Journal of the Australasian Cave and Karst Management Association Page 1 ACKMA Journal No. 99 June 2015 No. 99 June 2015 Australia Post- Print Post Approved: PP381624/02050. ISSN 1835-5374 Published Quarterly The ACKMA Journal ACKMA Inc. OFFICE BEARERS 2015-2016 Official Publication of the Australasian Cave and President Karst Management Association Incorporated Dan Cove Email: [email protected] Published quarterly in March, June, September and December New Zealand Vice President Neil Collinson Email: [email protected] The opinions expressed in the ACKMA Journal are those of the individual authors and not necessarily Australian Vice President those of ACKMA Inc. or its officers. John Brush Email: [email protected] EDITOR: Steve Bourne Executive Officer SUB EDITORS: Tony Culberg, Andy Spate, Dave Smith Email: [email protected] Photos taken by the authors or editor unless otherwise acknowledged. Treasurer and Membership Officer PRINTER: Hansen Print, Smith Street, Grant Gartrell Email: [email protected] Naracoorte, South Australia 5271. Ph: (08) 8762 Publications Officer and ASF Liaison Officer 3699 Steve Bourne Email: [email protected] ACKMA Inc. is cross affiliated, or otherwise associated with: Committee member Australian Speleological Federation, New Zealand Sasa Kennedy Email: [email protected] Speleological Society, Australasian Bat Society, The WCPA Working Group on Cave and Karst Committee Member Protection, Guiding Organisations Australia, Bat Tim Moulds Email: [email protected] Conservation International, American Cave Conservation Association, International Show Committee Member Caves Association, Cave Diving Association of Cath Loder Email: [email protected] Australia, The Malaysian Karst Society, The Jenolan Caves Historical & Preservation Society Webmaster and the USA National Speleological Society Cave Rauleigh Webb Email: [email protected] Conservation and Management Section Public Officer LIFE MEMBERS of ACKMA Inc. Steve Bourne*, Michael Chalker*, Peter Miles Pierce Email: [email protected] Chandler*, Brian Clark*, Alan Costigan, Grant Gartrell*, Kent Henderson*, Elery Hamilton- Smith*, Ernst Holland*, Greg Martin*, Chester Shaw*, Andy Spate*, Clyde Stiff, Dianne Vavryn*, Rauleigh Webb*, Kevan Wilde*, David Williams*. (*previously elected as Fellows) FELLOWS of ACKMA Inc. IN THIS ISSUE John Ash, Anne Augusteyn, Peter Bell, Steve Editorial - Steve Bourne Page 3 Bourne, Dale Calnin, Deborah Carden, Arthur Presidents Message - Dan Cove Page 4 Clarke, Grant Gartrell, Ken Grimes, Ian Houshold, Julia James, Neil Kell, Kevin Keirnan, Lana Little, Coins in Pools - Cathie Plowman Page 5 Robyn McBeath, Cathie Plowman, Dennis Rebbechi, Barry Richard, Dave Smith, John Geotourism and Geoconservation - Vania Pinto & Watson, Nicholas White, Anne Wood, Phil Wood. ACKMA PRESIDENTS Luiz Travassos Page 11 Ernst Holland 1987-91, Andy Spate 1991-95, The Positive Power of Connection - Sasa Kennedy Page 21 Michael Chalker 1995-97, Greg Martin 1997-99, Brian Clark1999-2001, Peter Dimond 2001-02, Capricorn Caves - Kent Henderson Page 27 Peter Chandler 2002-03, Robyn McBeath 2003-05, Steve Bourne 2005-11, Peter Chandler 2011-13, Book Review - Greg Middleton Page 30 Dan Cove 2013- 2015 Naracoorte ACKMA conference - Steve Bourne Page 34 FRONT COVER: Grant Gartrell in Cathedral Cave, Naracoorte INSIDE BACK COVER: Scenes from Andy Spate and Kirsty Dixon, May 2015 ACKMA Conference, Naracoorte BACK COVER: Conference photo, May 2015 ACKMA Conference, Naracoorte Photos: Steve Bourne Page 2 ACKMA Journal No. 99 June 2015 EDITORIAL EDITORIAL FROM THE EDITOR The above sequence was taken by John Brush during Please feel free to send more information and images for the pre conference caving trip in Naracoorte. I took a this edition. It is fitting that the 100th ACKMA journal small group to a cave in the Council-owned quarry, only remembers a man who did so much for caves, karst and to discover it had collapsed and entry was not possible. ACKMA itself. I guess bulldozers and caves don't mix. We spent some time looking for marine fossils, and being short of tools, This journal includes two papers presented at the I resorted to traditional means of breaking rocks. conference. Cathie Plowman discusses the issue of coins in caves and Sasa Kennedy explores the power of The 21st Conference on Cave and Karst Management connection to a site. was held in Naracoorte from 10-15 May 2015. It was a very full week enjoyed by a smaller group of delegates I was very pleased to be contacted by Luiz Travassos than had attended the previous few conferences, but from Brazil, offering a paper on geotourism and nevertheless enjoyed by all attendees. A report on the geoconservation in that country. This second offering conference appears in this journal. from his university is most welcome - perhaps Brazil is an option for a future ACKMA event? Kent Henderson The biggest news in caving this year was the passing of provided a paper on Capricorn Caves, perfectly timed