‘ of the Great South West’, book on plants of South West Victoria AUSTRALIAN PLANTS SOCIETY (SGAP) $20, available from Kevin Sparrow at Warrnambool & District Group Inc. Newsletter [email protected] May 2016 No 415 Ph: 55626217 Correa reflexa ‘Grannys Grave’ www.facebook.com/warrnamboolsgap Like us on Facebook

Incorporation No: AOO1312OX ABN: 51672752196 Web: apswarrnambool.org.au

Hi members, EDITORIAL

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING As usual, this month is our Annual General Meeting where all positions will be declared vacant and a new committee elected. Doesn’t mean you shouldn’t come along, it won’t take long and then we can get on with the interesting stuff! And if you would like to be more involved, there is always a spot for someone else on our committee, so please consider it. Our group needs a viable committee to continue into the future. We meet the Tuesday following our Members night at 8.00pm at committee members homes.

Our speaker this month is native guru and expert, Paul Kennedy who will be speaking on something entirely different, this time featuring the genus Dodonaea, or common name Hop Bush. Please come along and support our guest speaker and bring along something from your garden to display. We will be meeting Paul and Barbara at the RSL for dinner at 6.30pm. All welcome to join us.

On Sunday 29th July, Hamilton SGAP group will be visiting us, we meet at Swan Reserve for a guided tour of the garden and then its on to Michael & Dorothy Mattner’s at Cudgee for lunch and a look around their magnificent garden. Warrnambool APS members are particularly invited to come along and join in. Meet at Swan Reserve at 11.00am or at Mattners at 12.00 noon BYO lunch.

Thank you to Bev Bell for representing our group last month, doing a floral display at the Port Fairy “Festival of Flowers”. Flowers were supplied by Friends of Swan Reserve and Kevin & Joyce Sparrow.

Hope to catch up with you next Friday at the Mozart Hall or earlier at the RSL at 6.30pm.. Cheers, Kevin

The APS Warrnambool & District holds meetings on the 4th Friday of each month at the Mozart Hall Warrnambool at 8pm. What’s On Next Members Night: Friday 27th May 8.00pm - OR 6.30pm at RSL for Dinner Speaker is PaulAustralian Kennedy Plants SpeakingSociety - Warrnambool on Dodonaea’s & District Group common May 2016 Newsletter name - Hop Bushes

Group Diary Of Activities 27th May - Annual General Meeting, speaker is Paul Kennedy speaking on Dodonaea’s or Hop Bushes.

31st May - Committee Meeting at Artis’ at Allansford.

29th May - Visit by Hamilton Group. Meet at Swan Reserve at 11.00am and then on to Matters garden at 12.00 noon.

24th June - Members Night - Lachlan Farrington from Nature Glenelg Trust, speaking on NGT wetland restoration work.

28th June - Committee Meeting at Halls

23rd July - Members visit to Hamilton gardens.

26th August - Members Night, speaker is Lynsey Poore talking about Guilfoyle Gardens.

23rd September - Members Night - speaker John Sherwood will talk on his trip to the Galapagos Islands.

8/9th Oct - Fred Rogers Seminar to be held in Hamilton hosted by SGAP Hamilton & APS Warrnambool.

25th November - Maree Goodes speaking on Eremophilas

Please submit your articles for the newsletter by the end of the second week of the month President: Kevin Sparrow Phone: 55626217 Vice President: Bob Artis, Brown St, Allansford. Phone: 0417 321225 Secretary: John Sherwood. 26 McConnell St, Warrnambool Phone: 55628064 Email: [email protected] Treasurer: Mike Halls, 127 Rooneys Rd, Warrnambool 3280 Phone: 55626519 Email: [email protected] Newsletter Editor: Kevin Sparrow 35 Swan Street, Warrnambool. Phone: 55626217 Email: [email protected] Publicity Officer and Librarian: Vacant Public Officer: John Sherwood. Phone: 55628064 APS Reps: vacant, History Book Coordinator: Joyce Sparrow. Other Committee Members: Kerry Artis, Laura Prentice, Louise Sheba

