Wild BNE

Norman Creek, as it passes to the south of Arnwood Place. Just under three square kilometres in size, Annerley might be a small inner-suburb of Brisbane, but it is rich in wildlife nevertheless. This is largely due to the life-sustaining qualities of Norman Creek flowing through the eastern extremity of the suburb—elsewhere, with Ipswich Road splitting the area right down the middle, urbanisation has taken its toll. Featured areas: (1) Arnwood Place, (2) Lagonda Park, (3) Suburban Annerley, (4) Fanny Street Park, and (5) Ekibin Park South; Image courtesy of Google Maps. Situated just a short distance away from the Brisbane River, Annerley sits upon soils derived from sedimentary rock, and would have been cloaked in a mix of dry and wet eucalypt forest before it was cleared for dairy farming; the vegetation along Norman Creek would have been particularly dense, being home to a mix of littoral rainforest species. This latter ecosystem would have been an especially rich hunt...

The swamp oak forest in the Boondall Wetlands is a place of great beauty and peace. Featured areas: (1) Brisbane Entertainment Centre, (2) Boondall Wetlands Reserve, (3) Suburban Boondall, and (4) Frank Sleeman Park; Image courtesy of Google Maps. Home to Brisbane’s largest wetlands, Boondall is a suburb that should be familiar to any South-east Queensland nature enthusiast. Located 15 kilometres north of the Brisbane CBD, the suburb is positioned on a flat coastal floodplain bound by a number of estuarine waterways, including the lower reaches of Cabbage Tree Creek in the north, and Nundah Creek in the east. Over the years, Boondall has grown from a quiet little community into a busy residential area that is home to almost 10,000 people. Sandgate Road and the Gateway Motorway cut through the suburb, each coming to a standstill during peak hour as traffic flows in and out of the city. This urban pressure has had a noticeable effect on the wildlife of the area, and roadkill is ...

Chequered swallowtails are often found resting in long grass. Featured areas: (1) Suburban Keperra, (2) Grovely Sports Ground, (3) Kindlinen Place, (4) Keperra Bushland Reserve, and (5) Dash Street Park. Image courtesy of Google Maps. Located just 9km outside of the Brisbane CBD, Keperra is a busy suburb that has been fortunate enough to retain a decent amount of bushland. The reason behind this lies in the suburb's topography, as much of its southern region lies atop a sharply-rising escarpment. Alongside Kedron Brook, which forms the northern border of the suburb, the gentler inclines have allowed more development to occur. Once used as a military camp, the area underwent a housing boom in the 1980s, and a large shopping centre, Primary School, retirement village and the Ferny Grove train line all service the area now.  Keperra was given its name by the local Yuggera people, whose name for the place ('Kipper') referred to its use as a venue for initiation cere...

Pale-headed Rosella (Platycercus adscitus)  in the pre-dawn light along Millwood Place. Just a twenty minute drive out of the Brisbane city centre, Upper Kedron somehow manages to feel yet a million miles away. Nestled in the foothills of the D'Aguilar Range, the suburb is home to almost 4,000 people, most of whom reside in modern, recently-built estates. Confusingly, Upper Kedron does not lie to the north of, nor even border, the suburb of Kedron; the name refers to the fact that the upper reaches of Brisbane's  much-loved Kedron Brook can be found near here, fed by Cedar Creek also.

Wildlife along Bulimba Creek. Clockwise from top left: Tilapia, Eastern Water Dragon, Brown Goshawk, Common Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) . Featured areas: (1) Yandina Picnic Ground, (2) Cresthaven Park, (3) Sandringham Park, (4) Suburban Mansfield. Image courtesy of Google Maps. Located just 11 kilometres from the busy centre of Brisbane, Mansfield is a suburb that is very rich in environmental assets. Originally used for dairy cattle and sheep grazing, the district underwent a population boom in the 1960s when government-housing estates were established in the area. Thankfully, someone at the time had the foresight to keep the banks of Bulimba Creek free from development, helping to establish an excellent wildlife corridor through the suburb that has persisted to the present day.