Cyperaceae
Cyperaceae
Cyperaceae
Cyperaceae
Cyperaceae
Cyperaceae
Araceae
Cyperaceae
Cyperaceae
Cyperaceae
Cyperaceae
Juncaceae
Juncaceae
Juncaceae
Juncaceae
Juncaceae
Juncaceae
Juncaceae
Juncaceae
Juncaceae
Juncaceae
Juncaceae
Juncaceae
Juncaceae
Cyperaceae
Cyperaceae
Cyperaceae
Cyperaceae
Cyperaceae
Cyperaceae
Restionaceae
STATUS IN LANE COVE
Uncommon
Rare
Occasional
Rare
Rare
Rare
Common
Common
Occasional
Rare
Fairly common
Common
Rare
Common
Occasional
Rare
Rare
Common
Common
Occasional
Rare
Rare
Uncommon
Rare
Rare
Common
Common
Common
Common
Uncommon
Uncommon
Unknown
Common
Occasional
Common
Common
Rare
Common
Common
Rare
Rare
FairIy common
Rare
Occasional
Occasional
Common
Rare
Common
Common
Uncommon
Common
Occasional
Occasional
FairIy common
83
NATIVE SEDGES CONTINUED
BOTANIC NAME
Lipocarpha microcephala
Lomandra cylindrica
L.
filiformis var coriacea
L.
filiformis var filiformis
L.
glauca
L.
gracilis
L.
longitolia
L.
micrantha
L.
multiflora
L.
obliqua
Ftilanthelium deustum
Schoenus apogon
S. maschalinus
S. melanostachys
S. villosus
Typha orientalis
COMMON NAME
FAMILY
Cyperaceae
Needle Mat-rush
Xanthorrhoeaceae
Wattle Mat-rush
Xanthorrhoeaceae
Wattle Mat-rush
Xanthorrhoeaceae
Pale Mat-rush
Xanthorrhoeaceae
Xanthorrhoeaceae
Spiny Headed Mat-rush
Xanthorrhoeaceae
SmaIl Flowered Mat-rush Xanthorrhoeaceae
Many Flowered Mat-rush Xanthorrhoeaceae
Twisted Mat-rush
Xanthorrhoeaceae
Cyperaceae
Cmon Bog-rush
Cyperaceae
Cyperaceae
Black Bog-rush
Cyperaceae
Cyperaceae
Cumbungi
Typhaceae
STATUS IN LANE COVE
Rare
Common
Common
Common
Occasional
Occasional
Very common
Rare
Common
Common
Occasional
Occasional
Occasional
Common
Rare
Occasional
NATIVE ORCHIDS OF LANE COVE MUNICIPALITY
BOTANIC NAME
Acianthus caudatus
A.
exsertus
A.
fornicatus
Caladenia alba
C. catenata
Calochilus campestris
C.
paludosus
C.
robertsonii
Chiloglottis reflexa
C.
trapeziformis
Corybas actonitiflorus
Cryptostylis erecta
C.
subulata
Cymbidium suave
Dendrobium linguiforme
D.
striolatum
Dipodium punctatum
Galeola cassythoides
Microtis unifolia
Plectorrhiza tridentata
Prasophyllum nigricans
PterostyIis acuminata
P.
concinna
P.
grandiflora
P.
longifolia
P.
nutans
P.
pedunculata
Thelymitra carnea
T. pauciflora
84
COMMON NAME
Mayfly Orchid
Mosquito Orchid
Pixie Caps
White Caladenia
Pink Fingers
Copper Beard Orchid
Red Beard Orchid
Purplish Beard Orchid
Autumn Bird Orchid
Ant Orchid
Spurred Helmet Orchid
Bonnet Orchid
Large Tongue Orchid
Snake Orchid
Tongue Orchid
Streaked Rock Orchid
Hyacinth Orchid
Climbing Orchid
Onion Orchid
Tangle Orchid
Leek Orchid
Sharp Greenhood
Trim Greenhood
Superb Greenhood
Tall Greenhood
Nodding Greenhood
Little Red Riding Hood
Salmon Sun-orchid
Slender Sun-orchid
FAMILY
Orchidaceae
Orchidaceae
Orchidaceae
Orchidaceae
Orchidaceae
Orchidaceae
Orchidaceae
Orchidaceae
Orchidaceae
Orchidaceae
Orchidaceae
Orchidaceae
Orchidaceae
Orchidaceae
Orchidaceae
Orchidaceae
Orchidaceae
Orchidaceae
Orchidaceae
Orchidaceae
Orchidaceae
Orchidaceae
Orchidaceae
Orchidaceae
Orchidaceae
Orchidaceae
Orchidaceae
Orchidaceae
Orchidaceae
STATUS IN LANE COVE
Rare
Uncommon
Common
Occasional
Rare
Rare
Uncommon
Occasional
Rare
Rare
Rare
Common
Uncommon
Rare
Rare
Rare
Common
Rare
Rare
Rare
Rare
Rare
Uncommon
Rare
Uncommon
FairIy common
Rare
Rare
Rare
Appendix 1
NATIVE FERNS OF LANE COVE MUNICIPALITY
BOTANIC NAME
Adiantum aethiopicum
A.
hispidulum
Asplenium australasicum
A. flabellifolium
Blechnum ambiguum
B.
camfieldii
B.
cartilagineum
B.
nudum
Calochlaena (Culcita) dubia
Cheilanthes distans
C.
sieberi
Christella dentata
C.
hispidula
Cyathea australis
C.
cooperi
C.
leichhardtiana
Davallia pyxidata
Diplazium australe
Doodia aspera
D.
caudata
D.
media
Gleichenia dicarpa
G.
microphylla
G.
rupestris
Grammitis billardieri
Histiopteris incisa
Hymenophyllum cupressiforme
Hypolepis muelleri
Lastreopsis decomposita
Lindsaea linearis
L.
microphylla
Ophioglossum lusitanicum
Pellaea falcata
Platycerium bifurcatum
Psilotum nudum
Pteridium esculentum
Pteris tremula
Pyrrosia rupestris
Schizaea bifida
S.
dichotoma
S.
rupestris
Sticherus flabellatus
Todea barbara
COMMON NAME
Rough Maidenhair Fern
Birds-nest Fern
Necklace Fern
Gristle Fern
Fishbone Fern
Soft Bracken
Cloakfern
Poison Rock Fern
Rough Tree Fern
Scaly Tree Fern
Prickly Tree Fern
Hares Foot Fern
Austral Lady Fern
Rasp Fern
Small Rasp Fern
Pouched Coral Fern
Scrambling Coral Fern
Finger Fern
Bats-wing Fern
Common Filmy Fern
Harsh Ground Fern
Trim Shield Fern
Screw Fern
Lacy Wedge Fern
Austral Adders Tongue
Sickle Fern
Elkhorn Fern
Skeleton Fork Fern
Braken Fern
Tender Brake
Rock Felt Fern
Forked Comb Fern
Branched Comb Fern
Umbrella Fern
King Fern
FAMILY
Adiantaceae
Adiantaceae
Aspleniaceae
Aspleniaceae
Blechnaceae
Blechnaceae
Blechnaceae
Blechnaceae
Dicksoniaceae
Adiantaceae
Adiantaceae
Thelypteridaceae
Thelypteridaceae
Cyatheaceae
Cyatheaceae
Cyatheaceae
Davalliaceae
Athyriaceae
Blechnaceae
Blechnaceae
Blechnaceae
Gleicheniaceae
Gleicheniaceae
Gleicheniaceae
Grammitidaceae
Dennstaedtiaceae
Hymenophyllaceae
Dennstaedtiaceae
Aspidiaceae
Lindsaeaceae
Lindsaeaceae
Ophiglossaceae
Adiantaceae
Polypodiaceae
Psilotaceae
Dennstaedtiaceae
Pteridaceae
Polypodiaceae
Schizaeaceae
Schizaeaceae
Schizaeaceae
Gleicheniaceae
Osmundaceae
STATUS IN LANE COVE
Common
Common
Common
Common
Uncommon
Rare
Common
Uncommon
Very common
Rare
Common
Common
Rare
Common
Common
Rare
Occasional
Rare
Fairly common
Common
Rare
Very common
Rare
Occasional
Rare
Common
Rare
Very common
Rare
Common
Common
Unknown
Occasional
Common
Occasional
Common
Common
Occasional
Occasional
Rare
Rare
Rare
Common
NATIVE WATER PLANTS OF LANE COVE MUNICIPALITY
BOTANIC NAME
Ceratophyllum demersum
Halophila ovalis
Lemna minor
Ludwigia peploides
Potamogeton crispus
P. tricarinitus
Zostera capricorni
COMMON NAME
Hornwort
Sea Wrack
Water Primrose
Pondweed
Floating Pond-weed
Eel Grass
FAMILY
Ceratophyllaceae
Hydrocharftaceae
Lemnaceae
Onagraceae
Potamogetonaceae
Potamogetonaceae
Zosteraceae
STATUS IN LANE COVE
Rare
Rare
Rare
Unknown
Rare
Rare
Uncommon
85
APPENDIX 2 –
NATIVE PLANTS FOUND AT RIVERVIEW, 1881–1908
Plant list from "Some of Riverview's Flora", Our Alma Mater, 1911.
(Magazine of St Ignatius College, Riverview)
List for Orchidaceae and Proteaceae put together by Percy E. Williams during the years 1881 to 1908.
BOTANIC NAME USED IN 1911
ORCHIDACEAE
Acianthus caudatus
A.
fornicatus
Caladenia alba
C.
carnea
C.
caerulea
Caleana major
C.
minor
Calochilus campestris
C.
robertsoni
C.
paludosus
Corysanthes bicalcarata
C.
fimbriata
C.
unguiculata
Cryptostylis erecta
C.
longifolia
Crytostylis reniformis
Cymbidium suave
Dendrobium cucumerinum
D.
speciosum
D.
teretifolium
D.
tetragonum
Dipodium punctatum
Diuris aequalis
D.
alba
D.
aurea
D.
bracteata
D.
elongata
D.
maculata
D.
pedunculata
D.
sulphurea
Eriochilus autumnalis
Galeola cassythoides
Gastrodia sesamoides
Glossodia major
G.
minor
Lyperanthus nigricans
L.
suaveolens
Microtis parviflora
M.
porrifolia
Orthoceras strictum
Prasophyllum australe
P.
patens
P.
striatum
Pterostylis concinna
P.
curta
P.
grandiflora
P.
longifolia
P.
nutans
P.
rufa
Sarcochilus tridentatus
Spiranthes australis
Thelymitra ixioides
T.
longifolia
T.
pauclflora
86
Caladenia catenata
Corybas aconitiflorus
C. fimbiatus
C. unguiclatus
Cryptostylus subulata
Acianthus reniformis
Diuris maculata
D. punctata var alba
D. punctata
Eriochilus cucullatus
PRESENT STATUS IN LANE COVE
Uncommon
Common
Occasional
Uncommon
Not seen
Not seen
Not seen
Rare
Rare
Rare
Rare
Not seen
Not seen
Common
Uncommon
Not seen
Rare
Not seen
Not seen
Not seen
Not seen
Common
Not seen
Not seen
Not seen
Not seen
Not seen
Not seen
Not seen
Not seen
Not seen
Rare
Not seen
Not seen
Not seen
Not seen
Not seen
Rare
Microtis parviflora
Pterosylis rufum
Plectorrhiza tridentatum
Spiranthes sinensis ssp. australis
Not seen
Not seen
Not seen
Not seen
Occasional
Not seen
Uncommon
Occasional
Common
Not seen
Not seen
Not seen
Not seen
Not seen, probably incorrect iden.
