Kangaroo Island

  DISCLAIMER

  All the information, techniques, skills and concepts contained within this publication are of the nature of general comment only and are not in any way recommended as individual advice. The intent is to offer a variety of information to provide a wider range of choices now and in the future, recognising that we all have widely diverse circumstances and viewpoints.

  Should any reader choose to make use of the information contained herein, this is their decision, and the contributors (and their companies), authors and publishers do not assume any responsibilities whatsoever under any condition or circumstances. It is recommended that the reader obtain their own independent advice.

  First Edition 2013

  Copyright © 2013 by Jason Wheaton.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission from the publisher.

  National Library of Australia

  Cataloguing-in-Publication entry:

  Wheaton, Jason, author.

  Kangaroo Island : 100 years of farming on a tourism landscape / Jason Wheaton.

  1st ed.

  ISBN: 9781742983677 (ePub, Mobi)

  Tourism—South Australia—Kangaroo Island—History.

  Agriculture—South Australia—Kangaroo Island—History.

  Kangaroo Island (S. Aust.)—Description and travel.

  Kangaroo Island (S. Aust.)—History.

  919.4235

  Published by Global Publishing Group

  PO Box 517 Mt Evelyn, Victoria 3796 Australia

  Email info@TheGlobalPublishingGroup.com

  For Further information about orders:

  Phone: +61 3 9736 1156 or Fax +61 3 8648 6871

  Digital edition distributed by

  Port Campbell Press

  www.portcampbellpress.com.au

  Conversion by Winking Billy

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  To Jack, Tom and Archie for the constant questions regarding farming, Kangaroo Island and World Wars (especially Howard’s involvement and life) that prompted me to collate this book. Thanks to my boys for providing the motivation to write this book, reflecting on the pioneering efforts in agriculture. To my wife Tammy, for supporting this project from the beginning and the input provided. I would also like to acknowledge my brother Derek and his involvement in the continued development of Stranraer over the journey.

  The pioneering efforts of those who have been involved in the development of Stranraer over the last 100 years and captured some of the photography present in this book. The stories of growing up on Kangaroo Island and the development of the property and life on the land in the early 1900s that have been included in this book.

  Phil Purbrick - 21.9.1946 - 18.9.2011

  I spent time working with Phil on the restoration of the cottage built in 1913 and he taught me a lot about building and construction during this time. Not only did Phil rebuild the cottage, he spent untold hours in the continued development of the Stranraer Homestead and his attention to detail was remarkable. Stranraer is indebted to Phil and his humour, building knowledge and friendship will always be remembered.

  To Darren Stephens and the Global Publishing staff for their continued professional support in the development of this book.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Chapter 1: Kangaroo Island, Australia

  Chapter 2: Pioneers of the Land

  Chapter 3: Developing Agriculture, evolution of machinery and the Soldier Settlement Scheme

  Chapter 4: Stranraer ‘Safe Port’

  Chapter 5: Farm Management at Stranraer

  Chapter 6: Livestock & Hay production

  Chapter 7: Stranraer Natural Resources

  Chapter 8: Migratory Birds of Kangaroo Island

  Chapter 9: Kangaroo Island Community & MacGillivray Cricket Club

  Chapter 10: Stranraer Bed & Breakfast

  CHAPTER 1 - Kangaroo Island, Australia

  Kangaroo Island, located on the southern coast of Australia and in the state of South Australia, was officially settled in 1836. It has become a sought-after tourism destination due to its national parks and the wildlife that exists within them. Agriculture has been a very important industry along with tourism as the two main economic drivers for the region.

  On March 22nd 1802, Matthew Flinders landed on Kangaroo Island, he was the first European to do so and in 1836 Reeves Point marked the first European settlement for Kangaroo Island and South Australia.

  Once occupied by Australian Aborigines, the native population disappeared after the land became an island, following rising sea levels several thousand years ago. It was subsequently resettled from the early 19th century onwards, first, casually by sealers and whalers, and then officially from 1836, which was South Australia’s first settlement.

  The island is the third largest in Australia, behind Melville in the Northern Territory and Tasmania. It is 55km wide at the widest point, 1km wide at the narrowest point and 155km long covering 4350 square kilometres (1680 square miles) with one third set aside as a national park. The main areas of the national park are Flinders Chase (which includes Remarkable Rocks and Admirals Arch), Seal Bay, and Cape Gantheaume (which includes D’Estrees Bay on the south coast).

  The Kangaroo Island coastline extends 509 kilometres and some of the best beaches included in them are - Stokes Bay, Emu Bay, Pennington Bay, Vivonne Bay, Western River and D’Estrees Bay. Some of these 509 kilometres represent some of the most rugged coastline in Australia.

  Some areas of Kangaroo Island are named after the French explorer Nicholas Baudin, such as Cape du Couedic and D’Estrees bay in 1803. Cape du Couedic is the south western point of Kangaroo Island and was named by the French explorer Nicholas Baudin in 1803. Baudin named it after his friend and famous Sea Captain, Charles Louis, Chevalier du Couëdic de Kergoualer (1740-1780).

