Time Of Wiritjiribin -  Tugarah Gunya'marri (Cold And Windy) August

The lyrebirds' calls ring out through the bushland as he builds his dancing mounds to attract his potential mates. It is the time of the flowering of the Marrai'uo (Acacia floribunda) which is a sign that the fish are running in the rivers. At the end of this time the Boo'kerrikin (Acacia decurrens) flower, which indicates the end of the cold, windy weather, and the beginning of the gentle spring rains.

Concerns Night Trimming Of Trees Will Impact On Pregnant Grey-Headed Flying Fox Colony In Cannes Reserve

Residents have expressed concern this week over a letter received from council, dated August 19th, 2020 of their intention to carry out tree trimming at night on the evenings of August 25th, 26th and 27th between 7 and 11 pm due to knowledge that those bats which are pregnant will abort babies due to the stress such activities cause.

The Cannes camp was initially only a small number (200) of males (Pittwater Council 2011), but has gradually grown and for the past ten years has been used as a maternity camp. Pittwater Council’s Cannes Reserve Flying-fox Camp Management Plan 2015-2020 states;

‘’As a continuously occupied camp, the Cannes Reserve is obviously conveniently located to year round foraging resources, provides ideal roost habitat during all seasons and fulfils the particular requirements for birthing and rearing.’’

And:

''As per standard conditions for flying-fox management approvals (OEH 2014), dispersal will not occur while females are visibly pregnant, birthing or when dependent young are present.''

The same Management Plan requires a a wildlife carer and veterinarian on stand-by to accept injured or orphaned flying-foxes if required. Other measures during all management activities to minimise the potential for animal welfare and population level impacts include removal of roost vegetation (tree removal/trimming) being ideally done while flying-foxes are not present (i.e. after successful dispersal or at night when flying-foxes are away foraging).

In 2015 a similar program was undertaken, with noise and light to disperse the colony. Soon afterwards bats were back in the reserve.

Flying-foxes play a critical ecological role in the long term persistence of Australian tropical and sub-tropical forests through long-distance seed and pollen dispersal (Roberts et al 2006; McConkey et al 2011; Wescott et al 2008). Flying-foxes are highly mobile, capable of travelling over 100 kilometres in a single night to forage on the nectar pollen and fruit of more than 100 native trees. In this regard, flying-foxes are considered a ‘keystone species’ as they are one of the few animal groups that can disperse seed and cross pollinate plants over more than a few kilometres. This is of particular importance in the context of a continually fragmenting landscape and for these reasons their extinction would be catastrophic and would reverberate throughout Australia's forest ecosystems.

Last Spring and Summer catastrophic conditions impacted on Grey-Headed Flying Foxes with thousands lost from the onset of the season from Queensland and right along the east down and through Victoria. After widespread Winter starvation, compounded by record heat, whole colonies were wiped out. 

Similar conditions in  the Summer preceding the last resulted in more than 23,000 spectacled flying foxes deaths in Cairns, almost one third of the species in Australia.

After 6 months gestation, GHFF females give birth to one pup in Spring (mid September to November), meaning those living in ''the Cannes Creche'' at present are close to full term. Most give birth in the tree tops of the camp. First the head appears and the mother licks her pup. The female clings to branches with her thumbs and toes and forms a u-shaped body sling during the birth.

Because newborns are entirely dependent on their mothers in the first few months of life, they cling to her when she goes off foraging at night. To get a solid grip, they hang onto her nipple located under her wing, and grip around her waist with their hind legs.

Some researchers state that because of their low reproduction rate, the maternal instinct of flying foxes is incredibly strong. After losing their babies to predators, mothers have been observed flying and calling in the area where they last saw their young for weeks.

Their roosts are at their largest during the flying-fox breeding season, from January on, and conception usually takes place from early Autumn on. 

The grey-headed flying fox is now a prominent federal conservation problem in Australia. Early in the last century, the species was considered abundant, with numbers estimated in the many millions. In recent years, though, evidence has been accumulating that the species is in serious decline. An estimate for the species in 2019 put the number at 586,000 and the national population may have declined by over 30% between 1989 and 1999 alone. 

Grey-headed flying foxes are exposed to several threats, including loss of foraging and roosting habitat, competition with the black flying fox, and mass die-offs caused by extreme temperature events, such as those seen in recent years. When present in urban environments, grey-headed flying foxes are sometimes perceived as a nuisance, but they are beautiful creatures, a kind of flying puppy dog with doe eyes.

Flying fox wings have evolved from their hands, with a thin membrane of skin stretched between each finger. The order Chiroptera of which bats are a part, literally means "hand wing".

They first appeared in the fossil record about 50 million years ago, and analysing the skeleton clearly shows the evolution of the hands according Western Sydney University senior lecturer Dr Justin Welbergen.

"When you look at their skeletons, you can clearly see they have four fingers and a thumb with a membrane grown between it," he said.

As a keystone species - Australia needs her flying foxes.

Council’s letter states the night works have been approved by the NSW Dept. of Planning, Industry and Environment. The works are being undertaken to minimise the conflict between residents and the colony and to ensure the 7 metre buffer zone is kept free of roosting sites in accordance with the Pittwater Council Cannes Reserve Flying-fox Camp Management Plan 2015 – 2020.

The letter does not state whether a Wildlife Officer will be present during the works to ensure the safety of the species.

Residents who would like further information regarding the night tree trimming works are advised to contact Andrew Jennings, Bushland Management Officer, on 8495 6689 or email Andrew.jennings@northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au

Mr. Jennings has had knowledge of this colony over several years when working at Pittwater Council and looking after resident flora and fauna. 

Further information about this GHFF Campo may be read in ELA 2012. Cannes Reserve – Grey-headed Flying-fox camp management: Species Impact Statement. Prepared for Pittwater Council, by Eco Logical Australia Pty Ltd, Sutherland‘ - available at: https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/resources/threatenedspecies/s91ands95/SIS_A04498-2015.pdf

Activities to assist this species listed by the NSW Office of Environment & Heritage include

• Protect roost sites, particularly avoid disturbance September through November.
• Identify and protect key foraging areas.
• Investigate and promote alternative non-lethal crop protection mechanisms.
• Identify powerline blackspots and implement measures to reduce deaths; implement measures to reduce deaths from entanglement in netting and on barbed-wire.
• Increase public awareness/understanding about flying-foxes, and their involvement in flying-fox conservation.
• Monitor the national population's status and distribution.
• Improve knowledge on demographics and population structure to better understand ecological requirements of the species.

A targeted strategy for managing this species has been developed under the Saving Our Species program; click here for details. 

Katandra Season 2020

Katandra Bushland Sanctuary on Lane Cove Rd Ingleside is now open every Sunday until October 25, 10am-4pm. Visitors to this lovely bushland  have recently seen Powerful and Boobook Owls, Swamp Wallabies and Lyrebirds. Visitors, please make a small donation towards management of this Crown Land reserve. More details: http://www.katandra.org/home.htm

Several creeks flow down the escarpment - photo by Marita Macrae

Please Help Sydney Wildlife Rescue: Donate Your Cans And Bottles And Nominate SW As Recipient

You can Help Sydney Wildlife help Wildlife. Sydney Wildlife Rescue is now listed as a charity partner on the return and earn machines in these locations:

1. Pittwater RSL Mona Vale
2. Northern Beaches Indoor Sports Centre NBISC Warriewood
3. Woolworths Balgowlah
4. Belrose Super centre
5. Coles Manly Vale
6. Westfield Warringah Mall
7. Strathfield Council Carpark
8. Paddy's Markets Flemington Homebush West
9. Woolworths Homebush West
10. Bondi Campbell pde behind Beach Pavilion 
11. Westfield Bondi Junction car park level 2 eastern end Woolworths side under ramp
12. UNSW Kensington
13. Enviro Pak McEvoy street Alexandria.