Rare
Appendix 2
PROTEACEAE
Banksia ericifolia
B.
marginata
serrata
B.
Conospermum erieifolium
C.
longifolium
C.
tenuifolium
Grevillea buxifolia
G.
linearis
G.
mucronulata
G.
punieea
G.
sericea
Hakea acieularis
H.
dactyloides
H.
gibbosa
B.
propinqua
H.
pugioniformis
Isopogon anemonitolius
I.
Anetbifolius
Lambertia formosa
Lomatia silaifolia
Persoonia ferruginea
P.
hirsuta
P.
lanceolata
P.
linearis
P.
lucida
P.
nutans
P.
pinifolia
Petrophila pulehella
Telopea speciosissima
Xylomelum pyriforme
Conospermum taxifolium
Grevillea linearifolia
Hakea serieea
Hakea teretifolia
Persoonia laurina
Locally common
Rare
Common
Not seen
Not seen
Not seen
FairIy common
Common
Not seen
Not seen
Common
Common
FairIycommon
Rare
Not seen
Uncommon
Rare
Rare
Common
Common
Occasional
Not seen
Occasional
FairIy common
Persoonia linearis x levis
Petrophile pulchella
Not seen
Occasional, local
Uncommon
Not seen
Uncommon
List of species common to area as mentioned in main article written in 1911 by Patrick J. Dalton.
APIACEAE
Aetinotus helianthi
A.
minor
CUNONIACEAE
Ceratopetalum gummiferum
MIMOSACEAE
Acacia decurrens
A.
longifolia
KYRTACEAE
Callistemon linearis
Kunzea coritolia
Leptospermum attenuatum
L.
seoparium
Melaleuca leucadendron
H.
hypericifolia
Occasional
Common
Common
Planted
Common
Melaleuca quinquenervia
Occasional, local
Common
Common
Planted
Planted
Planted
87
APPENDIX 3 –
FUNGI OF LANE COVE MUNICIPAUTY
This list is based on a survey of Bushland Park by the Sydney Fungai Studies Group in 1991, and
observations by Van Klaphake, Lane Cove Council Bush Regenerator.
Abortiporous biennis
Agaricus silvaticus
Agaricus spp. (number of species)
Agaricus xanthodermus
Agrocybe sp.
Amantia ochrophylla
A.
spp. (several species)
A.
xanthpcephala
Anthurus archeri
Antrodia sp,
Armillaria sp,
Armillariella luteobubalina
Armillariella sp.
Aseroe rubra
Auricularia polytricha
Bolbitius sp. (2 species)
Boletellus sp.
Calocera sp.
Calvatia sp.
Campanella sp.
Cantharellus sp.
Chlorophyllum molybdites
Clathrus cibarius
Clitocybe sp. (few species)
Collybia butyracea
C.
sp. (several species)
Conocybe sp. (few species)
coprinus disseminatus
C.
micaceus
C.
sp. (few species)
cordyeeps sp.
cortinarius austro venetus
C.
rotundisporus
C.
sp. (many species)
Craterellus sp.
Crepidotus spp. (few species)
Cyptotrama asprata
Dermocybe sp.
Dermoloma sp.
Descolea recedens
Dictyopanus rhipidium
Entoloma sp. (number of species)
Galerina spp. (few species)
Geastrum sp.
Gymnopilus pampeanus
G.
sp. (lor 2 species)
Gyroporus sp.
Hebeloma sp.
Hygrophorous sp. (10 species)
Hypholoma aurantiaca
Hypholoma fasciculare
Inocybe sp. (several species)
88
Laccaria sp. (2 species)
Lactarius aff. camphoratus
Lactarius sp.
Leotia lubrica
Lepiota sp. (many species)
Lepista nuda
Leucocoprimus spp. (2 species)
Leucopaxillus sp.
Limacella sp.
Lycoperdon spp. (few species)
Lysurus mokusin
Macroiepiota
Marasmius elegans
M.
oreades
M.
spp. (many species)
Melanomphalia sp.
Melanophyllum sp.
Micromphale sp.
Mutinus caninus
Mycena cystidiosa
M.
epipterygia
M.
pura
M.
ssp. (many species)
M.
viscido-cruenta
Neoclitocybe sp.
Omphalina spp. (few species)
Oudemansiella radicata
Panaeolus sp.
Pholiota sp. (number of species)
Pholiotina sp.
Phylloporous hyperion
Piptoporus portentosus
Pluteus sp. (2 species)
Pleurotus nidiformis
Polyporous ciliatus
P.
ssp. (few species)
Psathyrella spp. (number of species)
Psilocybe sp. (2 species)
Psilocybe subaeruginosa
Pulveroboletus sp.
Ramaria sp.
Resupinatus sp.
Rozites sp.
Russula spp. (number of species)
Scleroderma verrucosum
Simocybe sp.
stropharia sp. (2 species)
Trametes sp. (2 species)
Tricholoma sp.
Tuharia sp.
Tylopilus sp,
Xylaria sp,
Appendix 4
APPENDIX 4 –
BUSHLAND WEEDS OF LANE COVE MUNICIPALITY
Bushland weed survey carried out by Van Klaphake assisted by Sandra Coe, Lane Cove Council Bush
Regenerators, in 1988 and updated in 1991.
Status of Bushland Weeds
Very common
Common
Fairly Common
Occasional
Uncommon
Local
predominant weed species in Lane Cove
weed widespread throughout Lane Cove
weed occurs regularly in Lane Cove
weed scattered throughout Lane Cove
only a few plants seen
weed occurs in localised colonies
89
BUSHLAND WEEDS OF LANE COVE MUNICIPALITY
TREES
BOTANIC NAME
Acacia decurrens
Acacia elata
A.
mearnsii
Acer negundo
Ailanthus altissima
COMMON NAME
Black Wattle
Cedar Wattle
Black Wattle
Box Elder
Chinese Tree of Heaven
STATUS IN LANE COVE
Uncommon
Uncommon
Uncommon
Occasional
Fairly Common, local
Brachychiton acerifolius
Callitris rhomboidea
Castanospermum australe
Cinnamomum camphora
Eryiobotrya japonica
Erythrina crista-galli
Illawarra Flame Tree
Port Jackson Pine
Qld.Black Bean Tree
Camphor Laurel
Loquat
Cockscomb Tree
Occasional
Uncommon
Occasional
Common
Occasional
Common, local
E.
x sykesii
Ficus superba
Grevillea robusta
Hymenosporum flavum
Jacaranda mimosifolia
Lagunaria patersonia
Ligustrum lucidum
Lophostemon confertus
Magnolia grandiflora
M.
x soulangeana
Melaleuca quinquenervia
Melia azederach
Michelia figo
Morus alba
Olea africana
Persea gratissima
Podocarpus elatus
Polyscias elegans
Populus alba
Coral Tree
Deciduous Fig
Silky Oak
Native Frangipanni
Jacaranda
Norfolk Island Hibiscus
Large-Leaved Privet
Brush Box
Southern Magnolia
Japanese Magnolia
Broad-Leaved Paperbark
White Cedar
Port Wine Magnolia
White Mulberry
Wild Olive
Avocado
Plum Pine
Celery Wood
White Poplar
Occasional
Uncommon
Occasional
Uncommon
Occasional
Uncommon
Very Common
Uncommon
Occasional
Occasional
Uncommon
Occasional
Occasional
Occasional
Occasional
Occasional
Uncommon
Uncommon
Common, local
Robinia pseudoacacia
Black Locust Tree
Common, local
Salix babylonica
Sapium sebiferum
Weeping willow
Chinese Tallow Tree
Occasional
Occasional
Syzygium oleosum
Lilly Pilly
Toxicodendron succedaneum Rhus
Occasional
Fairly common
LOCATION
Edge of bush
Edge of bush
Edge of bush
Bush
Epping Rd near Lane Cove
River
Bush
Bush
Elizabeth Pde, edge of bush
Bush
Bush
Warraroon Reserve, near
mangroves
Edge of bush and creeks
Bush
Bush
Bush
Bush, edge of parks
Bush
Bush
Bush, edge of parks
Bush
Scattered in bush
L.C. Golf Course, weed areas
Bush
Bush
Damp places, bush
Bush
Near bush
Bush
Bush
Stringybark Creek bridge
area
Epping Rd near Lane Cove
River
overgrown creeks
Small plants scattered in
bush
Bush
Scattered in bush
STATUS IN LANE COVE
Uncommon
Occasional
Uncommon
Occasional
Uncommon
Occasional
Fairly common, local
Uncommon
Uncommon
Uncommon
Occasional
Uncommon
Very common
Occasional
Common
Occasional, local
LOCATION
Bush
Near planted areas
Near planted areas
Bush
Near roads
Bush
Bush
Bush
Edge of bush
Edge of bush
Edge of bush
Bush
Edge of bush
Bush
Bush
Bush
Weed areas
SHRUBS
BOTANIC NAME
Abutilon grandiflora
Acacia saligna
Albizia lophantha
Ardisia crenata
Cassinia arcuata
Cestrum parqui
Chrysanthemoides monilifera
Cotoneaster glaucophylla
C.
pannosus
Crataegus monogyna
Crotalaria semperflorens
Fatsia japonica
Hakea salicifolia
Ligustrum sinense
Melastoma affine
Ochna serrulata
Phyllanthus tenellus
90
COMMON NAME
Crested Wattle
Ardisia
Chinese Shrub
Chilean Cestrum
Bitou Bush
Hawthorn
Rattlepod
Japanese Aralia
Willow-Leaved Hakea
Small-Leaved Privet
Mickey Mouse Plant
Appendix 4
SHRUBS CONTINUED
BOTANIC NAME
polygala myrtifolia
virgata
P.
