Mount Henry Peninsula
Encyclopedia
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| Location | Perth, Western Australia Perth, Western Australia Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000.... |
| Traditional Land Owners | Noongar Noongar The Noongar are an indigenous Australian people who live in the south-west corner of Western Australia from Geraldton on the west coast to Esperance on the south coast... |
| First Title Holders | Manning Family Manning, Western Australia Manning is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia.The land was originally purchased by Henry Manning in 1856, with Manning's grandson, John Daniel Manning having a dairy farm in the area... |
| Size (km²) | 0.119 |
| Land Title | Privately Owned |
| Current Owners | Aquinas College, Perth Aquinas College, Perth Aquinas College is a Catholic independent, day and boarding school for boys, located in Salter Point, Western Australia. Its sister school is Santa Maria Ladies College located in Attadale... |
Mount Henry Peninsula is a land feature and reserve located 11 km south of Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, on the north bank of the Canning River
Canning River (Western Australia)
The Canning River is a major tributary of the Swan River in south western Western Australia.-Source and route:With headwaters on the Darling Scarp, the Canning meanders through suburbs of Perth on the Swan Coastal Plain, including Cannington, Thornlie, Riverton, Shelley, Rossmoyne and Mount...
near the Mount Henry Bridge
Mount Henry Bridge
The Mount Henry Bridge carries the Kwinana Freeway and Mandurah railway line over the Canning River in Perth, Western Australia, approximately 10 kilometres south of the Perth central business district. At 660 metres long, it is the longest road bridge in Western Australia...
in Salter Point, Western Australia
Salter Point, Western Australia
Salter Point is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located in the City of South Perth local government area.Around 1880, Samuel August Salter worked as a sawyer and timber contractor on the peninsula...
. It covers 11.9 hectare
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
s, and includes both Banksia attenuata
Banksia attenuata
Banksia attenuata, commonly known as the candlestick banksia or slender banksia, is a species of plant in the proteaceae family. Commonly a tree, it reaches 10 m high, but is often a shrub in dryer areas 0.4 to 2 m high...
and Banksia menziesii
Banksia menziesii
Banksia menziesii, commonly known as firewood banksia, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Banksia. It is a gnarled tree up to 10 m tall, or a lower spreading 1–3 m shrub in the more northern parts of its range. The serrated leaves are dull green with new growth a paler grey...
woodland. The peninsula features limestone slopes, shoreline vegetation, wetlands, and contains the most inland vegetated knoll of the Spearwood dunes on the Swan-Canning estuary, as well as a significant variety of natural conditions for birds and other fauna. The Mount Henry Peninisula is a designated Bush Forever Site, number 227.
The Peninsula is owned by the Congregation of Christian Brothers
Congregation of Christian Brothers
The Congregation of Christian Brothers is a worldwide religious community within the Catholic Church, founded by Blessed Edmund Rice. The Christian Brothers, as they are commonly known, chiefly work for the evangelisation and education of youth, but are involved in many ministries, especially with...
as part of the Aquinas College
Aquinas College, Perth
Aquinas College is a Catholic independent, day and boarding school for boys, located in Salter Point, Western Australia. Its sister school is Santa Maria Ladies College located in Attadale...
property, and is managed as a reserve with the Department of Environment and the City of South Perth for heritage conservation, education and passive recreation values. Senior students at Aquinas College are involved in the Community Service Program, and many choose to participate in Environmental Service.
The "Canning River Wetlands", which takes in Mount Henry Peninsula, is on the Register of the National Estate
Register of the National Estate
The Register of the National Estate is a listing of natural and cultural heritage places in Australia. The listing was initially compiled between 1976 and 2003 by the Australian Heritage Commission. The register is now maintained by the Australian Heritage Council...
, (Australia's national inventory of natural and cultural heritage places which are worth keeping for the future). The future preservation of the Mount Henry Peninsula has been guaranteed through the signing of the Bush Forever program the by the Christian Brothers as owners of the Aquinas College
Aquinas College, Perth
Aquinas College is a Catholic independent, day and boarding school for boys, located in Salter Point, Western Australia. Its sister school is Santa Maria Ladies College located in Attadale...
property.
History
The NoongarNoongar
The Noongar are an indigenous Australian people who live in the south-west corner of Western Australia from Geraldton on the west coast to Esperance on the south coast...
people have been acknowledged as the traditional owners of this area. Nyungar people used Mount Henry as a lookout to see where family camps were, from the smoke rising from their campfires. Fish traps were set around the peninsula, food was gathered and game driven onto it using fire-stick farming
Fire-stick farming
Fire-stick farming is a term coined by Australian archaeologist Rhys Jones in 1969 to describe the practice of Indigenous Australians where fire was used regularly to burn vegetation to facilitate hunting and to change the composition of plant and animal species in an area.Fire-stick farming had...