Every bottle, can, or eligible container that is returned could be 10c donated to Sydney Wildlife.

Every item returned will make a difference by removing these items from landfill and raising funds for our 100% volunteer wildlife carers. All funds raised go to support wildlife.

It is easy to DONATE, just feed the items into the machine select DONATE and choose Sydney Wildlife Rescue. The SW initiative runs until August 23rd.

Bushcare In Pittwater 

BUSHCARE SCHEDULES 
Where we work                      Which day                              What time 

Avalon     
Angophora Reserve             3rd Sunday                         8:30 - 11:30am 
Avalon Dunes                        1st Sunday                         8:30 - 11:30am 
Avalon Golf Course              2nd Wednesday                 3 - 5:30pm 
Careel Creek                         4th Saturday                      8:30 - 11:30am 
Toongari Reserve                 3rd Saturday                      9 - 12noon (8 - 11am in summer) 
Bangalley Headland            2nd Sunday                         9 to 12noon 

Bayview     
Winnererremy Bay                 4th Sunday                        9 to 12noon 

Bilgola     
North Bilgola Beach              3rd Monday                        9 - 12noon 
Algona Reserve                     1st Saturday                       9 - 12noon 
Plateau Park                          1st Friday                            8:30 - 11:30am 

Church Point     
Browns Bay Reserve             1st Tuesday                        9 - 12noon 
McCarrs Creek Reserve       Contact Bushcare Officer     To be confirmed 

Clareville     
Old Wharf Reserve                 3rd Saturday                      8 - 11am 

Elanora     
Kundibah Reserve                   4th Sunday                       8:30 - 11:30am 

Mona Vale     
Mona Vale Beach Basin          1st Saturday                    8 - 11am 
Mona Vale Dunes                     2nd Saturday +3rd Thursday     8:30 - 11:30am 

Newport     
Bungan Beach                          4th Sunday                      9 - 12noon 
Crescent Reserve                    3rd Sunday                      9 - 12noon 
North Newport Beach              4th Saturday                    8:30 - 11:30am 
Porter Reserve                          2nd Saturday                  8 - 11am 

North Narrabeen     
Irrawong Reserve                     2nd Saturday                   2 - 5pm 

Palm Beach     
North Palm Beach Dunes      3rd Saturday                    9 - 12noon 

Scotland Island     
Catherine Park                          2nd Sunday                     10 - 12:30pm 
Elizabeth Park                           1st Saturday                      9 - 12noon 
Pathilda Reserve                      3rd Saturday                      9 - 12noon 

Warriewood     
Warriewood Wetlands             1st Sunday                         8:30 - 11:30am 

Whale Beach     
Norma Park                               1st Friday                            9 - 12noon 

Western Foreshores     
Coopers Point, Elvina Bay      2nd Sunday                        10 - 1pm 
Rocky Point, Elvina Bay           1st Monday                          9 - 12noon

Gardens And Environment Groups And Organisations In Pittwater

Tick Population Booming In Our Area

Residents from Terrey Hills and Belrose to Narrabeen and Palm Beach report a high number of ticks are still present in the landscape. Local Veterinarians are stating there has not been the usual break from ticks so far and each day they’re still getting cases, especially in treating family dogs. 

To help protect yourself and your family, you should:

• Use a chemical repellent with DEET, permethrin or picaridin.
• Wear light-colored protective clothing.
• Tuck pant legs into socks.
• Avoid tick-infested areas.
• Check yourself, your children, and your pets daily for ticks and carefully remove any ticks using a freezing agent.
• If you have a reaction, contact your GP for advice.

Glenrock State Conservation Area No Place For A Dog

August 18, 2020

NSW National Parks and Wildlife (NPWS) is urging dog owners in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie to leave their pets at home when visiting Glenrock State Conservation Area and other local national parks.

NPWS Lower Hunter Area Manager Mitch Carter said while it’s understandable that dog owners want to spend time out in nature with their furry friends, there are some good reasons why you can’t bring dogs into NSW national parks.

“Our national parks and state conservation areas are safe refuges for native Australian animals and plants,” said Mr Carter.

“Even the best-behaved dogs can unintentionally crush sensitive plants, bird’s nests and small animals, and dog waste can be a nasty pollutant in waterways.

“Native animals like wallabies, possums, owls and lizards can also pick up on your dog’s scent in the area and think it’s a predator. This can force them away from places where they normally access food and shelter, and in some sad cases, even abandon their young.

“National parks are also places that many visitors seek out in order to avoid interactions with domestic dogs they feel uncomfortable or unsafe around.

“Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve experienced a significant increase in park visitors. We have also observed and received feedback from the public about the number of dogs in Glenrock State Conservation Area, particularly on Dudley Beach and Burwood Beach.

“We understand Glenrock is a beautiful and convenient place to get out of the house and have a relaxing walk, but it’s not the right place for your dog.

“At this stage, we’ve issued a number of warnings, however we will begin to issue fines to people with dogs in Glenrock State Conservation Area and other national parks in the area.

“The minimum penalty for having a dog in these areas is $300,” said Mr Carter.

Visitors to the Glenrock State Conservation Area can report illegal activities to the Lower Hunter NPWS Area on (02) 4946 4100 or by emailing npws.lowerhunter@environment.nsw.gov.au

Photo: Leggy Point loop walking track, Glenrock State Conservation Area 

Improved Satellite Technology Is Better For Farmers And Native Vegetation

August 19, 2020

Better use of satellite information captured more frequently is helping farmers work within the rules while managing their native vegetation.

The Department of Planning, Industry and the Environment (DPIE) is rolling out an Early Change Monitoring system to ensure any potential clearing is picked up early and able to be cross checked with landholders and other departments.

DPIE Director Community and Compliance Sonya Errington said the system enables early engagement with landholders and minimises the extent of any unlawful clearing.

“Farmers now have greater flexibility to manage native vegetation on their land, but this framework includes some safeguards to avoid harm to sensitive environmental values,” she said.

“We want to ensure a level playing field for all landholders, while protecting our environment.

“Satellites capture images of NSW frequently and we can now analyse these images more regularly, so we can observe vegetation change almost as it occurs.

“When change is detected we cross-check with other departments to see if the clearing is covered by exemptions or approvals. If there is any doubt we can then contact the landholder.

“Sometimes our job is simple because the landholder is already working within the framework. However, if they are unaware of the laws our staff will guide them towards information and any approvals they may need.

If the clearing has gone beyond the rules the department may follow through with a fair and measured compliance response where necessary.

“Speaking to the landholder early on allows us to check they have all the information they require to work safely and sustainably, reducing delays and cost, while enhancing certainty for industry.

“Detecting unapproved clearing early helps us minimise impacts on sensitive environmental assets such as koala habitat.

“Early detection is a win-win,” Ms Errington said

Call To Keep Your Eyes Peeled For Banded Pelicans

August 18, 2020

NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment scientists are calling on sharp-eyed members of the public to help spot pelicans with bright orange leg bands during National Science Week, as part of the ‘Peli Bands’ study to understand more about the movements and breeding behaviour of this iconic Australian waterbird.

Department Senior Scientist Dr. Jennifer Spencer said the purpose of the study at Lake Brewster, in collaboration with UNSW, was to understand where baby pelicans, known as ‘pinkies’, go once they are old enough to fly away from the lake and whether they return to breed in this wetland in future years.

“With a wingspan of around 2.5 metres, the Australian pelican is highly mobile. Where the birds go, and importantly, where they choose to breed, can help determine how water for the environment is used to support waterbirds in the Murray-Darling Basin,” said Dr Spencer.

“With that knowledge, we can ensure there is the right amount of water in the right wetland for the right period of time to support breeding events, ensure sufficient foraging habitat and provide protection from land-based predators.

“In total, 142 pelicans born at Lake Brewster have been fitted with an orange leg band since 2017.

“We’re asking members of the public to give us a hand and keep an eye out for pelicans bearing these distinctive bands.

