Ingalba, Big Bush and Pucawan Nature Reserves facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ingalba NR, Big Bush NR, Pucawan NR New South Wales
IUCN Category Ia (Strict Nature Reserve)
Ingalba NR, Big Bush NR, Pucawan NR Location in New South Wales
Nearest town or city	Temora
Established	1970, 1984, 1988 (1970, 1984, 1988)
Area	49.27 km2 (19.0 sq mi)
Managing authorities	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service
Website	Ingalba NR, Big Bush NR, Pucawan NR
See also	Protected areas of New South Wales

The Ingalba, Big Bush, and Pucawan Nature Reserves are three special natural areas. They are located west of Temora, New South Wales, a town in Australia. Ingalba Nature Reserve is about 10 kilometers west of Temora. Pucawan Nature Reserve is another 6 kilometers further west. Big Bush Nature Reserve is about 15 kilometers northwest of Temora. All three reserves are managed by the New South Wales Parks and Wildlife Service. They are connected by strips of trees and plants on nearby private land and along roads. This helps animals move safely between the reserves.

History of the Reserves

Ingalba Nature Reserve

Ingalba Nature Reserve is the largest of the three, covering about 4,013.5 hectares. It is located 10 kilometers west of Temora, along the Burley Griffin Way. This reserve was officially protected in three steps. The first part, about 3,440.5 hectares, became a reserve on July 17, 1970. More land was added on October 1, 1976, and again on January 7, 1983. The Burley Griffin Way road goes through Ingalba Nature Reserve, but the road itself is not part of the reserve.

Pucawan Nature Reserve

Pucawan Nature Reserve is about 274 hectares in size. It is located 6 kilometers west of Ingalba, on the Coolamon Road. This reserve was officially protected on March 11, 1988. Before it became a nature reserve, some of this land was used as a rifle range.

Big Bush Nature Reserve

Big Bush Nature Reserve covers about 640 hectares. It is 15 kilometers northwest of Temora, on Thanowring Road. This reserve is about 7 kilometers north of Ingalba Nature Reserve. Big Bush was also protected in stages. The first part became a reserve on November 23, 1984. More land was added on January 31, 1986, October 30, 1987, and October 1, 1999.

Land and Rocks (Geology)

The reserves are mostly flat or gently rolling hills. They are a bit higher than the land around them. Ingalba Nature Reserve has the most varied landscape, with small valleys and hills up to 402 meters high. The other reserves are a bit lower.

The land here is made up of different kinds of rocks. These include sedimentary rocks (formed from layers of sand and mud), volcanic rocks (from volcanoes), and igneous rocks (from cooled magma). In Pucawan and southern Ingalba, the rocks are very old, from the Ordovician period. These include quartzite, shale, and slate. In Big Bush and other parts of Ingalba, the rocks are from the Silurian period. These include sandstone, siltstone, and limestone.

In a old quarry in Pucawan Nature Reserve, you can find fossils of ancient sea creatures called graptolites. These fossils are from the late Ordovician period.

The soils in the reserves are mostly loamy, meaning they are a mix of sand, silt, and clay. On hilltops, the soil is shallow. On gentle slopes and flat areas, the soil is deeper and darker. The land around the reserves has rich red-brown soils, which are good for farming. There is only a little bit of erosion in some small gullies.

Plants and Animals (Biology)

Plant Life (Flora)

The reserves have two main types of plant communities: tall open woodlands and low open woodlands with dry heath. These plant areas are very important because they are some of the last remaining examples of these communities in the region.

The tall woodlands are mostly made up of mugga ironbark (Eucalyptus sideroxylon) and western grey box (Eucalyptus microcarpa) trees. You can also find white cypress pine (Callitris glaucophylla) on lower slopes and black cypress pine (Callitris endlicheri) on higher slopes. Some common shrubs include quandong (Santalum acuminatum), native cherry (Exocarpus cupressiformis), and different types of wattle trees.

The mugga ironbark and western grey box woodlands are not well protected in New South Wales. This means they are at risk of disappearing.

Dry heathland or low open woodland grows on hilltops and exposed slopes. This area has different types of trees and shrubs, like Allocasuarina diminuta, scribbly gum (Eucalyptus rossii), and Dwyer’s mallee gum (Eucalyptus dwyeri). There are also many shrubs like heath myrtle (Calytrix tetragona) and rusty spider flower (Grevillea floribunda).

Big Bush Nature Reserve is home to green mallee (Eucalyptus viridis), a type of tree that is rare in New South Wales. These reserves are also important because they are some of the only places where Cootamundra wattle (Acacia baileyana) grows naturally.

