Bidjigal Reserve

The Bidjigal Reserve is a reserve in The Hills Shire, to the north-west of Sydney. The reserve lies in the suburbs of North Rocks, Northmead, Baulkham Hills, Castle Hill, West Pennant Hills, and Carlingford. The reserve lies south of Richard Webb Reserve in West Pennant Hills, and nearly all of the reserve lies to the north of the M2 Motorway. The reserve is some 186ha in area (almost 2 square km).

Name

Its name commemorates the Bidjigal people who lived in the area. In particular, it is said that Pemulwuy, a Bidjigal leader of aboriginal resistance against British occupation, used the area as a base to mount attacks on neighbouring homesteads. The reserve includes a long section of Darling Mills Creek, a tributary of the Parramatta River, and once an important source of water both to the mills in Parramatta, and for drinking.

Features

The reserve includes a number of walking trails which range from short circular walks up to walks of several kilometres in length, some of which join onto the Great North Walk.

The reserve is home to a wide range of native flora and fauna. It includes a rich diversity of vegetation which includes remnants of Blue Gum High Forest and ridgetop woodlands, but mostly consists of dry sandstone gully forest on sandstone base soils with some areas retaining Wianamatta Shales. The rich understorey includes interesting species like Native Iris (Patersonia glabrata), Native Grape (Cissus hypoglauca) and the Red Beard Orchid (Calochilus paludosus). In recent years there have been reliable recordings of koala, swamp wallaby, echidna, eastern water dragon, and sugar gliders, as well as the ubiquitous brushtail and ringtail possums. Powerful owl have also been seen in the reserve. Foxes have been largely eradicated by a continuing baiting program, leading to a significant increase in the number of native animals in the reserve.

The reserve also includes a local landmark (known locally as the Aboriginal Cave) at Latitude -33.758010 Longitude 151.011660 which is a rock shelter that was apparently described in times of early European occupation as being a cave used by the Bidjigal people. Several other aboriginal rock shelters also lie within Bidjigal Reserve, including one with a midden dated to 10150 bp, which is the earliest human habitation site known in the Sydney area (although older sites are known in the Blue Mountains). There are also reliable reports of other works of Australian aboriginal art, including hand stencils and rock engravings, but none have been identified in recent years, and they may have been damaged or destroyed.

History and Management

On 15 September 2001, an agreement was reached between the Government of New South Wales, Baulkham Hills Shire Council and descendants of the Darug to settle an outstanding native title claim (N94/6)which dated back to 1994.

The Darling Mills State Forest and Excelsior Park (with the exception of the Ted Horwood Reserve and the Eric Mobbs Reserve) were combined and made into the Bidjigal Reserve by a deed of agreement signed on 4 December 2003 on behalf of the Minister for Lands. Signatories to that deed were the Crown, Baulkham Hills Shire Council and Bundeluk of the Darug tribe. Other signatories were Telstra and Integral Energy (due to the presence of their infrastructure in the reserve). The Forestry (Darling Mills State Forest Revocation) Bill, which was passed by NSW state government on 2 March 2005 allowed that land to be included in the reserve, as required by the deed.

Bidjigal reserve was dedicated for the purposes of preservation of aboriginal cultural heritage, flora and fauna and public recreation on 22 October 2004.

Ownership of the reserve is vested in the Bidjigal Reserve Trust.

The reserve is managed by the Bidjigal Reserve Trust Board. The first Bidjigal Reserve Trust Board meeting was held on 4 March 2005. The first Board consisted of 4 individual trustees. They were appointed by the Crown Lands minister, for a 5-year term. Those individuals consisted of both Darug descendants, and also local residents. In addition, The secretaries of the Darug Custodians Aboriginal Corporation and the Darug Tribal Aboriginal Corporation, the general manager of Baulkham Hills Shire Council (BHSC), the secretary of the Bushland Conservation Committee (BCC) (of BHSC) and the secretary of the Upper Parramatta River Catchment Trust (now the Sydney Metropolitan Catchment Management Authority), or their delegates were also members of the Board. A representative of the Excelsior Park Bushland Society was later added to the Board Members. That structure still remains, excepting that the trustees now have been increased in number to 6. The first chair of the board was Graeme Postlethwaite, and the second, Carol Isaacs (also chair of the BCC). David Wilmshurst (also BCC member, and Ms Isaac's proxy) was elected the third chair, with Carol Isaacs as deputy chair on 3 April 2008. The second Trust Board met for the first time on 12 February 2010. At that meeting, David Wilmshurst was again elected chair, with Carol Isaacs as deputy. At the AGM on the 9th of February 2011, Steven Brett was elected the fourth chair, unopposed. Michael Cameron was elected deputy chair.

On 1 December 2007, BHSC resigned its membership of the Board, citing issues related to the funding of crown land.

