Virtual Tour The Wybong and Anvil Hill

Around Dry Creek
© John Shewan

Around Dry Creek
© John Shewan

Around Dry Creek
By John Shewan

Around Dry Creek
© John Shewan

Brogheda 1909 Map
© Dept Lands

Location

 The Wybong (as we who live in the Brogheda region regard it) consists of the Far North, Upper, Mid and Lower Wybong. 

The Far North of The Wybong is the originating section from Kars Springs in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range to Bunnan.

The  Upper Wybong is the section from Bunnan to the confluence of Wybong Creek with the Cuan Cua Creek, the major tributary.

The Mid Wybong is the Sandstone Valley section of The Wybong from the confluence with Cuan Cua Creek, Black Springs to Dry Creek and Yarraman Crossing.  The centre of the Mid Wybong is the historic Brogheda Homestead (circa 1916) - maintained in private ownership and near original condition by successive owners.  The Brogheda property operated as a mixed cropping, dairy and grazing property on the original grant made to William Cox in the early 1800's through its subdivision by the Hordern family in the late 1970's and still operates as such today on reduced grounds. 

The Dry Creek section abuts the Manobalai Nature Reserve - an unexplored wilderness dating from approx 1796 - the time of the initial exploration of the Upper Hunter.  Little is recorded or known of the biodiversity, ecology or species of the Manobalai Nature Reserve because of its remoteness, limited access and ruggedness.  This is despite the Reserve being traversed by the Liddell - Point Piper High Voltage Transmission Line in the 1970's.  

Xstrata have in Dec 2008 tendered est $AUD 27 million to the NSW Government for the purchase of rights to mine 80 sq km of this central Brogheda area within eight years.   They have been joined in a competitive tender by BoTai Consortium, who in March 2010 unlawfully claimed to the Hong ong & Sydney Stock Exchange that they had been awarded rights to mine 80 sq km of this central Brogheda area within eight years.

The Lower Wybong is the section from Yarraman Crossing to the confluence of the Wybong Creek with Big Flat Creek and its tributaries Anvil Creek and Clarks Gully), confluence with Reedy Creek and final confluence of the Wybong with the Goulburn River.

Xstrata are continuing to develop the behemoth mangoola Opencut Coal Mine to strip the coal deposits of the Lower Wybong.  The proposed Ridgelands Coal lease (above) directly abuts the Mangoola Mine.

The result is that a further 100sq km of the Wybong Valley and its unique range of flora and fauna (Hunter-Central Rivers CMA 2006) could be destroyed for all eternity and the Gap between the Wollemi and Barrington Wilderness, essential for the adaptation of species to climate change never closed - but rather expanded into an ecological wasteland of sulphrous, nitrous atmosphere and super-saline heavy metal contaminated voided pits and streams that no species shall cross or survive.

And the several hundred residents of The Wybong that Xstrata Mangoola (Anvil Hill) Mine have already displaced could soon be joined by refugees from Ridgelands Coal.

Pictures of Wybong and its surrounds can be found in the Wybong Action Group Album including Detailed Images from Anvil Hill and road tours for the most picturesque avenues of The Wybong including Dry Creek Road near Manobalai Nature Reserve.

AROUND ANVIL HILL - CLICK TO SEE

Ridgelands ELA - Dry Creek Road Tour