1. Precinct2 Precinct 3
Culture & Nature
Botanical art makes a comeback to Aus-
tralian art scene, writes Susan Keith
W
hen a client of HeidiWillis’sold a BrettWhiteley
original to fit one of her works on the wall she
knew it was a significant moment for botanical
illustration in Australia
Ms Willis, 35, is one of several botanical artists whose work
is growing in popularity amongst the art community, both
nationally and internationally.The renowned Hunt Institute for
Botanical documentation in Pennsylvania,USA recently acquired
two of her paintings while another is currently on display in the
NewYork State Museum.
For the second time running, her work received a Highly
Commended award in this year’s Margaret Flockton Award for
Excellence in Scientific Botanical Illustration.
This award is sponsored byThe Friends of the Royal Botanic
Gardens and the winning artwork is displayed each year at the
Gardens’ Red Box Gallery in Sydney. The award recognises
works of plant illustration that stand out both for their artistic
merit and scientific accuracy.
The award’s namesake, Margaret Flockton, was the first
botanical artist to be employed in Australia. She began work at
the Botanic Gardens at its opening in 1901, creating illustrations
to accompany scientific papers produced by the botanists. Her
work soon grew in popularity and esteem and by her retirement
in 1927 she was on a salary worth half that of the Gardens’
director; an amazing achievement for a woman of that era.
After her retirement, no further in-house illustrators were
employed by the Botanic Gardens until the early 1980s. Since
then, botanical illustration has seen a gradual resurgence,
the Gardens now employ six artists to document its
species through art.
CatherineWardrop, winner of this year’s $5000
award, holds Ms Flockton in high esteem and is
glad the Botanic Gardens Trust is now honouring
a woman who “made an enormous contribution
to early Australian botanical illustration and
taxonomy,” she says.
This year’s award exhibition attracted artists
from around the world. Illustrators from Brazil,
the United States and the United Kingdom
won three of the five highly commended
prizes.There were also entrants from Spain and
New Zealand.
Meanwhile, local acclaimed artists such as Ms
Willis are also taking advantage of the boom,
selling their works for up to $5000.
Ms Willis sees the growth in popularity of
Botanical art not just as a financial opportunity
but also as a chance to enlighten the community
on environmental issues,“I see my role as forging
the way in terms of getting people to consider
the environment and conservation particularly,”
she says.
By Greg Vance
Warringah Council has established The Art and Habitat
Restoration Project at Lanford Reserve in Forestville to boost
the number of local bush care volunteers.The project combines
the pulling of weeds with sketching native plants.
Jim Cashman, Environment Officer for the Community
Projects Group at the Warringah Council admits that it is
difficult to get people to join bush care groups but he remains
optimistic.
“If you combine bush care with several other activities, you
can widen your appeal and create a bit of a novelty factor,” says
Mr Cashman, “That’s where we got the idea of a bush care
art group.”Introduced three weeks ago, The Art and Habitat
Restoration Project is expected to run for six months with
volunteers meeting weekly.Susanna Anders,a botanic landscape
artist and experienced member of the Lanford Reserve Friends
of the Bush Group, says she hopes the scheme will increase
numbers fighting to keep the bushland healthy.
“There’s so much to do,” she says,“In the city you can never
say, ‘That’s finished, I can leave it.’ because of bird droppings,
grasses growing down from the playing fields, nutrients in the
drains that just bring on weeds. So, its never ending.”
So far the project has brought in one new volunteer,according
to Ms Anders.
“We had a lovely morning. We did our bush regeneration.
Then we had morning tea. And then we sat for about an hour
and drew, and it was so relaxing,” said Ms Anders, “I think one
of the girls did charcoal and I did pencil.”
According to theWarringah Council’s website,TheWarringah
Friends of the Bush program has over 300 volunteers working
on 30 different sites.
Mr Cashman says that the drive to increase numbers comes
from the volunteers themselves.
“That’s what they have told us again and again.They want us
to help them recruit more people,” he says,
“I really don’t know why but some areas tend to get more
people involved. For other areas, its just really very hard.”
