Meet Gromit who is currently being looked after at Friends of the Koala in Lismore. He was severely dehydrated when he was picked up in Gonellabah. 

Conservationists are calling for the support from the North Coast community to undertake a short survey which aims to gain insight into the local koala population and the general public’s attitudes and opinions towards their marsupial neighbours.

By completing the survey you can win a two-night stay at The Byron at Byron.

Professor Clive McAlpine from the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences at The University of Queensland is working with local councils in Lismore, Ballina, Byron and the Tweed, taking a region-wide approach to koala conservation.

By working with local councils, top koala ecologists and social scientists, Professor McAlpine says the conservation team is looking at a big picture approach to addressing koala decline in the area, which includes not just the ecology of the issues at hand, but also the social elements at play.

“We believe the solution is as much social as it is ecological, so we’re trying to focus on these two dimensions,” Professor McAlpine said.

“We’re hoping to get peoples attitudes and opinions towards koalas, along with more information about where they see koalas, have seen them in the past and if numbers are declining or increasing,” he said.

The information collected will be used to prioritise actions for koala conservation in the area, where to best direct these actions and how to engage with the local community in koala conservation.

While Professor McAlpine praises the local North Coast councils for their proactive approach to koala conservation, he says there are still issues in terms of increased development happening along the coast, which significantly reduces the habitat for local koala populations.

“On the coast we still see a lot of issues in terms of development, loss of koala habitat, roads, and predators such as dogs, which are all major issues, as well as disease,” he said.

The short survey covers the Lismore region right up to Tweed and everyone is encouraged to participate, regardless of whether they live rurally or in town.

The survey will close at the end of February and then the information will be collated and analysed, with a report outlining recommendations presented in the second half of this year.

So far 150 full responses have been received with a minimum of 500 responses needed.

The information received from the community will make a significant impact on koala conservation in the years to come and will in turn have a broader significance for enhancing koala conservation programs elsewhere and for programs for other species of concern. 

The survey has two parts. The first involves dragging small icons onto a map of the NSW North Coast Region to mark where you have seen koalas, where you would like to see koalas in the future, and your preferences for future land use that may affect koala conservation. The second part is a simple questionnaire.

By completing the survey you can win a two-day break at five-star resort, The Byron at Byron, or an iPad Pro.

Complete the survey here.

Local and state governments plough ahead with renewable energy while the federal government seeks to block their efforts.

In another exciting development for renewable energy in Australia, the country’s largest floating solar farm was launched this week at East Lismore’s Sewage Treatment Plant.

The Lismore Community Solar initiative is a result of a partnership between Lismore City Council and Farming the Sun, which works with communities to fund renewable energy projects that power council facilities.

Under a financial model, the first of its kind in Australia, the project was funded by companies made up of 20 local investors with the funds loaned to council. It’s expected investors will be paid back in the next 12 years. 

“It has already generated interest both nationally and internationally as a model for government and community cooperation, with investors receiving a return better than that of a bank,” said Lismore Council’s Environmental Strategies Officer, Sharyn Hunnisett. 

As Lismore Council’s highest electricity consuming site, the sewage plant accounts for more than a quarter of the Council’s total electricity consumption. The 280 solar panels on the 100kW floating solar farm will generate 12 per cent of the treatment plant’s energy needs, saving the council nearly $25,000 each year. 

The council will expand the solar farm over time to power the treatment plant with 100 per cent solar energy. Lismore Council’s Renewable Energy Master Plan aims to generate all of its electricity from renewable sources by 2023.

“The project has not been without its challenges to establish and get operational, but now that we have done the hard work we have a model others can emulate,” Sharyn said.  

The project was also made possible with a grant from the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage as well as donations from private philanthropists. 

Greens candidate for Page, Daniel Reid, said the solar farm project was born from Lismore's progressive and proactive community spirit which is reflected on Lismore Council. 

