Wildflower Society of WA Northern Suburbs Branch

Newsletter- July 2020

(Web Page : ns.wsowa.org.au)

MEETINGS CANCELLED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

Next Meeting

(Covid-19 restrictions allowing - More details next Newsletter)

Tuesday August 25 - Annual General Meeting & Members’ Photos

September 22 - Greg Keighery “Tuart – the Tree and the Community”

October 27 - Peter Alcock “Landforms of Rottnest Island”

November 24 - Shaun Tennant “Growing Verticordias” and the Gunbarrel Highway

The Gunbarrel Highway is legendary, rolling out across central from Carnegie Station, through Giles and over the border. These days, the ‘Highway’ is little more than an ungraded dirt track skirting the southern boundary of the and suitable for 4WD vehicles only. But this description belies the rich history and fascinating landforms and vegetation found in this remote region. In the 1950s, surveyor Len Beadell was appointed to survey and build a series of roads in central Australia as part of the Woomera nuclear-testing project in . In 1955, the Gunbarrel Road Con- struction Party was formed and work began on a series of roads across South and Central Austral- ia and into Western Australia, as well as siting for a future meteorological station (now Giles). The Gunbarrel Highway was so named because Len’s stated aim was to build the east to west road “as straight as a gunbarrel”. Len later wrote a series of books about his ad- ventures in surveying and building the Gunbar- rel Highway and the extended road system – roads mostly named after his family members, including the Anne Beadell Hwy after his wife, Connie Sue Hwy and Jackie Junction for his daughters and Gary Hwy and Gary Junction Rd for his son. The first of his books, ‘Too Long in the Bush’, gives a fascinating account of the sur- veying and building of the Gunbarrel Hwy, and highlights his sense of humour in calling it, and the lesser roads, ‘highways’. Tales of months spent surveying through virgin bush, leading the Construction Party as it cleared and graded the tracks, vehicle breakdowns, food shortages and expo- sure to the elements in the rudimentary camps along the way, and elation as a section of road was complet- ed, all make fascinating and easy reading in the six books Len wrote. Len used a theodolite for latitude and longitude calculations and erected stamped aluminium plate ‘astrofixes’, with latitude, longitude and other in- formation, along the way. Replicas of many of these plates are still to be found along the Gunbarrel Hwy and there are other reminders of his achievements, such as Len’s grader and a small museum at Giles Me- teorological Station and a memorial theodolite on Mt Beadell in the Gibson Desert area. Travelling on Northern Suburbs the Gunbarrel Free guided nature walks. Highway today Each Month is an adven- Run approx 2 hours. ture. Broad ex- Start at 8am. panses of spin- ifex plain and rows of red sand dunes are 1st Saturday Landsdale broken by oc- Conservation Park. casional rocky outcrops, optimistically called Meet in Landsdale Rd approx ‘mountains’, which give sweeping views over the 100 metres east of Evandale vast landscape. While triodia (spinifex) is the Rd, Darch. dominant plant community, there is a wide range Contact David 9448 9192 of flora species, with salt lakes and clay pans in- creasing the variety. Stands of Desert Oak (Allocasuarina decaisneana) and Holly-leaf Gre- villea (Grevillea wickhamii) are among the larger 2nd Saturday Koondoola species, with the unusual ‘Upside down Regional Bushland. plant’ (Leptosema chambersii), Wild tomato Meet in Koondoola Ave (Solanum quadriloculatum) and Broad-leaf para- Opposite Burbridge Ave. keelya (Calendrinia balonensis) adding colour to Contact David 9448 9192 the landscape and the interesting samphire Tecti- cornia verrucosa found around clay pans.

