Nocoleche Nature Reserve facts for kids

The Nocoleche Nature Reserve is a special protected area in New South Wales, Australia. It's about 20 kilometers south of a town called Wanaaring, New South Wales, right on the Paroo River. This reserve is super important for keeping nature safe.

History

Aboriginal History

For a very long time, Aboriginal people have lived along the Paroo River. The Budjair, Kunja, and Mardgany people lived in the north. The Paruntiji people, whose name means "people belonging to the Paroo," lived in the south. We know Aboriginal people have been here for at least 14,000 years!

In the 1840s, farmers called graziers started to settle on the land. This caused problems with the Aboriginal landowners. Tensions lasted until the 1860s. By the 1850s, many Aboriginal people joined the farm workforce. This was because many white workers left for the gold fields. Aboriginal people worked on these farms for many years. They still kept their cultural traditions alive. They also attended local ceremonies until the 1910s. But from the 1920s, Aboriginal people were sadly forced off their land by government rules.

Land Changes Over Time

From the 1880s into the early 1900s, the land faced big problems. There was a lot of drought, too many animals eating the plants, and many rabbits. This caused huge damage to the soil, native plants, and animals.

The Nocoleche station was set up before 1887 by F.W. Armytage. By the early 1900s, it was one of four big farms. These farms were rented by Sir Samuel McCaughey near the Darling River. He owned a huge amount of land, about 3.2 million acres. He tried out new farming tools and methods. This included using big machines for plowing and digging. He also used machines for shearing sheep and for watering crops. The station was sold eight times before the National Parks and Wildlife Service took it over in 1978.

About the Reserve

The Nocoleche Nature Reserve is very large, covering about 74,728 hectares. It includes the Paroo River, Cuttaburra Creek, Sandy Creek, Aarons Creek, and Kulkyne Creek. These areas form the biggest wetland in New South Wales. A big part of the reserve, about 116 square kilometers, is a wetland floodplain.

Plants and Animals

Plant Life

The Nocoleche Nature Reserve has many mulga and white wood trees. You can also find Poplar box and black box trees. The Paroo River forms the eastern edge of the reserve. Here, you can find the largest group of the very rare yapunya trees.

Large areas of yapunyah (Eucalyptus ochrophloia) woodlands grow along the Paroo and Warrego Rivers. They also grow along Cuttaburra Creek. Other important plants in the reserve include a type of algae called Chara braunii. There is also spikegrass (Elytrophorus spicatus) and downy mother of misery (Cuphonotus andreanus). You can also find chariot wheels (Maireana cheelii), silver turkey bush (Eremophila bowmannii ssp latifolia), and corkbark (Hakea ivoryi).

Animal Life

Nocoleche is a very important resting place for birds that travel long distances. Many large mammals live here too. These include Red kangaroos (Macropus rufus), eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus gigantus), and western grey kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus). You can also see common wallaroos (Macropus robustus) throughout the reserve.

The Paroo River is home to many fish. These include yellowbelly (Macquaria ambigua), Murray cod (Maccullochella peelii), silver perch (Bidyanus bidyanus), and catfish (Tandanus tandanus). These fish are popular with both professional and hobby fishers.

Unfortunately, some animals that are not native to the park cause problems. These include cats, rabbits, goats, and foxes.

Why Nocoleche is Important

The Paroo River is very special because it flows freely. This means it has not been changed by dams or other human structures. It is the last major free-flowing river in the Murray-Darling Basin. Both the Paroo and Warrego Rivers are very important for nature.

The reserve has many different types of wetlands. Each type has its own special plants. These wetlands are vital for plants, waterbirds, frogs, reptiles, fish, and many small creatures. They all depend on these wetlands along the Paroo River.

Nocoleche Nature Reserve has several kinds of wetlands. These include claypans, river channels, and waterholes. It also has Eleocharis swamps, lignum swamps, and black box swamps. It does not have large freshwater lakes or salt lakes.

Nocoleche Nature Reserve is the only place in New South Wales where two rare plants are known to grow. These are Aponogeton sp. aff. Queenslandicus and the endangered Dentella minutissima.

Heritage Sites

So far, only seven Aboriginal sites have been officially recorded in Nocoleche Nature Reserve. There are also some old European buildings still standing. These include the shearers’ quarters, cooks’ quarters, and the shearing overseer's cottage. You can also see the old store room, shower room, and toilet block.