The Maffra Diversion Weir.

Prior to this weir being built in 1954, the Macalister River below Lake Glenmaggie was still in a largely natural state, with deep pools, shallows, and sandbars, and home to thriving populations of Tupong, River Blackfish, Short-finned Eels and other native fish. With the weir effectively preventing upstream migration, the Tupong in particular suffered, and in subsequent years virtually disappeared from this reach. Tupong spawn in the estuaries, and juvenile fish then make their way upstream to populate suitable habitat. The West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority is doing excellent work coordinating environmental flows down the Macalister to suit the spawning habits of various species of native fish, and a recurring item at meetings of the Environmental Water Advisory Group has been the need for a fish passage at the weir to once again allow upstream migration of these fish.  Happily the Victorian Government has agreed to fund the fishway, and on the eleventh of August, 2022, the Water Minister, Harriet Shing  visited the weir to announce the funding.

The project will be overseen jointly by the WGCMA, and Southern Rural Water who control the weir. This will allow a further thirty four kilometres of the Macalister to once again be home to Tupong and other native fish that move along the river.

A few kilometres upstream from the weir lies Bellbird Corner Riverside Reserve, where for twenty years a small group of volunteers has been revegetating former grazing land and restoring habitat for native flora and fauna. The return of these native fish to this stretch of the river will be another step in the important process of restoring the natural ecosystem of this beautiful small riverside reserve.

With the early onset of winter invertebrate subjects for the camera have been conspicuous by their absence, so it’s time for something else. The garden was first established forty six years ago, and correas were among the first plantings, with reflexa, decumbens, and red and cream forms of glabra. Others followed over the years but these were the most long lived, the cream form of glabra is in fact still going strong, as was the red form until recently. Correas are a nectar source relished by honeyeaters, and the cross pollination they accomplish has resulted in hybrid seedlings of many types appearing, in many cases far from the parent plants.

Correa reflexa x decumbens with Eastern Spinebill.

Many seedlings have germinated in a raised bed twenty five metres from the parent plants, and one was found beside the road four times that distance away. The number one suspect involved in the dispersal of seed would have to be the introduced Common Blackbird, dropping and covering them as it forages for food. It can be seen from obvious parentage that seeds have been in the sandy soil of the raised beds for a number of years before germinating, and also of significance is that generally speaking, these seedling plants have proved to be exceptionally hardy, thriving without the need for watering as required by those planted from containers. The hardiest form of Correa reflexa has been this hairy leaved form from the Mottle Range north of Wairewa, East Gippsland, and would be involved in many of the hybrids.

This seedling that germinated between this reflexa and the cream glabra has grown into a shapely shrub 1.6 metres tall and when in full flower is very attractive.

Another that sprang up beneath the glabra and is entangled in it has a deeper colour.

A hybrid that has Dusky Bells in its makeup.

A cutting grown plant in heavier soil is now an open shrub a metre tall with slightly squatter flowers in good numbers.

Another very attractive one that appeared close by at the same time.

One with decumbens in its makeup, sprang up twenty five metres from the parent.

A seedling close to where the red glabra grew, now a robust shrub.

To conclude, two white and green flowered plants, thirty metres apart, both growing happily at the base of large shrubs, seemingly unaffected by the competition for water.