“This is an example of citizen science in action! The more people on the lookout for these majestic birds, the more data we can gather on their movements and the threats they face, and the better we’ll be able to manage our wetlands to help protect pelican populations in the long term.

“We have had four reports of banded birds to date, including a bird sighted 650kms away in St George, Queensland, and another bird that had travelled around 570kms and had been spotted by members of the public in Mehi River near Moree.

“Sadly, this pelican had suffered a terrible injury to its wing after becoming entangled in fishing line and couldn’t be saved. This is an important reminder of some of the threats that pelicans face.

“Members of the public can help to prevent injuries to pelicans and other wildlife by taking simple measures such as disposing of equipment like fishing hooks and line properly,” said Dr Spencer.

The Department has been working with river system operator, Water NSW, to manage Lake Brewster storage releases for their downstream customers while also utilising environmental water to maintain water levels following flood events to ensure the success of pelican breeding events.

It’s easy to get involved in the ‘Peli Bands’ citizen science project. If you see a pelican with an orange leg band, please get in contact by emailing peli.bands@environment.nsw.gov.au.

For more information, visit the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment website or the SEED Citizen Science Hub

Image: Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus) banding, Lake Brewster Photo: Mal Carnegie

‘Name Game’ To Bring NSW’s Threatened Plants Into The Spotlight

The NSW Government Saving our Species program is calling on the NSW public to play the ‘name game’ and suggest new names for some of NSW’s lesser-known leafy, grassy and shrubbery threatened species.

NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment’s Threatened Species Conservation Manager Linda Bell said that 65% of the Australian native species at risk of extinction in New South Wales are plants, however they struggle to garner the same level of conservation attention and support as their cute and cuddly animal counterparts.

“While conservation of iconic species like the koala and the brush-tailed rock-wallaby will always be critically important, we cannot forget the crucial role our native plants play in the health of all ecosystems across New South Wales.

“The Saving our Species program has invested over $3.3 million to save over 230 threatened plants in the 2019-20 financial year, but we need the community to get behind our plant species too.

“Almost three quarters of these plants are known only by a scientific name, like Pterostylis riparia, a beautiful ground orchid found only in the Barrington Tops. These names are hard to pronounce and even trickier to remember, making it hard for these plants to find a place in the hearts and minds of our community.

“That’s why we’re asking everyone to get involved and suggest catchy, easy-to-pronounce names for 8 unnamed, but not unloved, threatened species found in New South Wales.

“This is your chance to make your mark on threatened species conservation in New South Wales. Whether the name means something to your community or your culture, suits the look of the species or just makes you smile, we want to hear from you.

“We’d especially love to hear name suggestions that recognise the living history of our Indigenous people and their connection to the land on which these threatened species are found,” said Ms Bell.

Submissions for the ‘Name Our Species’ competition are open now and will close on Friday 28 August. To enter, visit Be a champion of our unnamed, but not unloved, threatened species. Entries will be judged by a panel of threatened species experts from the Saving our Species program. Winners will be announced on Threatened Species Day, 7 September 2020 and will be featured on social media and the Saving our Species webpage throughout September.

The eight species on the hunt for a new name are:

• Nitella partita – algae found in north west NSW
• Acacia meiantha – wattle found in NSW central tablelands
• Acacia baueri subsp. Aspera – wattle found in the Blue Mountains
• Pterostylis ventricosa – orchid found in the Shoalhaven and Southern Highlands
• Diuris bracteata – orchid found between Sydney and the Central Coast
• Pterostylis riparia – orchid found in Barrington Tops
• Zieria odorifera ssp. Copelandii – shrub found in Mount Kaputar National Park
• Phebalium bifidum – shrub found in Capertee Valley

Diuris bracteata - OEH Photo

Funding Support For Coastal Councils: Grants

The latest round of funding under the NSW Government's Coastal and Estuary Grants Program has opened on 11 August 2020.

Minister for Local Government Shelley Hancock encouraged the State's 56 coastal councils to apply for funding to assist with planning and managing our State's coastline.

"Our coastline and estuaries are critical environments that support a huge variety of native flora and fauna in addition to being popular places for recreation," Mrs Hancock said.

"These grants will help councils plan for the future and protect and manage these unique natural assets."

There are 5 streams under the program: 1 for planning and studies which includes investigation, design and cost-benefit analysis and 4 for implementing works under each of the coastal management areas in the Coastal Management Act.

Works that have been funded under the program include coastal dune revegetation, wetland management, water quality monitoring as well as scoping studies for coastal management programs.

"This funding program is another example of how the NSW Government is supporting councils and their communities to protect their local environment," Mrs Hancock said.

The 2020-21 funding round for implementing works closes on 29 September 2020.

Councils are able to apply at any time during the 2020-21 financial year for funding planning and studies.

Further information and application forms are available here: Current coastal and estuary grants

Desperately Seeking Endangered Shrub Sightings

The search is on for an endangered plant, the beautiful Zieria obcordata, and residents in the central tablelands are being urged to be ready to report any sightings of this threatened species.

Native to New South Wales, Zieria obcordata is currently found in only two small populations near Wellington and Bathurst and they are about to bloom.

“This plant is special because it is found nowhere else in the world but the NSW central tablelands, and unfortunately it has been hit hard by the drought with less than 200 plants left in the wild,” said Darren Shelly, Senior Threatened Species Officer with the Department of Planning, Industry and the Environment.

“We think there might be more un-discovered populations of this Zieria on private properties between Wellington and Bathurst and we are asking for the local community’s help in reporting sightings of this rare plant.”

The Zieria obcordata is a small shrub, typically 10 to 40 centimetres high and can be identified by its dark green leaves composed of three wedge-shaped leaflets and its flowers, complete with four very small pale pink petals that fade rapidly to white.

“The plant usually flowers between August and October and grows on rocky hillsides or crevices between granite boulders, often in lines running downslope,” Mr Shelly said.

Local residents have already proved instrumental in ensuring the existing populations survived the recent drought and the plant’s other threats which include grazing by deer, goats and wallabies. Some members of the community have been volunteering for several years with the NSW Government’s Saving our Species program to save the Zieria obcordata.

The Central Tablelands Local Land Service (LLS) have also expressed interest in helping the Saving our Species team look for new populations of this threatened plant.

“There is a lot to say for the community spirit of the people of the central tablelands in protecting the environment in their local region and backyard and we are hoping residents will jump on board and also help the Zieria obcordata,” said Mr Shelly.

Sightings of the Zieria obcordata can be reported to – savingourspecies@environment.nsw.gov.au

For more information visit: Zieria obcordata

Photo in text: Zieria obcordata flowers Photo: Public Affairs/DPIE

Doodle Comer Swamp Nature Reserve Draft Plan Of Management: Public Consultation

The Doodle Comer Swamp Nature Reserve Draft Plan of Management is available for review and comment.

Public exhibition of the draft plan provides an important opportunity for members of the community to have a say in the future management of Doodle Comer Swamp Nature Reserve. Comments close 28 September 2020.

This plan has been prepared using a new format and presented as 2 separate documents:

1. The plan of management which is the 'legal' document that will be provided to the Minister for formal adoption. This is the document we are seeking your feedback on.
2. The planning considerations document supports the plan of management. It includes detailed information on park values (e.g. threatened species and cultural heritage) and threats to these values. A summary of this information is in the plan of management.

Doodle Comer Swamp Nature Reserve encompasses about half of the Doodle Comer Swamp, an ephemeral wetland listed in the National Directory of Important Wetlands and the largest wetland of its type in southern NSW. The catchment for Doodle Comer Swamp is unregulated and the wetland has an unaltered water flow regime, now uncommon in New South Wales inland wetlands and of high conservation value.

