Growing support for Green Gully
By Gabrielle Anderson

The Green Gully Appeal has attracted enthusiastic support from a wide range of individuals and organisations.

The ultimate aim of the appeal is to raise the funds necessary to purchase the last remaining stronghold of the endangered Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby.

A rugged and spectacular wilderness area in the Macleay Gorges area, Green Gully is currently a privately owned property. The Macleay Gorges are the habitat for an estimated 85% of the entire population of Brush-tailed Rock Wallabies (Petrogale penicillata) in NSW. (Click here for more information.)

It also provides refuge to an incredible variety of other threatened wildlife including Glossy Black Cockatoo, Spotted-tailed Quoll, Masked Owl and Bent-wing bat.

It was concern for this wilderness and its threatened flora and fauna that prompted the North Shore Group of the Australian Plant Society to donate the proceeds of their annual raffle to the appeal. Alec Fisher, treasurer of the Australian Plant Society, said the society first became aware of the appeal after reading an article in the Sydney Morning Herald. They made further enquiries, and soon found that the appeal was very close to their own objectives in terms of ecology and the protection of habitats.

The raffle was run during the August Festival of Wildflowers held at the delightful Ku-ring-gai Wildflower Gardens at St Ives. Fisher said the raffle received strong support both from community groups and the public. Despite the fact that it was run over only one weekend, the raffle raised almost $500.

One of the central aims of the Society is the preservation and conservation of Australian plants. The 13,000 hectares of Green Gully contains several old growth eco-systems as well as a World Heritage listed dry rainforest. Threatened flora in the area include Grevillea beadleana, Hakea fraseri, and Eucalyptus michaeliana.

The Wonderland Conservation Foundation has donated $7,500 towards the purchase of the crucial Green Gully habitat. The Wonderland Sydney Theme Park and its Australian Wildlife Park are well known and loved by families across Sydney. The Wonderland Conservation Foundation is dedicated to the conservation and study of rare and endangered species. It is conducting a vigorous fundraising appeal to save the Rock-wallabies. Half of the funds raised go to the Green Gully appeal while the other half funds the new rock-wallaby education display at the Australian Wildlife Park.

The Australian Geographic Society has been another generous supporter of the appeal. Every year a portion of the profits from the popular Australian Geographic Stores and the Australian Geographic journal is given to the Society. The Society supports a very wide range of projects, including wildlife protection. Tiane McCormick, Marketing Co-ordinator for the society, said the Green Gully Appeal was clearly the sort of project the Australian Geographic Society aimed to support. The $2,000 donation from the Society will certainly help achieve its aim of supporting wildlife protection.

Renowned wilderness photographer Henry Gold has also lent his support to the appeal through the donation of photographs. Henry acted as honorary photographer during the recent trip to Green Gully led by Keith Muir, Director of the Colong Foundation for Wilderness.

Grass Trees in Green Gully. Photo Henry Gold

Henry's inspiring photograph of the Apsley Valley, within the Macleay Gorges, features in the appeal publicity. The photographer has been a long-term supporter of the environment movement in Australia.

Soon after arriving in Sydney in 1955, Henry joined the Sydney Bushwalkers' Club. Since then his work as a photographer has raised awareness of our spectacular wilderness areas, and is now helping to preserve the unique Green Gully wilderness. If you wish to purchase one of Henry's stunning Green Gully images contact Henry Gold Photography on (Australia) 61 (0)2 9451 3041. Many of his photographs can be viewed at the Colong Foundation web site.

In July 2003 the Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby was listed as endangered in NSW. Habitat loss and predation by feral animals have pushed the species towards extinction.

• Read more about the listing and what the scientists say in our news release
• Enter our Green Gully Christmas Raffle

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