“The Lismore community has made it very clear that it cares about the environment and the future and that it will tackle the big issues, including climate change and the need to be 100 per cent renewable as quickly as possible. 

“Lismore is not a community that will sit back and wait for big government to solve the big problems,” Daniel said. 

The large number of renewable energy projects being undertaken at a local and state level sits in stark contrast to the federal government, which has not only sat on its hands in terms of renewable energy policy leadership but also actively supports the fossil fuel industry. 

When the world’s largest lithium-ion battery was switched on in South Australia late last year, revolutionising the way electricity is produced and stored, the state’s premier Jay Weatherill took a massive dig at the federal government. 

“While others are just talking, we are delivering our energy plan, making South Australia more self-sufficient, and providing back up power and more affordable energy for South Australians this summer,” Jay said. 

The Turnbull government’s latest proposed national energy guarantee (Neg) aims to protect coal generators from competition from renewables and get rid of the “spot” market which is a supply and demand driven market where prices fluctuate depending on the purchaser’s requirements. 

As reported in the Guardian, analysis by Carbon and Energy Markets for the Australian Conservation Foundation found the national energy guarantee is likely to be a favourable regime for the incumbent generators and unfriendly to renewables. 

“The absence of an emission price, makes it harder for buyers and sellers to find each other and to find prices that they are willing to trade at. 

“It can be no surprise that there is no evidence in Australia or internationally of an approach similar to the Neg having ever been implemented or even proposed,” the Australian Conservation Foundation said. 

The scheme requires agreement from state governments before it can be legislated and the detail of the scheme is to be considered in April. 

So why would a liberal government, who supposedly support a free market, implement a policy that seeks to pick winners? Let’s follow the money. 

“The current federal coalition government policy is that coal and coal fired power should be in the clean energy mix,” Daniel Reid said. 

“There is a very close relationship between the major parties and the fossil fuel industry and its lobbyists, particularly the Minerals Council. 

“The renewable energy sector has been frustrated for many years by the preferential treatment that the fossil fuel industry receives despite the overwhelming evidence of the rapid advancement of renewable technology and the economic success of the renewable energy sector across the globe.

“The problem is the current Liberal-National Coalition are backing the wrong players and refusing access to even a fraction of the subsidies available to the fossil fuel sector. 

“The evidence is that we need to phase out coal fired power as quickly as we can, but the current federal government continues to invest in coal, is on its knees begging the fossil fuel industry to continue to generate coal fired power, and has absurdly mooted building its own coal fired power station. 

“With the right government support and leadership the renewable industry is ready, including non-centralised community owned initiatives, but current government policies stand in the way of our clean energy future. 

“Australia needs a strategic, responsible and supported end to coal fired power. Any member of parliament not advocating for this is ignoring the evidence of what is needed, is missing the economic initiative and is playing dangerously with our future,” Daniel said.

*The author lives off grid in the Byron hinterland and is free from both a conflict of interest in writing this piece and rising energy prices.

Got vegan?

No longer confined to the fringes of society, veganism is set to become a more mainstream lifestyle choice in 2018.

Around the Northern Rivers region, vegans and vegan food is abundant. However there aren’t hard statistics available on the actual number of those following a vegan lifestyle in Australia.

If we follow the money, Australia is now the third-fastest growing vegan market in the world, after the United Arab Emirates and China. According to market researcher Euromonitor International, Australia's packaged vegan food market is currently worth more than $135 million and is expected to reach $215 million by 2020.

Between 2012 to 2016, according to Roy Morgan Research, the number of Australian adults whose diet was all or almost all vegetarian has risen from 1.7 million people to almost 2.1 million or 11.2 per cent of the population. 

While it’s becoming a nationwide trend, the shift towards vegetarianism has been most striking in New South Wales, where there has been a 30 per cent growth in those following a vegetarian diet.

