Garrad Reserve comprises 66 hectares of beautiful bushland at the Narrawallee Inlet, close to Ulladulla on New South Wales’ south coast. The main vegetation types within the reserve include: Old-man Banksia open forest (Bangalay), Swamp Mahogany swamp sclerophyll forest, and Turpentine, Red Bloodwood, Sydney Peppermint shrubby open forest, as well as Saltmarsh and Mangrove along the river bank.
The reserve was created in 2013 under a NSW Government biobanking agreement which provides the Shoalhaven council with funding to manage weeds, feral animals and access tracks and signs for the public. Biobanking sites create biobanking credits that are usually sold off to offset loss of habitat from developments elsewhere but in this case the credits created have been retired – so there is no development offset against the creation of this reserve. Nevertheless it is difficult to reconcile the large tracts of bush going under the bulldozer right next door, and not to be disappointed that adjacent bush has not been kept to surround and protect this valuable habitat. At the end of the day there is less bush than when it all started.
Common woodland birds seen at Garrad include Brown and Striated Thornbills, Brown Gerygones, Golden and Rufous Whistlers, Olive-backed Orioles, Brown Cuckoo-Doves, Fantails, Flycatchers, Whipbirds and Woodswallows. Another visitor is the Black-faced Monarch pictured below.
