About Me

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Canberra-based naturalist, conservationist, educator since 1980. I’m passionate about the natural world (especially the southern hemisphere), and trying to understand it and to share such understandings. To that aim I’ve written several books (most recently 'Birds in Their Habitats' and 'Australian Bird Names; origins and meanings'), run tours all over Australia, and for the last decade to South America, done a lot of ABC radio work, chaired a government environmental advisory committee and taught many adult education classes – and of course presented this blog, since 2012. I am the recipient of the Australian Natural History Medallion, the Australian Plants Award and most recently a Medal of the Order of Australia for ‘services to conservation and the environment’. I live happily in suburban Duffy with my partner Louise surrounded by a dense native garden and lots of birds.

Wednesday 3 October 2012

On This Day, 3 October: Namadgi National Park declared

In 1984, after 24 years of determined community research and lobbying, by the National Parks Association of the ACT in particular, Namadgi National Park was gazetted by the Federal Government (this was before self-government for the Australian Capital Territory). It now protects 107,000 hectares of mostly mountainous country, especially the Brindabella Ranges, which represent the northern-most extension of the Australian Alps system; this is some 45% of the southern and western parts of the territory. Rather than give you more details now of this superb park, the peaks of which are visible, often snow-capped in winter, from the city, I'll just introduce you to it here with a series of images; I realise that I'm not very good at taking landscape photos, a flaw which I must rectify in the future!
Silver Snow Daisies, Celmisia sp., in mist

Showy Podolepis Daisy, Podolepis jaceoides

Hill Brachycome Daisies, Brachycome aculeata

Candlebark Gum, Eucalyptus rubida

Grevillea diminuta; a small shrub found in all the world along just a few kilometres
of the high Brindabellas

Brindabella Potato Orchid, Gastrodia entogamma; restricted to the Brindabellas

Mountain Sun Orchid, Thelymitra alpina

Bull Ant with honeybee

male Splendid Ghost Moth, Aenetus ligniveren

Australian Painted Lady, Vanessa kershawi, on Pimelea ligustrina
Blotched Bluetongue Lizard, Tiliqua nigrolutea
Much more on this wonderful park to come, especially as summer comes.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am not a fan of the blue tongued lizards! We get the ordinary ones in our garden, and they give me the jitters, thinking the noise is a snake!
Your photos show a very spectacular place. I am pleased we have so many national parks in this country and this looks like superb spot.

Ian Fraser said...

Oh dear, we'll have to work on helping you to love lizards... (and snakes!) It's a stunning park, and if you're ever up this way I'd love to show it to you.