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Bushlands dams

Bushlands dams

Prior to subdivision, the Chewton Bushlands (Bushlands) was an area of hilly, degraded land following deforestation and exploration during the gold rush of the 1850s and again during the 1940s and had no significant areas of standing water. Now, the bushlands is an area of regrowth forest and every property in the bushlands has a […]


Rewilding project

The Chewton Bushlands Rewilding Project explained


KZR Latest

KZR Latest

December 2020 KEY POINTS > No exploration or mining company is allowed to come onto private property without written consent. > You DO NOT need to sign any agreement if you don’t want the company to enter your land. > KZR have assured the CBA that if you prefer the company does not come onto […]


Meet the miner: Kalamazoo Exploration Licence Application

Meet the miner: Kalamazoo Exploration Licence Application

Recently the mining company Kalamazoo Resources applied for a minerals exploration licence for an area of 218 square km, known as the Wattle Gully South Licence, that includes the Chewton Bushlands. If, like us, you’d like to know what Kalamazoo wants to do on our land then you can ask the company Exploration Manager Luke […]


Kennedys Lane Wildflower Walk

Kennedys Lane Wildflower Walk

On Saturday 13 October Bushlands residents Karen Baker, Charles Affleck and Antoinette Birkenbeil met up with Lisa Cox from Coliban Region Water, Bronwyn Silver from Friends of the Box Ironbark Forest, and Shire Councillor Christine Henderson for a walk on Coliban Water land adjacent to Kennedys Lane. “A group of us met in perfect weather […]


Your guide to 224 native plants and animals of the Bushlands

Your guide to 224 native plants and animals of the Bushlands

The second edition of the 144 page guide Native plants and animals of the Chewton Bushlands, published in July 2022 (first published December 2017), is available as four low resolution, 2MB PDFs: > Outside front cover to page 27 > Pages 28 to 70 > Pages 71 to 108 > Page 109 to Outside back cover 


Application for a gold mining exploration licence in the Bushlands

Application for a gold mining exploration licence in the Bushlands

In May 2018 an application by Currawong Resources Pty Ltd was announced for an Exploration Licence under section 25 of the Mineral Resources (Sustainable Development) Act 1990 over land including the Chewton Bushlands. Click here for the Public Notice announcing the application. Click here for the Chewton Bushlands Association’s lodged objection. Click here for the Kalamzoo […]


Objection: Kalamazoo Exploration Licence Application

The CBA submitted the following objection to the granting of an Exploration Licence (noticed in The Age, 30th May 2018) to Kalamazoo Resources Limited, c/o M & M Walter Consulting, PO Box 8197, Subiaco East, WA. 6008 Application Number: EL006752 This objection is made by the Chewton Bushlands Association Inc., representing the community of the […]


Bushlands fire advice, and roads and property numbers map

Bushlands fire advice, and roads and property numbers map

• Bushlands Fire Advice 2019-20 • Bushlands Roads Property numbers


2017/18 Fire season CFA briefing

2017/18 Fire season CFA briefing

Fire preparedness, Summer 2017/18


Proposed burn update: Now for fuel reduction not asset protection

Proposed burn update: Now for fuel reduction not asset protection

The bushlands reserve on Commissioners Gully Road is now subject to a proposed planned burn sometime between 1 March and 31 May 2017. The signs recently put up at the reserve read: “Planned Burning Operations in accordance with the Published Fire Operations Plan for the Murray Goldfields District are scheduled in this area between Wednesday […]


CFA Bushlands fire briefing December 2016

CFA Bushlands fire briefing December 2016

Antoinette Birkenbeil reports on the CFA Chewton Community Fire Meeting at Chewton Cemetery on Saturday December 10,  2016, attended by Kylie, Jim, Hannah, Tim, Ann Quinton, Glen, Chris, Fran, Jill, John Ellis, Karen, and four dogs, with CFA presenters Alan (from the CFA Community Education Group in Bendigo), David Button (CFA Chewton Captain), Barry Mousey (Second Lieutenant) and his daughter […]


Asset protection burn: Update

Asset protection burn: Update

The proposed asset protection burn (triggered at the request of a neighbour) on the public reserve in Commissioners Gully Road didn’t take place, as listed, between 1 March and 31 May 2016.   The Department of Environment and Primary Industry included the 12 hectare parcel of public land “Chewton Bushmans Road MGF CAS028”, otherwise known as […]


Controlled asset protection burn

Controlled asset protection burn

The proposed burn did not happen in Spring 2015 as planned and outlined below. We await notification of a date in Autumn 2016.  In the meantime this piece by Phil Ingamells in The Age (10 January 2016) on the limits of fuel reduction burns is really very informative: http://www.theage.com.au/comment/appreciating-limits-of-fuel-reduction-burns-vital-to-effective-fire-management-in-victoria-20160110-gm2o3t.html ——————— Antoinette, Karen, Steve and I walked […]


Great Bluebell Creeper Cull update

Great Bluebell Creeper Cull update

Congratulations to all involved in the Great Bluebell Creeper Cull of February 2014 at the reserve on Bush Sanctuary Road. Karen and myself today (21 December 2015) did some follow-up work there and found remarkably few​ living specimens (which are of course no longer living) most of which were quite small and easy to manage. […]


Native mice

Native mice

Who else is hosting new winter residents? And what terms have you set on their tenancy? A non-lethal response suggested by Michael GS, one that he has found effective, is electronic rodent control… not that they are rodents… at http://www.pestrol.com.au/pestrol-rodent.html Mark Carter


Culling the creeper

Culling the creeper

  Last February 23, 2014 a big push by a group of us really set back the invasion of Bluebell Creeper (Solly heterophylla) taking place in the North/East Bushlands. A further onslaught in November 2014 is planned and details will be posted here.


Snakes alive!

Common Brown Snake. Photo by Peter Robertson © Museum Victoria

Summer usually sees the presence of a few snakes in particular locations around the Bushlands.  Most are brown snakes but quite often a tiger snake or two joins the fray. In most instances they can be left to move off to other places but occasionally some may invade buildings and hence require removal.  We are […]


Cup Moth alert

Cup Moth alert

Check out the Department of Environment article for details.


Controlled burn: Emails to DEPI

Dear Planned Burning at DEPI and Damien Drum, Re: Fire operations plan for the Murray Goldfields Fire District Proposed planned burning site: MGFCASO28 Chewton, Bushmans Road (12Ha) We live in Miners Hut Road at just under a kilometre due south of the proposed burn site. We acknowledge that controlled burns can play an important part in contributing to […]


Controlled burn: FOBIF email

Dear Friend of the Box Ironbark Forests, As we reported on www.fobif.org.au on July 19 and August 13, DEPI has released the latest modification on the fire operations plan for our region. Consultations are invited, preferably before August 31.We strongly urge you to show that the public is closely interested in this program by putting a submission […]


Nesting box rewards.

Nesting box rewards.

Sugar Gliders enjoying one of the Connecting Country nesting boxes.


Blue Bell Creeper (Sollya heterophylla) weed

Blue Bell Creeper (Sollya heterophylla) weed

This spreading weed has been found in many places in the Bushlands and must be dealt with. Please see the picture below to help with identification and when you have identified this plant please remove it. The “cut and paint” method appears to be the most positive way to stop its spread. We have the […]


A very welcome bushlands visitor

A very welcome bushlands visitor

by Cate (Chewton Chat, March 2012)