Publications

Welcome to Mingoola, a pastoral border region situated on the western slopes at the base of the Great Dividing Range, halfway between Tenterfield, NSW and Texas, QLD. This handy pocket-sized, brochure, authored by Janet White with graphic design by Kerry Hardy (BlackSheep Studio) and many of the ph...
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It takes less than one rabbit per hectare to prevent the successful regeneration of many of our common native trees and shrubs.  This means that many rabbit-infested patches of remnant native vegetation can't sustain themselves naturally and are therefore in slow decline - but unfortunately thi...
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Trees can be put to many uses on the farm. For example they can be used for:  protection for pastures, crops and stock,  erosion control,  woodlots for timber and firewood,  forage for stock,  pollen and nectar sources for bees, and habitat for birds and animals whic...
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Growing plants on the Granite Belt can be difficult due to prolonged winter frosts, drying summer sun and drought. Despite this, the Granite Belt is noted for it attractive bush and wildflowers. With patience, understanding and time, it is possible to grow native plants successfully in your garden a...
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Many native plant species can be grown from seed with little or no effort. Always ensure seeds collected are fresh, mature, insect free and disease free. Ensure the fruiting body has dried fully, and the seeds have been completely released from it. This guide gives an overview of germinating seed, ...
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This two page table is intended to give you some idea of the Granite or Traprock habitats in which our local native plants like to grow. It should be viewed as a guide only. Free to download:...
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Soil & water are the two most important assets on any farm.  They are the basis of good crop production.  More and more growers are realising that a biological or organic approach is needed in managing these natural assets.  This is because soil carbon, minerals, water and soil bi...
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For most farms in Australia, agricultural chemicals are essential to ensure productive crops and a profitable business.  These chemicals include fertilisers, herbicides, pesticides and fungicides.  However long term use of some of these conventional inputs can lead to problems on your farm...
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Plant protection is all about managing your whole farm in such a way that the likelihood of pest and disease occurrence is reduced. Pest damage has impacts on yields and inputs, both time and money.  Increasing chemical resistance, rising costs, growing concerns in the market place over residu...
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A key feature of Biological Farming principles is the underlying view of the soil as a living system, which the farmer in harmony with nature, should seek to develop.  We all know that the information is out there, but finding it is not always easy.  Hopefully, this fact sheet will help yo...
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The arresting golds and yellows of wattle blooms bring pleasure over winter and spring on the Granite Belt.  Here, wattles are plentiful and diverse.  The region is part of what is known as the MacPherson-Macleay overlap, one of three primary centres of wattle species richness in Australia...
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The beautiful and diverse Shire of Tenterfield is a haven for birdlife with more than 230 species of native birds having been recorded.  The Shire straddles the Great Dividing Range with elevations ranging from 115m on the Clarence River to 1491m atop Big Mount Spirabo, creating many different ...
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This is the first of a series of companion books to the comprehensive Flora of the Granite Belt published by the Stanthorpe Rare Wildflower Consortium in 2018. Published in 2020, this book of 221 pages describes 33 Eucalypts, two Angophora and one Corymbia found in the region.  Full of colour ...
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The Regent Honeyeater is a striking black and yellow bird endemic to mainland south-eastern Australia.  Its scientific name – Anthochaera Phrygia – means ‘embroidered flower-fancier’, and its beautifully patterned plumage certainly lives up to this name. This A4 size, 3...
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This double, trifold brochure is the ideal 'carry-with-you' companion to "Saving the REGENT HONEYEATER - A Conservation and Management Guide". I has a brief Introduction to the Regent Honeyeater along with Habitat, Population Decline, Common Misidentifications, How to find a REGENT, Colour Banding,...
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Wild deer are priority pests across NSW because of their significant impact on landholders and the environment. Six introduced deer species have established populations in NSW with expanding ranges. There are no restrictions for you as a landholder to control deer on your property. This Fact Shee...
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The first Europeans to traverse the Granite Belt area included explorer Allan Cunningham and his party. Cunningham was not only an explorer, but also a noted botanist. His diary entry  written in the area between Mt Norman and Bald Rock records: “With large detached masses of granite, o...
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Woodland habitats are rich areas supporting a diverse set of bird species with over 33% of Australia’s land bird species associated with these areas.  The high profile Swift Parrot and Regent Honeyeater are just two of these species that depend on woodland areas. This 68 page, pocket siz...