When inundated, Doodle Comer Swamp attracts large numbers of waterbirds that use the swamp for breeding and foraging. When dry, the wetland provides habitat for the threatened bush stone-curlew, listed as endangered in New South Wales. Other threatened animals found include brolga and superb parrot. The reserve contains several threatened ecological communities such as Inland Grey Box Woodland and Sandhill Pine Woodland.

Doodle Comer Swamp is part of the Country of the Wiradjuri speaking nation and is part of a larger network of swamps and lagoons across the Riverina that formed a significant part of the cultural landscape, sustaining the Wiradjuri with an extensive range of resources for thousands of years. A diverse range of Aboriginal sites exist in the reserve and surrounding area and in 2016 Doodle Comer was declared an Aboriginal place recognising these values and the wetland's special significance to Aboriginal culture.

What is a plan of management?

Parks and reserves established under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 need to have a plan of management. The plan includes information on important park values and provides directions for future management. The plan of management is a legal document, and after the plan is adopted all operations and activities in the park must be in line with the plan. From time to time plans of management are amended to support changes to park management. Visit: Doodle Comer Swamp Nature Reserve Draft Plan of Management - PDF, 2.3MB

The National Parks and Wildlife Act sets out the matters that need to be considered when preparing a plan of management. These matters are addressed in the supporting Doodle Comer Swamp Nature Reserve Draft Plan of Management: Planning considerations document.

Why is a plan being prepared now?

Since the park`s reservation in 2011, it has been managed according to a statement of management intent. After a park's reservation and before the release of its plan of management, a statement of management intent is prepared outlining the management principles and priorities for the park's management. This statement documents the key values, threats and management directions for the park. It is not a statutory document and a plan of management will still need to be prepared according to the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974.

Publication of a draft or final plan will replace the statement of management intent for the relevant parks covered.

What opportunities will the community have to comment?

The draft plan of management is on public exhibition until 28 September 2020 and anyone can review the plan of management and provide comments.

When will the plan of management be finalised?

At the end of the public exhibition period in September 2020 we will review all submissions, prepare a submissions report and make any necessary changes to the draft plan of management. The Far West Regional Advisory Committee and the National Parks and Wildlife Advisory Council will then review the plan along with the submissions and report, as required by the National Parks and Wildlife Act.

Once their input has been considered and any further changes made to the plan of management, we provide the plan to the Minister for Energy and Environment. The plan of management is finalised when the Minister formally adopts the plan under the National Parks and Wildlife Act. Once a plan is adopted it is published on the Department website and a public notice is advertised in the NSW Government Gazette.

How can I get more information about the draft plan?

For further information on the plan of management please contact the Park Management Planning Team at npws.parkplanning@environment.nsw.gov.au.

How can I comment on the draft plan?

Public exhibition for the plan of management is from 26 June 2020 until 28 September 2020. You are invited to comment on the draft plan by sending a written submission during this time.

Have your say

Public exhibition is from 26 June 2020 to 28 September 2020.

You can provide your written submission in any of the following ways:

Post your written submission to:

Manager Planning Evaluation and Assessment
Locked Bag 5022 
Parramatta NSW 2124

Email your submission to: npws.parkplanning@environment.nsw.gov.au

Make a submission online by using the online form here

Tollingo Nature Reserve And Woggoon Nature Reserve Draft Plan Of Management: Public Consultation

The Tollingo Nature Reserve and Woggoon Nature Reserve Draft Plan of Management is available for review and comment.

Public exhibition of the draft plan provides an important opportunity for members of the community to have a say in the future management of Tollingo Nature Reserve and Woggoon Nature Reserve. Comments close 28 September 2020.

This plan has been prepared using a new format which is presented as two separate documents:

1. The plan of management which is the legal document that will be provided to the Minister for formal adoption. This is the document we are seeking your feedback on.
2. The planning considerations document supports the plan of management. It includes detailed information on park values (e.g. threatened species and cultural heritage) and threats to these values. A summary of this information is provided in the plan of management.

Tollingo Nature Reserve and Woggoon Nature Reserve are significant as two of the largest remaining mallee remnants in New South Wales. The largely intact old-age mallee vegetation is rare in the Central West, which is mostly used for agriculture. The reserves provide habitat for the endangered malleefowl and other native animals.

Tollingo Nature Reserve is shared Country for the Ngiyampaa and Wiradjuri people, while Woggoon Nature Reserve is within Wiradjuri traditional Country.

What is a plan of management?

Parks and reserves established under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 need to have a plan of management. The plan includes information on important park values and provides directions for future management. The plan of management is a legal document, and after the plan is adopted all operations and activities in the park must be in line with the plan. From time to time plans of management are amended to support changes to park management.

The National Parks and Wildlife Act sets out the matters that need to be considered when preparing a plan of management. These matters are addressed in the supporting Tollingo Nature Reserve and Woggoon Nature Reserve Draft Planning Considerations document. This document may be updated from time to time, for example, to include new information on the values of the park (e.g. new threatened species), new management approaches (e.g. a new pest management technique) or new park programs. Visit Tollingo Nature Reserve and Woggoon Nature Reserve Draft Plan of Management - PDF 2.3MB

Why is a plan being prepared now?

This plan of management will replace the statement of management intent which was approved in 2014. Statements of management intent are non-statutory documents which summarise the key values and management directions for a park.

Since reservation in 1988 and 1974 respectively, Tollingo and Woggoon nature reserves have been managed according to a statement of management intent. After a park's reservation and before the release of its plan of management, a statement of management intent is prepared outlining the management principles and priorities for the park's management. This statement documents the key values, threats and management directions for the park. It is not a statutory document and a plan of management will still need to be prepared according to the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974. Publication of a draft or final plan will replace the statements of management intent for the relevant parks covered.

What opportunities will the community have to comment?

The draft plan of management and planning considerations are on public exhibition until 28 September 2020 and anyone can provide comments.

When will the plan of management be finalised?

At the end of the public exhibition period in September 2020, National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) will review all submissions, prepare a submissions report and make any necessary changes to the draft plan of management. The West Regional Advisory Committee and the National Parks and Wildlife Advisory Council will then review the plan along with the submissions and report, as required by the National Parks and Wildlife Act.

Once their input has been considered and any further changes made to the plan of management, we provide the plan to the Minister for Energy and Environment. The plan of management is finalised when the Minister adopts the plan under the National Parks and Wildlife Act. Once a plan is adopted it is published on the Department's website.

How can I get more information about the draft plan?

For further information on the plan of management please contact the NPWS Park Management Planning Team at npws.parkplanning@environment.nsw.gov.au

Where can I see a printed copy of the draft plan?

Hard copies are available for viewing at the following locations:

• National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) office, Camp Street, Forbes
• Condobolin Library, 130 Bathurst Street, Condobolin

How can I comment on the draft plan?

Public exhibition for the plan of management is from 26 June until 28 September 2020. You are invited to comment on the draft plan by sending a written submission during this time.

Your privacy

Your submission will be provided to a number of statutory advisory bodies (including the relevant regional advisory committee and the National Parks and Wildlife Advisory Council). Your comments on the draft plan may include 'personal information'. the Department complies with the NSW Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 which regulates the collection, storage, access, amendment, use and disclosure of personal information. See our privacy webpage for details. Information that in some way identifies you may be gathered when you use our website or send us correspondence.

If an application to access information under the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 requests access to your submission, your views about release will be sought if you have indicated that you object to your submission being made public.

While all submissions count, they are most effective when we understand your ideas and the outcomes you want for park management. Some suggestions to help you write your submission are:

• Write clearly and be specific about the issues that are of concern to you.
• Note which part or section of the plan your comments relate to.
• Give reasoning in support of your points – this makes it easier for us to consider your ideas and will help avoid misinterpretation.
• Tell us specifically what you agree/disagree with and why you agree/disagree.
• Suggest solutions or alternatives to managing the issue if you can.

Have your say

Public exhibition is from 26 June 2020 to 28 September 2020.

