Author Archives: fobif

Great lockdown reading 2: the dark side of the golden age

Posted on 11 May, 2020 by fobif

The accidental town doesn’t deal directly with the environmental consequences of the gold rush, but the context of environmental destruction is made clear, and the consequences soberly summed up in a sentence like this: ‘The Pennyweight Flat cemetery is a … Continue reading →

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Great lockdown reading 3: Castlemaine’s first environmental conflict

Posted on 11 May, 2020 by fobif

One of the heroes in Marjorie Theobald’s narrative is Gold Commissioner Captain John Bull. The author builds on her previous research on one of the problems he faced: ‘As concern for the environment as we understand it today did not … Continue reading →

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Oceans of blossom, thousands of questions

Posted on 11 May, 2020 by fobif

The photo below shows fields of Woolly Wattle south of the Wewak Track, east of Porcupine Ridge. The wattle is interesting (and beautiful, of course) for the fact that its blossom can vary from pale yellow to dense lemon colour, … Continue reading →

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OK, it’s not a cascade, but it’s the best we can do…

Posted on 27 April, 2020 by fobif

The gouged and eroded gullies of our region are a heritage of the gold rushes, a time when an unknown quantity of topsoil was lost through deforestation and creeks were scoured for gold. There are a few reminders, however, of … Continue reading →

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FOBIF goes around, again

Posted on 27 April, 2020 by fobif

FOBIF has made a submission to the inquiry by the Inspector General for Emergency Management [IGEM] into the 2019-20 Victorian fire season. The inquiry is broad, ranging over topics like education, operational responses, evacuation planning, the use of the Australian … Continue reading →

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