Tilligerry Peninsula

Tanilba Bay

2011-07-16T23:40:00.000-07:00

Tanilba Bay

So what it about this stunning piece of Port Stephens that I love so much?

All of it!

From the magnificent gates

'The Water Gate' with the bollards from H.M.A.S Sydney

and

'The Entrance Gates'

which were built by unemployed workers during the Depression

to commemorate the centenary in 1931 of the land grant to the Caswells,

To the unique, and sometimes confusing,

layout of the township itself

being based on Walter Burley Griffin's plan for Canberra with a central

'Avenue of the Allies'

which all roads radiate from,

which simply means all roads go round!

Koala in a local street

The streets remind us of WW1 veterans with names like Diggers Drive. Navy Nook

Convict built Tanilba house, 1837, was the home of William Caswell who was granted 50 acres in 1831 for his service in the Napoleonic wars.

and so we also have such as President Wilson Walk, Poilus Parade and Clemenceau Crescent

The name means "place of white flowers" and we are blessed with the sight of Flannel Flowers growing wild and heralding in another season.

and our numerous wild flowers that make every season special

Tanilba House

2011-05-28T05:11:00.000-07:00

Tanilba House was built in 1831 by Lt William Caswell employing convict labour. A small gaol and an exterior kitchen are reminders of the days of convicts and servants.

In 1834 he planted a vineyard at Tanilba on ten acres around the house. He was possibly one of the first vignerons in the Hunter Valley and did well with his harvest. This was followed by neighbours in the Raymond Terrace district, who also did well with wines. (Paddle, 1992, p.13).

The growing family were on good terms with the local Aborigines whose children played with their own. However, there numbers soon diminished as they did throughout the colony. Emily Caswell wrote in 1841:

When we first came here all around we saw nothing but the blacks' fires and canoes, but now only a dozen are left of our tribes...they bring fish and oysters for flour...our blacks are harmless inoffensive people...their children are stout and spend half their day in the sea...each tribe had land allotted...they used to fight among themselves very often and had 'corroborys' - jumping up and down; and mourning by smearing themselves with white clay, saying [enigmatically] "Die - jump up white man".

Constructed of quartz porphyry stone which was quarried nearby. The mortar came from lime produced by burning oysters.Featuring 1/2 metre thick walls, high ceilings and large rooms with exhibits to suggest what life was like during our country's past.

The house has numerous and genuinely interesting historic displays. There are letters written by the Caswells, dressmaker's dummies adorned with delicate dresses and underwear from the late nineteenth century, old newspapers and crockery, antique furnishings and presses, a remarkable book collection with items dating back to the 17th century, and other memorabilia.

Open to the public on SUNDAYS and WEDNESDAYS

between 10.30 and 4.30. Other days are available by appointment.

Entry is $9.50 Adult, $2.00 for children under 15, Under 5's are free. Family ticket $20

This includes Coffee, tea or a soft drink.

Devonshire teas and light lunches are available and are best enjoyed on the beautiful wide verandahs or snuggled around the fire in the drawing room.


The Temple

Ideal wedding venue and very popular!

Contact Helen Taylor on (02) 4982 4866

Port Stephens Visitors Centre on (02) 4981 1579

*Unsupervised children will be put in gaol and sold as slaves*

LOOK OUT KOALAS ABOUT

2011-05-10T04:20:00.000-07:00

LOOK OUT KOALAS ABOUT

The Hunter Koala Preservation Society has called on the RTA to install more wildlife crossing signs along Nelson Bay Road.
The group says too many koalas are being hit by cars, and the signs would go a long way to saving lives.

Watch the video for a look at a successful release.

Happenings

2011-05-06T04:33:00.000-07:00

WHAT HAPPENS AT THE HABITAT

Environment, Gallery & Information Centre

is welcoming to tourists and shoppers.

Nursery is open for sales and is training in seed collection and propagation

Tourism provides eco-tours and hospitality tours. Overseas visitors can see koalas in the wild and learn about the Australian bush.

Site includes boardwalks, is continually being improved and maintained by volunteers.

Office is busy keeping up with paper work needed for our activities and keeping the members up to date with happenings.

Regular Activities

Creative Art: Wednesday 9.30am-12

Nursery Potting: Tuesday 9am to 12

Community BBQ; 3^rd Sunday of the month 12 noon

Community Garden; every Thursday 8.30am

Nature Watch: Every 2^nd Saturday

Other Activities

Fund Raisers and Social Activities: These are many and varied but most of all fun, enjoyable, educational or a celebration.

Tilligerry Habitat

2011-04-01T08:22:00.000-07:00

Tilligerry Habitat Association is a non-profit, community association with objectives of education, conservation and job creation. It is aiming to be a centre of excellence. The Tilligerry Habitat Tours & Activity Centre have Advanced Accreditation for the National Eco Tourism Accreditation Program.