A vegan is someone who rejects meat or animal products. However there are strict vegans who won’t touch sugar because in some cases it can be processed with bone char. Then there are vegans at the other end of the scale who might eat the odd egg from their chooks or spoonful of honey from their own bee hives.

According to the Vegan Society, modern-day veganism started in the 1940s when a guy called Donald Watson met with a group of other non-dairy vegetarians to discuss their lifestyle and what they should be labelled. After rejecting names such as ‘dairyban’ and ‘benevore’ they settled on vegan, the first three and last two letters of vegetarian.

However, rejecting animal consumption has been around for more than 2000 years. Greek philosopher and mathematician, Pythagoras promoted kindness amongst all species and followed what was essentially a vegetarian diet. Around the same time, Siddhārtha Gautama, better known as Buddha, was discussing vegetarian diets with his followers.

We hit the streets and spoke to the owners of insanely popular café, Flock in Lismore. Sarah Jones and Kim Strow started Flock in a small arcade in 2013 and when the 2017 floods hit they lost nearly everything. With some help from the community and a lot of soul searching, they took the opportunity to take over a much bigger premises on Woodlark Street and it has gone from strength to strength.

“When we opened we actually started as a vegetarian café and in the first six months, when we were testing out our menu, our customers were asking for both meat and vegan options,” Sarah said.

“Now around 40 per cent of our menu would be vegan and you can also alter many of our options to be vegan.

“I think veganism is growing in popularity but it seems to go in waves. Last year there definitely seemed to be a spike in the number of vegans,” Sarah said.

This may have had something to do with documentary, What the Health, released in 2017, which brought veganism into the mainstream media and many a dinner party conversation. The film looked at the health and environmental impacts of meat and dairy product consumption, and questioned the practices of the leading health organisations as well as major food and pharmaceutical companies.

Along with vegan food, vegan or natural wine is also gaining popularity.

Local Clunes winemaker, Jared Dixon from Jilly Wines said, “Most wines aren’t vegan because they’re made with animal products which are used to fine a wine and help in stabilisation and clarification of the wine.

“The animal products generally used for this are milk, isinglass which is fish guts, egg whites or gelatine.

“I don't use anything to clarify my wines other than natural stability from malolactic fermentation where lactic acid bacteria convert malic to lactic acid.

“In addition, the cool months in winter help to stabilise my wines naturally.

“I also only ever move my wines on the full moon because the gravitational pull at this time is at its strongest so anything suspended in solution will tend to settle better at this time.

Jilly Wines has seen the financial benefits from producing vegan-style wines with top class restaurants, Fleet in Brunswick Heads, Three Blue Ducks, Roadhouse, DUK and St Elmo in Byron, Harvest in Newrybar and Shelter at Lennox Heads, all stocking his wines.

Jilly Wines are also being sought after internationally with Japan taking quite a chuck of wine this year.

“The natural and organic wine scene is growing at a rapid rate in Japan,” Jared said.

Where to eat and drink vegan

Flock Espresso & Eats – 49 Woodlark Street, Lismore

7 days a week 6:30am – 4:30pm

As mentioned above, nearly half their menu is vegan or can be altered to be vegan. They have a good range of salads and raw vegan treats and they are really filling and yummy. 

20 000 Cows – 58 bridge Street, Lismore (Vegan restaurant)

Wednesday to Saturday 6:30pm – 9:00pm

This restaurant is a Lismore institution offering vegan fare and there’s suggested prices for the food items. It has a great philosophy and vibe. You feel as though you’re sitting in someone’s lounge room.

Clunes Store, Café & Cellars - 33 Main Street Clunes

Café open 7 days 7:00am – 2:00pm

The Clunes Store, Café and Bottleshop definitely punch above their weight in terms of their range of vegan food and wine options.

No Bones - 11 fletcher Street, Byron Bay (Vegan restaurant)

Open 7 days 5 - 9pm 

This new plant-powered gem sources their ingredients locally, focussing on seasonal and organic produce with no compromise on flavour.

