Bimberi Nature Reserve
The Bimberi Nature Reserve sits on an elevated block of the Brindabella Range about 30 kilometres south-west of Canberra. The 10 886 hectare reserve lies between Namadgi and Kosciuszko national parks and ranges in height from about 750 to 1857 metres.
Recreation
There are two areas along the Mount Franklin Road which offer facilities for recreation and which are wholly or partly within the nature reserve. The Mount Aggie site comprises a carpark, signs and a loop walking track. Mount Franklin comprises a short access road, toilets and carpark.
The ACT/NSW boundary of the reserve passes through Pryor's Hut and the Franklin Chalet ruin. Pryor's Hut was built in the early 1950s along with an arboretum of pine species as an annexe to the Australian National Botanic Gardens. It is open and has a visitor's book. The Franklin Chalet was constructed in 1938 to service the Canberra Alpine Club and was tragically destroyed in the January 2003 bushfires.
Further information about minimal impact recreation and how to leave no trace!
Cultural heritage
The area now covered by the reserve lies on the junction of the territories of the Ngunawal and Walgalu Aboriginal people. Occupation of the areas has been dated back at least 5000 years. The recorded sites are generally small surface scatters of artefacts, but in adjacent areas stone arrangements, rockshelters and art sites have been found. Most of the recorded sites lie along spur and ridge-lines, while natural treeless areas such as Brumby Flats are also highly likely to contain sites. Camp sites are known to occur at Mount Franklin, Mount Ginnini and Mount Gingera in the neighbouring Namadgi National Park.
Plants
Most species are of montane and sub-alpine types. Woodlands of snow gum Eucalyptus pauciflora occur on the crest of the range above 1500 metres. These grade downslope into tall open forests of snow gum and, at approximately 1300 metres, into snow gum-mountain gum E. dalrympliana open forest communities. These are interspersed with alpine ash E. delegatensis in more sheltered aspects. At lower elevations along the Goodgradigbee River drier montane peppermint E. radiata forests occur.
Herbfields, grasslands and swamps occur on the higher peaks, gaps in the range and on broad open areas respectively. Mount Gingera has an example of alpine sphagnum and herbfields. The Brumby Flats area has sphagnum bog environment. Heaths occur on screes in the sub-alpine area. The rare alpine conifer Podocarpus lawrencei binds the scree and inhibits erosion. It may be found in areas above 1500 metres.
Animals
Fauna surveys have not been comprehensive within the nature reserve but scientific inventories in the adjacent Cotter catchment have recorded a number of species of particular interest. These include the endangered smoky mouse Pseudomys fumeus and the northern corroboree frog Pseudophyrne pengilleyi.
The migratory Bogong moth Agrotis infusa aestivates in granite outcrops on Mount Gingera and a sub-species of butterfly Oreixenica kershawiphryne is endemic to the Brindabella Range.
Geology and geomorphology
Most of the reserve is composed of extensively deformed volcanic rocks and altered sediments with some very prominent granite outcrops on the crest of the range. The soils of the reserve demonstrate high porosity and stability with few erosion problems. Elevated granite areas exhibit a very humic or peaty soil.
Caves and other karst features have been reported on the east bank of the Goodradigbee River and the main flow of the river goes through Blackfellows (Anabranch) Cave, which is therefore in the nature reserve. These features are part of the Silurian limestone deposits which extend through the adjacent Cooleman Plains area of Kosiuszko National Park.
More information about Bimberi Nature Reserve
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service
Queanbeyan, NSW 2620
Australia
Telephone: +61 2 6297 6144