Your recollection is correct Ian - Magpie Geese are no longer bred there but
there is a large free-flying population now based at Serendip and birds
occasionally appear in Melbourne suburbs.
2009/9/25 Ian May <>
> 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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