COMMON NAME
Psoralea pinnata
Pyracantha augustifolia
P.
crenulata
Raphiolepis indica
Ricinus Communis
Senecio petasitis
Senna coluteoides
S.
x longifoIia
Solanum mauritianum
Strobilanthes anisophyllus
Teline maderensis
T. monspessulana
Tetrapanax papyrifer
STATUS IN LANE COVE
Uncommon, local
Uncommon
FairIy common
Firethorn
Firethorn
Indian Hawthorn
Caster oil
Cassia
Cassia
Wild Tobacco Tree
Madeira Broom
Cape Broom
Rice Paper Plant
Uncommon
Occasional
Occasional
Plant Fairly common,
Occasional, local
Common, local
Occasional
Common
Occasional
Uncommon
Occasional, local
Occasional
LOCATION
Edge of bush
Railway at st Leonards,
weed areas
Lane Cove Golf course,
weed areas
Weed areas
Bush
Bush
local Disturbed areas
Disturbed areas
Bush
Bush
Bush and weed areas
Bush near houses
Epping Rd
Disturbed areas
Weed areas
CLlMBERS AND SCRAMBLERS
BOTANIC NAME
Acetosa sagittata
COMMON NAME
Potato Weed
or Turkey Rhubarb
Anredera cordifoIia
Madeira Vine
Araujia hortensis
White Moth Vine
Asparagus asparagoides
Bridal Creeper
A.
setacuns
Climbing asparagus
Bignonia unguis-cati
Cat's Claw Creeper
Calystegia sepium
Large Bindweed
Cardiospermum grandifIorum Balloon Vine
Convolvulus arvensis
Field Bindweed
Dipogon Iignosus
Fallopia convolvulus
Black Bindweed
Hedera helix
English Ivy
Ipomoea indica
Blue Morning Glory
R.
cairica
Coastal Morning Glory
Jasminum mesnyi
Primrose Jasmine
J.
polyanthum
Jasmine
Common
FairIy common
Occasional, local
Occasional
Uncommon
Common, local
Uncommon
Uncommon
Occasional
Common, local
Occasional, local
Uncommon
Occasional, local
Lantana camara
L.
montevidensis
Lonicera japonica
Mandevilla suaveolens
Monstera deIiciosa
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Passiflora eduIis
P.
suberosa
Monstera
Virginia Creeper
Common Passionfruit
Passionfruit
Very common
Uncommon
Common, local
Uncommon
FairIy common
Occasional, local
Occasional
Occasional, local
Rubus bellobatus
Blackberry
Common
R.
discolor
Senecio mikanioides
Thunbergia alata
Blackberry
Cape Ivy
Black-Eyed-Susan
Common
Occasional, local
Uncommon
Lantana
Creeping Lantana
Japanese Honeysuckle
STATUS IN LANE COVE
Common
LOCATION
Weed areas and edge of
bush
Disturbed areas
Bush
Bush, mainly Batten Reserve
Bush
Bush near gardens
Disturbed areas
Disturbed areas
Weed areas
Disturbed areas
Weed areas
Bush
Disturbed areas
Disturbed areas
Bush near houses
Edge of bush, behind gar
dens
Disturbed areas, bush
Edge of bush near houses
Bush and disturbed areas
Bush
Reserves behind houses
Disturbed areas
Bush
Near Epping Rd xMoore St,
weed areas
Mainly Blackman Park area,
bush
Bush
Edge of bush
Weed areas
91
HERBS
BOTANIC NAME
Ageratum houstonianum
Ageratina adenophora
riparia
A.
Amaranthus hybridus
A.
retrotlexus
A.
viridis
Anagallis arvensis
Arctotheca calendula
Argemone ochroleuca
Asclepias curassavica
Aster subulatus
Atriplex hastata
Bergonia sempertlorens
Bidens pilosa
B.
subalternans
Brassica fruticulosa
B.
rapa
Cannnibis sativa
COMMON NAME
STATUS IN LANE COVE
LOCATION
Blue Billygoat Weed
Crofton Weed
Mist Flower
Slim Anaranth
Redroot AIlaranth
Green Amaranth
Pimpernel
Cape Weed
Mexican Poppy
Redhead Cotton Bush
Bush Starwort
Uncommon
Very common
Occasional, local
Occasional
Uncommon
Fairly common
Fairly common
Occasional
Uncommon
Occasional
Common
Common
Fairly common
Very common
Occasional, local
Common
Uncommon
Occasional
Damp areas
Danp areas
Shady, damp areas near creeks
Weed areas
Rubbish dumping areas
Weed areas
Garden beds
Lawns and gardens
Disturbed areas
Weed areas
Weed areas
Foreshores
Along creek banks
Weed areas
Weed areas
Disturbed areas
Weed areas
Bush and weed areas, usually
planted
Weed areas, lawns
Damp areas
Weed areas
Weed areas
Weed areas
Gardens and lawns
Weed areas
Weed areas
Weed areas
Weed areas
Weed areas
Weed areas
Weed areas, bush
Weed areas
Weed areas
Garden areas
Weed areas
Weed areas
Along creeks
Rubbish dunping and weed
areas
Weed dllllping areas
Weed areas
Weed areas
Weed areas
Planted and disturbed damp
areas
Rubbish dunping areas
Gardens, weed areas
Footpaths
Footpaths
Lawns and gardens
Weed areas
Weed areas
Weed areas
Weed areas
Roadsides, weed areas
Nature strips
Gardens
Lawns, nature strips
Gardens
Nature strips
Weed areas
Weed areas, nature strips
Begonia
Cobblers Peg
Cobblers Peg
Twiggy Turnip
Wild Turnip
Marijuana
Capsella bursa-pastoris
Cardamlne hirsuta
Carthamus lanatus
centaurium erythraea
C.
tenuiflorum
Cerastium glomeratum
Chenopodium ambrosioides
C.
album
C.
murale
Chondrilla juncea
Cichorium intybus
Cirsium vulgare
Conyza albida
C.
bonariense
C.
canadensis
Coronopus didymus
Crassocephalun crepidioides
Crepis capillaris
Cuphea hyssopifolia
Datura stramonium
Common
Common
Occasional
Occasional
Uncommon
Mouse-Eared Chickweed Very common
Mexican Tea
Occasional
Fat Hen
Fairly common
Nettle-Leaved Goosefoot Uncommon
Skeleton Weed
Uncommon
Chicory
Uncommon
Spear Thistle
Occasional
Tall Fleabane
Very common
Flax-Leaved Fleabane
Very common
Canadian Fleabane
Uncommon
Lesser Swinecress
Fairly common
Thickheads
Common, local
Smooth Hawkesbeard
Uncommon
Occasional
Common Thorn Apple
Uncommon
Dimorphotheca pluvialis
Echium plantaginium
E.
vulgare
Emex australis
Epilobium ciliatum
Daisy
Paterson's Curse
Viper's Bugloss
Spiny Emex
Euphorbia depauperata
E.
peplus
E.
prostrata
E.
supina
Facelis retusa
Foeniculum Vulgare
Fumaria bastardii
F.
capreolata
F.
muralis
Galinsoga parvitlora
Gnaphalium americanum
G.
calviceps
G.
coarctatum
G.
pennsylvanicum
G.
purpureum
Gomphocarpus fruticosus
Heliotropium amplexicaule
Uncommon
Common
Occasional
Fairly common
Occasional
Fennel
Bastard's Fumitory
Occasional
White-Flowered Fumitory Common
Wall Fumitory
Common
Potato Weed
Occasional
Cudweed
Occassional
Cudweed
Occasional
Cudweed
Very common
Cudweed
Fairly common
Cudweed
Occasional
Narrow-Leaved Cotton Bush Occasional
Blue Heliotrope
Uncommon
92
Shepherds Purse
Common Bittercress
Saffron Thistle
Common Centaury
Petty Spurge
Red Caustic Creeper
Caustic Creeper
Occasional
Occasional
Uncommon
Occasional
Occasional
Appendix 4
HERBS CONTINUED
BOTANIC NAME
Hirschfeldia incana
Hypochoeris microcephala
radicata
H.
Impatiens wallerana
Lactuca serriola
Leontodon taraxacoides
Lepidium africanum
L.
bonariense
Linum trigynum
Lotus angustissimus
Lycopersicon esculentum
Malva neglecta
M.
parviflora
Mirabilis japapa
Misopates orontium
Medicago arabica
M.
lupulina
M.
polymorpha
M.
sativa
M.
truncatula
Melilotus indica
Myosotis sylvatica
Nicandra physalodes
Oxalis articulata
O.
bowiei
O.
corniculata
O.
corymbosa
O.
incarnata
O.
latifolia
O.
pes-caprae
O.
purpurea
Papaver hybridum
Parietaria judaica
Paronychia brasiliana
Petrorhagia nanteuilii
P.
velutina
Physalis peruviana
Phytolacca octandra
Plantago coronopifolia
P.
lanceolata
P.
major
Polygonum arenastrum
Primula malacoides
Raphanus raphanistrum
Ranunculus muricatus
Rapistrum rugosum
Richardia stellaris
Rorippa palustris
Rumex conglomeratus
R.
crispus
Sagina apetala
S. procumbens
Salpichroa origanifolia
Salvia coccinea
S.
verbenaca
Senecio madagascariensis
S.
pterophorus
S.
Vulgaris
Silene anglica
Sisimbrium officinale
S.
orientale
Solanum chenopodiodes
COMMON NAME
STATUS IN LANE COVE
LOCATION
Buchan Weed
Uncommon
Occasional
Very common
FairIy common, local
Uncommon
Occasional
Occasional
Occasional
Common
Occasional
Uncommon
FairIy common
Occasional
Uncommon
FairIy common
FairIy common
Very common
Occasional
Uncommon
FairIy Common, local
Uncommon
Uncommon
Uncommon
Uncommon
Common
Common
FairIy Common, local
Common
Common
Occasional
Uncommon
Common, local
FairIy common
Occasional
Fairly Common
Uncommon
Occasional
Uncommon
Very Common
Occasional
Occasional
Occasional
Occasional
Uncommon
Uncommon
FairIy common
Uncommon
FairIy common
Common
Occasional
Common
Occasional, local
Uncommon
Uncommon
FairIy common
Weed areas
Weed areas
Widespread in gardens and bush
Shaded weed areas
Weed areas
Weed areas
Weed areas
Weed areas
Lawns
Gardens, lawns
Weed areas
Weed areas
Weed areas
Rubbish areas
Weed areas
Lawns
Lawns
Lawns, gardens
Weed areas, road edges
Lawns
Weed areas
Bush near gardens
Weed areas
Weed areas
Gardens, bush edge
Gardens, weed areas
Weed areas
Gardens, weed areas
Gardens, weed areas
Lawns
Weed areas
Disturbed areas or bush
Lawns
Lawns and grass areas
Lawns and grass areas
Weed areas
Weed areas
Weed areas
Weed areas
Weed areas
Weed areas
Sunny places along creeks
Catsear
Busy Lizzie \ Balsam
Prickly Lettuce
Peppercress
Peppercress
French Flax
Bird's Foot Trefoil
Tomato
Hallow
Small-Flowered Hallow
Marvel of Peru
Lesser Snapdragon
Spotted Medic
Black Hedic
Burr Medic
Lucerne
Barrel Hedic
Hexan Scent
Forget-Me-Not
Apple of Peru
Wood Sorrel
Bowie Wood Sorrel
Yellow Wood Sorrel
Larged-Ieaved Wood Sorrel
Climbing Oxalis
Fishtail Oxalis
Soursob
Large-Flowered Wood Sorrel
Rough Poppy
Dead Nettle
Chilian Whitlow Wort
Proliferous Pink
Velvet Pink
Wild Gooseberry
Ink Weed
Buckshaw Plantain
Ribwort
Large Plantain
Wire Weed
Fairy Primrose
Wild Radish
Rough Seeded Buttercup
Turnip Weed
Field Madder
Yellow Cress
Clustered Dock
Curled Dock
Pearlwort
Procumbent Pearlwort
Panpas Lily of the Valley
Texas Sage
Wild Sage
Fireweed
African Daisy
Common Groundsel
French Catfly
Hedge Mustard
Indian Mustard
Uncommon
Uncommon
FairIy common
FairIy common
Occasional
Occasional
Weed areas
Weed areas
Lawns and gardens
Damp weed areas
Damp areas
Damp areas
Open danp areas
Damp areas
Weed areas, near Burns Bay Rd
Weed areas, Stringybark Creek
Widespread in bush and
Weed areas
Weed areas
Gardens, weed areas
Lawns, weed areas
Weed areas
Roadsides
Weed areas
93
HERBS CONTINUED
BOTANIC NAME
nigrum
S.
