Freers Farm, Bardon

Ithaca Creek

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Freer’s Farm is the site of some open paddocks now owned by Stuartholme, a Catholic day and boarding school for girls catering for approximately 750 students from Years 8 to 12, including 150 boarders. While Freer’s farm itself is not worked as a bushcare site, it has the eastern branch of upper Ithaca Creek below J C Slaughter Falls along its eastern edge, and the western branch of upper Ithaca Creek to its west. The western branch is the larger channel, having Simpsons Falls as part of its headwaters.

The bushcare site is managed by Liz Caperon, who lives adjacent to Freer’s Farm. There have been planting and weeding activities at this site over many years. In November 2008, May 2009 and January 2011 the site was damaged by floods and bushcare was difficult. Better conditions prevailed in June 2011 when some work was able to be done as part of ongoing activities and those of the Ithaca Intact project.

On 23 June 2011 a fish trap was placed in a sunny part of a shallow pool just above the Carwoola Street Bridge on the eastern branch for an hour. It yielded seven Crimson-spotted Rainbowfish, five Swordtails and a medium-large Purple-spotted Gudgeon. This was a surprisingly large number of fish for winter and bodes well for the health of the creek in this area.