.
Mount Henry was named after Lieutenant John Henry of the HMS Challenger
HMS Challenger
Eight ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Challenger, most famously the survey vessel Challenger that carried the Challenger expedition from 1872 to 1876....
, who led an exploratory party of 25 men from the ship on the first survey into the Canning River
Canning River (Western Australia)
The Canning River is a major tributary of the Swan River in south western Western Australia.-Source and route:With headwaters on the Darling Scarp, the Canning meanders through suburbs of Perth on the Swan Coastal Plain, including Cannington, Thornlie, Riverton, Shelley, Rossmoyne and Mount...
and Manning area in June 1829.
In 1936 at the instigation of Br. Paul Keaney, a member of the Christian Brothers, and the Superior of Clontarf
Clontarf Aboriginal College
Clontarf Aboriginal College is the current name of a former orphanage for boys operated by the Christian Brothers organisation in the Perth suburb of Waterford in Western Australia. Opening in 1901, the facility has been used for a number of purposes since, most notably as an orphanage but also as...
, that 165 acre (0.6677319 km²) were purchased from the Manning family at Mount Henry on the Canning River. The Christian Brothers established Aquinas College
Aquinas College, Perth
Aquinas College is a Catholic independent, day and boarding school for boys, located in Salter Point, Western Australia. Its sister school is Santa Maria Ladies College located in Attadale...
in 1938 and have retained from arrival the Mount Henry Peninsula bushland, following the belief that bushland is the perfect setting for a Christian Boys College: "In the heart of the bush the natural beauty of the surroundings will raise their minds to higher things."
Geology
The Mount Henry peninsula is a prominent headland with limestone outcrops on the shores of the Canning River, one of few remaining original ecosystems along the river.Before conservation was a large concern to the college, the slopes were run down and decaying, the sandy soils and limestone slopes were constantly prone to erosion and damage by human interaction. Some had collapsed and were a major occupational hazard. At one point, the Peninsula was used as a Limestone Quarry, the remnants of the Quarry are no longer visible from the river or on the designated walking tracks.
In late 1996, the Mount Henry Conservation Group (MHCG) headed by Jan King started work on the Peninsula. A large proportion of this work was the strengthening and re-enforcing of eroded slopes. Today, projects by the Mount Henry Conservation still continue to strengthen slopes and decrease erosion.
Flora
Native Species
Native flora in the Mount Henry Peninsula area are diverse as and change from reeds at the shore to BanksiaBanksia
Banksia is a genus of around 170 species in the plant family Proteaceae. These Australian wildflowers and popular garden plants are easily recognised by their characteristic flower spikes and fruiting "cones" and heads. When it comes to size, banksias range from prostrate woody shrubs to trees up...
and Tuart
Eucalyptus gomphocephala
Eucalyptus gomphocephala is a species of tree, also known as Tuart, in the genus Eucalyptus. Native to the southwest of Western Australia the tree grows to over 35m tall. As a durable hardwood the timber is sought after for scantlings, structural timber, the construction of railway carriages, and...
trees further inland.
The Mount Henry peninsula is covered by open woodland of tuart (Eucalyptus gomphocephala
Eucalyptus gomphocephala
Eucalyptus gomphocephala is a species of tree, also known as Tuart, in the genus Eucalyptus. Native to the southwest of Western Australia the tree grows to over 35m tall. As a durable hardwood the timber is sought after for scantlings, structural timber, the construction of railway carriages, and...
), merging into low open woodland of marri (Corymbia calophylla
Corymbia calophylla
Corymbia calophylla is a bloodwood native to Western Australia. Common names include Marri and Port Gregory Gum, and a long standing usage has been Red Gum due to the red gum effusions often found on trunks.It is distinctive among bloodwoods for its very large buds and fruit Corymbia calophylla...
), jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) and the Western Australian Christmas tree (Nuytsia floribunda), with a very varied understorey the Mount Henry Peninsula is the only remaining bushland on the Swan Coastal Plain which includes plant communities of foreshores, limestone slopes, ridge woodlands and dampland.
At the base of the hill there is a small stand of swamp cypress (Actinostrobus acuminatus
Actinostrobus acuminatus
Actinostrobus acuminatus is a species of coniferous tree in the Cupressaceae . Like the other species in the genus, it is endemic to southwestern Western Australia, where it can be found along the shorelines of rivers...
). Along the riverbank there is a different range of flora, including Juncus kraussii
Juncus kraussii
Juncus kraussii is a species of rush known by the common name Jointed Rush. It is native to temperate coastlines and estuaries of Australia flowering year round.-External links:*...