S.
nitidibaccatum
S.
pseudocapsicum
Soliva anthemifolia
S.
pterosperna
Sonchus asper
S.
oleraceus
Spergularia rubra
Stachys arvensis
Stellaria media
S.
pallida
Tagetes minuta
Taraxacum officinale
Tragapogon porritolius
Trifolium arvense
T.
augustifolium
T.
campestre
T.
dubium
T.
gloneratum
T.
repens lihite
T.
subterraneun
Tropaeolum majus
Urtica urens
Verbascum virgatun
Verbena bonariensis
V.
hispida
V.
litoralis
V.
rigida
Veronica arvensis
V.
persica
V.
sp.
Vida augustifolia
V.
hirsuta
V.
sativa
V.
tetrasperna
Xanthiun spinosun
X.
chinense
COMMON NAME
Deadly Nightshade
Veined Verbena
Wall Speedwell
Creeping Speedwell
STATUS IN LANE COVE
Common
Uncommon
Occasional
Occasional
Common
Very Common
Uncommon
Fairly commonn
Common
Occasional
Occasional
Fairly comon
Uncommon, local
Common, local
Occasional
Occasional
Very Common
Common
Fairly Common
Occasional
Occasional, local
Uncommon
Very common
Occasional
Occasional
Uncommon
Common
Common
Narrow-Leaved Vetch
Hairy Vetch
Connon Vetch
Slender Vetch
Bathurst Burr
Noogoora Burr
Common
Occasional
Occasional
Common
Uncommon
Uncommon
Madeira Winter Cherry
Bindii
Bindii
Sow Thistle
Common Sow Thistle
Stagger Weed
Chick Weed
Chick Weed
Stinking Roger
Dandelion
Salsify
Haresfoot Clover
Narrow-Leaved Clover
Hop Clover
Yellow Suckling Clover
Clustered Clover
Clover
Subterraneum Clover
Nasturtium
Small Nettle
Twiggy Mullen
Purple Top
Purple Top
HERBS WITH RHIZOMES, STOLONS OR ROOTING AT THE NODE
BOTANIC NAME
COMMON NAME
STATUS IN LANE COVE
Acetosella angiocarpa
Ambrosia psilostachya
Sheep Sorrel
Perennial Ragweed
Artemisia velotorum
Comnelina sp.
Coreopsis lanceolata
CymbaJaria miralis
Duchesnea indica
Erigeron karvinskianus
Helxine soleirolii
Hydrocotyle bonariensis
Mentha xpiperita
Modiola caroliniana
Oenothera atfinis
O.
mollissina
O.
stricta Connon
Persicaria capitata
Ranunculus repens
Richardia brasiliensis
Solidago canadensis
Wormwort
94
Uncommon, local
Fairly Common
Occasional, local
Coreopsis
Common, local
Ivy-leaved Toad Flax
Uncommon, local
Wild Strawberry
Occasional, local
Fleabane
Common, local
Uncommon DilliP
Pennywort
Occasional, local
Peppernint
Occasional, local
Creeping Mallow
Common
Longflower Evening Primrose Occasional, local
Smallflower Evening Primrose Fairly common, local
Evening Primrose
Occasional, local
Japanese Knotweed
Occasional, local
Creeping Buttercup
Occasional, local
Brazil Calla Lily
Common, local
Golden Rod
Uncommon
LOCATION
Weed areas
Weed areas
Bush
Lawns, weed areas
Lawns
Industrial area, weed areas
Weed areas, gardens
Weed areas, median strips
Gardens and lawns
Gardens and lawns
Weed areas
Weed areas
Weed areas
Weed areas
Lawns
Lawns
Lawns
Lawns
Lawns, Weed areas
Weed areas
Weed areas
Mainly weed areas
Weed areas
weed areas
Weed areas, edge of bush
Weed areas
Gardens and lawns
Gardens and lawns
Uncommon Lawns
Gardens and lawns
Gardens and lawns
Weed areas
Gardens and lawns
Weed areas
Weed areas
LOCATION
Lane Cove Golf Course, weed
areas
Epping Rd, weed areas
Weed areas
Edge of bush
Edge of bush, weed areas
Edge of bush
Weed Areas
Creeks, weed areas
Creek at Gore creek Reserve
Lawn and weed areas
Epping Rd on nature strip
Edge of bush, weed areas
Damp areas
Mowbray Rd and industrial areas
Bush near gardens
Appendix 4
HERBS WITH RHIZOMES, STOLONS OR ROOTING AT THE NODE CONTINUED
BOTANIC NAME
COMMON NAME
STATUS IN LANE COVE
Tradescantia albiflora
Wandering Jew
Very common
blossfeldiana
Uncommon
T.
sp,
T.
Trifolium repens
White Clover
FairIy common
Vinca major
Blue Periwinkle
Uncommon, local
Viola odorata
Sweet Violet
Common, local
LOCATION
Bush, edge of bush
Weed dumping grounds
Edge of bush
Lawns
Bush
Edge of bush
WATER PLANTS
BOTANIC NAME
Alternanthera philoxeroides
Egeria densa
Eichhornia crassipes
Syriophyllum aguaticum
Nymphaea mexicana
Rorippa nasturtium-aguaticum
Sagittaria graminea
SEDGES AND RUSHES
BOTANIC NAME
Cyperus albostriatus
C.
congestus
C.
eragrostis
C.
esculentus
C.
flavus
C.
reflerus
C.
C.
C.
rotundus
sesguiflorus
sp.
Isolepis prolifer
I.
sepulcralis
Juncus articulatus
J.
capillaceus
J.
capitatus
J.
cognatus
J.
imbricatus
J.
COMMON NAME
Aligator Weed
Dense Waterweed
Water Hyacinth
Parrot's Feathers
Water Lily
Water Cress
STATUS IN LANE COVE
Common
Occasional, local
Common
Occasional, local
Occasional, local
Common, local
LOCATION
Stringybark Creek only
Lane Cove Golf Course
Stringybark Creek below Link Rd
Burns Bay (in creek)
Still water, below Link Rd in dam
Creeks
Stringybark Creek below Link Rd
COMMON NAME
STATUS IN LANE COVE
Occasional
Common
Common
Uncommon
Uncommon
Uncommon
LOCATION
Bush near gardens
Damp Places
Damp Places
West Lane Cove, weed areas
Lawns
Lane Cove Golf course,
fairways
Weed areas and gardens
Lawns and grassy areas
Warraroon Reserve, creek
areas
Damp areas
Damp areas
Damp areas
Grassy areas
Tambourine Bay, damp lawns
Paths, lawns and footpaths
Bushland pathways in
Industrial area
Damp areas
Umbrella Sedge
Nut Grass
Jointed Rush
microcephalus
GRASSES
BOTANIC NAME
Agrostis stolonifera
Alra cupaniana
Andropogon virginicus
Common
Common
Uncommon
Common, local
Common, local
Uncommon
Common
Uncommon
Occasional
COMMON NAME
Creeping Bent
Silvery Hair Grass
Whisky Grass
STATUS IN LANE COVE
Occasional
Occasional
Arrhenatherum elatius
Arundo donax
Avena barbata
A.
sativa
A.
sterilis
Axonopus atfinis
Briza maxima
B.
minor
B.
subaristata
Bulbous Oat Grass
Giant Reed
Bearded Oat
Common Oat
Wild Oat
Carpet Grass
Quaking Grass
Shivery Grass
Uncommon
Occasional, local
Very common
Uncommon
Fairly common
Common
Very common
Very common
Bromus diandrus
B. molliformis
Great Brome
Soft Brome
Common
Common
LOCATION
Weed areas
Lawns
Weed areas, bush, pathways,
roadsides
Weed areas
Weed and rubbish areas
Weed areas
Weed areas
Epping Rd, roadside
Lawns
Weed areas
Weed areas
Industrial area, lalms and
Weed areas
Grass areas
Grass areas
95
GRASSES CONTINUED
BOTANIC NAME
B.
uniloides
Chloris gayana
Cortaderia selloana
Cynodon dactylon
Dactylis glomerata
Digitaria aequiglumis
D.
ciliaris
D.
didactyla
Summer Grass
Qld. Blue Couch
STATUS IN LANE COVE
Common
Common, local
Very common
Occasional
Occasional, local
Very common
Common
D.
purpurascens
Echinochloa colonum
E.
crus-galli
E.
utilis
Ehrharta erecta
Smooth Summer Grass
Awnless Barnyard Grass
Barnyard Grass Fairly
Japanese Millet
Panic Veldt Grass
Occasional
common
Uncommon
Very common
E.
longiflora
Eragrostis cilianensis
E.
curvula
E.
mexicana
E.
pilosa
E.
tenuifolia
Eleusine indica
E.
tristachya
Holeus lanatus
Hordeum leporinum
Lolium multiflorum
L.
perenne
Panieum maximum
Parapholis incurva
Paspalum dilatatum
P.
guadrifarium
P.
arvillei
Pennisetum clandestinum
Annual Veldt Grass
Stinkgrass
African Love Grass
Mexican Love Grass
Soft Love Grass
Vasey Grass
Kikuyu Very
Common, local
Uncommon
Occasional
Occasional, local
Common
Occasional
Occasional, local
Occasional
Occasional
Common
Occasional, local
Uncommon
Common
Uncommon, local
Common, local
Common
African Feather Grass
Fountain Grass
Common, local
Uncommon
P.
P.
macrourum
setaceum
COMMON NAME
Prairie Grass
Rhodes Grass
Pimpas Grass
Couch Grass
Cocks Foot
Crowsfoot Grass
Goose Grass
Yorkshire Fog
Barley Grass
Italian Ryegrass
Perennial Ryegrass
Guinea Grass
Paspalum
P.
villosum
Feather Grass
UnCommon
Phalaris aguatica
Toowoomba Canary Grass Uncommon
P.
canariensis
Canary Grass
Uncommon
P.
minor
Lesser Canary Grass
Uncommon
Phyllostachys sp.