You can provide your written submission in any of the following ways:

Post your written submission to:

Manager Planning Evaluation and Assessment
Locked Bag 5022
Parramatta NSW 2124

Email your submission to: npws.parkplanning@environment.nsw.gov.au

Make a submission online by using the online form here

Limeburners Creek National Park, Goolawah National Park And Goolawah Regional Park: Public Consultation

Planning for the future –NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service is preparing a new plan of management for Limeburners Creek National Park, Goolawah National Park and Goolawah Regional Park.

These parks are in the traditional Country of the Dunghutti and Birpai Aboriginal Peoples. The parks play a fundamental role in the lives of local Aboriginal people, helping to maintain a tangible link to the past and enabling continued connections to Country.

The existing plan of management for Limeburners Creek National Park was written in 1998. The areas that are now Goolawah National Park and Goolawah Regional Park were formerly Goolawah State Park and Crown land. Initial community consultation about the Goolawah parks was undertaken in 2012, soon after they were transferred to National Parks and Wildlife Service.

Since this time large new areas have been added to the parks, including the intertidal zone on some of the beaches. There has also been a steady increase in visitors, and new recreational uses have become popular. Information about the values of the park has improved and new approaches to managing fire, pests and weeds have been developed.

Accommodating all of these visitors, maintaining the unique visitor experience and protecting the environment is challenging. Good planning is essential to manage increasing demand and provide sustainable visitor facilities and opportunities while minimising impacts and retaining the natural and low key nature of this beautiful stretch of coast. The development of a new combined plan of management will help to protect the parks' unique values and improve the effectiveness of how we manage the parks.

What opportunities will the community have to contribute to the development of a new plan of management?

Previous consultation, including a community forum, identified a range of issues important to the local community which will be considered in the new plan. It is now time to reach out and reconnect with our neighbours, stakeholders and local communities, as well as extending the invitation to the wider community of park users.

There are now 2 opportunities to be involved in the development of the plan of management for Goolawah Regional Park and Goolawah and Limeburners Creek national parks:

1. During the development of the draft plan - register your interest below to receive updates and be notified of further consultation dates. Complete the form to provide your ideas on what you believe are the most important values of the parks and how they should be managed in the future. Your input will be used to draft a plan that reflects community values and aspirations.
2. During public exhibition of the draft plan - there will be another opportunity to have your say when the draft plan of management is completed and put on public exhibition for 90 days. Anyone can submit comments on the draft plan during this time.

Register your interest

Complete the online form here to register your interest, provide initial input and be notified of further consultation dates. Tell us what is important to you about the parks and what you would like to see in the future. Comments close 30 October 2020.

Limeburners Creek National Park, Goolawah National Park and Goolawah Regional Park engagement map Photo: DPIE

Echidna Season

Echidna season has begun.  As cooler days approach, our beautiful echidnas are more active during the days as they come out to forage for food and find a mate. This sadly results in a HIGH number of vehicle hits.

What to do if you find an Echidna on the road?

• Safely remove the Echidna off the road (providing its safe to do so).
• Call Sydney Wildlife or WIRES
•  Search the surrounding area for a puggle (baby echidna). The impact from a vehicle incident can cause a puggle to roll long distances from mum, so please search for these babies, they can look like a pinky-grey clump of clay

What to do if you find an echidna in your yard?

• Leave the Echidna alone, remove the threat (usually a family pet) and let the Echidna move away in it's own time. It will move along when it doesn't feel threatened.

If you find an injured echidna or one in an undesirable location, please call Sydney Wildlife on 9413 4300 for advice.
www.sydneywildlife.org.au

Lynleigh Greig, Sydney Wildlife, with a rescued echidna being returned to its home

New Shorebird Identification Booklet

The Migratory Shorebird Program has just released the third edition of its hugely popular Shorebird Identification Booklet. The team has thoroughly revised and updated this pocket-sized companion for all shorebird counters and interested birders, with lots of useful information on our most common shorebirds, key identification features, sighting distribution maps and short articles on some of BirdLife’s shorebird activities. 

The booklet can be downloaded here in PDF file format: http://www.birdlife.org.au/documents/Shorebird_ID_Booklet_V3.pdf

Paper copies can be ordered as well, see http://www.birdlife.org.au/projects/shorebirds-2020/counter-resources for details.

Download BirdLife Australia's children’s education kit to help them learn more about our wading birdlife

Shorebirds are a group of wading birds that can be found feeding on swamps, tidal mudflats, estuaries, beaches and open country. For many people, shorebirds are just those brown birds feeding a long way out on the mud but they are actually a remarkably diverse collection of birds including stilts, sandpipers, snipe, curlews, godwits, plovers and oystercatchers. Each species is superbly adapted to suit its preferred habitat.  The Red-necked Stint is as small as a sparrow, with relatively short legs and bill that it pecks food from the surface of the mud with, whereas the Eastern Curlew is over two feet long with a exceptionally long legs and a massively curved beak that it thrusts deep down into the mud to pull out crabs, worms and other creatures hidden below the surface.

Some shorebirds are fairly drab in plumage, especially when they are visiting Australia in their non-breeding season, but when they migrate to their Arctic nesting grounds, they develop a vibrant flush of bright colours to attract a mate. We have 37 types of shorebirds that annually migrate to Australia on some of the most lengthy and arduous journeys in the animal kingdom, but there are also 18 shorebirds that call Australia home all year round.

What all our shorebirds have in common—be they large or small, seasoned traveller or homebody, brightly coloured or in muted tones—is that each species needs adequate safe areas where they can successfully feed and breed.

The National Shorebird Monitoring Program is managed and supported by BirdLife Australia. 

This project is supported by Glenelg Hopkins Catchment Management Authority and Hunter Local Land Services through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program. Funding from Helen Macpherson Smith Trust and Port Phillip Bay Fund is acknowledged. 

The National Shorebird Monitoring Program is made possible with the help of over 1,600 volunteers working in coastal and inland habitats all over Australia. 

The National Shorebird Monitoring program (started as the Shorebirds 2020 project initiated to re-invigorate monitoring around Australia) is raising awareness of how incredible shorebirds are, and actively engaging the community to participate in gathering information needed to conserve shorebirds. 

In the short term, the destruction of tidal ecosystems will need to be stopped, and our program is designed to strengthen the case for protecting these important habitats. 

In the long term, there will be a need to mitigate against the likely effects of climate change on a species that travels across the entire range of latitudes where impacts are likely. 

The identification and protection of critical areas for shorebirds will need to continue in order to guard against the potential threats associated with habitats in close proximity to nearly half the human population. 

Here in Australia, the place where these birds grow up and spend most of their lives, continued monitoring is necessary to inform the best management practice to maintain shorebird populations. 

BirdLife Australia believe that we can help secure a brighter future for these remarkable birds by educating stakeholders, gathering information on how and why shorebird populations are changing, and working to grow the community of people who care about shorebirds.

To find out more visit: http://www.birdlife.org.au/projects/shorebirds-2020/shorebirds-2020-program

Pittwater Reserves

Aussie Bread Tags Collection Points

Students Take A Seat At The Table

August 17, 2020

Students at NSW public schools have two new platforms to help shape their education system.

Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell today announced the first Minister's Student Council, a group of students that will have a direct influence on education and school policy that affects students.

A new online Student Voice Hub has also launched, giving all NSW students a platform to share their views and creativity with the wider community.

Ms Mitchell said that the two new platforms are exciting and important tools for students, giving them greater capacity to provide feedback to government.

"Students are at the centre of everything we do in education and these platforms empower them to influence public policy," Ms Mitchell said.

"The Student Council will be the peak forum for interaction between NSW public school students, the department and myself.”

Ms Mitchell said students would decide the exact design of the council but it is expected that all secondary students will have the opportunity to provide input.

“Delegates will be elected from a range of secondary schools to form the council and will meet with decision-makers within the NSW schools system to develop policy,” Ms Mitchell said.

