Williams River Ecology
Edited talk given by Bill Dowling on 12 April 2008 at the Wise Ways to Water Forum at Wangat.
I’ve lived all my life at Bandon Grove on a property that extended from just above the junction of the Chichester and Williams Rivers to just below the proposed dam site at Tillegra. I have always had an avid interest in natural history in general and over the years have studied many aspects of it relating to the general Dungog area but in particular the area of the Upper Williams. Consultative work for NSW NPWS has resulted in internal publication of a number of scientific papers-these in particular have concentrated on the rare and threatened flora of the Barrington Tops National Park. I’ve participated in extensive studies of the family ORCHIDACEAE, the native orchids, for Dr David Jones and Dr Mark Clements of the Centre for Biodiversity Research at the CSIRO in Canberra. More recently I have just retired from 8 years as field supervisor/ecologist with NSW State Forests. Since retirement late last year I have been actively involved in a continuation of work that was first commenced through State Forests on what has been officially described as the most scientifically sensitive project ever undertaken in the history of the Roads and Traffic Authority in NSW-the bypass of Bulahdelah township by the Pacific highway. Perhaps Tillegra Dam is second!
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