Bamboo
Poa annua
Winter Grass
Very common
Polypogon XAgropyron littoralis
Occasional
P.
monspeliensis
Annual Beard Grass
UnCommon
Rhyncheletrum repens
Natal Red Grass
FairIy Commonn, local
Setaria genieulata
Slender Pigeon Grass
Common
S.
glauca
Pale Pigeon Grass
Fairly common
S.
italica
Indian Millet
Uncommon
S.
palmifolia
Palm Grass
Common, local
S.
poiretiana
Palm Grass
Occasional, local
Sorghum halepense
Johnson Grass
Uncommon
Sporobolus atricanus
Parramatta Grass
Common
Stenotaphrum secundatum
Buffalo Grass
Common
Triticum aestivum
Wheat
Uncommon
Vulpia bromoides
FairIy common
V.
myuros
Occasional
96
LOCATION
Lawns and weed areas
Weed areas
Lawns, edge of bush
Weed areas
Damp areas
Gardens and weed areas
Lawns, weed areas and edge
of bush
Paths and weed areas
Weed areas
Weed areas, dimp places
Weed areas
Widespread in weed areas
and bush
Weed areas
Weed areas
Bush and weed areas
Weed areas
Nature strips
Nature strips and lawns
Lawns
Damp weed areas
Lawns
Weed areas
Grassed areas, roadsides
Edge of estuaries
Bush, lawns and weed areas
Wood st, grassy areas
Weed areas
Lawns, weed areas and edge
of bush
Lane Cove West, weed areas
Manns Point, Epping Rd ,
weed areas
Nature strips
Weed areas
Roadsides
Damp areas
Gardens and lawns
Damp weed areas
Damp places, Industrial area
Weed areas
Bush and weed areas
Weed areas
Weed areas
Bush and weed areas
Bush
Weed areas
Bush, lawns and weed areas
Edge of bush and lawns
Roadsides
Appendix 4
LILIES, IRISES & SIMILAR PLANTS
BOTANIC NAME
COMMON NAME
Agapanthus africanus
Agapanthus
Alocasia macrorrhizos
Cunjevoi Lily
Peruvian Lily
Alstroemeria psittacina
Arum italicum
Asparagus densiflorus
Asparagus Fern
Canna indica
Canna Lily
Chlorophytum comosum
Spider Plant
Clivia miniata
Clivia
Colocasia esculenta
Taro
C. indica
Black-Stemmed Taro
Crocosmia x crocoslliiflora
Crocosnia
Dietes vegata
Epidendrum o'brienianum
Crucifix Orchid
Freesia refracta
Freesia
Gladiolus undulatus
Gladioli
Hedychium gardnerianum
Flowering Ginger
Leucojum aestivun
Snow Drops
STATUS IN LANE COVE
Occasional
Fairly Common
Occasional, local
Uncommon
Common
Common, local
Common, local
Occasional, local
Occasional, local
Common, local
Occasional
Uncommon
Occasional
Occasional
Common, local
Uncommon
Lilium formosanum
Formosan Lily
Nothoscordum inodorum
Romulea rosea
Sisyrinchium iridifolium
S. micranthun
Zantedeschia aethiopica
Onion Weed
Onion Grass
Common
Common
Occasional
Fairly common
Occasional, local
Scour Weed
Arum Lily
FERNS, PALMS & SIMILAR PLANTS
COMMON NAME
BOTANIC NAME
Archontophoenix cunninghamia Bangalow Palm
Arecastrum romanasifolium Queen Palm
Cyrtomium falcatul
Fern
Dennstaedtia davallioides
Fern
Livistona australis
Cabbage PaIm
Musa paradisiaca
Banana
Nephrolepis cordifolia
Fishbone Fern
Pellaea viridis
Green Cliff Fern
Phoenix canariensis
False Date Palm
Fteris umbrosa
P. vittata
STATUS IN LANE COVE
Uncommon
Occasional
Uncommon
Uncommon, local
Uncommonn
Occasional
Common, local
Occasional
Occasional
Uncommon
Strelitzia reginae
Strelitzia
Occasional
SUCCULENTS
BOTANIC NAME
Cakile edentula
COMMON NAME
Sea Rocket
STATUS IN LANE COVE
Uncommon
Crassula multicava
Kalanchoe pinnata
K. tubiflora
Sedum praeltum
Pride of London
Ressurection Plant
Mother of Millions
Air Plant
Occasional
Occasional
Occasional
Occasional
LOCATION
Weed dumping areas
Creeks and damp areas
Weed areas
Edge of bush
Bush and weed areas
Stringybark Creek dan
Bush and weed areas
Weed dumping areas
Damp areas
Creeks and damp areas
Weed areas, along creeks
Edge of bush
Dumping areas
Bush, damp areas
Edge of gardens, dumping
areas
Lane Cove Golf course, edge
of bush
Gardens and weed areas
Lawns
Lawns
Lawns
Damp weed areas
LOCATION
Bush
Bush
Damp places
Bushland Park, shady areas
Bush
Weed dumping areas
Edge of bush
Bush
Bush
Bushland Park near creeks
Mainly Epping Rd, damp
areas
Bush
LOCATION
Industrial area, disturbed
ground
Weed and dumping areass
Weed and dumping areas
97
APPENDIX 5 –
CATCHMENT VEGETATION MAPS
Vegetation communities maps are based on the vegetation survey maps prepared by:
*
Manidis Roberts, Plan of Management of Urban Bushland, prepared for Lane Cove
Municipal Council, 1989.
Heath
Low open forest
Closed scrub
Tall shruhland
Banksia serrata, Allocasuarina littoralis
Leptospermum sp.
Kunzea ambigua, Eucalyptus haemastoma
Dry sclerophyll forest - upper slopes to shale parent rock
Open forest
Eucalyptus piperita, E. capitellata, E. racemosa
Dry sclerophyll forest - upper slopes to sandstone parent rock
Low woodland
Low woodland
Angophora bakeri, Eucalyptus gummiferum
Angophora bakeri, Eucalyptus haemastoma
Dry sclerophyll forest - lower slopes
Open forest
Woodland
Woodland
Woodland
Tall shrubland
Angophora costata, Eucalyptus piperita, E. gummifera
Eucalyptus pilularis, Banksia integrifolia
Angophora costata
Eucalyptus piperita, Casuarina glauca, Ficus rubiginosa
Allocasuarina torulosa
Wet sclerophyll forest - shale parent rock
Open forest
Low closed forest
Eucalyptus saligna, E. pilularis
Pittosporum undulatum
Wet sclerophyll forest - sandstone parent rock
Closed forest
Closed forest
Open forest
Open forest
Open forest
Open forest
Woodland
Low closed forest
Low closed forest
Low closed forest
Low open forest
Eucalyptus saligna, Elaeocarpus reticulatus
Syncarpia glomulifera, Angophora costata
Eucalyptus pilularis, Syncarpia glomulifera
Eucalyptus pilularis, Angophora costata
Angophora costata, Syncarpia glomulifera
Ficus rubiginosa, Acmena smithii, Banksia integrifolia
Eucalyptus saligna, Angophora costata
Acmena smithii, Pittosporum undulatum, Eucalyptus piperita
Acmena smithii, Ceratopetalum apetalum
Acmena smithll
Wetlands and mangroves
98
Low woodland
Closed scrub
Closed scrub
Tall shrubland
Grassland
Casuarina glauca
Melaleuca linariifolia
Avicennia marina
Casuarina glauca, Allocasuarina littoralis
Juncus sp.
Appendix 5
99
100
Appendix 5
101
102
Appendix 5
103
104
Appendix 6
APPENDIX 6 ANIMALS OF LANE COVE
Lists for mammals, reptiles and amphibians are based on the survey carried out for:
*
Travers Morgan pty Ltd, Lane Cove West Link Road Environmental Impact Statement, 1985.
This report also used information from the following studies of the Lane Cove River valley:
*
Fox, A. and Associates, Plan of Management for Bushland Reserves. Part 1; Resources Review.
Willoughby Municipal Council, 1984.
*
Lembit, R, The Lower Stringy Bark Creek Valley. A submission by the Lane Cove Bushland and
Conservation Society, 1985.
*
Stephens, S, The Impact of Man on Mammals and Birds of the Lane Cove River Valley. Macquarie
University Environmental and Urban Studies Report No 34, 1978.
The assumed status is based on data compiled in various references and on observations by Lane Cove Bush
Regenerators. However, until a proper survey is carried out in the Municipality, the extent of the
animal populations will remain unknown.
Assumed Status
Common
seen or heard frequently
Occasional
seen or heard occasionally
Rare
only 1-2 individuals seen in recent years
Predicted
not seen recently, but habitat still present
Unlikely
presumed extinct in Lane Cove
The fish list is based on the following studies:
*
Hiddleton, MJ. Infiltration of NSW Waters by the Goby that Ate California. NSW State Fisheries.
*
Paxton, JR et al, Fishes and Estuarine Pollution; A Seven Year Study of Sydney Harbour. NSW State
Fisheries.
*
Pulley, K. Lane Cove River Fish Study: Interim Report. Centre for Environmental Studies, Macquarie
University, 1977.
*
Pulley, K. Lane Cove River Studies: Estuarine Fish Communities: Progress Report. Centre for
Environmental Studies, Hacquarie University, 1980.
105
6.1 – MAMMALS OF LANE COVE MUNICIPALITY
SCIENTIFIC NAME
COMMON NAME
ASSUMED STATUS IN LANE COVE
NATIVE SPECIES
Monotremes
Tachyglossus aculeatus
Echidna
Unlikely
Marsupials
Antechinus stuartii
Perameles nasuta
Isoodon obesulus
Petaurus breviceps
Trichosurus vulpecula
Cercatetus nanus
Acrobates pygmaeus
Stuart's Marsupial Mouse
Long-nosed Bandicoot
Southern Brown Bandicoot
Sugar Glider
Ring-tailed Possum
Brush-tailed Possum
Eastern Pygmy Possum
Feather-tailed Glider
Unlikely
Unlikely
Unlikely
Predicted
Common
Common
Unlikely
Unlikely
Placentals
Pteropus poliocephalus
P.
scapulatus
Rhinolophus megaphyllus
Taphozous flaviventris
Tadarida australis
Mormopterus loriae
M.
norfolkensis
Nyctophilus gouldii
N.
geoffroyi
Miniopterus schreibersii
Chalinolobus gouldii
C.
morio
Myotis adversus
Nycticeius rueppellii
N.
orion
N.
greyii
Pipistrellus tasmaniensis
Eptesicus pumilus
E.
regulus King River
E.
vulturnus
E.
sagittula
Hydromys chrysogaster
Pseudomys novaehollandiae
Rattus fuscipes
R.
lutreolus
Little Red Flying Fox
Eastern Horseshoe Bat
Yellow-bellied Sheathtail Bat
White-striped Mastiff Bat
Little Northern Mastiff Bat
Eastern Little Mastiff Bat
Gould's Long-eared Bat
Lesser Long-eared Bat
Common-bent Wing Bat
Gould's Wattled Bat
Chocolate Wattled Bat
Large-footed Mouse-eared Bat
Greater Broad-nosed Bat
Eastern Broad-nosed Bat
Little Broad-nosed Bat
Great Pipstrelle
Little Cave Eptesicus
Eptesicus
Little Forest Eptesicus
Large Forest Eptesicus
Water Rat
New Holland Mouse
Bush Rat
Swamp Rat
Common
Predicted
Unlikely
Unlikely
Unlikely
Unlikely
Unlikely
Occasional
Common
Predicted
Common
Unlikely
Unlikely
Unlikely
Unlikely
Unlikely
Unlikely
Unlikely
Unlikely
Unlikely
Unlikely
Unlikely
Unlikely
Rare
Predicted
INTRODUCED SPECIES
Placentals
Rattus rattus
R.