The council is reinforced by the new Student Voice Hub strengthening the ongoing engagement of students with the department, each other and the wider community.

Ms Mitchell said the Student Voice Hub is a partnership in learning and listening that will play a key role in building a better education system as student perspectives, experiences and aspirations shape and enrich our schools and communities.

“The Student Voice Hub would also provide students opportunities to refine their writing and content creation skills along with pitching their stories and ideas," Ms Mitchell said.

"As part of the submission process to the hub, students will have the opportunity to refine their ideas and articles.”

The first elected Minister’s Student Council will begin in 2021. Further information about being involved in the council will be provided to school principals.

Meanwhile... Back At The Ranch

This expression originated as a stock subtitle in silent movies and at first the reference to the ranch was literal.

Later, as the phrase became a cliché, it was used more and more loosely and with a growing sense of mockery or levity, often with a vague focus, but often to indicate a time lapse - a period of waiting...waiting....waiting.

The film below is an example of early western films from the silent era. Found at the Internet Archives, where you can access tons of old movies and books, this one has been chopsen to share with you as it has a few singularities and historic footage.

Sky High (1922) was filmed on location at The Grand Canyon and with nicely integrated aerial photography to boot, some of the first of it's kind. This is a showcase of Tom Mix, legendary real life cowboy, at his best. Riding hard, fighting hard, saving the day and the damsel in distress . It includes one take stunt work as well. Late in the picture a white horse Tom is riding takes a nasty, unintentional fall. Tom re-mounts and continues with the shot in hot pursuit. It's a very physical film in many ways. 

 J. Farrell MCDonald makes a couple of brief appearances as the outlaw leader and shows some subtle sensitivity. McDonald was a very good actor who would not hit his stride until sound came in with mature roles of various types in both "A" & "B" pictures. 

Thomas Edwin Mix (born Thomas Hezikiah Mix; January 6, 1880 – October 12, 1940) was an American film actor and the star of many early Western movies between 1909 and 1935. Mix appeared in 291 films, all but nine of which were silent movies. He was Hollywood's first Western star and helped define the genre as it emerged in the early days of the cinema.

Mix was born January 6, 1880, in Mix Run, Pennsylvania, about 62 miles (100 km) north of State College, Pennsylvania, to Edwin Elias Mix and Elizabeth Heistand. He grew up in nearby DuBois, Pennsylvania, where his father, a stable master for a wealthy lumber merchant, taught him to ride and love horses. He spent time working on a local farm owned by John DuBois, a lumber businessman. He had dreams of being in the circus and was rumored to have been caught by his parents practising knife-throwing tricks against a wall, using his sister as an assistant.

In April 1898, during the Spanish–American War, he enlisted in the Army under the name Thomas E. (Edwin) Mix. His unit never went overseas, and Mix later failed to return for duty after an extended furlough when he married Grace I. Allin on July 18, 1902. Mix was listed as AWOL on November 4, 1902, but was never court-martialed nor apparently even discharged. His marriage to Allin was annulled after one year. In 1905, Mix married Kitty Jewel Perinne, but this marriage also ended within a year. He next married Olive Stokes on January 10, 1909, in Medora, North Dakota. On July 13, 1912, Olive gave birth to their daughter Ruth.

In 1905, Mix rode in President Theodore Roosevelt's inaugural parade with a group of 50 horsemen led by Seth Bullock, which included several former Rough Riders. Years later, Hollywood publicists muddled this event to imply that Mix had been a Rough Rider himself.

Mix went to Oklahoma and lived in Guthrie, working as a bartender and other odd jobs. He was briefly night marshal[3] of Dewey, Oklahoma, in 1911. He eventually found employment at the Miller Brothers 101 Ranch, one of the largest ranching businesses in the United States, covering 101,000 acres (41,000 ha), hence its name. The ranch had its own touring Wild West show in which Mix appeared. He stood out as a skilled horseman and expert shot, winning national riding and roping contests at Prescott, Arizona, in 1909, and Canon City, Colorado, in 1910.

Mix began his film career as a supporting cast member with the Selig Polyscope Company. His first appearance was in a short film, The Cowboy Millionaire, released on October 21, 1909. In 1910, he appeared as himself in a short documentary film, Ranch Life in the Great Southwest, in which he displayed his skills as a cattle wrangler. Shot at the Selig studio in the Edendale district of Los Angeles (now known as Silver Lake), the film was a success, and Mix became an early motion picture star.

Mix performed in more than 100 films for Selig, many of which were filmed in Las Vegas, New Mexico. While with Selig he co-starred in several films with Victoria Forde, and they fell in love. He divorced Olive Stokes in 1917. By then, Selig Polyscope had encountered severe financial difficulties, and Mix and Forde both subsequently signed with Fox Film Corporation, which had leased the Edendale studio. The Fox Film Corporation was an American company that produced motion pictures, formed by William Fox on February 1, 1915. It was the corporate successor to his earlier Greater New York Film Rental Company and Box Office Attractions Film Company. Mix and Forde married in 1918 and had a daughter, Thomasina (Tommie) Mix, in February 1922.

Mix made more than 160 cowboy films throughout the 1920s. These featured action-oriented scripts contrasted with the documentary style of his work with Selig. Heroes and villains were sharply defined and a clean-cut cowboy always saved the day. Millions of American children grew up watching his films on Saturday afternoons. His intelligent and handsome horse, known as "Tony the Wonder Horse", also became a celebrity. Mix did his own stunts and was frequently injured.

In 1913, Mix moved his family to a ranch he purchased in Prescott called Bar Circle A Ranch. He spent a lot of time at the ranch when taking a break from filming. A number of the movies were actually filmed in the Prescott home. During this time, Mix had success in the local Prescott Frontier Days rodeo, which lays claim to being the "world's oldest rodeo." In 1920, he took first prize in a bull-riding contest. Today, his Bar Circle A Ranch developed into a planned community called Yavapai Hills where there is still a street named Bar Circle Ranch Road.

Tom Mix in 1925, National Photo Company - This image is available from the United States Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs division under the digital ID npcc.13634. 

Mix's salary at Fox reached $7,500 a week. Gossip columnist Louella Parsons wrote that he had his initials in electric lights on the top of his house. His performances were noted for their realism and for screen-friendly action stunts and horseback riding, attention-grabbing cowboy costumes, and showmanship. At the Edendale lot, Mix built a 12-acre (4.9 ha) shooting set called Mixville. Loaded with western props and furnishings, it has been described as a "complete frontier town, with a dusty street, hitching rails, a saloon, jail, bank, doctor's office, surveyor's office, and the simple frame houses typical of the early Western era."[This quote needs a citation] Near the back of the lot an Indian village of lodges was ringed by miniature plaster mountains which were said to be, on screen, "ferociously convincing".[This quote needs a citation] The set also included a simulated desert, a large corral, and (to facilitate interior shots) a ranch house with no roof. 

In 1929, Mix was a pallbearer at the funeral of Wyatt Earp.

Mix appeared with the Sells-Floto Circus in 1929, 1930, and 1931 at a reported weekly salary of $20,000 (equivalent to $298,000 in 2019). He and Forde divorced in 1931. Meanwhile, the Great Depression (along with the actor's free-spending ways and many wives) reportedly had wiped out most of his savings. In 1932, he married his fifth wife, Mabel Hubbell Ward. Universal Pictures approached him that year with an offer to perform in "talkies," which included script and cast approval. He acted in nine films for Universal, but because of injuries he received while filming, he was reluctant to do any more. Mix then appeared with the Sam B. Dill circus, which he reportedly bought two years later (1935).

Mix's last screen appearance was a 15-episode sound Mascot Pictures serial, The Miracle Rider (1935); he received $40,000 for the four weeks of filming. Outdoor action sequences for the production were filmed primarily on the Iverson Movie Ranch in Chatsworth, California, on the outskirts of Los Angeles. The site was known for its huge sandstone boulders, and one of them later became known as Tom Mix Rock when it was discovered it had been used in The Miracle Rider. In one episode, Mix was filmed descending from the top of the rock, with boot holes carved into it to assist him in making the descent. The rock and the boot holes, although unmarked, is in the Garden of the Gods park in Chatsworth.

