Why Build Sustainable

Define Sustainable
Housing


Natural Vegetation
Dry Vine Forest

Plant List:-

Acacia disparrima ssp.disparrima Hickory Wattle
Acacia maidenii Maiden's Wattle
Acacia melanoxylon Blackwood
Acalypha nemorum shrub
Acronychia laevis Glossy Acronychia
Adiantum atoviride Maidenhair Fern
Adiantum hispidulum var. hispidulum Rough Maidenhair
Alchornea ilicifolia Native Holly
Alectryon tomentosus Hairy Alectryon
Alphitonia excelsa Soap Tree/Red Ash
*
Alyxia ruscifolia Chain Fruit
Anagillis arvensis  
Arachnorchis cunninghamii Hoop pine
Asplenium aystralasicum Birds Nest Fern
Austrosteenisia blackii Blood vine
Barklya syringifolia Crown of Gold
Billardiera scandens Common apple berry
Bosistoa pentacocca Native Almond
Breynia oblongifolia Breynia
Bridelia exaltata Bush Ironbark
Brunoniella australis Blue Trumpet
Caesalpinia subtropica Corky prickle vine

Caesia pavuflora var. vittata Herb
Canthium odoratum Shiney leaved Canthium
Capparis arvorea Bush caper
Edible
Capparis sarmentosa Climbing Caper Bush
Carisa ovata Current Bush
Cassinia laevis Coughbush
Cassinia quinquefaria  
Cassine australias var. australis Olive Plum
Cassyha glabella Devil's Twine
Cayratia clematidea Slender grape, vine
Centaurium spicatum

Spike Centaury, Herb

Choricarpia subargentea Giant Ironwood
Chrysocephalum apiculatum Yellow buttons
Cissus opaca Forest Grape
edible
Citrus australis Wild Lime
Clematis glycinodes Headache Vine
Commelina diffusa Wandering Jew
Cordyline congesta Palm Lilly
Cordyline rubra Red-fruited palm lilly


Cordyline petiolaris Palm Lilly
Corocarpia subanjentia    
Corymbia (Eucalyptus) tessellaris Morton Bay Ash
Croton acronychoides  
Croton insularis Silver Croton
Croton mamillatus Bahrs Scrub Croton

Croton stigmatosus  
Cupaniopsis parvifolia tuckeroo
Themeda triantra Kangaroo Grass
Desmoduim (?brachypedeim)  
Desmodium rhytidophyllum Hairy Trefoil
Denhamia pittosporoides Veiny Denhamia
Dianella brivipedunculata

Dianella caerulea Blueberry Lilly

Dianella longifolia Blue Flax Lilly
Dichondra repens Kidney Weed, ground cover
Dioscorea transversa Native Yam
Dissiliaria baloghioides Lancewood
Dodonaea viscosa ssp. viscosa Sticky Hop Bush
Drymorphila moorei Drymophila
Drynaria rigidula Basket Fern
Drypetes deplanchei Yellow Tulip
Elaeodendron australe var. australe Olive Plum
Elattostachys xylocarpa White Tamarind
Embelia australiana Embelia
Eremophia debilis

Winter Fruit (Edible Fruit)

Erythrina sp. Croftby Bat Wing Coral Tree
Erythrina vespertilio Pine Mt Coral Tree
Eucalyptus crebra Narrow-Leaved Ironbark
Eucalyptus moluccana Gum-Topped Box
Eucalyptus propinqua Small-fruited grey gum
Eucalyptus siderophloia Grey Ironbark
Eucalyptus tereticormis Blue Gum
Eustrephus latifolius Wombat Berry

Everistia vacciniifolia

var. nervosa

Small-leaved Canthium
Ficus macrophylla Morton Bay Fig
Ficus rubiginosa Rock Fig

Ficus virens

White Fig (Edible Fruit)

Flindersia australais Crows Ash


Fortainea venosa Veiny Fontainea
Gahnia aspera Saw Sedge
Geitomoplesium cymosum Scrambling Lilly
Glycine marburg  
Grevillea hebmsiae White Yiel-Yiel
Grevillea robusta Silky Oak
Grewia latifolia Dog's Balls (edible fruit)
Gymnostachys anceps Settler's Flax
Hibbertia diffusa  
Hibiscus heterophyllus Native Hibiscus
Hippocratea barbata Knot Vine
Hodgkinsonia Hodgkinsonia
Hymenosporum flavum Native Frangipani
Jagera pseudorbus Foambark
Lomandra confertifolia  
Maclura cochinchinensis Cockspur Thorn
Mallotus claoxyloides Green Kamala
Mallotus phillippensis Red Kamala
Melichrus adpressus Shrub
Melodinus australis  
Melodorum leichardtii Zigzag vine
  Native Mint
Notelaea johnsonii Vienless Mock-olive
Notelaea longifolia Long-leaved Mock-olive
Olea paniculata Native Olive
Owenia venosa Rose Almond
Oxalis corniculata Yellow Wood-Sorrell
Ozothamnus diosmifolius Sago Flower
Pandorea jasminoides Bower Vine
Pandorea pandorana Wonga Vine
Parsonia lanceolata Rough Silkpod
Parsonia straminea Monkey Rope Vine
Pentaceras australia Penta Ash
Peperomia blanda var.floribunda herb
Pittosporum revolutum Forest Pittosporum
Plectranthus suaveolens  
Polyalthia nitidissima Canary Beech
Polymeria calycina  
Polyscias elegans Celery Wood
Pouteria eerwah Red Coondoo
Pseuderanthemum variabile Love Flower
Psychotria loniceroides Hairy Psychotria, shrub
Pyrrosia rupestris Robber Fern
Rapanea variabilis Muttonwood
Rhodosphaera rhodanthema Deep Yellowwood
Ripogonum brevifolium Small-leaved Supplejack
Rostellularia adscendens herb
Rubus moluccannus Molucca Rasberry (edible)
Secamone elliptica Vine  
  Sedge
Schoenoplectus mucronatus Triangular clubrush
Siphomodon australis Ivorywood
Smilex australis Barbed Wire Vine
Spermacoce brachysteina Ground Cover
Sophora fraseri  
Stellaria media  
Streblus brunonianus Whale Bone Tree(edible)
Strychnos psilosperma Strychine Tree
Tetrastigma nitens  
Thermeda triandra Kangaroo Grass
Toechima tenax Pitted-leaved steelwood
Trema tomentosa Poison Peach
Trophis scandens Burney Vine
Velleia paradosa herb
Vitex lignum-vitae Satinwood
Wikstroemia indica Bootlace Bark
I am still figuring these ones out. Your input is welcome.
1
2 Grass