norvegicus
Mus musculus
Cryctolagus cuniculus
Vulpes vulpes
Felis catus
Black Rat
Brown Rat
House Mouse
Rabbit
Fox
Feral/Stray Cat
Occasional
Occasional
Occasional
Predicted
Common
Occasional
106
Appendix 6
6.2 – REPTILES OF LANE COVE MUNICIPALITY
SCIENTIFIC NAME
COMMON NAME
TORTOISES
Chelodina longicollis
Long-necked Tortoise
Rare
Wood Gecko
Lesueur’s Velvet Gecko
Southern Leaf-tailed Gecko
Thick-tailed Gecko
Burton’s Legless Lizard
Common Scaly Foot
Jacky Lizard
Bearded Dragon
Eastern Water Dragon
Lace Monitor
Sand Goanna
Fence Skink
Coppertail Skink
Cunningham’s Skink
White’s Skink
Skink
Garden Skink
Weasel Skink
Red-throated Skink
Three-toed Skink
Eastern Water Skink
Yellow-bellied Skink
She-oak Skink
Eastern Blue-tongue
Unlikely
Rare
Occasional
Predicted
Rare
Unlikely
Predicted
Unlikely
Occasional
Unlikely
Unlikely
Occasional
Rare
Predicted
Predicted
Common
Common
Common
Occasional
Rare
Common
Common
Occasional
Unlikely
Occasional
Blind Snake
Diamond Python
Common Tree Snake
Common Death Adder
Golden-crowned Snake
Yellow-faced Whip Snake
Red-naped Snake
Swamp Snake
Eastern Tiger Snake
Red-bellied Black Snake
Eastern Brown Snake
Rare
Predicted
Predicted
Predicted
Unlikely
Predicted
Unlikely
Unlikely
Predicted
Occasional
Unlikely
LIZARDS
Diplodactylus vittatus
Dedura lesueurii
Phyllurus platurus
Underwoodisaurus millii
Lialis burtonis
Pygopus lepidipodus
Amphibolurus muricatus
Pagona barbarta
Physignanthus lesueurii
Varanus varius
V. gouldii
Cryptoblepharus virgatus
Ctenotus taeniolatus
Egernia cunninghamii
E. whitii
Lamphropholis delicata
L.
guichenoti
Saproscincus IIUstelina
S.
sp.
Leiolopisma platynota
Saiphos equalis
Eulamprus guoyii
E.
tenuis
Tiliqua casuarinae
T.
scincoides
SNAKES
Rhamphotyphlops nigrescens
Morelia spilota spilota
Dendralaphis punctulatus
Acanthophis antarticus
Cacphis squamulosus
Demansia psammophis
Furina diadema
Hemiapsis signata
Notechis scutatus
Psuedechis porphyriacus
Pseudonaja textillis
107
6.3 – AMPHIBIANS OF LANE COVE MUNICIPALITY
SCIENTIFIC NAME
COMMON NAME
Common Eastern Froglet
Giant Burrowing Frog
Eastern Banjo Frog
Striped Marsh Frog
Red-crowned Froglet
Occasional
Unlikely
Common
Uncommon
Unlikely
Lesueur’s Frog
Peron’s Tree Frog
Green Tree Frog
Verreaux’s Tree Frog
Predicted
Unlikely
Predicted
Unlikely
GROUND DWELLING FROGS
Crinia signitera
Heleioporous australiacus
Limnodynastes dumerillii
L, peronii
Pseudophyrne australis
TREE DWELLING FROGS
Litoria lesueurii
L, peronii
L, caerulea
L, verreauxii
108
Appendix 6
6.4 – FISH OF THE LANE COVE RIVER
SCIENTIFIC NAME
COMMON NAME
Acanthopagnes australis
Achylopa nigra
Ambassis marianus
Antemarius striatus
Anguilla reinhardti
A. australis
Arenogobius frenatus
A.
bifrenatus
Centropogon australis
Chrysophys aurutus
Cnidoglanis macrocephalus
Dicotylichthys myersi
Eleotridae spp.
Engraulis australis
Favonigobius tamensis
F.
exquisitus
F.
lateralis
Galaxidae spp.
Gambusia affinis
Gerres ovatus
Girella tricuspidita
Hemhalphus ardelio
Herklotichthys castelnaui
Hyperlophus vittatus
Liza argentea
Meuschenia trachylopis
M.
treycineti
Monacanthus chinensis
Monodactylus argenteus
Mugil cephalus
Myxus elongatus
M.
petardi
Pelates quadrilineatus
Petroscrites variabilis
Platycephalus tuscus
Plotosus lineatus
Pomotomus saltator
Pranesus ogilbyi
Pseudogobius olorum
Pseudomugil signifier
Pseudorhombus arsius
Retropinnidae spp.
Rhabdosargus sarba
Sillago ciliata
S.
maculata
Siphamia roseigaster
Sphyraena obtusa
Sygnathidae spp.
Torquigener hamiltoni
Trachurus mccullochi
Triglidae spp.
Urlolphus testaceus
Velambassis jacksonensis
Bream
Black Sole
Glass Perchlet
Striated Frogfish
Long-Finned Eel
Short-Finned Eel
Goby
Bridled Goby
Eastern Fortescue
Pink Snapper
Estuary Catfish
Porcupine Fish
Gudgeon
Anchovy
Goby
Goby
Long-Finned Goby
Minnow
Mosquito Fish
Silver Biddy
Luderick
River Garfish
Garfish
Sandy Sprat
Flat-Tailed Mullet
Yellow-Finned Leatherjacket
Six-Spined Leatherjacket
Fan-Belly Leatherjacket
Oianond Fish
Sea Mullet
Sand Mullet
Freshwater Mullet
Trumpeter
Blemy
Dusky Flathead
Striped catfish
Tailor
Ogilby’s Hardyhead
Swan-River Goby
Pacific Blue Eye
Large-Toothed Flounder
Smelt
Tarwhine
Sand Whiting
Trumpeter Whiting
Siphon Fish
Striped Seapike
Pipefish
Pufferfish
YellowTail
Gurnard
Common Stingray
Port Jackson Cardinal Fish
109
APPENDIX 7 –
BIRDS OF LANE COVE MUNICIPALITY
The bird list is based on the following surveys:
*
Richard Noske, Bird List : Gore Creek, 1971.
*
Thomas Dixon, Birds of Riverview, 1980.
*
Travers Morgan Pty Ltd, Lane Cove West Link Road Environmental Impact Statement , 1985.
*
Observational records kept by Sandra Coe,
Hugo Floriani,
Van Klaphake,
Agata Pasqualini and
Sheila Walkerden.
Residency
Resident
species which lives and nests in Lane Cove
Migratory
species which returns regularly to Lane Cove
Visitor
species which returns irregularly to Lane Cove
Escapee
aviary escape
Status
110
Common
species widespread over Lane Cove
Occasional
species seen occasionally in Lane Cove
Uncommon - regular
species uncommon but appears regularly in Lane Cove
Uncommon
species seen infrequently in Lane Cove
Rare
only 1 - 2 individuals seen in recent years
Appendix 7
NATIVE BIRDS OF LANE COVE MUNICIPALITY
GREBES
SCIENTIFIC NAME
Poliocephalus poliocephalus
COMMON NAME
Hoary-headed Grebe
RESIDENCY
Resident
STATUS
Occasional
HABITAT
Open water ,
swamps and slow
rivers
FISHING BIRDS
SCIENTIFIC NAME
Pelicanus conspicillatus
Anhinga melanogaster
Phalacrocorax melanoleucos
P.
varius
P.
carbo
P.
sulcirostris
COMMON NAME
Australian Pelican
Darter
Little Pied Cormorant
Pied Cormorant
Black Cormorant
Little Black Cormorant
RESIDENCY
Visitor
Visitor
Resident
Visitor
Visitor
Resident
STATUS
Uncommon
Occasional
Common
Occasional
Occasional
Common
HABITAT
River
River
River
River
River
River
HERONS, IBISES AND ALLIES
SCIENTIFIC NAME
Ardea pacifica
A. novaehollandiae
Butorides striatus
Egrettaalba
Nycticorax caledonicus
Threskiornis IKllucca
T.
spinicollis
Platalea regia
P.
flavipes
COMMON NAME
White-necked Heron
White-faced Heron
Mangrove Heron
Great (White) Egret
Nankeen Night Heron
White Ibis
Straw-necked Ibis
Royal Spoonbill
Yellow-billed Spoonbill
RESIDENCY
Visitor
Resident
Resident
Visitor
Resident
Resident
Visitor
Visitor
Visitor
STATUS
Occasional
Common
Occasional
Occasional
Occasional
Common
Common
Occasional
Rare
HABITAT
Mudflats
Mudflats
Mangroves
Mudflats
Mangroves
Mudflats
Swamps, grasslands
Mudflats
Mudflats
SWANS, GEESE AND DUCKS
SCIENTIFIC NAME
Anas castanea
A.
gibberifrons
A.
superciliosus
Chenonetta jubata
Nettapus coromandelianus
COMMON NAME
Chestnut Teal
Grey Teal
Black Duck
Wood Duck
Cotton Pygmy-goose
RESIDENCY
Resident
Resident
Resident
Visitor
Visitor
STATUS
Common
Uncommon
Common
Uncommon
Rare
HABITAT
Water
Water
Water
Water
Water
DAYTIME BIRDS OF PREY
SCIENTIFIC NAME
Accipiter fasciatus
A.
novaehollandiae
Aviceda subcristata
COMMON NAME
Brown Goshawk
Grey Goshawk
Crested Hawk
RESIDENCY
Resident
Visitor
Visitor
STATUS
Occasional
Rare
Rare
Elanus notatus
Falco berigora
F.
cenchroides
F.
longipennis
F.
peregrinus
Black-shouldered Kite
Brown Falcon
Nankeen Kestrel
Little Falcon
Peregrine Falcon
Resident
Visitor
Visitor
Visitor
Visitor
Occasional
Common
Rare
Rare
Rare
Haliaeetus leucogaster
White-breasted Sea Eagle Visitor
Rare
Hieraaetus morphnoides
Little Eagle
Occasional
HABITAT
Grass\woodland
Dense woodland
Wet sclerophyll
forest
Open woodland
Open country
Grass\Woodland
Open woodland
cliff areas, most
habitats
Water, coastal
areas
Forest
Visitor
111
QUAILS, RAILS AND WATERHENS
SCIENTIFIC NAME
COMMON NAME
Dusky Moorhen
Gallinula tenebrosa
RESIDENCY
Resident
STATUS
Common
Porphyrio porphyrio
Rallus phillipensis
Swamp Hen
Buff-banded Rail
Resident
Visitor
Occasional
Rare
Turnlx varia
Painted Button-quail
Resident
Occasional
WADERS, GULLS AHIl SHOREBIRDS
SCIENTIFIC NAME
COMMON NAME
Chilidonias hybrida
Whiskered Tern
RESIDENCY
Visitor
STATUS
Occasional
Larus novaehollandiae
Sterna bergii
S.
hirundo
Tringa hypoleucos
Vanellus miles novaehollandiae
Silver Gull
Crested Tern
Common Tern
Common Sandpiper
Masked Plover
Resident
Visitor
Migrant\su
Migrant\su
Resident
Common
Occasional
Rare
Occasional
Common
PIGEONS AND DOVES
SCIENTIFIC NAME
Chalcophaps indica
COMMON NAME
Green-winged Pigeon
RESIDENCY
Visitor
STATUS
Occasional
Columba leucomela
Ochyphaps lophotes
White-headed Pigeon
Crested Pigeon
Visitor
Resident
Uncommon
Uncommon
HABITAT
Wet sclerophyll
forests
Forest, open areas
Grasslands
COCKATOOS ANDPARROTS
SCIENTIFIC NAME
Alisterus scapularis
COMMON NAME
King Parrot
RESIDENCY
Migrant\wi
Port Lincoln Parrot
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Galah
Little Corella
Yellow-tailed Black
Cockatoo
Glossy-black Cockatoo
Resident
Visitor
Visitor
Escapee
Escapee
STATUS
Uncommon,
regular
Occasional
Common
Common
Rare
Occasional
HABITAT
Dense forests and
river edge trees
Forests
Forests
Open country
Forests
Eucalypt forests
Visitor
Rare
Glossopsitta pusilla
Platycercus adscitus
P.
elegans
Little Lorikeet
Pale-headed Rosella
CrimsonRosella
Visitor
Escapee
Resident
Common
Rare
Common
P.
