The Bioversity of The Wybong & The Wybong Ecological Database Project

Around Dry Creek
© John Shewan

Around Dry Creek
© John Shewan

Around Dry Creek
By John Shewan

Around Dry Creek
© John Shewan

On Anvil Hill
© Anvil Hill Project Watch Association Inc

On Anvil Hill
© Anvil Hill Project Watch Association Inc

On Anvil Hill
© Anvil Project Watch Association Inc

On Anvil Hill
© Anvil Hill Project Watch Association Inc

On Anvil Hill
© Anvil Hill Project Watch Association Inc

On Anvil Hill
© Anvil Hill Project Watch Association Inc

On Anvil Hill
© Anvil Hill Project Watch Association Inc

On Anvil Hill
© Anvil Hill Project Watch Association Inc

On Anvil Hill
© Anvil Hill Project Watch Association Inc

On Anvil Hill
© Anvil Hill Project Watch Association Inc

On Anvil Hill
© Anvil Hill Project Watch Association Inc

The Wybong is an area of ecological and biological diversity without equal in the Upper Hunter Valley and Muswellbrook Shire.

Vertebrate Fauna & Flora of Manobalai Nature Reserve

Critically Endangered Species (EPBC Act - Cwlth) Prasophyllum sp. Wybong (C.Phelps ORG 5269) - a leek-orchid [81964]       Listed 13 Nov 2009

It is geologically striking with rocky sandstone and lime capped outcrops, gorges, remnant - pre European - vegetation covered ridges and cavernous escarpments. Place names of descriptive and aboriginal origin describe the nature of the region: Manobalai, Myambat, Mirrabooka, Baerami, Kerrabee, Giants Creek, Sandy Hollow, 'Devils Corner', Castle Rock, Wybong, Black Springs, Anvil Hill, 'The Book', Wallaby Rocks and so on.

The Wybong is an area that was saved from the onslaught of intensive white settlement in the early 1800's by its inhospitable nature (to white people) of high summer temperatures, rugged terrain, sandy conglomerate soils, limited surface water and limited cropping and livestock capacity.

The Wybong was and is nontheless rich in its abundance of native plants and wildlife, in sheltering caverns and small ridgebound valleys of native grasses, spring fed watercourses and billabongs.

While white people did not cut down every tree in Wybong as elsewhere in Eastern Australia, they did however slaughter and diminish the resident and transient aboriginal populations into literal obscurity. Litte of aboriginal life in the Wybong is recorded.

Few aboriginal people lay claim to the aboriginal heritage of The Wybong, an exception being some survivors from the "Wanaruah" and "Gamilaroy" kinship groups, the Wanaruah people being accepted as the original custodians of the Land now forming the Muswellbrook Shire.

The closest comparison to The Wybong is its common reference as "The Warrumbungles of the Upper Hunter". But of even greater degree in The Wybong than the Warrumbungles is the overall biodiversity of flora and fauna, almost the entirety of which has been lost from the denuded and inhabited surrounds of Singleton and Muswellbrook. 

Beyond the timbered borders of The Wybong little that is native or pre-European, survives.  

The Varied and Abundant Species of The Wybong

The Wybong abounds in 'Natures Gifts, of Beauty Rich and Rare'. The list below provides an indication of some of the extraordinary biodiversity of The Wybong, it is not exhaustive. It includes species listed in public databases and those determined to exist and/or have existed at Anvil Hill in addition to those recorded by landholders in the mid Wybong area.

CLICK HERE TO ADD YOUR SIGHTINGS TO THE WYBONG ECOLOGICAL DATABASE PROJECT

Xstrata and Minings Record of Environmental Survey

Recognition of Biodiversity is against the Coal Mining Unwritten Operating Code of (Unconscionable) Conduct as recognition of biodiversity at a site precludes the cheap, open slather, open cut, clear felling mode of coal extraction which mining corporations and their shareholders so enjoy.

Biodiversity is something that coal extraction company's will pretend does not exist in the absence of pre-existing proof of biodiversity such as government or community records.

Mining Companies conduct their Environmental Surveys from Satellite pictures with limited ground survey if at all.

They contract the work practices and consciences of the environmental surveyors purchased specifically to deny the truth - just as they have done with Anvil Hill and the denial of the existence of the White Box, Yellow Box, Blaklys Red Gum and derived native Grasslands Critically Endangered Ecological Community at Anvil Hill - despite the facts elicited in their own "Oral History of The Wybong" wherein early residents speaking of the near century from the mid 1800's to mid 1900's clearly identify White and Yellow Box as dominant species of the Anvil Hill and Wybong district together with Red Gum.  They also idntify the elsewhere protected Spotted Gum - Narrow leafed Ironbark Forests of the sandstone flats and Ridgelands to the North, East and West of Anvil Hill.

These two dramatically different ecosystems exist side by side, in graduations and transition from White Box-Yellow Box- Blaklys Red Gum and Derived native Grasslands in the East facing South around Anvil Hill to the drier Spotted Gum-Narrow leafed Ironbark Forest Complex of the more westerly exposed sandstone soiled North around Brogheda & Manobalai.

Whole, distinct, interdependent ecosystems and unique combinations of flora and fauna and habitat exist in the Wybong. 

Unique ecosystems and biodiversity that Xstrata Mining Company seek to destroy for eternity, for GREED.

THE WYBONG ECOLOGICAL DATABASE PROJECT

Opportunity is provided on the Ecological Database page for members of the community to add their sightings of species, flora and fauna, to the database of species known to occur or have occurred in The Wybong.   Key Information needed will be:

Species Name           (Common Name) eg Black Snake, cockatoo

Number                        eg 2, pair, flock 

How identified         Seen/Heard/Scats/ eg seen

Where identified    eg roadside, rocky outcrop etc 

Location                      eg Ridgelands Rd, GPS xyz

Environment           eg Rocky woodland, closed canopy, ridge

Recorded by              eg Anne Environmentalista, Imelda Seenem, etc

Date                                 eg 2nd Oct 2009, July 1960,  etc

The database when compiled will be provided to NSW NPWS for inclusion in the NSW Wildlife Atlas.