Bulimba Creek, Queensland
Encyclopedia
The Bulimba Creek catchment has it sources in the marshy parts of the suburbs of Runcorn
and Kuraby
in the south of Brisbane
. It then flows in a northerly direction through the suburbs of Mansfield
, Mackenzie
, Carindale
, Murarrie
and Lytton
, before meeting the Brisbane River
along the Lytton Reach. The creek was originally known as Doboy Creek.
built at Cleveland
, was converted to Australia's first floating distillery with the addition of a steam driven sugar mill on board. The Walrus navigated the lower reaches of Bulimba Creek and the Brisbane River before servicing areas along the Nerang
, Albert
and the Logan River
s to the south.
Bulimba Creek itself is currently impacted primarily by urban and industrial development. In the past the creek corridor was extensively cleared for cropping and then grazing in the early part of the last century with some remnant vegetation remaining. In some areas the reduction in rural industries has allowed riparian vegetation to regrow .
network, mainly of protected hills, including Karawatha Forest
, Toohey Forest Conservation Park and Mt Gravatt Outlook, Belmont Hills, Whites Hill
and Pine Mountain, Seven Hills and Oates Hill. The creek feeds the Runcorn Water Reserve, Tingalpa Wetlands, Nungubba Swamp, Dairy Swamp, Lyndon Wetlands, Iona Wetlands, The Bulimba Creek Oxbow and Minnippi Parklands.
Group and is run by volunteers. Formed in 1997 and incorporated in 1999, it supports smaller groups and individuals involved in Bushcare, Catchment Care, Nature conservation and envirornmental education and awareness.
Known as the B4C, the group is involved in protecting and rehabilitating waterways, corridors, remnant bushlands and wetlands. It was the first urban Queensland group to win a State Landcare award in 2000 . In 2005 the B4C won the prestigious Thiess National Riverprize . Recent successes in protecting the envirornment by the B4C include securing the Weekes Rd, Carindale Bushlands and Oates Hill Reserve from the State Government, sving the Wishart Bushlands from development , saving the Bulimba Creek Oxbow and negotiating a major rehabilitation project to restore this saline wetland of 30 ha .
The B4C has its own foundation "the Bulimba Creek Environment Fund", which provides small grants to members of the community to get involved in environmental issues, education and training. B4C has its own catchment centre and community nursery and is in the process of moving to the old Carindale Nursery, now owned by Powerlink. It intends to set up the Southside Sustainability Centre there and place a sustainable small home there for its volunteer centre and offices. Permaculture gardens and food forest zones and community nursery will also be developed.
, Grey-headed Flying Fox
, Velvet Gekko and Grey Goshawk
are all threatened. Flora at risk includes Shirley's Tuckeroo and Macadamea integrifolia.
Karawatha Forest is the reserve with the highest number of species and has five different species of Glider Possums. It also has a fauna overpass constructed over the four lane road, along with underpasses, rope ladders and exclusion funnelling fencing. The project was undertaken by The Griffith University
Fauna Unit and Dr Darryl Jones.
Runcorn, Queensland
Runcorn is a suburb on the south side of Brisbane, Queensland, and is about from Brisbane’s central business district. The Jagera Aboriginal people occupied most of the land south of the Brisbane River and Runcorn would have been in the territory of the Chepara clan of Eight Mile Plains, Queensland...
and Kuraby
Kuraby, Queensland
Kuraby is a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is situated approximately by road or by rail south-east of the city of Brisbane.Beenleigh Road is the main road connecting the suburb to the motorways leading to the city and further parts of Brisbane and beyond.Kuraby is serviced by fast...
in the south of Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
. It then flows in a northerly direction through the suburbs of Mansfield
Mansfield, Queensland
Mansfield is a suburb of Brisbane, Australia, situated approximately 11 kilometres south-east of the CBD. It is located in the region of the city which is now colloquially known as the "Bible Belt" due to the large number of people who have settled there to be close to Fundamentalist Christian...
, Mackenzie
Mackenzie, Queensland
Mackenzie is a small suburb located in the south-east of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. This is an "out-back" suburb containing no large or small shopping centres. The area is partially covered by undeveloped bushland. Mount Petrie is located in Mackenzie....
, Carindale
Carindale, Queensland
Carindale is a suburb of the city of Brisbane, which has a population of approximately 15,135 people and contains around 4,976 dwellings. The greater area was formerly known as Belmont....
, Murarrie
Murarrie, Queensland
Murarrie is a suburb of Brisbane, Australia. It is located in the eastern suburbs on the southern bank of the Brisbane River adjacent to the Gateway Bridge.Murarrie has both residential and industrial sections...
and Lytton
Lytton, Queensland
Lytton is an outer suburb of Brisbane, Australia. It is 15 km north-east of the CBD.Although Lytton was once a town, it is now primarily commercial and industrial. It shares the same postcode as the Port of Brisbane....
, before meeting the Brisbane River
Brisbane River
The Brisbane River is the longest river in south east Queensland, Australia, and flows through the city of Brisbane, before emptying into Moreton Bay. John Oxley was the first European to explore the river who named it after the Governor of New South Wales, Thomas Brisbane in 1823...
along the Lytton Reach. The creek was originally known as Doboy Creek.
