This year marks the 30th anniversary of North Sydney Council’s Bushcare program. Over three decades, volunteers and staff have transformed 12 public reserves, turning weed-invested rubbish dumps into flourishing bushlands.
Bush regeneration emerged in the 1960s from the work of Mosman residents Joan and Eileen Bradley, who pioneered the systemised approach that we know today.
Inspired by the Bradley sisters, North Sydney residents started their own local bush regeneration which was formalised as a council program in 1993.
The outstanding work of Bushcare is thanks to many passionate volunteers, like George Barbouttis, who has volunteered for nearly 30 years.
George recalls that when he joined, bushland was treated almost like a rubbish dump. Now people are taking a lot more care of the environment, he says. “The landscape is a completely different picture, with the Cremorne Point path a showcase for our city.
“You can just listen to the birds, with so many new species coming back to the bush. It’s just fantastic.”
In recent years, Bushcare has celebrated the return of a number of species to North Sydney’s bushland reserves, including the Swamp Wallaby (Wallabia bicolor), the Long-nosed Bandicoot (Perameles nasuta), the Superb Lyrebird (Menura novaehollandiae) and the Australian Brush Turkey (Alectura lathami).
George said what keeps him going is the satisfaction of being able to improve on the work of the previous meeting.
“One thing is you’re always learning about the bush, and the bush is always changing with the environment and the seasons. So it’s a great learning experience.”
But it’s not just personal satisfaction and joy that keeps George coming back, but also the knowledge that his work will benefit future generations.
“It’s not for me,” he said. “I’ve got grandchildren and I want to leave a better place for them. I won’t see the trees that we plant now grow up, but my grandchildren will.”
To find out more, visit the Stanton Library exhibition Bushcare: Celebrating 30 Years in May.
Historical Services, North Sydney Council.