Manna Haven - 97 Jonson Street, Byron Bay (Vegetarian restaurant)

Sunday – Friday 11:00am – 3:00pm

Manna Haven focus on whole-food plant based meals made from fresh, wholesome and natural ingredients. They serve a range of vegan and vegetarian meals, desserts and smoothies.

Three Blue Ducks at The Farm - 11 Ewingsdale Rd, Ewingsdale

Restaurant opening times

No visit to Byron is complete, especially with kids, without a visit to The Farm. You can wander through the farm and check out where your food comes from or sit back and relax in the industrial-sheike restaurant. While there is quite a focus on meat, there are vegan and gluten free options for breakfast lunch and dinner.

Shelter Café and Restaurant - 41 Pacific Parade, Lennox Head

Sunday – Wednesday 6:30am – 3:00pm

Thursday – Saturday 6:30am – 10:30pm

Shelter is a beachside café and restaurant with great coffee and a relaxed feel. They have a couple of vegan options for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Got a story tip for the Hinterland Post? Email the team. 

Ahead of this weekend’s North Coast Mud Trail, we spoke to well-known local potter, Brooke Clunie about her passion for pottery and why she thinks there has been a resurgence in its popularity.

As we search for meaning in our fast-paced lives and face an increasingly uncertain world, the arts and crafts are making a huge comeback. Pottery, in particular, gives people a way to connect with what’s around them and use their hands to experience something not just decorative, but functional too.

Brooke Clunie is an artisan potter who specialises in wheel-thrown ceramics.

Her trade has taken her from an Arts degree, majoring in Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology and Fine Art at Sydney University, to London and back to the Northern Rivers where she grew up.

“It was 25 years ago in the middle of a recession and a friend and I set up what became a successful pottery studio on the third floor of London’s Camden Market. We were in-between hammocks from South America and Lloyd, a Jamaican Rastafarian who played Mariah Carey non-stop,” Brooke laughed.

Upon returning to Sydney in the 90s, Brooke established her gallery, Red Door Studio, in Sydney’s Annandale before changing pace again and opening her destination-studio in the Byron hinterland.

The creative space acts as both a gallery and workspace where she offers different ceramic experiences to a burgeoning market.

Brooke has seen first-hand the growing trend among people wanting to connect through art and her pottery classes are a big hit with tourists and locals.

“There has always been a lot of potters on the north coast.

Brooke, originally from Lismore, remembers going to the Channon Craft Market as a child and eagerly seeking out the potters.

“Steve Sawkins was always at the Channon. He set up Northern Rivers Pottery Supplies more than 30 years ago and the business is still going strong. 

“For the past three years there has been an enthusiastic and intense interest in wanting to learn how to use the potter’s wheel and clay in general.

“Almost daily I receive emails and calls from people wanting to learn how to use the wheel or to gift a lesson to a friend or loved one.

“It’s definitely on trend. 

Brooke believes the food movement, where consumers seek a paddock-to-plate experience, has also helped create an interest in pottery.

“I believe it’s a natural progression from the food culture we have and also being 'mindful'.

“People are concerned with where their food is coming from, what it is served on and importantly how we consume more generally.

“What I try to achieve with my pottery is a grounding platform for the consumer to engage with the whole process of eating and drinking. 

“At a restaurant, a hand-made piece allows you time to contemplate and appreciate not only the food but the vessel it’s served in or on. 

The Byron Hinterland has long been a haven from creative types to practice their art, and the pottery community continues to grow steadily.

“There’s so many new potters in the area and the Mud Trail gets bigger and more popular each year. Lismore TAFE produces some really good potters with recent graduates doing extremely well.

“You also have the older potters, like myself, who have been doing it for a while and finding success too.

Brooke’s work can be seen in cafes across the country and she has built a large client base of return customers.

