Europeans have had such a profound impact upon Australia’s environment that it can be very hard to determine what plants and animals existed in any particular area before colonisation. This is especially the case in Sydney’s suburbs; ground zero, in many respects, for the extinction – local if not national – of animal species that makes Australia an unenviable world leader.
Mammals have undoubtedly been the hardest hit by the triple impact of rapacious hunting, habitat clearing and predation from introduced species – cats, dogs and foxes. Ringtailed possums are obvious survivors on the North Shore, but long gone are the eastern quoll and the brush-tailed rock wallaby. Bandicoots were common in Neutral Bay in the 1860s but not by the 1930s.
Some fauna lists have been compiled for or by NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, but these typically depend on current sightings or reports extending back perhaps 50 years.
Nineteenth century newspapers or memoirs spanning that period are a fascinating source of information on the animals of an area, and the cause of their demise. Hunting for fun was widespread through the 1800s, and the slaughter began early on. In June 1828 the Monitor noted that one ‘sportsman on a day’s excursion to the North Shore shot eight wallabies’. In 1886, another paper reported that thousands of parrots were flocking from Milsons Point to Gore Hill and that at least 175 were shot from one tree at Crows Nest in a morning. These were probably lorikeets, for the writer noted their love of nectar made them oblivious to the presence of hunters. Lorikeets are still common, thankfully, due in large part to the provision of grevilleas and banksias in private gardens, offsetting the dramatic loss of natural habitat.
The bronze wing pigeon was another bird which flocked in vast numbers. They are less frequently seen these days. Thousands were trapped for pigeon shooting competitions in the late 1800s. Habitat loss has probably affected these seedeaters more profoundly than lorikeets.
Popular names have changed. Eastern whipbirds were once called ‘coachmen’ for obvious reasons. Wattle birds were known as gill birds in the late 19th century and, earlier still, the wattled bee-eater. An area near the suspension bridge at Cammeray was called ‘Gill-bird Ground’, presumably because of their abundance there.
As late as 1885, one regular commentator on ‘North Shore’ matters wrote of the natural wonders beyond the town of St Leonards – now North Sydney. Then, on the western side of the settlement, was the still forested Berry Estate. To the north was Cammeray, still largely uncleared, and to the east Neutral Bay and Cremorne which remained wooded.
“…The bush is alive with gill-birds, parrots, quail, thrush, ‘coachmen’ and honeysuckers.” (Freeman’s Journal, 16 May 1885).
The birds referred to here were probably brown or painted button quail and the grey shrike thrush. ‘Honeysuckers’ were certainly honeyeaters, of which several species might have been found locally: the new holland, the white-eared, and the eastern spinebill among them.
Historical Services, North Sydney Council.