APS Warrnambool & District is a District Group of the Australian Plants Society (Vic) All members are required to also be a member of APS Vic. 2 Australian Plants Society - Warrnambool & District Group May 2016 Newsletter

Report From Last Month - Jodie Honan Speaking on the Powling Street Wetlands in Port Fairy Last month Jodie Honan spoke to us on her involvement in helping to save In 2014, backed by the Environmental Defenders Office, they launched the Powling Street Wetlands in Port Fairy from development. Jodie is part another challenge through VCAT arguing that 32 blocks was still too many of a small determined group called the SOUTH BEACH WETLANDS AND and this time the number was reduced to 23, with a number of conditions LANDCARE GROUP, who fought to protect the habitat of the migratory including that a protective fence be built around the habitat and a large area bird, Latham's Snipe which arrives in Australia around August from their returned to Moyne Shire. This was a significant win for the Landcare group. breeding sites in Japan. These birds rest up in the relatively small Powling Street Wetlands after their long flight from Japan. The Powling Street site is Interest created from the legal challenge has lead to the establishment of the one of the few sites in Australia where Snipes congregate in large numbers. Latham’s Snipe Project which was begun by a group of passionate ornitholo- gists to better understand the ecology of Latham’s snipe and their use of the The problem arose in 1999 when Moyne Shire decided to sell off a large wetlands. A part of the project involves the setting up of nets so that birds can part of the council owned land adjacent to the wetlands. The new owner had be safely netted and geolocators and tags attached to better understand their hopes of converting the 3.5ha space into 43 building sites but this would be migratory habits. Bird counts are also carried out and on one single day, more to the detriment of the snipe who rely on the tall grass and nutriments of the than 200 birds were found to be on the wetlands. wetlands. There is only about 36000 Latham’s Snipe left in the world and In 2015, the group was successful in gaining funding through the Glenelg Port fairy has one of the largest habitats within these wetlands. The group Hopkins CMA for wetland restoration works, enhance snipe habitat and to using their first hand raise public awareness. knowledge and The grant includes fund- backed by experts on ing to purchase radio bird habitat launched transponders for tracking not one but two the movements of snipe challenges to VCAT around Port Fairy. against the proposals. The first in 2008 Eighty bird species have resulted in the devel- been recorded at the wet- oper having to reduce lands including threatened the subdivision to 32 species, Australian blocks including one Bittern, Sharp-tailed allotment to be given Sand-piper, King Quail, back to the council Eastern Great Egret, and added to the wet- Baillons Crake, lands. This was subse- Australasian Shoveler quently approved by and Royal Spoonbill. the council.

3 Australian Plants Society - Warrnambool & District Group May 2016 Newsletter

Display Table April 2016 by Kerry Artis

Mike Halls Acacia podalyriifolia Mt Morgan Kevin showed a number of plants from Swan Reserve Wattle is a spreading tree which Mike cuts including spinulosa ‘Canarvan Gold that was cut back hard and is quite spectacular when in back to ground level and is now growing beautifully, flower. It can grow to 8m high by 5m across magnifica, a Correa with a red flower with a and has silver-grey foliage and golden ball shaped flowers. It is hardy in most well- yellow tip, , Correa reflexa, drained, sunny situations. Banksia baueri and the lovely . Other plants shown by Possum Banksia has a pink tinge to its flower Kevin were Eremophila maculata var maculata, spike, is about 10’ wide and likes a well- Eremophila brevifolia, Banksia tricuspis, Correa mannii, drained, sunny position. Correa reflexa sericea, Correa reflexa, Correa ‘Candy Pink’, ‘John Amor’ (photo right) is doing well and Correa reflexa, Correa ‘Marions Marvel’, has a very pretty flower, and Correa ‘Ivory Bells’. ‘Honey Bird Yellow’ has 30 to 40 flower spikes on it at the moment and the colour is lovely. Eremophila Nivea Silky Desert Eremophila is growing well, it doesn’t get watered at all and gets pruned back regularly.

