Wallum and Coastal Heathland Study Group

Welcome to the Wallum and Coastal Heathland Study Group

The Wallum and Coastal Heathland Study Group is one of a number of Study Groups within the Australian Native Plants Society (Australia). The Wallum Group is a little different to most other Study Groups in that its interest is a specific vegetation type (coastal ‘Wallum’ heath) rather that a genus or family of plants. The main aim of the Group is to further knowledge about the cultivation, propagation, regeneration and conservation of Wallum/heathland species and habitats. A further aim is to create more awareness of, and interest in, the Wallum and other wildflowers. Members of the Group are mainly keen amateurs with no formal horticultural or botanical knowledge, although a number of professionals in those fields also participate.

The Study Group has been in operation since 1992 and since its inception over 40 newsletters have been issued. Past issues can be downloaded from this site (see the link below).

If you are interested in the cultivation, propagation, conservation and appreciation of Australia’s Wallum flora, why not consider joining and helping to promote these beautiful plants more widely.

Vale Barbara Henderson

On Saturday 27 February 2021, Barbara Henderson passed away. Barbara established the Wallum and Coastal Heathland Study Group in 1992 and was the leader for all those years.

(Photo: Ricinocarpos pinifolius; Brian Walters)

What is Wallum?

The following definition appeared in issue No.1 of the Study Group’s newsletter and was sourced from ‘The Language of Botany’ by C. Debenham:

“Wallum – an area of marshland (coastal lowland) in south-eastern Queensland in which an overlying depth of white sand up to a depth of two feet covers a water-impermeable sandstone up to three feet deep and below which is a water-holding brown sand. In virgin state supports, a wet heath of which Banksia aemula (also called wallum) is dominant, the vegetative cover rarely exceeding a few feet in height.”

Banksia aemula: Wallum Banksia; Photo: Ben Wallcott

The newsletter goes on to state:

“Wallum is flat or gently undulating, with acid sandy soil, usually with a low Ph of 3.5 to 4.5 and a high water table, in the wet season in particular. Soil lacks trace elements and is deficient in nutrients, particularly nitrogen. The unique and spectacular flora is of exceptional interest, being one of the richest plant communities in the world, probably exceeding rainforests in floristic diversity, Many species produce striking flowers and interesting foliage, a fact which has excited the interest of SGAP* members over the years.

The fragile Wallum habitat supports birds, mammals, reptiles and insects, and is very easily damaged or destroyed by the activities of man and beast. SGAP* has an important role to play in fostering community awareness of the enormous value of this fast-disappearing resource.”

Although ‘Wallum’ is generally thought of as a south-east Queensland plant community, coastal heathland in other parts of Australia is similar and both share the same, or related, plant and animal species.

(* SGAP = Society for Growing Australian Plants, now ANPSA)

Join

Membership is available to members of an ANPSA-affiliated Regional Society. If you are not a member of a Regional Society, please refer to the ANPSA Membership Page for further information on joining.

To join the Wallum and Coastal Heathland Study Group, please send a request using the following form (please note that all fields are mandatory* – you may edit the ‘Message’ field if necessary) :

Wallum and Coastal Heathland Study Group Form

Signup form for the Wallum and Coastal Heathland Study Group that sends a notification to the Study Group leader.

Newsletters

The Study Group produces a number of informative newsletters each year documenting reports from the leader and members into cultivation issues, propagation methods, natural occurrences of species found in Wallum and coastal heathland habitats and information on Group meetings and excursions.

Newsletters from Issue 1 onwards are provided here as an archive. (Note: Newsletters are in pdf format and will require a PDF Reader to view them. Free readers include Foxit Reader and Adobe Acrobat Reader). More recent newsletters will be uploaded about a year in arrears, so that current Study Group members have privileged access to current content.

****Click here to access the Newsletters*****

Wallum Resources

These are a few internet and other resources on on Wallum habitat and plant species that might prove useful:

Books:

Carr, Allan (2018), A Field Guide to Native Plants of Bribie Island and nearby coastal South-east Queensland, Caboolture Daytime Branch, Native Plants Queensland.
Elliot W R and Jones D (1990), The Encyclopaedia of Australian Plants, all volumes, Lothian Publishing Company Pty Ltd, Melbourne.
Harrold, Arthur (1994), Wildflowers of the Noosa Cooloola Area: An Introduction to the Trees and Wildflowers of the Wallum, Noosa Parks Association, Queensland
Haslam, Stephanie (2011 – third edition), Noosa’s Native Plants, Noosa Integrated Catchment Association, Queensland.
MacRae, Ian C (1996), Wildflowers of Bribie Island, Bribie Island Environmental Protection Association, Queensland.
McDonald Elizabeth (1980), Wildflowers Of The Wallum, Boolarong Publications, Ascot, Queensland.