Also in 1935, Texas governor James Allred named Mix an honorary Texas Ranger. Mix returned to circus performing, now with his eldest daughter Ruth, who appeared in some of his films. In 1938, he went to Europe on a promotional trip, leaving Ruth behind to manage the circus. Without him, however, the circus soon failed, and he later excluded her from his will. Mix had reportedly made over $6 million (equivalent to $112 million in 2019) during his 26-year film career.

On October 12, 1940, after visiting Pima County Sheriff Ed Echols in Tucson, Arizona, Mix headed north towards Phoenix on U.S. Highway 80 (now Arizona State Route 79), driving his 1937 Cord 812 Phaeton. He stopped to call his agent at the Oracle Junction Inn, a popular gambling and drinking establishment, then continued toward Phoenix. About eighteen miles south of Florence, Mix came upon construction barriers at a bridge washed away by a flash flood. Unable to stop in time, his car swerved twice, then overturned in a gully. A large aluminium suitcase containing money, traveller's checks, and jewels, situated on the package shelf behind his head, hurtled forward and struck him, breaking his neck. He was 60 years old.

His funeral took place at the Little Church of the Flowers in Glendale, California, on October 16, 1940, and was attended by thousands of fans and Hollywood personalities. He was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery.

Tom Mix was the acknowledged "King of Cowboys" when Ronald Reagan and John Wayne were young, and the influence of his screen persona can be seen in their approach to portraying cowboys. When an injury caused football player Marion Morrison (later known as John Wayne) to drop out of the University of Southern California, Mix helped him find work moving props in the back lot of Fox Studios. That was the beginning of Wayne's Hollywood career.

Tony the Wonder Horse starred in over two dozen silent and sound films during his career, becoming a celebrity in his own right. When Mix placed his handprints in the concrete outside Grauman's Chinese Theatre in 1927, Tony’s hoofprints were placed alongside them. He was the first horse to be given equal billing with his human costar, and was featured in the title of three movies: Just Tony (1922), Oh! You Tony (1924), and Tony Runs Wild (1926). Tony is listed as appearing in 34 films between 1922 and 1932. Just Tony is based on a Max Brand novel, Alcatraz. Tony's image appeared on film posters, his name was included in a number of film titles, and he accompanied Mix on international publicity tours. Tony was immortalized in a series of junior novels and comic books, including the 1934 children's book Tony and his Pals.

Tony was famous in part because Mix, the film industry, and the media were able to anthropomorphise him. In the films, his horseness was continually reaffirmed; at the same time, so was his ability to understand language, what was going on around him, and why. Animals are not complicit in the process by which they are made to mean something.

Tony is most known for his intelligence and ability to perform remarkable stunts, many of which would not be allowed today due to the danger involved. Tony performed in the years before the American Humane Association oversaw the use of animals on American productions. Since animals do not 'agree' to be actors (cannot verbalise agreement), the American Humane Association began to oversee how animal labor was created, filmed, and commercialised in 1940, eight years after Tony's retirement.

Mix reportedly did not have to train Tony, but simply show him what to do for each feat. Mix could convey any sort of message to the pony by touches of the hand or fingers on Tony's neck, although speculation existed that whips, strong bits, and spurs were used. Such stunts included untying Mix’s hands, opening gates, jumping over high fences, getting tangled in ropes, loosening his reins, rescuing Mix from fire, jumping from one cliff to another, and running after trains. In the 1926 film The Great K & A Train Robbery (Fox Film Corporation), Mix jumps Tony through a glass window into a building and rides him alongside a speeding train. In the film Trailin' (1921) Mix and Tony have a bridge slashed from under them, and uncut footage shows the pair tipping over to the river below.[15]

Lobby card for The Great K & A Train Robbery (1926) giving billing to "Tony the wonder horse."

Besides film, Tony was also in the Sells Floto Circus with Tom Mix as his rider. A program from the circus in 1931 made a statement about the bond between the pair:

Every patron of the motion picture theatre knows Tom Mix and his wonder horse Tony, who for years have been almost inseparable ... Tom is the only master Tony ever had and the only person who has been on his back, which may partly account for their extreme love for each other. — Paul E. Mix, The Life and Legend of Tom Mix

Tony retired from the film industry in 1932 at the age of 22, when he was slightly injured on the set of his last movie, The Fourth Horseman (1932). Following Tony's retirement, Tom Mix began featuring another horse of similar colour and appearance in his films, Tony, Jr. A third horse, Tony II, was used for public appearances.

Tony outlived Tom Mix, dying in 1942 at the age of 32, two years to the day after Mix was killed in a car accident. Tony's passing was noted in The New York Times. Tony's longevity as a movie horse is remarkable due to the lack of veterinary care available in those years, and because of the strenuous stunts that were not then regulated.

Information and images sourced from the Internet Archive and Wikipedia.

'Just Like' Songs

The other day, while enjoying the Jesus and Mary Chains 'Just Like Honey', again, another 'just like' song popped up from the same era, 'Just Like Heaven' by The Cure, and prompted one sage listener to remark, 'oh, follow that up with Bob Dylan's 'Just Like a Woman'; will you....'.

A search of the Song Library brings up quite a few others: Jenny and Johnny, Just Like Zeus;  Godhead, Just Like You; Three Days Grace, Just Like You; ALL, Just Like Them; Lisbeth Scott, Just Like Rain; TSOL,  Just Like Me;  The Waifs, Just Like Me;  and even Samuel L. Jackson, Just Like A Bird Without A Feather.

Naturally this leads one to wonder; what is the most used word in a song title?

Turns out that word is 'the' along with 'I' and 'you' - so not that exciting.

The first known song ever written is called 'Hurrian Hymn no.6'  composed by Syrians about 3400 years ago. The Hurrian Hymn was discovered in the 1950s on a clay tablet inscribed with Cuneiform text. The hymn was discovered in Ugarit, now part of modern-day Syria, and is dedicated the Hurrians' goddess of the orchards Nikkal.

Her name means "Great Lady and Fruitful" and derives from Akkadian / West Semitic "´Ilat ´Inbi" meaning "Goddess of Fruit". A translation of Ugaritic "ib" as "blossom" survives in biblical Hebrew as אֵב.

Ugarit was an ancient port city in northern Syria, in the outskirts of modern Latakia, discovered by accident in 1928 together with the Ugaritic texts. Its ruins are often called Ras Shamra after the headland where they lie.

Neolithic Ugarit was important enough to be fortified with a wall early on, perhaps by 6000 BCE, though the site is thought to have been inhabited earlier. Ugarit was important as it was both a port and at the entrance of the inland trade route to the Euphrates and Tigris lands. The city reached its heyday between 1800 and 1200 BCE, when it ruled a trade-based coastal kingdom, trading with Egypt, Cyprus, the Aegean, Syria, the Hittites, and much of the eastern Mediterranean.

After its destruction in the early 12th century BCE, Ugarit's location was forgotten until 1928 when a peasant accidentally opened an old tomb while ploughing a field. The discovered area was the necropolis of Ugarit located in the nearby seaport of Minet el-Beida. Excavations have since revealed a city with a prehistory reaching back to c. 6000 BCE. 

The Hurrian songs are a collection of music inscribed in cuneiform on clay tablets excavated from the ancient Amorite-Canaanite city of Ugarit, a headland in northern Syria, which date to approximately 1400 BCE. One of these tablets, which is nearly complete, contains that Hurrian Hymn to Nikkal (also known as the Hurrian cult hymn or A Zaluzi to the Gods, or simply h.6), making it the oldest surviving substantially complete work of notated music in the world. While the composers' names of some of the fragmentary pieces are known, h.6 is an anonymous work. The complete song is one of about 36 such hymns. 