Kevin Sparrow brought along a number of Eremophilas that are flowering nicely, Eremophila splendens (photo bottom cen- tre), Eremophila drummondii and Eremo- phila ‘Yana Road’, which starts off white and turns pink. Prostanthera calycina was growing in a pot and looking beautiful and Chorizema varia is a pretty plant. The majority of these Kevin has grown by cutting.

4 Australian Plants Society - Warrnambool & District Group May 2016 Newsletter

From The History Book of SGAP Warrnambool & District

With this year being the 40th Anniversary of the foundation of our group, I thought it would be a good idea to include in this newsletter some of the important moments that lead to its establishment and some of the people that played a part in making it such a success. Taken from ‘Growing, Knowing, Showing - History of Warrnambool & District Group of the Society For Growing Australian Plants Compiled and Written by Bruce Clark in 1997

Two Early Letterheads - 1978 & 1990

In the beginning meetings were to be advertised in the Warrnambool Standard and by placing posters in shop windows. But by the start of 1979, newspaper advertising was reduced to "the smallest possible" due to the cost and was discontinued completely except for special events in May 1984. Advertising cards were later printed and made available through outlets such as local nurseries. An article on SGAP was to be made available to the Warrnambool Standard for publication. This was developed into a series of articles written by local members which continued until 1980.

Local field trips played a large part in early activities with visits to the Portland heathland, Max and Ann Magilton's garden at Timboon and the Wilton Reserve at Naringal. The Portland trip was a joint outing with the Portland group, where concern was apparent at the proposed construction of a smelter on Point Danger heathland which was zoned industrial.

A committee was formed to meet at 7.00 pm prior to meetings and deal with the business aspect of running the group so that more time would be available for discussion on growing native plants. Plants were grown to raise funds and seeds were for sale at 10 cents a packet. Five hundred Hakea suaveolens were sold to Flagstaff Hill and this led to a request for another 500 coastal plants.

In May 1977, members were asked to contribute flowering or interesting plants to a display table organised by Les and Mary O'Callaghan. This has continued to be a feature of the group to the present day as has the newsletter which Mary first produced in June 1977.

5 Australian Plants Society - Warrnambool & District Group May 2016 Newsletter

Newsletter Extracts From Our History Book April 1978 -Written by the late Marg Bowyer SUCCESSES AND FAILURES: I've been bitten by the seed raising bug! At the first meeting I attended, I bought some Eucalyptus forrestiana (mainly because it was the only species available at the time which I could recognise). The next morn- ing I filled my little pot with seed raising mixture and scattered over it a sparse mixture of seed and packing. Then I stood the pot in a container of water, put it on the shelf in the back porch and awaited results. From about the tenth day onward I peered at that pot, hoping to see some sign of life. Six weeks or more later, I was about to throw it away and abandon the whole thing when the first tiny speck appeared, followed by others on succeeding days. I was hooked.

Of course there were failures. I had no results from a sowing of Hibiscus, several seeds had germinated and then damped off, or grown to the potting stage only to curl up later. Twice I have been disturbed by a crash and gone into the porch and found pots on the floor and a trail of dirty paw prints and a guilty looking kitten who had been chasing moths or pawing at the shelf ripening nuts.

A recent trip to the Eyre Peninsula gave me a good supply of seed. The only trouble was, that in many cases, I couldn't identify the species, and the pots bear names like Acacia Wangary, Eucalyptus Kellidie Bay, etc. after places where the seed had been collected. Hopefully, when they grow and eventually flower, I will be able to identify them with the Society's help.