History
In the late 1860's the Walrus, a large paddle steamerPaddle steamer
A paddle steamer is a steamship or riverboat, powered by a steam engine, using paddle wheels to propel it through the water. In antiquity, Paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, where the first uses were wheelers driven by animals or humans...
built at Cleveland
Cleveland, Queensland
Cleveland is a suburb located approximately east-south-east of Brisbane, the capital of the Australian state of Queensland, and is the council seat for the Redland City local government area...
, was converted to Australia's first floating distillery with the addition of a steam driven sugar mill on board. The Walrus navigated the lower reaches of Bulimba Creek and the Brisbane River before servicing areas along the Nerang
Nerang River
The Nerang River is a river that begins in the McPherson Range in the Gold Coast hinterland and runs through Gold Coast City in South East Queensland, Australia...
, Albert
Albert River (Queensland)
The Albert River is a river in South East Queensland, Australia. Its catchment lies within the Gold Coast and Beaudesert shires and covers an area of 782 square kilometres. The river provides drinking water for the town of Beaudesert....
and the Logan River
Logan River
The Logan River is a river in South East Queensland. The catchment is dominated by urban and agricultural land use. Near the river mouth are mangrove forests and a number of aquaculture farms.-History:...
s to the south.
Bulimba Creek itself is currently impacted primarily by urban and industrial development. In the past the creek corridor was extensively cleared for cropping and then grazing in the early part of the last century with some remnant vegetation remaining. In some areas the reduction in rural industries has allowed riparian vegetation to regrow .
Parks
The catchment has a nature reserveNature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
network, mainly of protected hills, including Karawatha Forest
Karawatha Forest
Karawatha Forest or Karawatha nature reserve is approximately 770 hectares of bushland in the Brisbane suburbs of Karawatha and Stretton, Australia...
, Toohey Forest Conservation Park and Mt Gravatt Outlook, Belmont Hills, Whites Hill
Whites Hill
Whites Hill is a hill and public reserve situated in Holland Park in Brisbane’s South East. The reserve covers an area of 53 acres bound by the surrounding suburbs of Camp Hill, Coorparoo, Carina Heights and Mount Gravatt East...
and Pine Mountain, Seven Hills and Oates Hill. The creek feeds the Runcorn Water Reserve, Tingalpa Wetlands, Nungubba Swamp, Dairy Swamp, Lyndon Wetlands, Iona Wetlands, The Bulimba Creek Oxbow and Minnippi Parklands.
Bulimba Creek Catchment Coordinating Committee
The Bulimba Creek Catchment Coordinating Committee is assiciated with the LandcareLandcare
Landcare may refer to:*Landcare , a group formed to seek land protection*Landcare Australia, an umbrella organisation seeking land protection in Australia*Landcare Research New Zealand Limited*Landcare...
Group and is run by volunteers. Formed in 1997 and incorporated in 1999, it supports smaller groups and individuals involved in Bushcare, Catchment Care, Nature conservation and envirornmental education and awareness.
Known as the B4C, the group is involved in protecting and rehabilitating waterways, corridors, remnant bushlands and wetlands. It was the first urban Queensland group to win a State Landcare award in 2000 . In 2005 the B4C won the prestigious Thiess National Riverprize . Recent successes in protecting the envirornment by the B4C include securing the Weekes Rd, Carindale Bushlands and Oates Hill Reserve from the State Government, sving the Wishart Bushlands from development , saving the Bulimba Creek Oxbow and negotiating a major rehabilitation project to restore this saline wetland of 30 ha .
The B4C has its own foundation "the Bulimba Creek Environment Fund", which provides small grants to members of the community to get involved in environmental issues, education and training. B4C has its own catchment centre and community nursery and is in the process of moving to the old Carindale Nursery, now owned by Powerlink. It intends to set up the Southside Sustainability Centre there and place a sustainable small home there for its volunteer centre and offices. Permaculture gardens and food forest zones and community nursery will also be developed.
Threatened species of Bulimba Creek
Many of the nature reserves have threatened species. For example is Whites Hill the Powerful OwlPowerful Owl
The Powerful Owl , also known as the Powerful Boobok, is a species of owl native to south-eastern and eastern Australia, the largest owl on that continent...
, Grey-headed Flying Fox
Grey-headed Flying Fox
The Grey-headed Flying-Fox, Pteropus poliocephalus, is a megabat native to Australia.Members of the genus Pteropus include the largest bats in the world. The Pteropus genus has currently about 57 recognised species....
, Velvet Gekko and Grey Goshawk
Grey Goshawk
The Grey Goshawk, Accipiter novaehollandiae, the white morph of which is known as the White Goshawk, is a strongly built, medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae.-Description:...
are all threatened. Flora at risk includes Shirley's Tuckeroo and Macadamea integrifolia.
Karawatha Forest is the reserve with the highest number of species and has five different species of Glider Possums. It also has a fauna overpass constructed over the four lane road, along with underpasses, rope ladders and exclusion funnelling fencing. The project was undertaken by The Griffith University
Griffith University
Griffith University is a public, coeducational, research university located in the southeastern region of the Australian state of Queensland. The university has five satellite campuses located in the Gold Coast, Logan City and in the Brisbane suburbs of Mount Gravatt, Nathan and South Bank. Current...
Fauna Unit and Dr Darryl Jones.