3rd Saturday Lake Gwelup Reserve. Meet Scout Hall car park near tennis Courts, Huntriss Rd, Gwelup. Contact Christine 94472983

4th Saturday Star Swamp Bushland Meet at the Henderson Centre at the end of Groat St, North Beach. Contact Christine 94472983

5th Saturday Trigg Bushland Meet in the car park between St Mary’s School and Millington Reserve (off Elliot rd) Karrinyup. Calandrinea balonensis—Broadleaf Parakeelya contact David 9448 9192 Travellers on the Gunbarrel Hwy today can ‘hear’ the words of Len Beadell as the Gunbarrel Road Construction Party reached Carnegie Station on today’s road to Wiluna. “The station occupants were all out to see the finish as we stopped the dozer with five yards to go … with a wild cheer … the grader rounded the section off, and the first access road across Central Australia was through. The date was Saturday, 15 November 1958.” What a great legacy! Christine Curry

The straight Gunbarrel Highway Triodia sp. Spinifex

Leptosema chambersii Grevillea wickhamii “Upside down plant” Holly leaf Grevillea

Solanum quadriloculatum Allocasuarina decaisneana Wild Tomato Desert Oaks

FROM THE PRESIDENT – July 2020

We are now getting back to something approaching a return to normality, albeit very cautiously.

The Landsdale Farm has reopened and families are once again visiting and having a look at the Nursery and there has been a lot of interest fol- lowing our reopening. Plants have been moving off the benches at an un- expectedly high level and our volunteers have been busy keeping up with the demand as well as preparing for our winter plant sale this coming Saturday the 25th. This sale is replacing the April and Eastern Hill sales which were cancelled because of the restrictions and is the first time we have had a sale in July. We think the winter sale might attract people wanting to plant out in what is the ideal time to be getting plants in to the garden, so do come along and spread the word as widely as you can. If you would like to volunteer to help on the day, that would be even better.

We are resuming our monthly general meetings on 25th August with a combined AGM and member’s photo night. The AGM will be dealt with as expeditiously as possi- ble and if there are any matters members want to raise for discussion, please let the Sec- retary know no later than the end of July so we can include them in the agenda. We are always looking for members to join us on the management committee so if you have an interest in joining the committee, let Christine know. We will be practicing ‘social dis- tancing’ on the night with chairs spaced and sanitiser available. If you feel even the slightest bit unwell, please exercise caution and stay at home. It’s not worth the risk.

The Society AGM was held by video link and Christine and I represented the Branch. The meeting was very well managed and whilst all business items were resolved the au- dited statements were not available in time so the meeting was suspended to a date to be advised, when the report will be tabled and AGM formally concluded. It was very pleas- ing to see the position of Treasurer filled by Robert Atkins from Eastern Hills Branch. Robert is very experienced in these responsibilities with other organisations and he will take an active role in the planning of the Society finances. Kevin Thiele remains the President with Brett Loney Vice President and Kerry Smith the General Secretary. Christine remains our branch representative. The management committee has some welcome renewal and is well positioned to take on the challenges the Society will face in the coming year.

There is nothing new to report on the relocation negotiations other than we are waiting on the City of Wanneroo to finalise its annual budget, which hopefully will include the funding required for the access road to the proposed site which is essential if a move is to take place.

Don’t forget to send in photos to David [email protected] of what is happening in your garden for the newsletter. Barbara Baxendale is replanting her verge and sent in a few shots.

Hope to see you all next Saturday at the plant sale. Richard Curry President Christine with Barbara Baxendale Scaevola porocarya in Barbara’s garden engaged in the gardener’s winter A shrub to 1m with masses of blue “hand Pursuit — weeding. flowers” over winter.

Diplolaena dampieri in flower

Christine and Richard Curry paid a visit to Barbara Baxendale’s garden the other week to see what she had in flower. Barba- ra is a long time member of the Wildflow- er Society, the Naturalists Club and Friends of Kings Park. Hakea clavata flowering profusely

Any of you persevering with Native Pellitory should be finding evidence of the Yellow Admiral Butterfly caterpil- lars feeding and making their rolled leaf shelters this month. We noticed plenty of activity in a patch of stinging nettles last week at Yanchep. Nettles, like Pelli- tory, are members of the Urticaceae.