g'Day all
Brolga were part of the scene in Wheelright's day 1850's. By post
W.W.II however they were considered all but extinct in central
Victoria. The closest known naturally occurring Brolga to Melbourne at
this time were western district birds from near Hamilton and Horsham.
Post breeding birds from across the western district of Vic and south
east SA were known to flock at Bool lagoon in summer where several
hundred could be seen most years in the mid sixties.
However, I have a recollection that in the 70's and 80's, Brolga, Magpie
Geese and Bustard were bred for release at Serendip and Bool Lagoon and
the occurrence at WTP probably coincides with this.
Regards
Ian May
St Helens, Tasmania
michael norris wrote:
Mike Carter suggests Brolgas were not known within 100km of Melbourne
until about 10 years ago.
Not so! In his "Bush Wanderings of a Naturalist" Horace Wheelwright
wrote about Native Companions breeding in SE Melbourne in the 1850s.
He made his money by hunting for the burgeoning Melbourne population
so he bagged a few. See pages 90 and 91 of his fascinating book. You
can read it on Google Books.
The human population continues to burgeon and we now have these great
plans to cover more of our rare grasslands (and their animals) with
houses and seek to live off an agricultural base dwindling through
climate change.
So even if there is enough water for them in the future those 6kg
Brolgas may still be targets for the pot.
Michael Norris
37° 59' S 145° 0' E
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