Landholders working on Rehabilitation of Wether Station Creek

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The Wether Station Creek catchment extends from the township of Balhannah, 30km East of Adelaide, North West towards the Kenneth Stirling Conservation Park.  It is about a 7 square kilometre sub-catchment within the Onkaparinga River catchment in the Mount Lofty Ranges.  The Ranges are east of Adelaide, the capital city of the State of South Australia in Australia.  MAP of the catchment.

The Project Stage 1 area includes properties and buildings with much history.  In 1855 Thomas Pugh owned Sections 4041 and 4042 and called the property "Wether Station".  The name was thereafter generally applied to the locality and includes much of the area of the Stage 1 project.  Mr Pugh was listed in the 1854 SA Almanac as a builder and he built a cottage (now Wether Station) and a barnhouse (formally 'The Folly' now 'Pugh's Barnhouse').  He became the State's largest apple producer and in 1903 sold the property to Joseph Catton Grasby, owner of the neighbouring "Glengyle" orchard property and jam factory.

Glen Eden was also part of the Grasby "Glengyle" property from 1877.  Grasby Road which runs through the SE part of the catchment was named after the Grasby family as was the Grasby Memorial Park.

Catchment Group Profile

In 2007 a group of 6 landholders in the catchment came together to start some planned work on improving the creek landscape and environment by controlling woody weeds, fencing the creek lines to exclude stock grazing and revegetating to redevelop habitats.  The group is informally collaborating for the project work with the assistance of the Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resource Management Board.  Funding for the work includes a grant from the Commonwealth Government Envirofund, and contributions from the Board funded from Landholder levies and the from landholders themselves.

A Stage 2 proposal and application for a grant was developed on behalf of another 8 landholders and submitted to the Commonwealth Government 'Caring for our Country' grants scheme in 2008 but was unsuccessful.  The Stage 2 proposal was redrafted for possible funding support in the 2009-2010 year.  We have again been 'reserve' listed for funding if extra funds become available.  In the mean time some work will continue with a small State Community NRM Grant and with the Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges NRM Board support.  Currently, 10 properties have some project activity underway.

The landholder Group and supporters meet periodically to discuss the project, plan the next work and generally socialise over a BBQ.

Contact Information

Telephone

 08 83884206

Email:

berm00@tpg.com.au

 

Postal address

PO Box 288, Balhannah, SA 5242 Australia

About Wether Station Creek Catchment

Last modified: November 22, 2009