References

External links

Nature reserves of New South Wales, Australia

Central NSW	Abercrombie Caves Arakoola Avisford Barton Binnaway Boomi Boomi West Borenore Caves Boronga Brigalow Park Budelah Careunga Coolbaggie Copperhannia Dapper Donnybrook Dural Eugowra Freemantle Gamilaroi Girralang Jenolan Caves Kemps Creek Kirramingly Koorawatha Kuma Macquarie Marshes Midkin Munghorn Gap Narran Lake Pilliga Planchonella The Rock Tollingo Turallo Wambool Weetalibah Winburndale Woggoon Wongarbon Yaegl Yarringully

Hunter and Mid North Coast	Awabakal Baalijin Back River Bagul Waajaarr Bandicoot Island Bird Island Bollanolla Boonanghi Boondelbah Boorganna Bowraville Bretti Brimbin Bugan Burning Mountain Bushy Island Camels Hump Camerons Gorge Cedar Brush Coocumbac Island Coolongolook Cooperabung Creek Coramba Corrie Island Coxcomb Darawank Fifes Knob Fishermans Bend Gads Sugarloaf Ganay Garby Goonook Hexham Swamp Jaaningga Jagun Jasper John Gould Juugawaarri Karuah Kattang Khappinghat Khatambuhl Killabakh Killarney Kooragang Koorebang Kororo Lake Innes Limeburners Creek Little Broughton Island Macquarie Mernot Mills Island Moffats Swamp Monkerai Monkeycot Moon Island Moonee Beach Mount Seaview Muttonbird Island Ngambaa North Rock One Tree Island Pambalong Pee Dee Pulbah Island Queens Lake Rawdon Creek Regatta Island Running Creek Seaham Swamp Seal Rocks Skillion Snapper Island Stormpetrel Talawahl The Castles The Glen Tilligerry Tingira Heights Tomalla Towibakh Valla Wallabadah Wallamba Wallaroo Wallis Island Weelah Willi Willi Caves Wingen Maid Wingham Brush Worimi Yahoo Island Yarravel Yessabah

New England Tablelands	Aberbaldie Ashford Caves Bluff River Bolivia Hill Booroolong Burnt-Down Scrub Deer Vale Demon Duval Georges Creek Gibraltar Guy Fawkes River Imbota Ironbark Jobs Mountain Linton Little Llangothlin Mann River Melville Range Mother Of Ducks Lagoon Mount Hyland Mount Mackenzie Mount Yarrowyck Muldiva Ngulin Serpentine Severn River Stony Batter Creek The Basin Tuggolo Creek Watsons Creek Yina

Northern Rivers	Andrew Johnston Big Scrub Ballina Banyabba Billinudgel Boatharbour Booyong Broken Head Brunswick Heads Bungabbee Byrnes Scrub Captains Creek Chambigne Chapmans Peak Clarence Estuary Cook Island Couchy Creek Cudgen Cumbebin Swamp Davis Scrub Flaggy Creek Gumbaynggirr SCA Hattons Bluff Hayters Hill Hogarth Range Hortons Creek Iluka Inner Pocket Julian Rocks Koukandowie Limpinwood Little Pimlico Island Marshalls Creek Moore Park Mororo Creek Mount Neville Mount Nullum Muckleewee Mountain Munro Island North-West Solitary Island North Obelisk North Solitary Island Numinbah Richmond River Sherwood Snows Gully South West Solitary Island Split Solitary Island Stotts Island Susan Island Tabbimoble Swamp Tallawudjah Tuckean Tucki Tucki Tweed Estuary Tyagarah Ukerebagh Uralba Victoria Park Waragai Creek Wilson Wilsons Peak Woodford Island Wooyung

Outback NSW	Big Bush Boginderra Hills Buddigower Cocopara Goonawarra Gubbata Ingalba Jerilderie Kajuligah Kemendok Lake Urana Langtree Ledknapper Loughnan Morrisons Lake Mutawintji Narrandera Nearie Lake Nocoleche Nombinnie Pucawan Pulletop Quanda Round Hill Tarawi The Charcoal Tank Yanga Yathong

South Coast and Highlands	Araluen Badja Swamps Bamarang Barren Grounds Barrengarry Bees Nest Bell Bird Creek Belowla Island Bermaguee Bimberi Binjura Black Andrew Black Ash Bobundara Bogandyera Bondi Gulf Bournda Broulee Island Brundee Swamp Brush Island Burnt School Burra Creek Burrinjuck Cambewarra Range Cecil Hoskins Clarkes Hill Comerong Island Coolumbooka Coornartha Courabyra Cullendulla Creek Cuumbeun Dananbilla Dangelong Devils Glen Downfall Eagles Claw Egan Peaks Ellerslie Five Islands Flagstaff Memorial Good Good Goorooyarroo Gungewalla Hattons Corner Illawong Illunie Ironmungy Jerralong Jingellic Joadja Kangaroo River Kybeyan Meringo Merriangaah Montague Island Mount Clifford Mount Dowling Mudjarn Mullengandra Mundoonen Myalla Nadgee Nadgigomar Narrawallee Creek Nest Hill Ngadang Nimmo Numeralla Oak Creek Parma Creek Paupong Queanbeyan Quidong Razorback Robertson Rodway Saltwater Swamp Scabby Range Scott Stony Creek Strike-a-Light Tabletop Tapitallee Tinderry Tollgate Islands Triplarina Ulandra Undoo Wadjan Wanna Wanna Wee Jasper Wiesners Swamp Wogamia Wollondilly River Woollamia Worrigee Wullwye Yanununbeyan Yaouk Yatteyattah

Sydney and surrounds	Agnes Banks Berkeley Bird Island Castlereagh Central Gardens Cockle Bay Dalrymple-Hay Dharawal Evans Crown Gulguer Lion Island Long Island Manobalai Mulgoa Muogamarra Newington Pelican Island Pitt Town Rileys Island Spectacle Island Towra Point Wallumatta Wamberal Lagoon Wambina Windsor Downs

Protected areas of New South Wales

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