Closer to home, the award-winning restaurant, Harvest in Newrybar, is using her smaller serving pieces for their tasting plates, desserts, olives and breads. The almost minimalist look of her works provide the perfect base for the colourful, locally-sourced ingredients served at the restaurant. 

“I also sell my work in the Harvest Deli, the support from them has been really fantastic.

The Clunes Store also sells Brooke’s pieces, particularly the travel cups, which owners Brian and Karen are selling like hot cakes in the café and the store. 

Increasingly, Brooke believes that consumers are interested in seeing unique, beautiful pieces that are also functional.

“How it feels, the lip of a cup, how a teapot pours and a bowl performs, that’s what is important to me and the feedback that I’m getting is people like to hold and use my works.

As more and more people see the therapeutic benefits of time at the potter’s wheel and the interest in the age old art continues to grow, this week’s Mud Trail event promises to be bigger than ever.

“The Mud Trail is a fun way for people to see how a pottery studio operates and it’s an opportunity to see how creative the Northern Coast pottery community has become," Brooke said. 

The North Coast Mud Trail runs from 19-20 August and allows visitors to see demonstrations, hear artists talk and participate in various workshops. 

Make sure you drop in and see Brooke at Red Door Studio. Follow her work on Instagram - brookeclunie.

Our ecosystems can’t exist without them and more than 80 per cent of all crops grown for human consumption rely on them.

The humble honeybee may be small in stature but the weight of the world is carried on their little wings.

Here’s top five reasons to start beekeeping in your backyard.

1. Bee numbers are in decline

Largely due to pesticides and habitat loss, bee numbers are declining at a rapid rate across the globe. While Australia is yet to be affected by Colony Collapse Disorder, which leaves bees abandoning their hives to die, the US has seen a 60 per cent reduction in honeybees. If we don’t do something, Australian bees will face a similar fate and if we succeed in wiping out the bees, we won’t be far behind.  Help a bee out, start keeping bees.

You can read more about the sad decline in bee colonies here: ABC Gardening - Bees

2. Bees make honey, honey is good for you

Nature’s natural sweetener, honey is a healthier alternative to sugar.

Homegrown honey is about as pure as it gets and unlike some commercial products, it isn’t heat treated, meaning its nutritional profile isn’t compromised.

Need another excuse to sip on Mother Nature’s liquid gold, check this out: Health Benefits of Honey

3. We love flowers, flowers love bees

Want a garden full of blooms this spring? It’s not going to happen without a healthy colony of bees. Bees are good for flowering plants and fruit trees. Position a hive in your backyard and reap the rewards.

Explore more on the ins and outs of pollination here: Bee pollination 

4. Purify the air with beeswax candles

Beeswax candles emit negative ions into the atmosphere that bind with toxins and help remove them from the air. Making beeswax to make candles is a lovely way to pass the time and you know exactly what you are putting into the air you breathe.  

5. It’s a rewarding hobby

The initial set up cost will set you back a few hundred dollars, but once you get started there are very little additional costs involved.  Unlike other hobbies, beekeeping doesn’t take much time yet you’re benefiting the environment and reaping delicious rewards.

For more information on backyard beekeeping check out the Department of Primary Industries’ Prime Facts

The Northern Rivers is known for their markets and world-class produce.

Most residents are fiercely loyal to their local farmers and will find the majority of their weekly food shop from their markets and family butchers.

They shun the likes of Coles and Woolies due to expensive prices, stupid amounts of plastic packaging and tasteless fruit and vegetables that go bad within days. A great Choice article gives you the low down on what you’re actually eating when you buy from these chains.

Health regulations prevent you from taking pets to any of these markets which is really unfortunate. They are the perfect place to take your fury friend on a sunny day.

Here's our pick of the top five markets in the region. 

Bangalow Farmers Market

The market is held in the Bangalow Hotel car park at 1 Byron Street Bangalow every Saturday from 8 – 11am. You can tie your fury friend up at the entrance and whip in and grab your goodies.

