Bushcare

Group working bees

Meet at the Gums Oval car park prior to starting time.(Go thru ticket office, turn left, turn left again – you can see the cars from the ticket office.) Every Tuesday and Friday 8.30am to 10.30am all year round from 1/3/2016. (8.00am in February 2016). 3rd Saturday of each Month 9.00 am to 11.00 am. (March 19. April 16. May 21, June 18, July 16, August 20, September 17, October 15, November 19, December 17)

This activity often includes removing weeds requiring a variety of techniques. These include:

• Hand pulling
• Ring barking
• Poisoning - when all else fails
• Overall spray
• Frilling and filling with poison
• Biological control

Adopt a block

Following training, why not form a small group and register to keep a block free of weeds after weeds have been removed by group working bees. It is essential to follow up to eliminate any weed regrowth.... Free training!

Plant propagation for restoration

Monthly Meetings

Meetings are held each month (except January) are free and open to the Public and will be held at the Volunteer Centre, at the intersection of The Valley Road and Saddle Hill Road, commencing at 1:00pm. Entry of your vehicle to the Park will be free if you mention to the person at the Park Ticket Office that you will be attending the Meeting. Meetings usually commence with a guest speaker-subjects are usually related to the environment but with other topics of interest from time to time. A FoBNP General Meeting follows the speaker and includes reports on various aspects of our work. See the Link on the left for dates and details on the meetings. Visitors are very welcome to stay on for the meeting after the talk.

Annual General Meeting

The Annual General Meeting is usually programmed on the first Saturday in February unless there is a total fire ban and then it is held on the first Saturday in March. It will be held in the Volunteer Centre, at the intersection of The Valley Road and Saddle Hill Road, commencing at 1:00pm. The AGM is open to all members and the Public in general. At the meeting elections are held for the members of the new Committee. The AGM will be followed immediately by the general meeting. At the conclusion of this meeting there will be a presentation of years of service Awards followed by afternoon tea. Note that free entry of your vehicle to the Park will be allowed on advising the Park Attendant at the ticket office that you will be attending the Meeting.

Nature walks/strolls

These walks are free and and the Public is invited. They are held on the 4th Tuesday of the month between April and November and are aimed at viewing native plants that are currently in flower. Ask at the Ticket Office, Belair National Park for free vehicle entry at 1.45 pm for a 2.00 pm start. The 2016 dates are April 26th, May 24th, June 28th, July 26th, August 23rd, September 27th, October 25th and November 22nd.

Significant Trees

A group of our members have carried out a significant tree identification program. This includes trees which are significant because of their beauty or have historical meaning. Some of the trees are now on the "National Trusts of Australia Register of Significant Trees. A Significant Tree Register web page has been allocated to this activity

Special Events

125th Birthday for Belair National Park in 2016

Event	Date	Details
Belair 125th Anniversary Launch	13 March	Launching the Belair 125th Anniversary in Parks Week 2016 - discover the secret Belair on a guided bus tour and enjoy Devonshire tea at Old Government House. Free entry. Visit the Volunteer Centre and grab a cup of tea and talk to a Volunteer about the work done in the Park.
Guided Walks	26 April, 24 May, 28 June, 23 August, 27 September and 25 October	Learn more about the natural and cultural features of the park. Free entry for participants only.
Grey Box Day	1 May	Celebrate the natural values of Belair National Park on Grey box Day. Purchase your Backyard for Wildlife plants and walk or ride with a ranger to discover our natural wonders! Free entry
SA History Festival Walks	15, 22 and 29 May	Step back in time and enjoy guided heritage walks in the park to significant and fascinating sites. Free entry for participants only
Cubby Town	21-22 July	Get creative and join us in building the state's biggest cubby town. Free entry.
Belair Open Day	11 September	Join in with ranger led family activities, free guided tours and refreshment vendors. Free entry.
Belair National Park Birthday	3 December	A birthday gift to visitors, enjoy the park for free and celebrate the park’s birthday. Free entry.

Please contact Tina Gallasch (08) 8178 0688 for start times and meeting places.

SA History Festival - celebrates the 125th Birthday of Belair National Park

As this year is the 125th Anniversary of the formation of Belair National Park, the Friends will be taking part in the Festival with three walks, arranged by Ron & Pam Tamblyn, as part of the History Walks Program - May 2016. Belair National Park became South Australia’s first national park (and Australia’s second) when it was gazetted on the 19th December 1891.

The walks will be:

• Sunday May 15: The Heart of the Park: Meet at the Old Government House car park at 1.30pm. This walk is now fully booked out.
• Sunday May 22: The Northern Precinct: Meet on the southern platform Belair Railway Station at 1.30pm. The building of the railway through the hills in the 1880s as important for the Belair area. Join a heritage walk focusing on the significance of the railway in the development of the National Park, including the Plantation and the Hawthorn Maze adjacent to the Railway Station. This walk has a few vacancies remaining.
• Sunday May 29: The Main Oval Precinct: - Meet Main Oval Pavilion, Belair National Park at 1.30pm. Belair National Park was gazetted as South Australia's first National Park in 1981. This year celebrates its 125th Anniversary. The walk reveals the early development of the Park, focusing on the Main Oval, the Oval's Pavilion and surrounds. Some of the Precinct's hidden history will be revealed. This walk still has many vacancies remaining.

Walks are from 1.30-3pm - gold coin donation.

Tina Gallasch, (0417 870 596 or friendsofbelairpark@msn.com) is managing bookings for our walks from early April for these walks. Bookings are essential.

More information on these and other History Festival events will be in the printed program available at local libraries, the History Festival website or the History Festival app from April.

Friends of Belair National Park Birthday

The birthdate of the Friends of Belair National Park was 19th December 1985. In 2015 we were 30 years old.

Professor Sir John Cleland Memorial Walk in Belair National Park

Prior to the formation of the Department of the Environment in the seventies the National Park at Belair was run by a group of Commissioners. Professor Sir John Cleland was Deputy Chairman for five years from 1931 and was Chairman from 1936-1956. During this period of office, Cleland undertook the self-imposed task of inspecting Belair National Park on foot, during the period between Christmas and New Year's Day. It was his purpose to assess the management of the park, in relation to weeds, firebreaks, fencing and anything else that came to his attention, so that he could advise park staff more specifically as to how they could best discharge their duties. While regular inspections with the other Commissioners generally occurred within Belair, John Clelend at this time set out to walk around its boundaries.

It is this action of his that the Friends of Belair National Park seek to commemorate with the Professor Sir John Cleland Memorial Walk. By doing so it is hoped to draw attention to the history of Belair National Park, and the role of one highly significant person in the managing, developing and appreciation of this Park.