The Natural History of Sydney

Contents

Abstract

Sydney has a unique natural history, providing a home for iconic animals and plants while remaining a global city. The city captured the imagination of prominent naturalists and inspired visits and collecting trips to the infant colony of New South Wales in the late 1790s and early to late 1800s. From these collections flowed great descriptive works detailing the new and unusual animals and plants of the antipodes.

Throughout Sydney, there are still places where the natural habitat has not been supplanted by urban growth, and the interest in Sydney’s endemic flora and fauna remains strong. The Natural History of Sydney reflects a resurgence in interest in local history and pursues the natural history of our harbour-side city in a modern framework.

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CONTENT:
- The study of natural history. Pp. 1-15
- Aboriginal fishing in Port Jackson. Pp. 16-34
- Nets, backyards and the bush: the clashing cultures of nature on the Georges River. Pp35-43
- What Darwin actually saw in Sydney in 1836. Pp. 44-55
- From gentlemen naturalists to professional scientists - the changing nature of the Linnean Society in Sydney. Pp. 56-58
- Aboriginal rock art depictations of fauna: what can they tell us about the natural history of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area? Pp. 58-73
- Foundations of Australian science, Sydney's natural history legacy, and the place of the Australian Museum. Pp. 74-89
- Then and now - fauna monitoring within the Sydney Basin. Pp. 90-101
- The rich early history of frog research in Sydney. Pp. 102-106
- Sydney's molluscs: from gentlemen to malacologists. Pp. 107-124
- A not so natural history: the vertebrate fauna of Sydney. Pp. 125-142
- Natural history of Sydney's marine fishes: where south meets north. Pp. 143-153
- The suburban terrestrial reptile fauna of Sydney - winners and losers. Pp. 154-197
- Sydney's herpetofauna: some observations on its history of discovery, biogeographic significance and contribution to the debate on effective reserve size. Pp. 198-218
- Changes in the range of Hasora khodahaslia (Swinhoe) (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae) in eastern Australia - a response to climate change? Pp. 219-226
- Those noisy Sydney insects - the cicadas. Pp. 227-233
- Using museum collections and community surveys to monitor change in the birds of Sydney. Pp. 234-240
- Willoughby City Council - enhance habitat and wildlife program. Pp. 241-247
- Narrabeen Lagoon Catchment - past, present and future. Pp. 248-262
- A natural history of the Ham Common, the lands sandwiched between Richmond and Windsor: two of Governor Macquarie's five towns. Pp. 263-276
- Observations on the potential loss of threatened species in urbanising western Sydney: death by a thousand cuts. Pp. 277-281
- A hotbed of biodiversity? A natural history of the Ku-ring-gai council area. Pp. 282-300
- How similar is Cumberland Plain Woodland to other coastal valley grassy woodlands in NSW? Pp. 301-318
Campbelltown's koalas: their place in the natural history of Sydney. Pp. 319-325
- Fauna of the Wolli Valley in inner south-west Sydney. Pp. 326-331
- The Sydney Metropolitan Catchment Management Authority - leading the recovery of Sydney's biodiversity into the future. Pp. 332-338
- The koalas of Campbelltown, south-western Sydney: does their natural history foretell of an unnatural future? Pp. 339-370
- Rapid fauna habitat assessment of the Sydney metropolitan catchment area. Pp. 371-401
- The natural history of western Botany Bay. Pp. 402-414
- Yuppie bandicoots of inner west Sydney - in hiding or urban renewal? Pp. 415-425
- Plenary session: the natural history of Sydney. Pp. 426-428
- Is the natural history of Sydney so camouflaged that it will not survive? Pp. 429-438