3 Herb

4 Grass

5 Tree



6Tree


7 Setaria or pennisetum
8 Ground cover

9 Herb

10 Vine

11 Grass

12 Grass
13
14 Tree

15 Grass
16  


Reference Book: Mangroves to Mountains, A Field Guide to the Native Plants of the Logan-Albert River Catchment. Logan River Branch S.G.A.P. (Qld Region) inc.

The original vegetation list for our property and immediate neighbouring land was compiled by Mark Gahan, this was further expanded by Glenn Leiper and Bill McDonald.

I know little of what I am looking at; I do know I have been entrusted with something very special; I have been inspired by the knowledge and passion of experts; I feel a sense of urgency to change the damage to the land we live on.

Our Fungi and Lichens


Colus pusillus

Phellinus sp



Foam from ironbark tree after rain.
 

Birdlife at the Newton's Place


Grey Shrike-Thrush


Wedge-Tailed Eagle


Grey Fantail


Bar-Shouldered Dove


Black Faced Cuckoo-shrike


Channel Billed Cuckoo


Figbird


Magpie


White Throated Honeyeater


Torresian Crow


Scarlet Honeyeater


Silvereye



Yellow-faced Honeyeater


Yellow-Tailed Black Cockatoo


Silvereye

 


Snakes

Carpet Snake, handy snake to keep around, they will eat small animals such as mice. They are pretty placid. We had one make himself at home in our shed of about 6 months. Bit anoying to find him wrapped around the bed head, but otherwise he did not cause any halm.

 

Rough Scaled Snake. One of Australia's most deadly

http://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/t_std2.asp?PID=41
http://lamington.nrsm.uq.edu.au/Documents/Plant/drf.htm
http://www.sgapqld.org.au/
http://www.ea.gov.au/epbc/
http://www.nrdcaction.org/
http://www.sgapqld.org.au/bushtucker10.html
http://www.goldcoastflorafauna.com.au/PDF/FaunaListFeb2004.pdf
http://www.ddwfauna.com.au/

Top

I made contact with Mark Gahan in July 2002. He is a expert on the local vegetation. I advised him that I lived on a property which was predominately wattle, iron bark and lantana. I explained my objective of minimising our impact on our environment, and my need to manage a fire break without introducing any new species into the area.

Mark informed me that our property was in area that was unique for its biodiversity. We lived in a rainforest characterised by its low rainfall and a huge diversity of plants. This was the Bahrs Scrub dry vine forest.

I was convinced that Mark was not talking about my property. I lived in a rain shadow, where the average rainfall was 600-800ml per year. Everything was small and struggling in the dust. This was not any form of rain forest that I was familiar with. I lived in a dry schlerophyll bush with predominately iron barks, black wattle and lantana.

When Mark arrived, he bounce from one plant to another - each confirming his over the phone suspicion. What I believed was natural to the area was regrowth - predominately ironbark and wattles. What I thought was introduced was native - crotyions, hoop pine, coral trees and the crows ash.

The property had been cleared in the 1800's, initially for sugar cane and banana's, then used for dairy cattle. The last time the regrowth was burnt was 25 years ago.

As Mark explained to me how special my property was, I took him to a remnant of regrowth that I had not thought was significant. This area is only 50 meters x 75 meters. Here he identified 200 different species, 10 of these were either rare or vulnerable!

My eyes must have been painted on.

I now feel entrusted with something very special.

We have developed a reforestation plan, which entails initially clearing the lantana from the ridge. Once the lantana is removed, the many native trees that were struggling for water with the lantana, thrive. We will then re-vegetate with plants which are sourced from our area or adjacent valleys. Plants where appropriate will be propagated from seeds collected from these areas. Mark is a great source of seedlings that belong in this area.

A walking path that runs across the contour of the property behaves as large swale. The swale slows down the surface run-off of water from the land during heavy rain, thereby permitting the water to absorb into the soil. Mulch is placed around the plant and over the top of the microswale.

Plants with their own micro-swales are located adjacent to the paths. This maximises the amount of water available to the plants during their establishment year. Once established, these plants will not need ongoing watering. The selection of plants is site and microclimate specific, ie, plants suitable for the south side of the ridge may not be suitable to the northside of the ridge. The use of microswales and mulching is an effective way of managing the watering requirements of the plants.

 

BUSH CARE by Robyn Prowd and Saren Starbridge

Towering gum trees
Wallabies frozen in time
Bulldozers crashing

How long to grow the trees that
Hide the scars and breathe again