  The Cape du Couedic lighthouse was constructed between 1906 and 1909 and consists of 2000 pieces of local stone. For many years the lighthouse was not accessible by land. Stores, materials and equipment bought by boat were hauled up to the lighthouse by way of a flying fox powered by a pair of horses.

  The development of agriculture began with land clearance commencing between 1933 and 1937. The opening up of the new land required the use of superphosphate, which supplied phosphorus to the soil as it was highly deficient. Due to the acidic nature of these fertilisers this created other issues for managing the soil resources.

  Agricultural land was offered to returning soldiers, known as the ‘Soldier Settlement Scheme,’ to allow them to commence a farming life on return from the war. The main settlement was after World War 2. This is discussed in detail in chapter 3.

  During the wool boom in Australia there were over one million sheep on Kangaroo Island, mainly the merino breed, since then meat breeds have increased in numbers to improve farm viability and tourism ventures have become part of the agricultural landscape.

  The ligurian bee, which was introduced to Kangaroo island in 1885, are commonly found producing honey around the flowering bottle brush and supports honey production. There have been no other bees introduced to Kangaroo island making these a genetically pure strain. To protect this population of bees no other bee products can be brought to the island. There are a number of local business selling honey products manufactured from the ligurian bee.

  There are four towns on Kangaroo Island namely, Kingscote, Penneshaw, Parndana and American River, with Kingscote the town with the highest population.

  On January 5th 1888, a District Council covering the whole of Kangaroo Island was proclaimed.

  The population of Kangaroo Is
land has grown steadily over the generations.

  From a population of 70 people in 1846 to 1479 people in 1947, the Kangaroo Island population has remained above 3000 people since 1980, when 3570 people resided there and is currently 4200 people.

  In 1925, Kingscote recorded its first telephone call. This was a local exchange only but in 1929, October 26th saw the official opening of telephonic communication between Kangaroo Island and the mainland.

  On December 11th 1937, Kingscote was lit by electricity and power for the first time. Prior to this, acetylene lamps were used. Electricity supply to Kangaroo Island until this day is via undersea cables from the mainland.

  Kingscote hospital construction was completed in 1930, during the depression.

  At least one third of Kangaroo Island is National Park, with the main park being Flinders Chase. Since the creation of the national park in November 1919, it has been used for the protection of native flora and fauna and also as a sanctuary for the threatened fauna from the mainland. Flinders Chase has become a sanctuary for endangered species, some of them introduced from the mainland in the 1920s and 1930s. During the 1940s, 23 additional species were introduced into the park, including Koalas (1923) and Platypus (1928). Most of these species can still be observed today. Kangaroos, Goannas and Echidnas are commonly seen in the park and all over Kangaroo Island.

  Admirals Arch and Remarkable Rocks form part of the Flinders Chase attractions.

  The park contains a few geological phenomena. Remarkable Rocks are naturally sculptured formations precariously balanced atop a granite outcrop.]Admirals Arch, home to the New Zealand Fur Seals, displays the ability of the ocean to carve the coastline. From wind-sculpted rock formations that sit atop a smooth granite dome known as Remarkable Rocks to Admirals Arch, a perfect sweep of rock under which the surf pounds and New Zealand Fur Seals play or the beautiful beach at West Bay and the walk to the mouth of the Rocky River, the national park is a must see for any visitor to the island.

  Flinders Chase is also home to a variety of bird species including Cape Barren Geese while ground nesting birds such as Bush Stone Curlew, Hooded Plovers and Pacific Gulls are also common.

  Kangaroo Island’s pristine coastline includes some of the best beaches in Australia.

  The northern coast of Kangaroo Island is spectacular.

  The north coast of Kangaroo Island includes top beaches including Emu Bay, Stokes Bay, Snellings Beach and Western River, whilst the south coast includes Vivonne Bay, D’Estrees Bay and Pennington Bay.

  D’Estrees Bay and Vivonne Bay are both attractions on the southern coastline of Kangaroo Island which is one of the most rugged in Australia.

  D’Estrees Bay was also named by the French explorer, Nicholas Baudin and is located 39km from Kingscote on the south coast of Kangaroo Island. It is a popular fishing location and the bay extends from Point Tinline in the south to Flour Cask Bay in the north and consisting numerous beaches.

  The wildlife is certainly a drawcard for visitors to Kangaroo Island, with a vast array of animals.

  The common brushtail possum can be seen all over Kangaroo Island, being nocturnal their main movement is at night.

  The black tiger snake is common in the MacGillivray area and Kangaroo Island and they seem to appear in unusual places. From November through to March is the general time for the black tiger snake to appear; in the Australian summer. I have seen snakes wrapped around clothes lines, come out of hay bales when moving them with the tractor and travelling across paddocks as we move sheep. Dad was supplying water to the overhead tank which was supported by 4 concrete pillars recently when he was half way up the ladder when a tiger snake appeared through the cracked concrete reinforcing. Coming eye to eye with a snake half way up a ladder required some poise as he moved slowly back down the ladder. The tiger snake certainly has the ability to climb. Their common food source is mice and the haystacks are the ideal location for the black tiger snake to find them. During the early days with sheathed hay and then the move to small square bales, which required stacking them into sheds, I am sure the population of tiger snakes would have been high.