“You can do a letter box drop to people and say,‘we’ve got
a bush care group that works at these times.’ But we’ve had
virtually no success at all.”
Mixing art and bush care is not the first time the Council has
tried something unusual to attract new members.
Last December,The Dee Why Lagoon Friends of the Bush
worked to the sounds of a string quartet. Nicole McMaster, a
Council employee, was one of the people who played the cello.
“We played in the shade under a Banksia tree,” she said, “It
was the first time I’ve played in tee shirt and thongs with a ute
parked behind us.”
After working at the Lanford Reserve for 20 years, Susanna
Anders says there are lots of benefits in bush care volunteering.
“It keeps you fit. It is totally free,” she says, “Once you get
involved its inspirational. And it is also educational. It teaches
you firsthand about the local environment.”
The Local Art and Restoration project workshops take
place at Lanford reserve every Tuesday morning from
7.45am to10am.
Botanical art in vogue Art & bushcare meet in
new council project
Examples of HeidiWillis’botanical artwork.Top:‘Artichoke’; Bottom: Exotic vegetables’
Nicole Parodi & Rose Walker Nicole Parodi & Rose Walker
Volunteers are using
art and hardwork to
regenerate local bushland
Photo:CreativeCommons

2. Precinct4 Precinct 5
Culture & Nature
Draft proposal for the Coral Sea marine
park is good, but not good enough,
writes Karen Bush
I
n the coming months,Russell Johnstone,Federal Environment
Minister, will deliver a landmark decision that will determine
the future of Australia’s marine life.
Almost half a million people have responded to the
Federal Government’s marine park draft of the Coral Sea and
99.9 per cent of submissions are calling for greater protection
than the Government proposes.
Daisy Brougham of the Australian Marine Conservation
Society says, “the draft plan failed to provide a high level of
protection for over 90 per cent of the area’s coral reefs. Under
the draft, the Coral Sea would risk being slowly and steadily
degraded, leaving huge schools of fish, sharks, sea turtles and
seabirds with an uncertain future.”
Five marine parks have been proposed around Australia in
Commonwealth waters, including the Coral Sea. Marine parks
are protected areas of the ocean that restrict certain activities
in order to preserve habitat and wildlife. Currently marine
reserves only cover 11 percent of Australia’s waters. In the
Federal Government’s proposal, the new parks will begin at the
edge of each state and territory waters, 3 nautical miles off the
coast, and will extend to Australia’s Exclusive Economic Zone,
around 200 nautical miles from the shore.
The marine parks will be zoned with areas that vary in
protection from general use to highly protected areas: the
highest level being the sanctuary zones where oil and gas
exploration and fishing will be prohibited.
Paul Gamble, director of the World Wildlife Fund, says, “we
see sanctuary zones as an essential backbone, they don’t allow
most activity but they do allow for tourism. For us, sanctuary
zones are crucial and are the toughest things to achieve, but
they’re the areas that we focus on.”
Marine scientists at the Australian Research Council (ARC)
agree with the public that the current Coral Sea draft plan
is inadequate. They are calling for the world’s largest ‘no take’
zone. Similar to a national park on land, the‘no take’ zones allow
no extractive industries. However, they do allow for non-
extractive activities like snorkeling, boating and diving.
Professor Tom Hughes of ARC says, “the Coral Sea
is one of the last few places on the planet where marine
ecosystems are virtually pristine,” he says, “the Australian
government has an opportunity to declare it as the world’s
largest no-take reserve, with minimal economic cost. By
compensating a handful of commercial fishers, they could set
a global standard in marine conservation and management”.
Alternatively, The Queensland Seafood Industry (QSI)
disagrees with banning of fishing in the marine parks because
it will shut down the longline fishery in Queensland.William
Harris, CEO of QSI says,“it appears highly likely much of the
Coral Sea will exclude commercial fishing and for no reason
other than green environmental pressure and a legacy for
the Environmental Minister.This is bad policy all round and
we will feel the inevitable consequences through less local
seafood available to Australians.” The QSI fears that a ban
would results in lesser quality fish being imported into the
country.