Eastern Rosella
Resident
Common
Visitor
Resident
Rare
Common
Mountain forests,
river margins
Eucalypt forests
Open forest
Eucalypt\wattle
forests
Openforest\grass
land
Forests
Forests
Barnardius zonarius
Cacatua galerita
C.
roseicapilla
C.
sanguinea
Calyptorhynchus funereus
C.
lathami
eximius
Trichoglossus chlorolepidotus Scaly-breasted Lorikeet
T.
haematodus
Rainbow Lorikeet
HABITAT
Swamps , reeds
and sedges
Mangroves
Swamps, man
groves, grasslands
Rocky hillsides ,
grass understorey
HABITAT
Inshore coastal
waters
Water
Water
Water
Shoreline
Open damp grass
CUCKOOS
SCIENTIFIC NAME
Chrysococcyz basalis
COMMON NAME
RESIDENCY
Horsfield's Bronze Cuckoo Migrant\sp
HABITAT
Openforest
C.
lucidus lucidus Shining
C.
lucidus plagosus
Cuculus pallidus
C.
pyrrhophanus
Eudynamys scolopacea
Scythrops novaehollandiae
Bronze Cuckoo
Golden Bronze Cuckoo
Pallid Cuckoo
Fan-tailed Cuckoo
Indian Koel
Channel-billed Cuckoo
Coastal forest
wet Forest
Open forest
Forest
Dense forest
Steep hilly wooded
country
112
STATUS
Uncommon,
regular
Visitor
Occasional
Migrant\sp
Rare
Visitor
Rare
Migrant\sp &su Common
Migrant\sp &su Common
Visitor
Uncommon
Appendix 7
OWLS
SCIENTIFIC NAME
Ninox cornivens
novaeseelandiae
N.
N.
strenua
Tyto alba
COMMON NAME
Barking Owl
Boobook Owl
Powerful Owl
Barn Owl
RESIDENCY
Visitor
Resident
Visitor
Visitor
STATUS
Rare
Uncommon
Occasional
occasional
HABITAT
Forest
Forest
Open forest
Open woodland
FRODMOUTHS AND NIGHTJARS
COMMON NAME
SCIENTIFIC NAME
Podaryus strigoides
Tawny Frogmouth
RESIDENCY
Resident
STATUS
Uncommon
HABITAT
Forest
SWIFTS
SCIENTIFIC NAME
Hirundapus caudacutus
RESIDENCY
Migrant\su
STATUS
Common
HABITAT
Air
KINGFISHERS AND DOLLAR BIRDS
COMMON NAME
SCIENTIFIC NAME
Dacelo gigas
Laughing Kookaburra
RESIDENCY
Resident
STATUS
Common
Eurystomas orientalis
Halcyon sancta
Migrant\sp &su Uncommon
Migrant\wi,sp &su Common
HABITAT
Open forest and
clearings
River shoreline
River shoreline
COMMON NAME
Spine-tailed swift
Dollar Bird
Sacred Kingfisher
PERCHING BIRDS OR SONGSTERS
COMMON NAME
SCIENTIFIC NAME
Acanthiza lineata
Striated Thornhill
RESIDENCY
Resident
STATUS
Uncommon
A.
nana
A.
reguloides
A.
pusilla
Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris
Yellow Thornhill
Buff-tailed Thornhill
Brown Thornhill
EasternSpinebill
Resident
Resident
Resident
Resident
Uncommon
Anthochaera carunculata
Red Wattlebird
Resident
Common
A.
Little Wattlebird
Resident
Common
Anthus novaeseelandiae
Artarmus cyanopterus
Cecropis ariel
C.
nigricans
Cinclorhamphus mathewsi
Australian pipit
Dusky Woodswallow
Fairy Martin
Tree Martin
Rufous Songlark
Visitor
Visitor
Visitor
Resident
Migrant\sp &su
Occasional
Common
Common
Common
Common
Cisticola exilis
Climacteris leucophaea
Visitor
Resident
Rare
Occasional
Colluricincla hamonica
Coracina novaehollandiae
C.
papuensis
Corvus coronoides
Golden-headed Cisticola
White-throated
Treecreeper
Grey Shrike-thrush
Black-faced Cuckooshrike
Little Cuckooshrike
Australian Raven
Resident
Resident
Resident
Resident
Uncommon
Common
Uncommon
Common
Cracticus torquatus
Grey Butcherbird
Resident
Common
Daphoeno sittachrysoptera
Dicaeum hirundinaceum
Dicrurus hottentottus
Emblema temporalis
Orange Winged Sittella
Mistletoe Bird
Spangled Drongo
Red-browed Firetail
Resident
Uncommon
Uncommon
Uncommon
Eopsaltria australis
Falcunculus frontatus
Gerygone mouki
G.
olivacea
Eastern Yellow Robin
Crested Shrike-tit
Brown Warbler
White-throated Warbler
Visitor
Visitor
Migrant\au &wi
Migrant\sp,su
&au
Resident
Visitor
Visitor
Visitor
chrysoptera
Uncommon
Common
Common
Common
Occasional
Common
HABITAT
High branches in
woodland
Dry forest
Open woodland
Shrub layers
Heath, parks and
woodlands
Open flowering
forest
Open flowering
forest
Grasslands
Forests
Near water
Air
Open forests ,
grasslands
Reed beds
Open woodland,
forest
Foreshores
Open woodland
Dry Forest
Open areas (day),
forest (night)
Open forest and
urban parks
Open forest
Forest
Forest
Grass and fringes
of woodland
Woodland
Open woodland
Woodland
Open forest
113
PERCHERS OR SONGSTERS CONTINUED
SCIENTIFIC NAME
COMMON NAME
Australian Magpie-lark
Grallina cyanoleuca
RESIDENCY
Resident
STATUS
Common
Gymnorhina tibicen
Hirundo neoxena
Lalage sueurii
Lichenostomus chrysops
Australian Magpie
Welcome Swallow
White-winged Triller
Yellow-faced Honeyeater
Resident
Resident
Visitor
Migrant\sp
Common
Common
Uncommon
Common
L. melanops
L. penicillatus
Yellow-tufted Honeyeater Visitor
White-plumed Honeyeater Visitor
Uncommon
Occasional
Malurus cyaneus
Superb Blue Wren
Resident
Common
M. lamberti
Variegated Wren
Resident
Rare
Manorina melanocephala
Melithreptus lunatus
Microeca leucophaea
Monarcha melanopsis
Myiagra cyanoleuca
M. rubecula
Noisy Miner
White-naped Honeyeater
Jacky Winter
Black-faced Monarch
Satin Flycatcher
Leaden Flycatcher
Resident
Visitor
Visitor
Migrant\sp i su
Migrant\sp i su
Migrant\sp i su
Myzomela sanguinolenta
Scarlet Honeyeater
Visitor
Common
Occasional
Common
Uncommon
Occasional
Uncommon,
regular
Common
Oriolus sagittatus
Pachycephala pectoralis
P. rufiventris
Olive-backed Oriole
Golden Whistler
Rufous Whistler
Pardalotus punctatus
P. striatus
Petroica rosea
Spotted Pardalote
Striated Paradalote
Rose Robin
Migrant\sp i su Common
Resident
Common
Migrant\sp
Uncommon,
regular
Resident
Common
Visitor
Uncommon
Migrant\wi
Uncommon
Philemon cornicultus
Noisy Friarbird
Migrant\wi i sp
Phylidonyris niger
White-cheeked Honeyeater Visitor
Uncommon
P. novaehollandiae
New Holland Honeyeater
Visitor
Uncommon
Psophodes olivaceus
Ptilinorhynchus violaceus
Rhipidura fuliginosa
Eastern Whipbird
Satin Bowerbird
Grey Fantail
Resident
Visitor
Resident
Uncommon
Rare
Common
R. leucophrys
R. rufifrons
Sericornis frontalis
Willie Wagtail
Resident
Rufous Fantail
Migrant\sp
White-browed Scrub-wren Resident
Occasional
Occasional
Common
Smicrornis brevirostris
Sphecotheres viridis
Strepera graculina
Zoothera dauma
Zosterops lateralis
Weebill
Figbird
Pied Currawong
Australian Ground Thrush
Eastern Silvereye
Visitor
Visitor
Resident
Visitor
Resident
Rare
Uncommon
Common
Uncommon
Common
INTRODUCED BIRDS OF LANE COVE MUNICIPALITY
SCIENTIFIC NAME
COMMON NAME
Anas platyrhynchos
Mallard
Columba livia
Domestic Pigeon
Streptopelia chinensis
Spotted Turtledove
Acridotheres tristis
Common Myna
Cardeulis cardeulis
European Goldfinch
Lonchura punctulata
Nutmeg Mannikin
RESIDENCY
Resident
Visitor
Resident
Resident
Resident
Visitor
STATUS
Occasional
Occasional
Occasional
Common
Uncollllon
Common
Passer domesticus
Pycnonotus jocosus
Sturnus vulgaris
Turdus merula
Resident
Resident
Resident
Resident
Common
Common
Common
Uncommon
114
House Sparrow
Red-whiskered Bulbul
Common Starling
Blackbird
Occasional
HABITAT
Damp grass and
foreshore
Widespread
Air
Open forest
Flowering eucalypt
forest
Open forest
Flowering forest
and gardens
Gardens, lawns
and edge of bush
Edge of bush,
lantana
Open woodland
Trees
Open forest
Dense bushland
Tall trees
Foreshore trees
Woodland,
swamps
Open forest
Foreshore trees
Foreshore
trees
Foreshore forest
Eucalypts
Dry forests and
mangroves
Open flowering
forest
Heath and open
woodland
Woodland, heath
and swamps
Dense bush
Woodland
Open forest ,
woodland
Opengrass , forest
Dense wet bush
Dense foreshore,
gully undergrowth
Forest
Figtrees
Open forest
Forest
Forests , gardens
HABITAT
Water
Open parks
Open forest
Widespread
Widespread
Grass and damp
areas
Near buildings
Forests and gardens
Widespread
Gardens, dense forest
Aborigines 11-13, 40-43, 57
acacias 20, 25
adaptations
plant 17, 19, 21
animal 28
bird 37
aerial birds 36
air pollution 12, 65
alienation 44, 47
alluvial flats 62
alluvial soils 10
amphibians 31
animals 5, 8, 11, 24-32
eaten by birds 40
food for Aborigines 41-42
impact of settlement on 24-25, 44-46