Each morning I inspect to see what has popped up overnight. I raked out an old magnifying glass which I have found most useful in finding minute caterpillars and other pests which make a bee-line for my plants. I was familiar with most of the bugs which tried to devour our vegetables but the native plants have attracted a whole new range. It is also fascinating to see the seeds breaking and a bright pink shoot with fuzz on the end ( something like a sea anemone) pushing out of the earth. So far I have grown to planting out stage Acacias, Eucalypts, Melaleucas, Leptospernums, Casuarinas, and have small seedlings of other varieties. ( I am aware that there should be another word, usually one I can't spell let alone pronounce, after the name of the plant but if I did know it in the first place the lettering has worn off the labels.) It is time consuming but very rewarding and to think that if that first attempt had failed, I would have missed all this enjoyment.

6 Australian Plants Society - Warrnambool & District Group May 2016 Newsletter

Coastal Connections by Jarred Obst Good afternoon and welcome to the March/April instalment of Glenelg Hopkins CMA’s ‘Coastal Connections’ email.

I hope you’ve all had a productive and enjoyable start to the year. Although relatively dry, autumn has delivered some fantastic weather which I hope you’ve been able to enjoy. There has been a lot happening recently across our coastal region recently; here is a quick summary.

Seasonal Weather Update After promising signs of an early Autumn break in February, the past two months unfortunately remained relatively dry. In true Warrnambool May Racing Carnival fashion however, our coastal region received some welcome rain over recent days, along with some very impressive thunderstorms and ocean swell activity. A promising rain-bearing system is also approaching this weekend, so hopefully recent patterns repre- sent a changing season… For a breakdown of recent rainfall and climatic conditions, plus predictions for May and June, please refer to Bureau of Meteorology web site.

Estuary Update March and April were relatively stable periods on the estuary front, predominately due to low levels of rainfall, soil moisture and freshwater stream-flows into our estuaries. As I write this instalment however, a large swell is battering our coastline with all estuaries in our region re- ceiving a rapid influx of seawater over the past 24 hours. Such events really highlight the dynamic and ever changing nature of our coastline, with large volumes of beach sand being shifted in all directions! This change is often accentuated in and around estuary mouths and may even result in some natural estuary openings over the coming days as swell and storm tides recede. For a snapshot of current conditions, please refer to the attached very interesting photo taken of the Stingray Bay beach – without any beach!

Recent Events & Activities  Nelson Litter Clean-up Day was extremely successful with rubbish removed from over 10 ha and 2km of this high value estuary – a huge thanks to all attendees & organisers!  Narrawong Open House ‘Our Changing Coastline’ was a 2-day event hosted by state governments bodies which aimed to engage and educate the community on a range on coastal issues facing the Narrawong Camping and Recreational reserve.  Potential Ramsar Nomination of the Glenelg Estuary and Discovery Bay Wetland Complex is another step closer with the draft Ramsar Management Plan available for public consultation from May 9th.  Tower Hill Education Day saw the CMA partner with Worn Gundidj Enterprises, Parks Victoria, Basalt to Bay LC network and over 200 year 8 students to learn more about all aspects of the amazing Tower Hill complex. A key message delivered by the CMA was the value of Wetlands in our landscape; here is a great link on key messages for anyone interested!

7 Australian Plants Society - Warrnambool & District Group May 2016 Newsletter

Coastal Connections by Jarred Obst Future Events For those interested in braving the upcoming weather, here are some great events to get involved with;  Estuary Watch are holding an information session tomorrow night to attract new volunteers on the Hopkins and Merri estu- aries > see attachment

 Orange-Bellied Parrot Winter- ing Season is upon us with some great monitoring opportunities avail- able to volunteers.

 CVA Volunteer Opportuni- ties remain present for anyone inter- ested

Funding Opportunities Finally, if venturing outdoors isn’t your thing, why not focus your efforts on the following funding opportunity;

 Fishing Grants are currently available to help support groups and boost membership.

All the best until my next instalment & for further details on any items, please feel free to give me a call!

Regards Jarred Stingray Bay Beach – without any beach!

8 Australian Plants Society - Warrnambool & District Group May 2016 Newsletter