The Bangalow Farmers Market is fantastic for local produce.  If you’re visiting and plan to cook, definitely head here. The vegetables are amazing, you will see a true rainbow of different goodies and there are numerous meat stalls with a variety of fresh and cured meats.

There are usually around 20 stalls so it’s not huge but the quality is fantastic. 

Unfortunately there is no coffee stall but after the markets you can head onto Bangalow’s main drag to grab one. We recommend Sparrow Coffee at 32-24 Byron Street. Say hello to Alice, she’s awesome.

Our top picks

French bread stall – they are there without fail, the bread is top notch and the ladies are lovely.

Nimbin Valley Dairy – they are not always there but I always grab a few bits of cheese if they are. The washed rind and marinated goats cheese are both delightful.  

Boomerang Creek Farm - Will runs a bio-dynamic farm and their produce, especially the garlic, is beautiful. Boomerang Creek basically starts at Nightcap Ridge so we know the water they’re using is the best in the world.

Apples - they can sit on the bench for weeks and still taste as fresh as the day they were picked. Apples aren’t really grown around the area so they come from a farm out at Stanthorpe.

Bangalow Market

The Bangalow Market is held on the fourth Sunday of the month from 9am – 3pm inside the Bangalow Showground. Get in early to beat the long lines of flash cars winding through Bangalow to get a park at the Showgrounds.

There is a great range of goods on offer with a definite artsy feel. You can find clothing, plants, art, records as well as hot food and the mandatory coffee.

The Showground is a lovely location for markets, especially in good weather. You wander under the huge trees and you feel as though you’ve stepped back in time.

Lismore Car Boot Market

The Lismore Car Boot Market is held in the carpark under Lismore Square on the first and third Sunday of each month from 7:30am – 2pm.

On first inspection it looks a bit daggy but, like Lismore, there’s so much to love! It’s a huge market with a wide range of different items on offer and a great community vibe. There are four or five decent coffee stalls there but I recommend getting there early to beat the lines before you start wandering around.

You can find an abundance of fruit and vegetables, hot food, plants, bric-a-brac, antiques, records and books, linen tea towels, wool and crocheted blankets. Lismore has a rich musical history and you get a sense of it there with the fabulous buskers and performers.

Our top picks

Cupcake stall - walk in the main entrance on the corner or Uralba and Brewster Street and she is on the right. They are freshly baked and the flavours are always changing. She is such a delight as well.

Knitwear - there are many stalls with nice older ladies showing their knitted items such as beanies, jumpers, blankets and baby clothes. For the quality and time items would take to produce, it’s all reasonably priced.

Handmade furniture – we have purchased a few sets of Aidrondack chairs from OzMark Creations. They are made out of recycled fence posts so they will stand the test of time and the quality is excellent. Mark and Sue are lovely

Plants – I never leave the car boot sale without purchasing a few plants. My favourite stall is Miss Tree. Stephanie lives locally, in Rosebank and she always gives good advice.

The Channon Craft Market

Held at the Coronation Oval in The Channon on the second Sunday of the month from 9am – 3pm.  

It’s known as the longest running market in the Northern Rivers. You’re in true hippie territory here and it’s awesome. The whole community comes out for the Channon Market and it has a bit more of a crafty, chilled vibe.

It has a great range of fruit and veg stalls, fruit trees and plants, hot food, clothing, baskets, and arts and crafts. 

It’s held around the outside of Coronation Oval and they will often have musical acts in the middle where kids run around and dance and play.

I haven’t been there at the end of the market but apparently there’s a drumming circle in the middle and everyone joins in and dances.

I’d recommend getting there early and getting a park as the traffic can get a bit hectic (for country standards!) around lunchtime. Have a gold coin ready for entrance to the carpark.

Our top picks

Tridosha – they’re a small family business from Bangalow who make salt, pepper and spice blends. You buy the shaker, which is a really nice gift, and you can buy packet refills. The Mediterano blend goes with just about anything.