, Scripus nododsus and Suadea australis. The area supports over one hundred native species in all.
Banksia
Two species of BanksiaBanksia
Banksia is a genus of around 170 species in the plant family Proteaceae. These Australian wildflowers and popular garden plants are easily recognised by their characteristic flower spikes and fruiting "cones" and heads. When it comes to size, banksias range from prostrate woody shrubs to trees up...
are found on Mount Henry Peninsula, B. attenuata
Banksia attenuata
Banksia attenuata, commonly known as the candlestick banksia or slender banksia, is a species of plant in the proteaceae family. Commonly a tree, it reaches 10 m high, but is often a shrub in dryer areas 0.4 to 2 m high...
(Candlestick Banksia) and B. menziesii
Banksia menziesii
Banksia menziesii, commonly known as firewood banksia, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Banksia. It is a gnarled tree up to 10 m tall, or a lower spreading 1–3 m shrub in the more northern parts of its range. The serrated leaves are dull green with new growth a paler grey...
(Firewood Banksia). B. attenuata flowers from spring into summer and the B. menziesii flowering occurs in autumn and winter,the presence of both these species on Mount Henry Peninsula means that at any time during an annual period, at least one of the species of Banksia will be in flower, This is a major factor in the support of Mount Henry Peninsula's bird population.
Due to the sensitivity of both Banksia species to Phytophthora cinnamomi
Phytophthora cinnamomi
Phytophthora cinnamomi is a soil-borne water mould that produces an infection which causes a condition in plants called root rot or dieback. The plant pathogen is one of the world's most invasive species and is present in over 70 countries from around the world.- Life cycle and effects on plants :P...
dieback, other less lethal weed killers are used on Mount Henry Peninsula.
Lachenalia reflexa
Native to South AfricaSouth Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, the Yellow Soldier
Lachenalia reflexa
Lachenalia reflexa, commonly known as Yellow Soldier, is species of the genus Lachenalia native to South Africa.- South Africa :The species is a native to South Africa, particularly in Cape Province. The plant flourishes where there is a winter rainfall and becomes dormant during dry seasons.-...
is an introduced weed
Weed
A weed in a general sense is a plant that is considered by the user of the term to be a nuisance, and normally applied to unwanted plants in human-controlled settings, especially farm fields and gardens, but also lawns, parks, woods, and other areas. More specifically, the term is often used to...
to the Mount Henry area. The Yellow Soldier species is so dangerous to natural flora and fauna that it has been placed on the national weed alert program, one of only 28 weeds to be recognised as extremely dangerous at a national level to natural bushland in Australia. Reaching approximately 10 cm when in flower, this weed spreads readily though the distribution of seeds. Yellow Soldier plants are also able to regenerate from root systems left after fire or incomplete removal of the plant.
The only effective form of removal for the Yellow Soldier is through spot-spraying of herbicides. The ability to quickly germinate from seed requires multiple courses of spraying to completely eliminate Yellow Soldier. The herbicide used has been specially developed by the Department of Agriculture and Food
Fauna
The Mount Henry area of the Canning RiverCanning River (Western Australia)
The Canning River is a major tributary of the Swan River in south western Western Australia.-Source and route:With headwaters on the Darling Scarp, the Canning meanders through suburbs of Perth on the Swan Coastal Plain, including Cannington, Thornlie, Riverton, Shelley, Rossmoyne and Mount...
is one of several undergoing extensive regeneration. These areas are now sanctuaries for both native flora and fauna, including 37 bird and 11 reptile species. Recorded fauna include:
- BandicootBandicootBandicoots are a group of about 20 species of small to medium-sized, terrestrial marsupial omnivores in the order Peramelemorphia.- Etymology :...
- Legless lizardLegless lizardLegless lizard may refer to any of several groups of lizards which have independently lost limbs or reduced them to the point of being of no use in locomotion. It is the common name for the family Pygopodidae, but often refers to other groups, such as limbless anguids, depending upon the region of...
- DugiteDugiteDugite is a common name for the highly venomous snake, Pseudonaja affinis, an Australian species which can inflict a fatal bite.-Description:...
- OspreyOspreyThe Osprey , sometimes known as the sea hawk or fish eagle, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and across the wings...
- Bobtail lizardStump-tailed skinkTiliqua rugosa is a short-tailed, slow moving species of blue-tongued skink found in Australia. Three of the four recognized subspecies are found only in Western Australia, where they are known collectively by the common name bobtail. The name shingleback is also used, especially for T. rugosa...
- RavenAustralian RavenThe Australian Raven is the largest Australian member of the genus Corvus and one of three Australian species commonly known as ravens. It is a more slender bird than the Common Raven of the Northern Hemisphere but is otherwise similar...
