Agnes Banks Natural Area facts for kids

The Agnes Banks Natural Area is a special place in western Sydney, Australia. It's located in the suburb of Agnes Banks. This area is known for its unique sand deposits, which are home to many native plants and animals.

It's also called The Natural Area or Agnes Banks Sand Deposits. Parts of this land are owned by CSR Limited and the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage. This important site was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999. This means it's officially recognised as a place worth protecting because of its natural and scientific value.

History of Agnes Banks

The sand in the Londonderry/Agnes Banks area was first seen as valuable in 1942. Companies started taking sand from here for building and other uses. This went on for over 30 years.

In the 1970s, the local council, Penrith City Council, realised they needed a plan. They wanted to manage how sand was taken out and how the land was fixed afterwards. A committee was formed with the council, government departments, and sand companies.

This group worked together to create a management plan. It covered things like how much sand could be taken and how to restore the land. This plan was adopted in 1982.

Protecting Nature

The NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS) became worried. They saw that sand mining was happening close to a proposed nature reserve. A nature reserve is a protected area for plants and animals.

So, they made sure there was a 30-metre (98 ft) wide buffer zone. This strip of land separated the sand mining areas from the future nature reserve.

Discussions about creating a nature reserve had been going on since 1968. Scientists knew the sand areas were very special and unique. They were worried that sand mining would destroy them.

After many years of talks, a plan was finally agreed upon in 1978. The Agnes Banks Nature Reserve was officially created on 26 March 1982. Even though it was created, some thought it wasn't big enough to protect everything.

More Protection Efforts

In 1985, the National Trust of Australia (NSW) got involved. They wanted the Nature Reserve to be bigger. This would help protect more of the different plant types found there.

The National Trust asked the Heritage Council to place a special order. This order would temporarily protect the remaining plant areas outside the Nature Reserve. This order was put in place in September 1985.

Some sand mining companies objected to this protection order. A public inquiry was held in 1988 to discuss these objections. Many people supported making the protection order permanent.

Further information

The Agnes Banks Natural Area is next to the Agnes Banks Nature Reserve. This reserve was created in March 1982. The National Parks and Wildlife Service manages this 123-hectare (300-acre) nature reserve.

Why Agnes Banks is Special

The Agnes Banks Natural Area is important for many reasons. It's listed as a State Heritage site because of its natural, scientific, and beautiful features.

Ancient Sands and Unique Plants

The sand at Agnes Banks is very old. It's called "Agnes Banks Sand" and formed millions of years ago. It probably came from the Blue Mountains and was moved by wind.

This sand deposit is unusual because it's 55 kilometres (34 mi) from the coast. Yet, it has plants similar to those found on coastal sand dunes. It also has plants like those in the Sydney Basin.

Scientists study these sands to understand past climates. They also compare the plants here to those on coastal sand deposits. This helps us learn about how landscapes change over time.

Different Plant Communities

The Agnes Banks Natural Area has four main types of plant groups:

• Low open forest: This forest has Banksia serrata and Angophora bakeri. It grows on the tops of the large sand dunes where the soil drains well.
• Woodland: This area has Eucalyptus sclerophylla, A. bakeri, and B. serrata. It grows in places with good or moderate drainage.
• Another Woodland type: This one has E. sclerophylla, E. parramattensis, and B. aemula. It grows where the sand is shallow.
• Low-open Woodland: This type has E. parramattensis. It's found in areas where the soil doesn't drain well.

Scientists from the Royal Botanic Gardens have studied these plants. They found that how much water the soil holds affects where different plants grow. Fire also plays a role in shaping these plant communities.

Rich and Diverse Plant Life

Because there are many different soil types and conditions, there are many different types of plants. This makes the area very rich in plant diversity.

Home to Rare Plants

The sand deposits at Agnes Banks are a rare landform. Combined with its unique plants, it creates a rare type of landscape. Many original plant areas along the Hawkesbury-Nepean rivers have been lost.

This area is important because it protects a unique sample of these plants. Some species here are rare or endangered. They might only have small populations or be at the edge of their natural range.

Some of these rare plants include:

• Acacia Bynoena
• Restio pallens (Agnes Banks is its southernmost known location)
• Persoonia nutans (this might be the only place it still grows)
• Petrophile sessilis (Agnes Banks is its northernmost known location)
• Leucopogon virgatus
• Dillwynia tenuifolia
• Micromytus minutiflora

The entire plant community here is unique because of its isolated inland location.

Representing Ecosystems

More than half of the original sand area at Agnes Banks has been cleared or mined. Only two of the five original plant communities are found in the existing Nature Reserve. One plant community, called sedgeland, has been completely destroyed by sand mining.

The current Agnes Banks Reserve doesn't protect all types of plant associations. For example, it doesn't have the Low Open Forest of Banksia Serrata and Angophora Bakeri. This means the area is very important for protecting what's left.

Learning About Natural History

The Agnes Banks Natural Area is a great place for research and education.

• Its isolated location makes it good for studying how plants and animals spread.
• The way the sand interacts with the clay underneath is interesting.
• The clear change in plants where the sand meets the clay is important to study.
• It's a good site for understanding how different plant species mix.
• The area is unusual in terms of its geology and landforms.
• The sands are important for studying different soil types.

Schools can use Agnes Banks for field trips to learn about nature.

Aboriginal History

Aboriginal sites found at Agnes Banks are thought to be about 13,000 years old. Finding such old open-air sites in eastern New South Wales is rare. It's possible that even older sites are hidden within or under the sand. Agnes Banks could provide important information about human life during the late Ice Age.

The Agnes Bank Natural Area was officially listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.