Shopping baskets – the hand-woven baskets are a must-have for market shopping!

Waffles – their waffles with banana and ice cream are pretty awesome.

Mullum Farmers Market

Held every Friday morning from 7 – 11am at the Mullumbimby Showground located at 51 Main Arm Road, Mullumbimby.

The Mullumbimby community is known for their clean, green way of life and the market is a perfect example of this.

You will find all of your fruit and vegetables as well as homemade jams, local meats, baked goodies and a wide range of other items. You wander under the massive fig trees and there’s always really good live music and a great community vibe.

Our top picks

Alive Foods – if you’re into fermented foods, you will love their traditional Sauerkraut and Kim-Chi.

Bangalow Potatoes – their Dutch Cream potatoes are absolutely delicious and perfect for your potato salad and great for frying. They’re also at Bangalow Farmers Market.

When local artist, Katka Adams and her husband Russell moved to Clunes in the 80s, they had no idea what to do with their 11 acres and little clue about their family connection to the region.   

“Russell’s grandfather, George Sharpe, had told us about time he’d spent in Bonalbo. He’d built a house from scratch and soon after Russell’s mum was born, they moved to Sydney,” Katka said.

“But it was only after we told George we’d bought in Clunes that we found out he was put on a train from Sydney to Eltham when he was a very young to become a farm hand at one of the new dairy’s.

“It was the early 1900s and when George’s father died young, his mum couldn’t make ends meet.

“He used to talk about how hard life was. He’d do the milking every morning barefoot because he had no shoes and he’d get frostbitten toes. When George was a bit older he got work clearing the Big Scrub.

“He called it “the scrub” like it was a menacing creature. It was something they had to get rid of so they could make way for the cows.

“He talked about clearing the land and using possum fur to keep warm. They would sew them into bedspreads and rugs to guard against the cold.

“George said they got so sick of eating eggs. Chickens were running wild and they’d lay wherever, so he’d come across these mountains of eggs in the bush,” she said.

In the 1840s, on the promise of ‘red gold’, men descended on the Big Scrub. Red cedar was in high demand for cabinetry and more than 185,000 acres between Lismore, Ballina and Byron was a virtual gold mine.

It took just a few decades for the largest area of subtropical lowland rainforest in eastern Australia to be demolished. Today, as little as 1 per cent of the Big Scrub remains.

The land clearing and the addition of exotic crops and weeds brought by the settlers, wreaked havoc on the environment.

In the early 1860s, to improve the situation and prevent squatters’ domination of the land, settlers were able to purchase freehold lots. The lots were £1 per acre, on a 25 per cent deposit with the balance to be paid within three years.

Landowners were required to live on their land and to make improvements which usually meant further clearing. Dairying became the major industry in the Northern Rivers.  

By the time Katka and Russell bought their patch of land, down the road from Eltham, it was a bunch of cleared paddocks previously used for a dairy.  

“We thought about what to do with the land for a year, Russell researched it and we decided to put the rainforest back. He’s actually planted around 2,000 Booyongs, Quandongs, Cedars and many other varieties,” Katka said.

Katka’s art studio looks over the regenerated land to the fields that Russell’s grandfather could have cleared all those years ago.

Weather Katka’s art series, It’s not common for hens to have pillows, was inspired by George’s chicken tales or her own chooks is unclear. However, it was a huge hit in the region with both the paintings and gift cards selling out in local shops and galleries.

One of the paintings in the series, A little nest is warmer than a big nest was selected for the Money Myth exhibition at the Toyota Community Spirit Gallery in Melbourne.  

“I think the series was popular in this region because it really spoke to our identity and culture.  

“We are down to earth, we love nature, animals and our community. We want the simplicity but beauty and quality is important to us as well,” she said.

Purchase Katka’s cards at the Clunes Store or through her website.