Author Archives: fobif

Forest Fire management proposes to burn 311 hectares of the Maldon Historic Reserve, near the railway reserve. There are a few questions, contradictions and complexities attached to this burn proposal: see our Posts, with a map, here, here and here. … Continue reading →

A packed house attended FOBIF’s AGM last Monday to hear Cassia Read’s talk ‘Gardening the Goldfields: you can have your roses and Blue Wrens too?’ A major theme in the info-packed talk was to present the garden as part of … Continue reading →

At the AGM the following members were elected unopposed to the FOBIF committee for the upcoming year: President: Marie Jones; Vice President: Neville Cooper; Secretary: Bernard Slattery; Treasurer: Lynette Amaterstein; Committee members: Asha Bannon, Frances Cincotta, Christine Henderson, Jeremy Holland, … Continue reading →

Local papers have recently carried items warning the public that snakes are about. Yes, they are, and the advice offered is good: be careful in areas snakes might frequent, control pets in such areas, be aware of correct procedures in … Continue reading →

A strong group rocked up for FOBIF’s September walk in the Fryers Ranges yesterday. The weather was ideal, and the Ridge put on a typically spectacular display of wattles, peas, heath and numerous other species—thirty plus species in flower, by … Continue reading →

Are we being melodramatic? Maybe. Check this out: That’s a patch of Hardenbergia, on the side of the maintenance track on the Coliban main channel, south of the Fryers-Taradale road. There’s quite a lot of Hardenbergia on that stretch: in … Continue reading →

The Annual General Meeting of the Friends will be held on Monday October 9 at the Ray Bradfield Rooms, Castlemaine, at 7.30 pm. Committee elections will take place at the meeting. All members are eligible for election to the committee, … Continue reading →

Environmentalists around the state are mourning the sudden death of Phil Ingamells, who died suddenly at home last month. Phil spent a decade in Castlemaine in the nineties, and was active in the local campaign for a Box-Ironbark national park. … Continue reading →

Yes, they are–unfortunately. It’s a curious fact that most weeds have spread widely because they’ve been planted for their ornamental appeal. It’s only when they get out of control that they start to lose some of their appeal. The picture … Continue reading →