Olive Hill Farm
Margaret's Cottage - holiday accommodation
Margaret River, Western Australia

Since 1994, some 25,000 trees and shrubs have been planted on the property, including a 5ha amenity planting of different Eucalyptus species for timber and firewood. This is along the western boundary and serves dual purpose as a windbreak against the fierce westerly winds.
Stock have never been let into the fenced off river sections since all the new fencing was finished in 1995. Remnant bush has been fenced, and a vermin and feral pest elimination campaign against rabbits, foxes and cats has seen the re-appearance of some 60 plus species of birds, marsupials and numerous frogs and insects.
The birds enjoy feasting on the spiders and use the cobwebs for their nests.

Images second from left:Margaret River Red kangaroo paw; Xmas spider ; Beaufortia sparsa, Margaret River floral emblem

 

The benefits from this type of 'integrated pest management' are abundant. Native wasps have got to work parasitising caterpillars and grasshoppers; spiders are our best friends in the olive grove, tackling weevils and beetles. Lizards consume snails and pests. The quendas have worked through the black beetles and weevils. The many birds keep on top of many other insects, and even the ants have a part to play.

Grasshoppers were a significant pest as in most areas of the region and guinea fowl are effective predators for these. There have been some losses of the guinea fowl to raptors, but few to foxes, as the baiting programs have controlled fox predation.

Olive Hill Farm is a Land for Wildlife property which entails responsibility for continuing feral animal control, and riverfront rehabilitation. In the first few years, extensive replanting has taken place in the degraded riverfront sections; some 3000 local species were planted after weed control.
In the last several years, prolific reseeding and natural regeneration is taking place, and the riverfront is a refuge for river rats, quenda, firetailed finches and similar fauna dependent on dense habitat. The aquatic fauna is healthy, and mussels, longnecked turtles, and macro invertebrates prolific.