Senator Richard Collins, the Coalition spokesman for
Fisheries agrees. He says,“We need to recognise and utilise
the strength of all the systems that we have in place, like
our globally-recognised fisheries management, to look after
waters of our Exclusive Economic Zone.”
Protect Our Coral Sea is an organisation consisting of 15
environmental groups and has been campaigning for further
protection of the Coral Sea for three years. Verity Hoven
from Pew Environment Group says, “The huge number of
submissions calling for a higher level of protection is a real
testament to the outstanding beauty of the Coral Sea and its
extraordinary marine life. It also demonstrates the passion
Australians feel for our oceans”.
Once the Australian Government has made its final
decision on the marine parks, there will be two consultation
periods where people will be able to submit feedback on
each park. The marine parks will then be protected under
Australian environmental law.According to the Government’s
environment website the opinions and information
presented in the submissions will be taken into consideration
when the Commonwealth marine reserves network
proposals are finalised.
Laura David
A
rare plot of land with a million
dollar view is up for grabs on
Sydney’s illustrious harbour.
For once though, the silvertails
of the city won’t have a chance to
snap it up.
The Sydney Harbour Federation Trust
is seeking expressions of interest for
innovative business ventures to move
into the Docks Precinct of the historic
Cockatoo Island.Susan O’Brien,Property
Manager at theTrust says,“we’re throwing
the doors open to everyone”.
In the past, Cockatoo Island has
been used as a convict settlement, a
reformatory school, the set of a reality
television show and is now home to a
thriving tourism and arts trade.
Mike Smithers, manager of Cockatoo
Island’s Island Bar, welcomes the
expanding trade on the island. “The
Trust is starting to open up more and
more space on the Island for leasing,”
he says, “this drums up business for
us too, and means we’re a part of the
island’s renaissance.”
Since 2000 the Trust has worked
steadily to restore the island to its former
glory and now boasts 15 buildings, 4500
square metres of floor space and 400
metres of wharf, all for lease.
Geoff Bailey, Executive Director of the
Sydney HarbourTrust says “the selection
of different sizes and designs of spaces
should encourage a range of uses within
the area, including some marine related
businesses”. Bailey believes that a return
to maritime activity, after a twenty-
year absence, will encourage public
visitation whilst referencing the history
of the island.
And what a rich history it is.
Professor Richard Mackay is a partner
at Goddard Mackay Logan Heritage
Consultants, a company that has
been involved with several restorative
projects on Cockatoo Island. He says,
“from Aboriginal occupation through
the globally-significant convict period,
to dockyard and defence establishment,
Cockatoo Island was always a focus of
activity in Sydney Harbour”.
William Dinnie, who worked on
the dockyards for 49 years and was a
resident of the island for 25 of those,
believes that the contribution of the
Island to the defence of the Australian
and its allies cannot be ignored. He rallies
for a return of maritime activity on the
Island. “This aspect of Cockatoo Island
must be retained for future generations,”
he says, “I have always regretted that so
much of Cockatoo Island was destroyed
after it closed.”
Although he has faith in the Trust’s
plans for the Island, Mr Dinnie hopes that
the Island’s historical value is maintained
in the restoration.
Professor Mackay agrees, he says,
“changes at Cockatoo Island should
be guided by an understanding of its
diverse heritage values and exemplary
conservation planning”.
The Harbour Trust will be looking
for more than just money. Successful
candidates, Mr Bailey says, will be
“organisations or people with relevant
expertise and experience in the activities
they propose to undertake.” Ideally,
bidders should show an ability to restore
and enliven the space whilst keeping in
tune with its status as a historical World
Heritage listed site.
Expressions of Interest closed in July –
may the best bid win.
Future of Coral Sea
remains uncertain
City island opens for business
The Coral Sea is home to
thousands of uniquely
Australian marine species
The beauty of the reef attract thousands of tourists to the Coral Sea each year
Above: the docks at
Cockatoo Island
Left: Birds eye view of
the island
Photo:CreativeCommons
Photo:CreativeCommons
Nicole Parodi & Rose Walker Nicole Parodi & Rose Walker