The text of h.6 is difficult, in part because the Hurrian language itself is imperfectly understood, and in part because of small lacunae due to missing flakes of the clay tablet. In addition, however, it appears that the language is a local Ugarit dialect, which differs significantly from the dialects known from other sources. It is also possible that the pronunciation of some words was altered from normal speech because of the music.

The Entrance to the royal palace at Ugarit, where the Hurrian songs were found. Photo byu Disdero.

Below runs a version of that song - along with where we began - Just Like-wise a few paragraphs back, and includes where all these Just Like songs may lead to and from - Just My Imagination. 

"Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)" is a song by American soul group The Temptations, written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong. Released on the Gordy (Motown) label, and produced by Norman Whitfield, it features on the group's 1971 album, Sky's the Limit. When released as a single, "Just My Imagination" became the third Temptations song to reach number 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100. 

During the late 1960s and early 1970s, producer/composer Norman Whitfield and lyricist Barrett Strong crafted a string of "psychedelic soul" tracks for the Temptations. "Just My Imagination" was the result of one of the few times that Whitfield relented and produced a ballad as a single for the group. 

Norman Whitfield began the recording of "Just My Imagination" by preparing the song's instrumental track. Whitfield arranged and recorded the non-orchestral elements of the instrumental with Motown's studio band, The Funk Brothers, who for this recording included Eddie "Chank" Willis on guitar, Jack Ashford on marimba, Jack Brokensha on timpani, Andrew Smith on drums, and Bob Babbitt on bass. Jerry Long, an arranger who had previous experience with scoring films in Paris, worked on the orchestral arrangement and conducted several members of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in performing the horns and strings for the recording. The Temptations had heard the Funk Brothers' tracks and loved them, but were "totally knocked out", according to Otis Williams, when they heard "the finished record with all the strings".

The Temptations added their vocals at Motown's Hitsville USA headquarters. While all five Temptations usually sang lead on singles during the psychedelic soul era, "Just My Imagination" is primarily a showcase for Eddie Kendricks, who sang lead on such Temptations hits as "Get Ready," "The Way You Do the Things You Do," and "You're My Everything"; in fact, this is the only Temptations hit in which Dennis Edwards did not have a lead vocal during his entire tenure with the group. The Temptations remained at Hitsville overnight recording "Just My Imagination," and while the other four members went home at six o'clock in the morning, Kendricks remained in the studio, spending several additional hours recording takes for his lead vocal.

The song was covered by the Rolling Stones on their Some Girls album and remains a much played favourite.

Hurrian Hymn 6b

by the Laurier Ancient Music Society

Text with video: 

Dating to about 1400 BC, this fragmentary hymn was found inscribed on cuneiform tablets near the Amorite city of Ugarit (Modern Syria) and is the oldest piece of music to be found in the archaeological record. The lyrics are not perfectly understood, but what is known is that it is a Hymn to the goddess Nikkal. Most interpretations of the text take it to be a prayer by a barren woman to the goddess for a child.

While initially indecipherable, the melody inscribed on the tablets (in a manner similar to that of guitar tab, albeit for a lyre) has been interpreted in recent years through cultural musicology. This means that the study of the folk songs of Ugarit's modern inhabitants has yielded clues to help us reconstruct these once-lost melodies. Interpretation is still extremely controversial though. 

This version is a slight variation on the interpretation done in 1998 by R.J. Dumbrill.

This video was taken at the Society's March 2014 concert.

The Jesus And Mary Chain - Just Like Honey

"Just Like Honey" is a song by the Scottish alternative rock band The Jesus and Mary Chain from their 1985 debut album Psychocandy. The track was released as the third single from the record through Blanco y Negro Records in September 1985 and was written by band members William Reid and Jim Reid.

The song appeared in several films, most notably in the closing scene of 2003's Lost In Translation, 2008's The Man Who Loved Yngve, 2014's The Curse of Styria, Netflix's series Glow Season 2 Episode 1, as well as a 2011 Volkswagen advertisement campaign. The beginning of the song uses the opening drum riff of The Ronettes' "Be My Baby".

Despite numerous claims by others as to what the meaning is in the song, the creators maintain; ''That’s just such a long time ago to remember why those lyrics came about.''

During 2015, when they were about to tour the US for a 30th anniversary of their first album, one of the Reid brothers, Jim, spoke to Rolling Stone, speaking about influences on the band when this album was made;

''The punk thing was a massive influence on the Mary Chain. After that, we got seriously into the Velvets and the Stooges. We weren’t very into what was going on in music in the Eighties. The bands that didn’t make us want to puke back then were the likes of the Birthday Party or Echo and the Bunnymen. Actually, it was the crap coming out of the radio that made us want to be in a band more than anything else...''

and

''Reverb is one of those things that, when you’re not used to making records, seems like the thing you use when you’ve not got loads of studio experience. I suppose we were into Sixties bands – like Sixties girl bands, and all that – and that’s kinda where all that came from.''

The Cure - Just Like Heaven

"Just Like Heaven" is a song by British alternative rock band the Cure. The group wrote most of the song during recording sessions in southern France in 1987. The lyrics were written by their frontman Robert Smith, who drew inspiration from a past trip to the sea shore with his future wife, Mary Poole. Smith's memories of the trip formed the basis for the song's accompanying music video. Before Smith had completed the lyrics, an instrumental version of the song was used as the theme for the French television show Les Enfants du Rock.

As Smith explained, "It meant the music would be familiar to millions of Europeans even before it was released". 

Structurally, Smith found what he had written was similar to the Only Ones's 1979 hit "Another Girl, Another Planet". When he brought an instrumental demo of the song to the album recording sessions in Southern France, Cure drummer Boris Williams increased the tempo and added an opening drum fill which inspired Smith to introduce each instrument singularly and in sequence.

"Just Like Heaven" was the third single released from their 1987 album Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me. Robert Smith said he considers "Just Like Heaven" to be one of the band's strongest works, and called it "the best pop song the Cure have ever done". 

The song has been praised by critics and covered by artists such as Dinosaur Jr. and Katie Melua. Smith has said he considers "Just Like Heaven" to be one of the band's strongest songs.

The Temptations - Just My Imagination (Live)

Art Of Ageing 2020 Exhibition Coming To Warringah Library In Spring

‘I began a mechanical apprenticeship at 40 years of age at the local shire where I worked for 10 years. That’s where I learnt to weld. I started going to the back shed and building things. I entered my first sculpture in the Farm Art Show in Lockhart, 10 years ago, where I won. I pretty much entered every year since then.’

Book Of The Month August 2020: Life Of Charles Dickens

by Mackenzie, R. Shelton (Robert Shelton), 1809-1880; Dickens, Charles, 1812-1870

Publication date 1870

Stay Healthy During The HSC

In any ‘normal’ year the HSC requires dedication and focus as well as the support of friends and family.

This year hasn’t exactly panned out to be a ‘normal’ year, with announcements about changes to the HSC due to COVID-19.

Despite all the goings-on, students across NSW are continuing to study for their HSC with focus and determination, and we at NESA are here to help.

This year we are partnering with mental health organisation ReachOut to deliver news, information, guidance and advice to support all HSC students.

You’ll hear from experts, teachers, parents and other students as well as some inspiring spokespeople. This year we are planning to lighten your mental load with practical tips and tricks for staying active, connected and in charge of your wellbeing.

ReachOut’s Study Hub has heaps of info about taking a proactive approach to your mental health or where to go if you need more support. ReachOut’s Forums are great for sharing what’s going on for you and get ideas about the best ways to feel happy and well.

So follow and use #StayHealthyHSC for regular health and wellbeing updates and information.

View our range of social media images, posters and flyer to help you get involved and share the Stay Healthy HSC message with your community.

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Disclaimer: These articles are not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.  Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of Pittwater Online News or its staff.