While no plants listed as endangered have been found here, twelve plant species are considered important because they are rare in the region.

Weeds (Introduced Flora)

Some weeds grow in the reserves, especially in areas that were disturbed in the past, like old grazing lands or along farm edges. Common weeds include Paterson’s curse and horehound. Bridal creeper can be found along roads near Ingalba Nature Reserve. Other weeds like bathurst burr and saffron thistle have also been seen.

Animal Life (Fauna)

The different plant communities in the reserves provide homes for many native animals. Seventeen animal species that are listed as threatened have been seen in these reserves. Some of the birds that live here include the Gilbert’s whistler, barking owl, superb parrot, turquoise parrot, and diamond firetail.

Other birds that are becoming rarer in eastern woodlands also live here, such as the hooded robin and grey-crowned babbler. The painted honeyeater often visits in spring. In autumn and winter, when certain eucalyptus trees flower, you might even see the endangered swift parrot or regent honeyeaters. Malleefowl used to live in Ingalba and Big Bush, but they haven't been seen for over twenty years and are now considered to be gone from these areas.

Overall, 7 types of amphibians, 12 types of reptiles, 16 types of mammals (including 8 kinds of bats), and 164 native bird species have been recorded in the reserves. The narrow strips of plants connecting the reserves help some animals move between them.

Introduced Animals

Some introduced animals, like foxes, rabbits, and cats, live in the reserves. Feral goats and deer have been seen occasionally in Ingalba Nature Reserve, but they don't live there permanently. Because there isn't much permanent water in the reserves, it's harder for many feral animals to stay there.

How People Have Used the Land

The history of how people have used these lands is important. This includes both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal history. It covers important places, buildings, and items that tell us about the past.

The land's geology, climate, and plants and animals have all shaped how people have used it. In the past, people cleared land, especially in the southern parts of Ingalba and Big Bush. They also grazed sheep and cut down trees for fences and firewood. Many mugga ironbark, grey box, and white cypress pine trees were cut in Ingalba Nature Reserve. Since the reserves were created, the trees and shrubs have grown back, making the areas denser with vegetation.

Ingalba Nature Reserve still shows signs of its logging past, like old rubbish piles and cleared areas. Quarrying (digging for rocks) and fires have also changed the landscape. Pucawan Nature Reserve was once a quarry site. There is also a registered site where bees are kept for honey in Pucawan Nature Reserve. Truck stop areas are located next to Ingalba Nature Reserve along the Temora-Griffith Road.

Aboriginal Heritage

We don't know a lot about how Aboriginal people used these specific areas in the past. Only scarred trees (trees with bark removed for tools or canoes) and open campsites are officially known sites. It's likely there were many more sites, but past logging has disturbed the ground. Stone tools have been found on lands next to Ingalba Nature Reserve.

The reserves are located in the traditional lands of the Wiradjuri people. Today, Pucawan and Ingalba Nature Reserves are within the area of the Narrandera Local Aboriginal Land Council. Big Bush Nature Reserve is within the area of the Young Local Aboriginal Land Council.

Historic Sites from European Settlement

All three reserves, especially Ingalba and Big Bush, were used for cutting timber in the past. The wood was used for many things, like fence posts, firewood, charcoal, shed poles, and railway sleepers. Today, you can still see new growth from old tree stumps, which reminds us of this history. Old tins and bottles from logging activities are scattered throughout Ingalba Nature Reserve. Both Ingalba and Pucawan Nature Reserves were also used by local farmers for dumping rubbish for many years.

The Casuarina Track in Ingalba Nature Reserve was once an old route for horse-drawn vehicles between Temora and Mimosa Station. A stock route, now called Cedar Road, runs between the two parts of Big Bush Nature Reserve. Two small hills in Ingalba Nature Reserve, Northcote and Mt Wharrun, were used for surveying the land. You can still find the markers from these surveys.

Pucawan Nature Reserve was used as a rifle range in 1917. This was a way to practice shooting skills after World War I. Locals still call it ‘rifle butts hill’. You can still see the target mound and shooting mounds from different distances.

Managing the Reserves Today

The NSW Parks and Wildlife Service works to protect and improve these nature reserves. Their main goals include:

• Controlling and removing weeds and pests.
• Managing fire tracks to help prevent and fight bushfires.
• Managing how people use the roads within and near the reserves.
• Helping the public learn more about the reserves and why they are important.

Since there is often uncleared land next to the reserves, there is a chance that the reserves could grow larger in the future. This could happen if private landowners sell or donate their land to the NSW Parks and Wildlife Service.