“Hazard Reduction”? Certainly important and hope I don’t drift too far off topic here with the attached. It mortifies me as well to see my patch around Sydney going up in flames in the peak breeding season: Is it not that in wishing to live in, or on the edge of, natural ecosystems – and having removed the original “land managers”we now find ourselves wedged in a conflict of extremes. We burn excessively to protect our ordered suburbs, monocultures and plantations or try to preserve to the detriment of necessary cycles (eg on heathlands) Here is a little historical record from an old grazier friend at Bombala NSW. Roger Giller also knows him well – and I am sure Denise will empathise! Bear with me and read to the end for some thoughts on what may once have been more the norm (and I know there are more scientific works on the subject of previous fire regimes) Graeme Stevens (and I still haven’t found a White-throated Grasswren!) ———————————————- ————————————————————————————————————————- “JAMBIE” around 1906 Thought to be over 70 years old His story as told to me by my Father Badan William Bruce . When Charles and Helen Bruce had a General Store for basic supplies on their farm which was on the right hand side of the highway, on the steep decent down the hill to Rocton (Still known as Bruces Pinch). Living in a sturdy hut with a lean- to on their farm was a very old man named Jambie who said he was the last of his small tribe that had lived in the Rocton (NSW) and area South East of there, before white settlement . They had suffered so very badly , when Measles and Scarlet Fever etc. caused the death of so very many in that tribe. Jambie , stood almost 6 feet tall. My Father remembered his large strong white teeth and his stories of when he was young. He was an outstanding hunter. He was very much liked by the people of Rocton. They gave him food , clothing and care, in return he hunted Foxes and Dingoes with success, when they were troubling the valley. He had the use of an old .22 German rifle and was given tiny .22 short bullets to use as needed. Dingoes he hunted , when, they were killing stock at night . He would go out with the rifle in the dark of the night, almost always returning with a fresh Dingo skin.. He enjoyed the fact that he could easily outwit them, on even terms, in the dark of night. When lightning started summer fires and there was a rush to control them. He would be angry and upset. He would say that when the Fire Sprits made hot summer fire it must burn – burn – burn. He would say over and over ,That bush was too thick now. No fires each year – The bush is too thick, No fat animals. Not enough animals, Bush is sick, too thick. Fire be big big soon, kill all animals in trees. Now a hundred years on we still control the yearly summer fires to the best of our ability. We cannot, and do not, Just let them burn – burn- burn until enough rain comes. It makes me ponder ?, Just what he remembered when he lived in ” Pristine Bush” as a child and young man ” Compared to what we see and would like to think is ” Pristine Bush ” ? some 60 years later. =============================== To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au http://birding-aus.org ===============================
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