prey to introduced animals 46, 48
spreading weeds 51
Aquatic Reserve 42, 69
aspect 16,21
Australian Wood Pipe Co 70
balloon vine 56-57
Balmain New Ferry Company 66
bamboo 56-57
bandicoots 24-26, 41, 43
banksia 20-21, 25, 41
bats 24-25, 27-28
berries 18-19, 28,33, 41, 51-52, 54
Berrys Creek 5, 8
bird populations 35
birds 5, 8, 11, 19, 23, 33-39
food for Aborigines 41
food for reptiles 28
impact of settlement on 24, 33-36
of prey 38
prey for introduced animals 46, 48
spreading weeds 50-51
birdwatching 36
Blackbutt 19-22
Blackman Park 8, 10, 16-17, 22, 44-45, 65, 68
blind snakes 30
blue gum 19-20, 21
Blue Gum High Forest 21
Blue Hole 63
boiling down works 62, 70
bracken fern 41-42
Bradley, Lt. William 60
Bradley method 53
bullrushes 17
Burns Bay 8, 10, 44, 61-62, 66, 68, 70-71
Burns Bay Reserve 10, 68
bush regeneration 11, 52-53, 55
Bushland Park 19, 44, 52
bushland remnants 11-13, 24, 44
bushwalking 12
Cammeraigal 40-41
camphor laurel 51, 56-58
canoeing 65, 71
INDEX
canoes, use by Aborigines 40-41, 59
cassia 56-58
catchment 5, 8, 59, 62, 65-66 68
cats 24-25, 32, 34, 43, 46, 48
cheese Tree 19-20
chemical industries 62
clay ridges 18, 22
Clifford Love Cornflour Mills 70
climate 7, 15, 50
coachwood 19
cobblers peg 57
Collins, David 40
colubrid snakes 30
Commelina 54-55
competition 18, 34
construction 47, 51, 67
copra bond store 70
cornflour mills 62, 70
crofton weed 56-58
CSR 62, 70
Cumberland Paper Board Mills 70
currawongs 32-34
De Burghs Bridge 36, 59, 62-63
degraded bushland 11, 48
detention basins 48, 66
disturbance to bushland 51, 53, 55-56
diversity
of fish 31
of plants 19
loss of 43
dogs 46
dragons 28-29
drainage 17, 46-49, 66, 68
dredging 66
dry sclerophyll forest 15-16, 19-23, 41, 43
dry sclerophyll understorey 22
dumping 44-45, 48, 52, 55, 57, 67
duckweed 17
early maps 59
echidnas 24-26, 43
edges of reserves 43, 50
education 5, 12
elapid snakes 30
electricity 44
elephants ears 58
engravings 11, 42
epicormic buds 19
Epping Road bridge 62, 70
erosion 21,45, 47-49, 53, 66, 68
eucalypts 13-14, 16, 19-21, 26, 28, 46
European settlement 11-13, 41, 43
exotic 50, 54
faecal contamination 67
Fairyland 63-65, 70
farming 22
feral animals 25, 32, 46, 48
ferry services 63
115
fertile soils 18, 21
Fiddens Wharf 60, 62
Field of Mars Common 62
Figtree Bridge 7, 10, 13, 17, 31, 44, 59, 62-63, 65-66, 68
fire 19-22, 34, 41, 43, 45, 47, 62
fire regime 43
fish 5, 31, 37, 41, 59
fishing 42, 70
flooding 8, 12, 47, 66
flying foxes 28
forest oak 23
foreshore reserves 11
foxes 25, 28, 32, 46
fragmentation of bushland 44, 47-48
freeways 44
frogs 28, 31
Fullers Bridge 59, 62, 64-66
garden refuse 45, 51-52, 57
geckoes 28-29
geological history 11
geology 8, 10
ginger lily 57-58
gliders 25, 27
goannas 28-29
golf course, Lane Cove 10, 44, 52, 55-56
Gore Cove 8, 70-71
Gore Creek 8, 10, 13, 44, 57-58, 61, 66, 68
Gore Creek Reserve 10, 13, 57-58, 68
grass birds 38
grey gum 21, 23
grey mangrove 17
Greendale Reserve 44
Greenwich 5, 21, 44, 52, 61-63, 70-71
habitat 5, 10-12
animal 25, 27, 31-32
birds 33-36
loss of 43-46
Hakea 21
Hawkesbury sandstone 10
heath 14-16, 20-21, 41
herbicides 34, 55
honeyeaters 33
Hornsby Plateau 8, 10
horse riding 45
Hunter, Captain John 41-42, 59-60
Hunters Hill 13, 41-42, 44, 59-60, 63, 65, 70-71
industry 59, 62
insects 8, 24-25, 28, 32-34, 37-38, 50
John Fell and Co. 62
Joubert family 63
Kamilaroi 40
kangaroos 24-25, 41-43, 46
koalas 24-25, 46
Kunzea 22, 26
Kuring-gai 40
lambs tails 53, 57
Lane Cove Council 5, 13, 48, 52, 66
Lane Cove Municipality 13, 24, 31, 43, 51
116
Lane Cove River 10, 59-71
boundary of Aboriginal groups 40
boundary of Municipality 5, 8, 13
fish in 31
freeway along 44
restoring bushland along 53
transmission line along 44
vegetation zonation along 16
Lane Cove River National Park 65
Lane Cove River State Recreation Area 46, 59, 65
Lane Cove River Valley 8, 23
Lane Cove Road 60, 62
Lane Cove West 70
lantana 50-51, 56-58
lawn clippings 45, 52, 57, 67
leasing 44
legless lizards 28-29
lignotubers 19
lilly pilly 19-20, 41, 54-55
Linley Point 13, 59, 61, 71
lizards 25, 28-30, 46
logging 11, 43
Longueville 44, 55, 61, 63, 70-71
Ludowici & Co 70
Macquarie University 5, 23, 36, 43-44
madeira vine 53, 56-57
mammals 5, 23-25, 27-28, 32, 41, 43, 46
mangroves 13, 17, 22, 36, 64-65, 68
Manns Point 21, 70-71
Mars Road 49, 71
marsupial mice 25
marsupials 25
microbats 28
microclimate 8, 21
middens 11-12, 41
moist gullies 16, 18, 41
monitor lizards 29
monotremes 25
morning glory 51, 56-58
Mowbray Park 56-57, 63, 65, 70
Mowbray Road 5
mudflats 22, 31, 33-34, 36-37, 47, 66, 68
National Trust 11, 53
niches 33-34
nitrogen 47
NOOS 66, 71
Northern Ocean Outfall Sewer 66, 71
Northwood 61, 63, 70-71
nutrients 10, 20-22, 47, 51, 55-57, 67
ochna 51
Open Space 5, 11-12, 44, 67
orchards 28, 62, 64
Pacific Highway 5, 8, 60
paintings, Aboriginal 11-12, 42
paper board mills 62, 70
Parramatta River 5, 59
Patent Asphaltum Co. 70
pesticides 34, 67
phosphorus 47
picnic areas 59, 65
picnicking 12-13, 63-64, 71
pitlosporum 18-19, 22, 43, 55, 57
placental mammals 26-28
platypus 25
pleasure grounds 63, 65, 70
pondweed 17
Port Jackson 19, 40, 60-61
possums 24-25, 27-28, 41, 46
predators 24-25, 28
privet 50-51, 54-58
pythons 30
pyracantha 56
Radke & Sons 70
rainfall 8
rainforest 14, 16, 19-20, 23, 28, 41, 47
rainforest understorey 18
rare plants 11, 23
rats 28, 41
recreation 11-12, 36, 44-46, 50, 59, 63-65, 71
red bloodwood 21
red mahogany 19
red stringybark 22
reed beds 22
reflective bark 19
regattas 65, 70
remnants
Aboriginal art 42
bushland 11-13, 25, 44
vegetation communities 17, 20-22
reptiles 24, 28-29, 38
river mangrove 17
river transport 62
River Walk 17, 45
Riverview 5, 36, 61, 63, 70
Robert Corbett 62, 70
rock overhangs 12, 40
rock shelters 11
rowboating 63
rowing 44, 65, 70
rowing clubs 65
Rupert Kirk 70
Ryde 13, 21-22, 44, 63, 70
saltmarsh 17, 23
sandstone 10, 13, 16, 20-23, 40-42, 47, 53, 56, 66
scientific values 11
scribbly gum 21
seagrasses 16
sedge marsh 22
settlement
early 11, 13, 59-60, 62
impacts on animals 24-25
impacts on birds 33-36
impacts on bushland 15, 43-47
sewage overflow 65
sewerage 44, 51, 53, 66, 68
shale 10, 34, 41, 43
Shell 31, 41, 62, 70-71
shellfish 32, 41, 59
silt 22, 53, 59, 66, 68
siltation 47, 66, 68
skinks 28-29
smooth barked apple 14, 21 (see also Sydney red gum)
snakes 28-30
soap and candle factories 70
soils 8, 10-11, 15-16, 19-20, 21, 47, 51
Specht 14
stilling basins 67
Stoney Creek 7, 22
stormwater 71
pollution by 25
problems of 12, 46-49,
promoting weed invasion 51, 57,
solving problems of 48-49, 65-68
Stringybark Creek 8, 13, 17, 20, 53
swamp oak 17
swamps 17, 37
swimming 29, 36-37, 45
Sydney peppermint 14, 21
Sydney red gum 13, 21
Index
Tambourine Bay 8, 13, 17, 44, 61, 66, 68, 71
Tambourine Creek 8
Tannery Creek 8, 62, 70
tannery 8, 62, 70
tea tree 22
temperature 8
Tench, Watkin 40
Tennyson Park 13
The Avenue 65, 70
The Rest 64-65
topography 8, 10-11, 15-16, 59
Tradescantia 51, 54-58
tributary creeks 8, 13, 53, 59
turpentine 19, 22-23
Turrumburra 41
turtles 28, 30, 41
Upper Lane Cove Ferry Service 63
urban bushland 11-12, 32
Urban Wildlife Survey 24
vegetation communities 14-23, 43
vines and creepers 52
walking tracks 12, 45, 50
wallabies 24-25, 41-42, 46
wandering jew 54-55, 57
Warraroon Reserve 17, 44, 48-49
water birds 11, 13, 36
waterborne seed 52
waterskiing 65, 71
weed 11, 33-34, 47, 49-58
weed invasion 47, 49-51, 53, 55
wet sclerophyll forest 15-16, 18-19, 41
wet sclerophyll understorey 22
wetlands 15, 17
wharves 22, 62-63, 70-71
Wianamatlashale 10
wildlife corridor 11
windblown seed 51-52
wood pipes 62
Woodford Bay 8, 61, 70
117

Lane Cove Council

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