(Professor Stephen D. Hopper AC BSc (Hons) PhD Hon DSc FLS FTSE … not Charlie Windsor)
I met Steve Hopper over in W.A at the Kwodjet Goorliny Symposium in Albany (Noongar boodja) back in May. He’s the top Australian botanist/ ecologist of his generation with a particular interest in indigenous knowledge systems and conservation as well as orchids and kangaroo paws. Steve has written eight books & 200+ publications and has more awards and honours then you can poke a stick at. He called in here on the weekend with his wife Chris & another couple who were old friends to see the CMTs & TinTs in particular. Despite 65 mls in storms last week we managed to see plenty of trees & a fair assortment of goannas, roos, wallabies, native hens/ducks + feral goats & the cutest little family of spotted piglets.
Ive been up around the northernmost lands of the Kamilaroi people this month & SURPRISE SURPRISE found a cluster of TinTs & Carbeen (gaabiin – Corymbia tessellaris) ringtrees. Between the southern QLD towns of Dirranbandi & St George near the Balonne river is a sandhill with similar plant species to here. The main difference is the delightful eucalypt called a “carbeen” who has 2 totally dissimilar types of bark on the top & bottom half of its trunk. This is what Bush Tucker, Boomerangs & Bandages has to say about the gaabiin “The lower bark of the Carbeen tree looks like crocodile skin – it is formed into little squares or blocks (known as ‘tessellated bark’) This bark is dark grey and grows up to 3 metres along the trunk of the tree. Above this, the bark changes abruptly to smooth grey or white bark …”
Like the sandhills here along the Barwon paleochannels the presence of ringtrees & redgums indicate underground water. I haven’t been far into this Qld sandhill due to lack of time but hopefully will walk thru next winter. The property owner is interested in the cultural heritage of this place so I am welcome – which is much appreciated btw. Now that the ‘King & his entourage’ (joke) has travelled all the way from Albany W.A to view the TinTs its possible other academics may also visit? Is there a potential PHD student among the readers of this blog? You don’t have to have an academic background but what Ive learned from writing journal articles is that you need to present a coherent argument & acknowledge your sources of information
It’s interesting how similar the TinTs here in Nth.West NSW are to the Sth.West Qld ones – same host, same guests. (see above) Not sure how far as the crow flies but about 3 hrs drive by road. Only the 2 wilga guests are big mature trees whereas the rosewood & budda are stunted in their crotches. I think they are all about the same age & it’s just the growing conditions that account for the size difference. I am also wondering why you would dig down 9 metres or so to access water in the sandhills rather than walk a few Ks to the Balonne river? Did the river country belong to someone else – the Bigamul perhaps? Was the sandy country more comfortable with better hunting prospects? Imagine what we could learn with university cooperation like the noongar had with UWA?