- Seagull
Reptiles
Dugite
Dugite is a common name for the highly venomous snake, Pseudonaja affinis, an Australian species which can inflict a fatal bite.-Description:...
s present on the peninsula. The Department of Conservation and Environment has been surveying the lizard populations among other things to determine whether they can start a baiting program for introduced species.
Birds
There are other varieties of birds such as the honeyeaterHoneyeater
The honeyeaters are a large and diverse family of small to medium sized birds most common in Australia and New Guinea, but also found in New Zealand, the Pacific islands as far east as Samoa and Tonga, and the islands to the north and west of New Guinea known as Wallacea...
which is sighted throughout the bush on a regular basis, and the crow. seagulls can be found around the school area at times but have not yet inhabited the peninsula itself. The most notable bird life on the Mount Henry peninsula are the Osprey
Osprey
The Osprey , sometimes known as the sea hawk or fish eagle, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and across the wings...
(Pandion haliaetus).
The Osprey is the main avian predator of larger fish in the area. Commonly called a fish hawk, the osprey has a long body (60 cm) and a wingspan of 135–180 cm. They can be found nesting on dead trees, utility poles, pylons and floating buoys. Osprey may only be present for a few weeks of the year but can take up to 2 fish per hour (30–60 cm long). Average consumption rate has been estimated at 0.23 kg/day. The Osprey currently nesting on the Mount Henry Peninsula is nearly a permanent resident of the area; it is nested on a platform and post donated by Western Power after a fire swept through the bushland in late 1997.
The Osprey is notable as the best example of the predator-prey relationship within the Mount Henry Peninsula region. It is an ecological specialist (it depends on particular types of diet or habitat). The osprey's main diet is fish, and its opposable back claws let it grasp fish as it dives. It is believed to be the only bird in the area to fully submerge itself in a dive. The Osprey feeds on nearly any fish which it can digest - fish species identified in the Mount Henry-Canning River area are Black Bream, Swan River Goby and Perth Herring.
Bandicoots
There have been few sightings of the bandicootBandicoot
Bandicoots are a group of about 20 species of small to medium-sized, terrestrial marsupial omnivores in the order Peramelemorphia.- Etymology :...
- however, on these rare occasions, the species has been narrowed down to the long nosed bandicoot which is found all around Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
The bandicoots have been recorded as present on the peninsula since the first Europeans settled in the area, at one point during the history of the peninsula the population of bandicoots dwindled due to the introduction of rabbits to the area. The Mount Henry Conservation Group has eradicated all rabbits from the area and there are records of Bandicoots re-inhabiting the peninsula.
Community Service Program
The Community Service Program at Aquinas College presents an opportunity to teach the students some of the aspects of bush regeneration, quite a foreign subject and viewpoint in most cases, and through involvement, enable them to gain some understanding of the value of bushland and how we can assist in its conservation. The Group consists of local community members, staff, parents, and students.Peninsula Projects
Major projects have been achieved since the Conservation Group began, with the assistance of grants and partnerships. Such projects include;- Preparation of Information Boards for the shoreline and bushland (Funded by the National Estate Grants Programme).
- Areas of the steep limestone slopes which were badly eroded have been retained and re-vegetated.
- Heavy jarrah has been planted and grown for terracing.
- A slope near Mount Henry Bridge was severely eroded by clambering. Tracks were created, junior school children planted trees and fences were mended.
- Following a large bush fire, Western Power, Park Engineers and CALM staff installed an Osprey nesting platform to replace the fallen dead Tuart on the slope in which an Osprey pair had been nesting.
- Contractors have been employed to spray the burnt area with Fusilade against Veld grass. The spraying program has been supplemented by hand weeding.
- The City of South Perth have placed rabbit bait traps to try to kill off rabbits.
- The MAMSJH Foundation, started in 1990, seeks to rejuvenate plants and oxidise flora on the timeless peninsular. It is most well-known for the Bank-sir for Banksia Day on 12 July of each year.
Funding
The upkeep of the Mount Henry Bushland area is extremely costly mainly because of its vast size. Funding and grants from charitable organisations, corporationCorporation
A corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
s and government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
are vital to continue the upkeep of this environment. The following companies and organisations have assisted in the funding and upkeep of the area...
- City of South Perth
- Swan River Trust
- Western PowerWestern PowerWestern Power Corporation , owned by the Government of Western Australia, was Western Australia's major electricity supplier from 1995 through 2006...
- Department of Environment and Conservation
- AlcoaAlcoaAlcoa Inc. is the world's third largest producer of aluminum, behind Rio Tinto Alcan and Rusal. From its operational headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Alcoa conducts operations in 31 countries...
- Alinta Gas
- Western Australian Government