Bantry Bay (Garigal National Park) - Department of Environment and ...

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BANTRY BAY CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT PLAN DRAFT Native Vegetation, Weeds and Introduced Flora The native vegetation within Bantry Bay comprises a mix of open woodland forest, heath, scrub and mangroves Until recently the native vegetation of the Bantry Bay has been protected by limitations on access and restricted development around the bay. However increasing urban development adjacent to the bay has altered the natural hydrological regimes and disrupted nutrient cycles, which has resulted in the establishment of weed plumes below development and degradation of drainage lines, in some areas extending to the foreshores of the bay. Along the western shoreline weeds are gradually colonising all cleared and disturbed areas. Weeds are especially widespread on the landing platform and on the lower slopes behind the magazine complex, in particular the Creeping Fig (Ficus pumila). Much of the bushland on the eastern side Bantry Bay was burnt during recent bushfires. The lower slopes however, comprising the picnic area and landing platform, were not burnt. Weeds and non-indigenous vegetation species have been introduced around the foreshores, site buildings and throughout the picnic grounds. Approximately 35 species of conservation significance occur within Garigal National Park, of which five species are classified as ‘threatened’ under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995. Of these, seven species of conservation significance may occur within the general vicinity of Bantry Bay (Refer 20.0), including Acacia bynoeana, Caladenia tessellata, Eucalyptus camfieldii, Eucalyptus luehmanniana, Eucalyptus capitellata, Melaleuca deanei, Pimelea curviflora, Syzygium paniculatum and Tetratheca glandulosa. . Five additional species of local significance, and which are considered to occur in the Bantry Bay area include Angophora crassifolia, Eucalyptus saligna, Gonocarous salsoloides, Lomandra brevis and Rulingia hermannfolia. None of the vegetation communities in the Bantry Bay area are listed under Schedules of the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995. However Coastal Sandstone Heath has a very restricted distribution in the Sydney Metropolitan Region, and Sydney Sandstone Gully Forest is generally considered to have high local conservation significance. Fauna It is possible that many species which formerly occurred in the Bantry Bay area are no longer present due to impacts such as habitat destruction, limited fragment size, predation by introduced animals, and isolation by arterial roads. Declining water quality and altered fire regimes are also factors which could potentially threaten native fauna species. Nevertheless, the high structural and floristic diversity of Garigal National Park offers those fauna species that remain a wide variety of habitats. Approximately 18 native mammals, 160 native birds and 23 native reptile species have been recorded with Garigal National Park. Of these tem mammals, 127 native birds and 38 native reptile species have been recorded, or are presumed to be present, with Bantry Bay (Refer 20.0). Of those species recorded within Bantry Bay, only one species – The Southern Bandicoot Isoodon obesulus) – is listed as ‘endangered’ under Schedule 1 of the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995. GRAHAM BROOKS & ASSOCIATES, TAYLOR BRAMMER LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS MARY DALLAS CONSULTING ARCHAEOLOGISTS Page 47
BANTRY BAY CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT PLAN DRAFT 3.2.2 The Aboriginal Landscape The distribution of the known Aboriginal sites at Bantry Bay demonstrates that the Aboriginal occupants of the bay made their camps in sandstone overhangs and along the foreshore from where they could make use of the tidal mud flats, mangrove stands and rocky margins. These zones would have provided a rich supply of shellfish including mud whelk, Pyrazus ebenins; cockle, Anadara trapezia; mud oyster, Ostrea angasi; and rock oyster, Saccostrea commercialis. A wide variety of fish and avifauna would also have been available and hunted here. The landforms located immediately behind the shoreline would have provided a relatively well watered environment attracting a wide range of animals, reptiles and birds. Fruits, nectar, roots and tubers from local plants would have richly augmented seafood and land animals. Trees and plants growing in the sandstone gullies, which provided fruits and berries, included Lillypilly, Acmena smithii; Native Grape, Cissus; Apple Berry, Billardiera scandens; Figs, Ficus; and native blackberry, Rubus. In winter staple plants foods were the starchy rhizomes of Bracken fern, Pteridium esculentum; and Bungwall fern, Blechnum cartilagineum. Wood, bark and vines of the shrubby woodlands and the low open forests in the sandstone landforms would have also provided materials for canoes, hunting and fishing spears, baskets, dishes, fishing lines, fishing nets and dilly bags. Movement through the thicker gullies and forested areas would have been facilitated by burning off, which would also have in turn attracted and/or increased existing fauna resources taking advantage of the regenerating vegetation. 3.3. Aboriginal Archaeological Resource 3.3.1 Greater Sydney Region The greater Sydney region has been inhabited for at least 20,000 years as demonstrated by evidence from sheltered occupation sites in the Blue Mountains and its foothills. The earliest dated coastal sites are at Burrill Lake also dated to 20,000 years ago and at Bass Point dated to 17,000 years ago. These places would have been occupied at a time when the sea level was much lower and the present coastline would have been an inland environment drained by streams. There are no other Pleistocene, or sites dated to over 10,000 years ago on the Sydney coast. There are two sites dated to around 7,000 years ago, which are a sheltered midden at Curracurrang in Royal National Park and an open campsite containing a hearth at the Prince of Wales Hospital in Randwick. The majority of sites throughout the Sydney Basin are dated to within the last 2,500 years and, in the Sydney area demonstrate exploitation of marine resources after sea levels had stabilised. Coastal sites in and around Sydney were largely ignored by archaeologists until relatively recently. The majority of sites investigated were located south of Sydney and the Georges River. Until recently the focus of investigations was on the stone artefacts made by the Aborigines in the past, the sequence of changes to their form and on comparisons with inland sites. More recent studies have focussed on the way the Aboriginal people adapted to the coastal environment and immediate hinterland. Attenbrow (1987) argues that the early occupation was not intensive or by large groups of people and that around 5,000years ago when the sea levels stabilised at the present levels, more intensive use began. Many open sites were first occupied in the last 1,500 years. These arguments are also based on changes in stone tool assemblages and observable changes in the use of certain types of stone used in tool manufacture. The earlier phases of occupation are characterised by large cores and scraper tools. This is followed by the addition of a variety of backed implements, known as backed blades, geometric microliths or Bondi Points, to the larger tools around 5,000 years ago. By 1,500 years ago the backed GRAHAM BROOKS & ASSOCIATES, TAYLOR BRAMMER LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS MARY DALLAS CONSULTING ARCHAEOLOGISTS Page 48
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