Group convenor: Anne Jones
The active Walton Bridge Reserve Group meets 4pm on the first Saturday of every month except January. Since 2010, the group has been working on restoring the Fish Creek corridor between Lochinvar Lane and Glenella Street. The site features important remnant vegetation.
Melinda McLean helps a young volunteer plant at a Walton Bridge Event
For more information phone Anne Jones on 0438 047 910, or check out the group’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/waltonbridgereservebushcare/
Walton Bridge is a popular recreation spot with a history. It has been a meeting place for the local indigenous people and a rest area for bullock teams traveling west. The junction of the two Creeks, Fish and Enoggera, was an important meeting place for Aboriginal people.
Walton Bridge is at the heart of The Gap – Walton Bridge has been the location for many events since 2002. It is close to the nursery and very central to everyone in The Gap.
History
In 2003 Robert Whyte, along with Mark Crocker and Anne Jones, decided to do something about the rampant weeds at Walton Bridge Reserve.
When they first started you couldn’t get to the creek, there were so many weeds. There was head-high cane grass Pennisetum purpureum at the Rita Huggins’ Memorial. Upstream near the bridge there were masses of elephant’s ears Colocasia esculenta. Then there were vines over everything. Balloon vine Cardiospermum grandiflorum, devil’s fig Solanum chrysotrichum, caster oil plant Ricinis communis, Chinese elm Celtis sinesis, privet Ligustrum sinense, camphor laurel Cinnamomum camphora and ochna Ochna serrulata – Walton Bridge had all the bad weeds.
The group started clearing cane grass along the creek bank, working a few hours every day for four months. Once the weeds were gone, a natural sandy beach reformed. They discovered remnant bush that had never been fully cleared. That meant they could learn more about the local native plants.
After six years Walton Bridge was recovering well, but that’s when the drought ended. The area was hit hard by flooding. Up until that point, the group had been planting with no understanding that they needed to be looking at flood maps. It was a tough learning experience. The plants which couldn’t survive flooding were lost. They were replaced with more flood-tolerant species. About 10,000 plants have been planted at Walton Bridge since 2003.
In 2017, Rob published A Field Guide to Spiders of Australia which included numerous specimens photographed at Walton Bridge.
Walton Bridge Reserve working bee
Date Sat 5 Dec 2020 Time 4:00 PM Venue Walton Bridge Reserve - Walton Bridge Reserve Waterworks Road, The Gap, QLD 4061, Australia (07) 3404 8888 map (Waterworks Rd, The Gap) Format Working Bee The Walton Bridge Reserve working bee is on Saturday 5 December from 4 pm...
Walton Bridge Reserve working bee
Walton Bridge Reserve working bee The Walton Bridge Reserve working bee is on Saturday 7 November from 4 pm to 6 pm. For more information, contact Anne Jones 0438 047 910. Time: 4:00 PM Venue: Walton Bridge Reserve...
Walton Bridge Reserve working bee
Date Sat 3 Oct 2020 Time 4:00 PM Venue Walton Bridge Reserve - Walton Bridge Reserve Waterworks Road, The Gap, QLD 4061, Australia (07) 3404 8888 map (Waterworks Rd, The Gap) Format Working Bee The Walton Bridge Reserve working bee is on Saturday 3 October from 4 pm...
Walton Bridge Reserve working bee
Date Sat 4 Jul 2020Time 3:30 PMVenue Walton Bridge Reserve - Walton Bridge Reserve Waterworks Road, The Gap, QLD 4061, Australia (07) 3404 8888 map (Waterworks Rd, The Gap)Format Working BeeHost Walton Bridge Bushcare Group The Walton Bridge Reserve working bee is on...
Walton Bridge Reserve working bee
Date Sat 1 Aug 2020 Time 3:30 PM Venue Walton Bridge Reserve - Walton Bridge Reserve Waterworks Road, The Gap, QLD 4061, Australia (07) 3404 8888 map (Waterworks Rd, The Gap) Format Working Bee Host Walton Bridge Bushcare Group The Walton Bridge Reserve working bee is...
Walton Bridge Reserve working bee
Date Sat 4 Jul 2020 Time 3:30 PM Venue Walton Bridge Reserve - Walton Bridge Reserve Waterworks Road, The Gap, QLD 4061, Australia (07) 3404 8888 map (Waterworks Rd, The Gap) Format Working Bee Host Walton Bridge Bushcare Group The Walton Bridge Reserve working bee is...
A working bee Saturday, 29 March 2008
More photos by Mark Crocker at a typical working bee. On this Saturday we went to the SOWNy club at 98 Yoorala Street, spent some time putting labels on local species along the walking track, and then checked out the creek. This photo shows one of our Hillbrook...
A working bee Saturday, 15 March 2008
These photos by Mark Crocker document a typical working bee. On this Saturday we worked on Fish Creek just upstream from the junction of Fish and Enoggera creeks. We had help from a visiting family, and two students from Hillbrook doing community service, part of...