to Prof Elery Hamilton-Smith on 27 June 2015. Many whet members’ appetites for the 2016 AGM. tributes flowed in the days following the announcement. I was able to attend the service held in Melbourne, About two years ago, I was emailed by Ralph Crane travelling over with Brian Clark and Cath Loder. Quite a seeking cave images for a book. Usual story, few ACKMA people made the trip. The diversity of the educational book, no money for images. I obliged with a crowd present reflected the breadth of Elery’s expertise disc of images and had actually forgotten all about it and interests, with the eulogy presented by Dennis when Ralph emailed asking for my postal address to Williamson comprehensively covering Elery’s life. I think send me a copy in return for the images used. Greg everyone present learnt a little more about the man. Middleton obtained an early copy and has provided an The September edition of the journal will be dedicated extensive review. to Elery, and include the eulogy, tributes and information I have been provided and able to gather. Coming Events 2016: May ACKMA Annual General Meeting and Cave Guides Workshop, Rockhampton, Queensland 2017: May ACKMA Annual General Meeting, Auckland (tentative) 2017: 23-30 July International Union of Speleology Congress, Penrith, NSW, Australia 2018: May ACKMA Biannual Conference, Wombeyan Caves, New South Wales (tentative) Do you know of an event that may interest ACKMA members? Please send to [email protected] Page 3 ACKMA Journal No. 99 June 2015 REPORT PRESIDENT’S REPORT Dan Cove will never be forgotten by those of us fortunate enough to be present in Blanche Cave. There was also a great deal of serious Association business, with the new Rules being accepted by the membership and with the formation of the new ACKMA committee. I was honoured to be renominated as President, and to be able to continue to work with the fine group that makes up the Executive. It was a timely and productive exercise to have engaged in the level of debate and discussion throughout the week of the conference regarding the core purposes and challenges faced by the Association. It is firmly my belief that all professional associations should not be afraid of introspection and critical examination, as reluctance to consider a problem leads to stagnation and ultimately decline. Behind the healthy debate there was certainly a clear agreement that ACKMA remains a necessary and relevant body, albeit one that faces challenges of communication, focus and how best to offer advocacy and support. These challenges, and the suggestions made during the conference, will be taken up and worked through by the incoming Executive Committee. A presidential opening: Dan Cove at ACKMA 2015 The next 12 months will also see the Executive continue Photo: Steve Bourne to address some elements of structural and operational reform to ACKMA, with a continuing review of membership costs and benefits and ongoing work on It is, of course, impossible to commence this report with the new membership database system. The Association anything other than the recent passing of Elery remains in a sound financial position, a credit to the Hamilton-Smith. I will not write about Elery at any work of Treasurer Grant Gartrell, but the Executive has length at this time. The next edition of the ACKMA committed to taking a more strategic approach to the journal, fittingly the auspicious edition 100, will fittingly financial future with a budget review and celebrate the life and achievements of the ‘father of implementation of more structured processes for ACKMA’. For now, I shall simply sum up the allocating financial resources. This review process will innumerable tributes that have been flowing in to say provide a clearer foundation upon which the Association that if we are all the sadder for the loss of Elery, it is can make future decisions and move forward. simply because we were all of us made so much the richer for having known him just as the world itself is Finally, I would like to congratulate Ann Augusteyn and the richer for his life and his legacy. Vale. the fabulous team at Capricorn Caves who celebrated a Bronze Award at the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards It was a pleasure for me to have attended the recent earlier this year. I can attest from personal experience ACKMA Conference at Naracoorte. The gathering of the that these awards are intensely competitive and the ACKMA family is always a special time, and a time for process of becoming a finalist is long and demanding. the pleasure of renewing friendships as well as Only tourist attractions that meet the very highest attending to the serious and consequential matters of standards and that have genuinely demonstrated the Association. Naracoorte 2015 was no exception, excellence and innovation well above the average with a particularly fine balance of field trips and an compete at so high a level, and to win a Bronze Award is engaging speakers’ program.