The following areas are a sample of some of the projects that have been undertaken or are currently underway:

Boardwalk construction
Interpretive map creation
Koala condition monitoring
Monitoring the flora and fauna of the Tilligerry Peninsula (especially frogs, birds and orchids)
Coordinating volunteer efforts

The association was formed in 1993 and looks after an area of just under 15 hectares on the foreshores of Port Stephens between Tanilba and Mallabula. Thousands of volunteer hours have gone into projects in the Tilligerry habitat; it is an amazing local community venture.

The site is being restored after the damage caused by mineral extraction some 30 years ago.

It has a large diversity of fauna and flora, with delightful existing and evolving sectors coming into play. Throughout the project, ownership by the community of the Tilligerry habitat has been central to the goals of the association.

The Straw Bale House consists of bales placed between two timber plates, held together by strands of wire that are tightened to give the top plate a level sufficient to allow for the placement of the roofing timbers. Bird wire was spread over the walls externally and internally, and then cement plastered with an earthen red ochre. The effect is quite outstanding. The wall is the width of a straw bale. The construction is cool in summer and warm in winter and has become the venue for other projects on the Tilligerry habitat.

http://tilligerryhabitat.wordpress.com/recent-events/

http://lemontreepassage.nsw.au/

Tilligerry Habitat Association inc

2011-03-26T10:07:00.000-07:00

Tilligerry Habitat Reserve & Environment Centre

Eco-tourism, passive recreation and education.

Situated on the south-western shore of Port Stephens, the Tilligerry Peninsula is just 2 1/2 hours from Sydney and 45 minutes from Newcastle and Nelson Bay.

The Tilligerry Habitat is a tranquil, 9 hectare Reserve bordered by a variety of park lands and the picturesque foreshore of Tanilba Bay. Its diverse flora and fauna make it an excellent place to observe and study nature.

The network of scenic paths and boardwalks, over mostly flat terrain, make it accessible and enjoyable for people of all ages. Much of the area is wheelchair friendly. The Reserve includes forests, heath and wetlands and is home a variety of fauna including; koalas, a range of birds and seven species of frogs.

Other features of the Reserve include a straw-bale building that is our Environmental Centre. It contains an Arts and Crafts Gallery and has space for audio/visual presentations and small functions. It has a large deck looking out across the reserve where filtered water views of the bay may be seen through the swamp mahogany forest. Next door to the Environmental Centre is our Native Plant Nursery where visitors can buy native plants and learn about native plant propagation, rehabilitation of sand-mined land and plant rescue activities.

Tilligerry Habitat Centre

HISTORY

Tilligerry Habitat State Reserve Trust was gazetted in 1996, Tilligerry Habitat Association Inc. being the trustees. The site (9.6Ha) was mined for rutile and other heavy minerals 1965-68 and then abandoned without

rehabilitation only seeding with Rhodes grass. From 1996, poor regrowth and serious erosion have been tackled by a rehabilitation and maintenance programme. Together with the adjacent coastal strip, it is now possible to experience a sample of the rich biodiversity of the Tilligerry on footpaths through bush, dune, freshwater streams and koala habitat swamp mahogany forest by the sea.

Tilligerry Habitat Association Inc (THA) was created in 1995 to rehabilitate and care for the land. It is a not-for- profit, community, voluntary association with a triple bottom line of conservation, social and economic

responsibilities.

ENVIRONMENT CENTRE

The Centre provides facilities to run the organisation with an airy meeting room, office, horticulture room and

workshop. Many features of ‘environmentally sensitive building’ are demonstrated in this award winning building which is a single storey, load-bearing straw bale construction (well insulated walls using a renewable, low intrinsic energy material) lying on an east-west axis. Visual impact is minimised by the low building line, natural colourings (evening sun on water and trees) and landscaping with local native plants.

The meeting room not only provides facilities for members and visitors but also features displays such as nature, history and art of the Tilligerry. Art, craft and books are available for sale.

NATIVE NURSERY

A Nursery provides facilities for volunteers to raise local native plants to rehabilitate the Habitat and sell to wholesalers and the public. A seed raising house, shade house, open benches and a watering system are used in the production of tubestock from seeds and cuttings. Many plants have also come from several plant rescue programmes in conjunction with Port Stephens Council before bushland is destroyed by development. Large, slow growing plants of commercial and replanting potential such as Macrozamias (Burrawang), Xanthorrhoeas (Grass Trees) and Doryanthes (Gymea lilies) are transferred and potted for stabilisation before sale. Low growing and ground cover plants have also been successfully rescued, over 3,000 last year, before planting on site or selling.

Financially, totally independent, THA relies on huge voluntary contributions of time and expertise from members and community work programmes to provide services, generate and sell products as well as raising grants from government, corporations and other philanthropic sources. All have been essential contributors.

The Centre and environs are used to develop interests and friendships both in structured groups and informal

gatherings. Accessibility is provided for the mobility challenged.