Boginderra Hills Nature Reserve is a protected nature reserve situated to the north of Temora, located in the Riverina region of New South Wales in eastern

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. It has an area of 756 hectares.

History

The reserve was formed in 1982 when NSW Parks and Wildlife purchased 551 hectares of mainly forested granite hill, recognising the conservation value of the area. In August 2005, an additional 205 hectares of adjacent and similar hill country were purchased and added to the reserve.

Geology

The reserve covers the Boginderra Hills, which form the main ridge of the Nurraburra Hills. Its highest point rises to 494 metres above sea level. These hills are made of Boginderra Granite, which was formed from cooling magma bodies from deep within the earth. These bodies, known as plutons, then lifted through the crust to their current positions. This occurred around 370 million years ago (in the

Late Devonian The Devonian ( ) is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic era, spanning 60.3 million years from the end of the Silurian, million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Carboniferous, Mya. It is named after Devon, England, wher ...

period). The granites in the Nurraburra Hills are around 77% silicon dioxide (Si02) and 11% aluminum oxide (Al2O3), with a range of other metal oxides present. No mining surveys have been conducted, however drilling has been completed in other hills in the Nurraburra complex which has shown the presence of some rare earth elements, however none in any economic quantity.

Biology

Flora

Plant life is typical of the area, including eucalypt,

callitris ''Callitris'' is a genus of coniferous trees in the Cupressaceae (cypress family). There are 16 recognized species in the genus, of which 13 are native to Australia and the other three (''C. neocaledonica, C. sulcata'' and ''C. p ...

and

acacia ''Acacia'', commonly known as the wattles or acacias, is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa and Australasia. The genus na ...

species (amongst others) covering a range of native shrubs, grasses and ground covers.Vegetation survey of Copperhannia, Barton , Dapper & Boginderra Hills Nature Reserves : report for the National Parks and Wildlife Service - Central West District / Roger Lembit & Nick Skelton, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service Key populations present in the reserve include: *

Tumbledown red gum ''Eucalyptus dealbata'', known as the tumbledown red gum or hill redgum, is a species of small tree that is endemic to eastern Australia. It has mostly smooth, white to grey or brownish bark, lance-shaped to egg-shaped adult leaves, flower bud ...

(''Eucalyptus dealbata''),

red stringybark ''Eucalyptus macrorhyncha'', commonly known as the red stringybark, is a species of medium-sized tree that is endemic to eastern Australia. It has rough, stringy, grey to brown bark, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of between se ...

(''Eucalyptus macrorhyncha'') in the creeklines and areas with deeper soils * Tick bush (''Kunzea sp. D'') and drooping sheoak (''Allocasuarina verticillata'') on the eastern and southern sides where the soil is shallower and rockier * Dwyer's red gum ('' Eucalyptus dwyeri''),

black cypress pine ''Callitris endlicheri'', commonly known as the black cypress pine, is a species of conifer in the family Cupressaceae. It is found only in Australia, occurring in Queensland, New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, and Victoria. ...

(''Callitris endlicheri'') and currawang (''

Acacia doratoxylon ''Acacia doratoxylon'', commonly known as currawang, lancewood, spearwood or coast myall, is a shrub or tree belonging to the genus ''Acacia'' and the subgenus ''Juliflorae'' that is native to eastern and south eastern Australia. Description ...

''), found on rocky soils and exposed aspects. * White box (''Eucalyptus albens'') and yellow box (''Eucalyptus melliodora'') in the north east Kurrajong trees (''Brachychiton populneus'') are interspersed across the reserve There are two plant species of conservation significance in the reserve, ''

Brunonia australis ''Brunonia australis'', commonly known as the blue pincushion or native cornflower, is a perennial or annual herb that grows widely across Australia. It is found in woodlands, open forest and sand plains. In Cronquist's classification scheme ...

'', a small blue-flowering annual, and ''

Mitrasacme paradoxa ''Mitrasacme '' is a genus of plants in the family Loganiaceae. The genus includes 55 species mostly in Australia, though also extending to various parts of Asia and the Pacific Islands. Two species also occur in China. The name comes from the ...

'', a small perennial herb.

Fauna

Animal life is reasonably diverse. Observed species include:

Mammals

* Short-beaked echidna (''Tachyglossus aculeatus'') * Common brushtail possum (''Trichosurus vulpecula'') * Eastern grey kangaroo (''Macropus giganteus'') * Swamp wallaby (''Wallabia bicolor'') * Red-necked wallaby (''Macropus rufogriseus'') No survey targeting bats or small mammals has been undertaken, so no species have yet been recorded.

Birds

At least 65 species have been observed in the reserve, and an additional 69 in the surrounding areas many of which are likely to occur within the reserve. Threatened species recorded include: * Turquoise parrot (''Neophema pulchella'') * Speckled warbler (''Pyrrholaemus sagittatus'') * Brown treecreeper (''Climacteris picumnus'') * Grey-crowned babbler (eastern subspecies) (''Pomatostomus temporalis temporalis'').

Reptiles and amphibians

* Southern shiny-tailed gecko ('' Diplodactylus intermedius'') * Tree dtella ('' Gehyra variegata'') *

Thick-tailed gecko ''Underwoodisaurus milii'' is a species of gecko, a lizard in the family Carphodactylidae. The species is commonly known as the thick-tailed or barking gecko, referring to its distinctive plump tail and sharp, barking defensive call. The gen ...

(''Underwoodisaurus milii'') * Nobbi lashtail ('' Amphibolurus nobbi'') *

Tree-crevice skink The tree-crevice skink or tree skink (''Egernia striolata'') is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Australia and is found in the states of Victoria, the Northern Territory, Queensland, New South Wale ...

(''

Egernia striolata The tree-crevice skink or tree skink (''Egernia striolata'') is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Australia and is found in the states of Victoria, the Northern Territory, Queensland, New Sout ...

'') * Shiny-palmed shining skink (''

Cryptoblepharus carnabyi ''Cryptoblepharus australis'', commonly called the inland snake-eyed skink, is a species of skink in the genus ''Cryptoblepharus''. Pronunciation: KRIP-toe-BLEFF-ah-russ / oss-TRAH-liss Etymology Cryptoblepharus: ‘hidden eyelid’, referrin ...

'')

Human Use

Like many of the surrounding hill areas, the Boginderra Hills may have seen light use by Australian Aborigines for various purposes (though evidence has yet been found). Immediately prior to the formation of the reserve, the land had been used for livestock grazing. Cropping was impossible on the rocky and hilly terrain and so no substantial land clearing had taken place on the hill itself (compared to the plains that surround it). A trigonometric station, called Nurraburra, was placed on the hill by the Central Mapping Authority (now part of NSW Land and Property Information). Since formation of the reserve, human use has been limited to recreational use. No trails have been formed in the reserve and NSW Parks and Wildlife service do not intend to create facilities so as to limit the impact of public visitation on the flora and fauna.

References

External links

* {{Nature reserves of New South Wales , state=autocollapse Nature reserves in New South Wales Riverina 1982 establishments in Australia Protected areas established in 1982