Bobo, I have a feeling we’re not in Lowlands anymore…

Day 31 Melaleuca huegelii, 24 November 2020

Bobo safe from the nice doggy, but needing help to be rehomed after getting stuck in limestone walled area, Beaconsfield 22 November 2020

Not at Lowlands just now (visiting Beaconsfield), so no Koma (Patersonia) flowers to feed Bobo the bobtail who got stuck in a barren walled courtyard area. The most noticeable flowers at Clontarf hill in Beaky today are Melaleuca huegelii (honey myrtle). Bobtails are omnivorous, and they do like flowers, but I’m not sure if they get to the honey myrtles which are tall and being busily pollinated by bees at the moment

Melaleuca huegelii (honey myrtle) on Clontarf Hill, Beaconsfield , 23 November 2020

Bobo , the Beaky bobtail, was more than happy with the strawberries and oats we fed him, before rehoming him very close by. Bobtails wander about 500 metres a day and have home ranges of a couple of hectares

Bobtails are understandably possessive about their food. Urban bobtail in Beaconsfield, he ate the ripest strawberries first and then sat in the remaning oats, bush bobtail at Lowlands eating Koma (Patersonii) flowers. Barren courtyard in urban area, contrasts with the biodiverse richness of Lowlands Reserve, but there is bush nearby in Beaconsfield — time to explore!

Inspired by Bobo, the Beaconsfield bobtail’s exploits, I decided to follow as much bushland as possible to the fabled lake south of here at Manning Park. Youern (Noongar for bobtail) is the totem for the Bilya (Beeliar) clan of the Whadjuk people. The country of the Bilya clan is south of Swan river and west of Canning river.

Wildlife corridor runs east west, but i decided to travel north south to the nearest freshwater source, its about 3 km one way to the lake at Manning Park, the blue dots on the aerial photo show my route.

This is me setting off in the tradition of other deluded explorers to claim Manning Park as “Sheilaville” and meet the locals. Yellow brick road with blue dots on the aerial photo shows my route on the country of the Bilya Noongar clan of the Whadjuk people, the totem lands of Youern the bobtail

On the way I admired even more Melaleuca huegelii, a disused limestone quarry, blue wrens (too fast to photo) , a community garden with bok choi, and a hole where rainbow bees live (again too hard to photograph the bees). I’m learning country, new territory for me, with the help of a local who pointed put rainbow bee hole.

Although we grow Melaleuca huegelii as a garden plant in our garden, it only occurs naturally on the west coast, it is not endemic to the south coast,. So how to know you are not in Lowlands anymore if you get swept up in a tornado and find yourself among the honey myrtles.

Disused quarry, bok choy in community garden, hole where rainbow bees live pointed out to me by friendly local

We had Bok Choy for dinner (shop bought), and I made Rosie’s Bok Choy recipe with coconut milk, tumeric and ginger and fried tofu.

Melaleuca huegelii is an important plant for the Whadjuk Noongar people, it has many uses, including ceremony.

“The Whadjuk land south of the Swan River and west of the Canning River to the coast is known as Bilya (Beeliar). The land across the Canning River to the Helena River is Beeloo land. The Canning River is the border between these two great Whadjuk clans.

At the Canning River that the Youran (bobtail lizard) meets the Nyingarn (echidna). The Youran is the totem animal for the Bilya clan ; and the Nyingarn is the totem animal for the Beeloo clan.” https://www.fremantle.wa.gov.au/council/about-city-fremantle/aboriginal-history

Youern, bobtails, are also featured at Boola Bardip, the newly opened WA museum

Bobtail living in a tank at Boola Bardip, plus interpretative signage

Leaving Whadjuk Noongar country soon, and returning to the country of the Menang people , also of the Noongar nation.

Melaleuca huegelii, growing in our garden, 29 November 2020

Writing this daily blog featuring a plant a day and walking daily is my fundraising effort for Bush Heritage #groundworkchallenge . To join my team or donate go to https://www.groundworkchallenge.org.au/fundraisers/sheilamurray/2020?fbclid=IwAR2HbNn0YsCCc3tiSK-_lbF5xLsssaD8wjGHaUwVYrRqYxM-kdJkijoj2N0

Clontarf Hill and Manning Park are on Whadjuk Boodja — country. I celebrate the strength, resilience and capacity of the Whadjuk Noongar people who are the traditional owners of the land.

Clontarf Hill and the bushland to the south is managed by the local community (I think some land owned by Mains Road, and management input also from City of Cockburn). . Bush Heritage Australia manage many other wonderful reserves.

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