  Like the platypus, the echidna is one of the world’s last surviving monotremes – an early branch of mammals that still lay eggs like reptiles. When threatened, it burrows itself into soil or rolls itself into a ball and raises its spines.

  The echidna’s secret to success is that it lives exclusively on ants and termites – a niche not very competitive amongst other Australian animals.

  Many of the areas that have been fenced off for conservation over the years at Stranraer are home to the short beaked echidna.

  Seal Bay - More than 600 Australian sea lions reside at Seal Bay, with over 50,000 New Zealand fur seals found in colonies around Kangaroo Island, mostly at Cape du Couedic and Cape Gantheaume. Seal Bay on Kangaroo Island is the 3rd largest seal colony in Australia and is one of 2 places in the world where you can walk amongst the seal colony.

  Seal Bay is a major attraction for tourists on the southern coastline of Kangaroo Island. Tour companies have taken many 4WD tours to Seal Bay over the years and in that time has seen dramatic changes to the management of the area. In years gone by people could walk onto the beach and the dune areas without guides, now the area has regeneration areas, integrated with boardwalks to protect the areas and to ensure the seals are not disturbed too much, like the ones above.

  Koalas have migrated further east over Kangaroo Island due to the revegetation of the landscape. They are found on the family farm now, where years ago they were isolated to the western and northern areas of Kangaroo Island. An aerial view over Flinders Chase can certainly show the type of vegetation the koala prefers; Manna Gum are preferred. There have been concerns in recent years due to the high population of koalas and the damage they are causing to the vegetation and sterilisation programs have been implemented. A misguided koala was caught up a pole near the house one year so the tour guide at the time placed the koala into a hessian bag and put it on the seat with some guests who were travelling for the day. 10 kilometres down the road the guide released the koala into more appropriate vegetation. There is nothing like bringing nature to your doorstep or in this case, your bus seat.

  This attractive and unique animal is a marsupial, or pouch carrying mammal, like the Kangaroo. Introduced to Kangaroo Island in the 1920s, they thrive in controlled conditions where predators and competition is absent. Mainly nocturnal and completely arboreal, they come to the ground occasionally to move to another tree. Extremely slow-moving, they are relatively defenceless. Koalas are herbivores, with a highly specialised diet in which they eat only 20 of the 700 species of eucalyptus, and prefer only five. Koalas in South Australia were largely exterminated during the early part of the 20th century as they were hunted for their fur, and because their environments were destroyed by fires caused by humans. They are now legally protected with their main threat being habitat destruction. Management can be difficult as populations that are protected such as on Kangaroo Island reach such high numbers that they can destroy the trees on which they feed.

  The glossy black-cockatoo has patchy distribution throughout Australia but includes a population that exists on Kangaroo Island. This species has become regionally extinct in some areas of Australia. The Casuarina tree is the most popular food source for this bird, however with clearing of this type of vegetation in woodland areas of Australia the species has come under threat.

  The glossy black cockatoo’s populations have declined, with local extinctions and range contractions. This is because of land clearing practices that have removed food sources and nesting sites. More frequent and intense fires in south-eastern Australia since European settlement have also reduced the suitable habitat. Both grazing, which suppresses casuarina regeneration, and forestry practices that remove casuarina have also contributed to declines. Chicks and eggs have been collected for the aviculture industry and, on Kangaroo Island, chicks and eggs may be eaten by possums.


  National and conservation parks cover more than one third of the total area of land on Kangaroo Island. From very early on in Kangaroo Island’s European settlement, national and conservation parks were declared across the Island, in recognition of the importance of preserving the unique plant and wildlife species that exists on Kangaroo Island. Some of these species of plants and animals are either threatened or do not exist anywhere else in Australia.

  A sub-species of the western grey kangaroo, the Kangaroo Island kangaroo is smaller and darker than the mainland species. Goanna’s are also part of the environmental fabric on the island, and the farm supports many of them with homes burrowed into the side of hills across the paddocks. This burrowing allows the goanna to manage its body temperature, especially at night.

  This reptile is unable to control its own body temperature and need to bask in the sun for at least half an hour each day before becoming active. The rosenberg goanna’s skin is a darker colour than other goannas, so they can absorb and regain solar energy more readily. The heath goanna is powerfully built and can grow to 1.5 metres long. Living in a variety of habitats, it shelters in burrows, hollow logs and rock crevices. The menu of the heath goanna consists of spiders, scorpions and other large insects, as well as frogs, snakes, lizards, small birds and mammals.

  The tammar wallaby has smaller and finer features than the kangaroo. It is abundant on Kangaroo Island, but mainland populations are extinct in south-eastern Australia, with only a small population in Western Australia. They are solitary but congregate on pastures at night. During the day they rest in low scrub and although they begin to move at dusk, they do not leave the scrub until after dark.