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Wildflowers of the Granite Belt, is a photographic guide to some of the diverse wildflower species you may encounter in the Granite Belt region.  This 3rd Edition, published by the Rare Wildflower Consortium, Stanthorpe, it is a 48 page booklet with over 320 colour photographs covering a divers...
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Over the past 10 to 15 years fertiliser prices have increased significantly and the livestock grazier’s ability to pay has decreased. There is also the perception that the traditional fertiliser usage is not giving the response in both pasture and livestock growth rates that the graziers have ...
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Common or Indian mynas are native to India and southern Asia. They are popular birds in their source countries as crop pest control agents and as symbols of undying love associated with their habit of pairing for life. Common mynas are now widespread throughout eastern Australia from western Victor...
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African lovegrass (Eragrostis curvula) has been in Australia for more than 100 years. Many different types were introduced from Africa, where it was considered to be a useful pasture species with good soil conservation characteristics. Its impact as a major weed has increased dramatically in the pas...
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Australia has its own unique, native dung beetle fauna ideally adapted to feeding on the dry fibrous pellets of marsupials found in forest and woodland habitats.  Few native species have any impact on the dispersal of cattle dung in paddocks.  Unburied, this cattle dung fouls pastures, loc...
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This 320 page publication prepared by Mark Leech is intended for general use to assist public knowledge and discussion and to help improve the development of sustainable regions. The Australian honeybee industry provides essential benefits to the agricultural and horticultural sector through manage...
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It is common for wild dogs to be present in an area but go unnoticed or unrecognised.  No matter what colour a free-roaming dog is, if it is not your dog it should be considered a wild dog.  There are several indicators that suggest that wild dogs might be present in an area.  Read th...
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The cane toad is native to Central and South America and is a member of the ‘true toads’ (family Bufonidae)1. Cane toads have dry, yellow-brown, warty skin and large distinctive lumps (known as parotoid glands) behind the head. Cane toads naturally generate potent toxins (bufodienolides)...
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Feral pigs in Australia descend from domestic swine, but look more similar to Eurasia’s wild boar than their domestic counterparts. They tend to have sparse, coarse hair on lean and muscular frames, well-developed necks and shoulders that taper to short hindquarters. Colouration is predominant...
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Feral cats live, hunt and reproduce in the wild.  They are the same species as domestic cats but differ in how and where they live rather than any true biological differences.  Feral cats have the body shape, acute senses and fine coordination perfectly suited for stalking and capturing pr...
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Although 3 colour morphs (red, silver or black and cross) are generally recognised worldwide, the red morph is most common in Australia.  In general, throat and abdomen are white, lower legs and ears are black and a bushy tail is tipped in white.  This animal exhibits a wide geographic and...
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Transformed from a weed and rabbit infested, degraded landscape to an evolving native environment, Tenterfield Park is on its way to displaying a wide range of ecological communities indigenous to the Northern New England Region. This brochure gives a quick overview of the park, its history, and ho...
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Prepared by Mole Station Native Nursery, A Guide to the Propagation of Native Plants gives a short introduction to the subject, covering Propagation by Seed, Propagation by Cutting, and Propagation by Grafting, as well as tips on Seed Collection. Available from our office. Free to download:...
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If you are new to, or contemplating, a rural lifestyle on the NSW Northern Tablelands and maybe thinking of keeping a few farm animals, then this Resource Kit will have something of interest for you.  It covers topics such as Buying rural land, Natural resources, Land uses, Pests and weeds, and...
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Wildflowers of the Granite Belt, is a photographic guide to some of the diverse wildflower species you may encounter in the Granite Belt region.  Published by the Rare Wildflower Consortium, Stanthorpe, it is a 20 page booklet with over 180 colour photographs covering a diverse range of plant f...
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South-eastern Australia's climate and vast areas of forest and grasslands make it one of the most bushfire-prone regions on the earth.  The rapid increase in population of NSW over the last two centuries has changed the landscape for fire.  Deliberately or accidentally, people start many m...
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When Europeans created open pastures and introduced cattle, sheep and horses into Australia, they produced a new environment which few native dung insects were able to use.  In particular the soft, moist dung pads of cattle were quite different to the fibrous, pellet-like droppings of native ma...
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