A FREE CONCERT SERIES donations appreciated SCAN TO BOOK NOW OR GO TO HUMANITIX MUSIC & TEA WOLLONGONG ART GALLERY
Steel City Strings performs at WAG this Saturday
The fictional worlds depicted by the cinema come vividly to life once music is added.
Reel Music navigates a trail through cinematic classics such as Psycho, Cinema Paradiso, Pirates of the Caribbean, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Edward Scissorhands, as well as music for Riptide by local composer John Spence and much
Wollongong Botanic Garden Nursery has an extensive range of local trees, shrubs, ground covers and grasses, as well as worm farms and compost bins for sale.
Please note: this is a ratepayer subsidised service, so a current Wollongong City Council rates notice is required on the day as proof of residency.
The Garden’s expert horticulture staff can provide plant advice on the day, but you can also plan ahead.
Visit the Greenplan Plant Sale web page a week before each sale for a list of species available and prices.
You’ll find great information on many of the plants on the Growing Illawarra Natives website. You can
more. A Steel City Strings commission from Australian film composer Lauren Mercovich completes a soundscape for the imagination.
Steel City Strings is a Wollongongbased chamber orchestra of musicians from the Illawarra, Shoalhaven, and Southern Highlands of NSW regions. Book tickets here.
also pick up a printed copy of the Growing Illawarra Natives or Edible Plant Guides, and Council’s Verge Guidelines from the Nursery on plant sale days, or from the Administration Office during opening hours.
Parking is available on site. The entrance will be marked with bright flags on the day.
13-14 July
South Coast Readers and Writers Festival 14 July Barefoot Bowls Fundraiser
19-20 July
Kiama Readers’ Festival
19-20 July The Listies: Make Some Noise
15-19 July Merrigong Creativity CAmp
26 July
Illawarra Police
Charity Ball
Click here for more events
The author of The Daughter’s Promise chats to SCWC’s Elizabeth Heffernan
“I have moved from domestic suspense into what the industry calls ‘up-lit’ –which basically covers stories that move or inspire, and leave the reader with a satisfying, uplifting and happy ending.”
– Sarah CluttonWhat is your latest project?
I’m excited to be up to the final edits on a book coming out in May 2025 with Allen & Unwin. The working title is The Remarkable Truth about Alfie Bains but that might well change!
The premise is this: When Penny Bains opens the door of her Tasmanian farmhouse to Alfie, a boy with an Irish accent claiming to be her grandson, her life is turned upside down.
Penny is about to discover that buried secrets are no match for the will of a precocious 10-year-old, newly skilled in the art of deception. Alfie is on the hunt for his real dad, and when he realises everyone is lying to him, he secretly launches ‘Operation Tadpole’: a quest to discover the truth.
With this book, I have moved from domestic suspense into what the industry calls ‘up-lit’ – which basically covers stories that move or inspire, and leave the reader with a satisfying, uplifting and happy ending.
This still gives me the opportunity to write suspense, but it also allows a lot more humour to come into the narrative, and that’s what I need at the moment and maybe others do too. Life is hard and sometimes you just want to be entertained in a fun but meaningful way.
What are you reading?
Michael Thompson’s debut, How to be Remembered. I saw him speak at a writers’ festival recently and he talked about resilience and persistence – he was trying and failing to get this book published, and it was the 43rd agent he sent his manuscript to who loved it. But after that a flurry of publishers bid for it and then another flurry of US filmmakers bid for the screen rights! He could have given up after rejections from 10 or 20 or 40 agents, but he didn’t, and look what happened!
A writer who has helped you?
When I won the Dymocks McIntosh Commercial Fiction Scholarship in 2018 I got to spend a fabulous week in Adelaide for a Masterclass with the indomitable Fiona McIntosh. I was trying to write a new manuscript, and kept getting stuck on structure and narrative tension. I remember Fiona saying something like, ‘picture a staircase… keep the narrative tension going up and up and eventually you’ll have your book.’ That was a really easy picture to keep in my head, and it seems to work, although I allow for an occasional plateau and a little downward step at the end.
OnSaturday, June 15, the day the Illawarra’s wind zone was declared, Good for the Gong founder Sean Moran was celebrating a “good thing for the environment” but also focused on healing the rift in the community, possibly over a beer.
everyone I’ve spoken to in Good for the Gong does too. So I think we have some common ground around that stuff.”
Find stories from all perspectives on the
Sean has not met anyone from Responsible Future (Illawarra Chapter), but he’d like to. “We have a bit of back and forth online,” he said. “I haven’t met anyone in person. I’d actually like to sit down – you know, at the pub, over a coffee or something – and chat to some of the members.
“I know there’s people opposed to this that are very reasonable and I think we share a lot of the same ideals. I care deeply about the environment and
Sean said he’d be open to meeting Responsible Future’s leaders. “I would actually, because I think one of the big things when we started with Good for the Gong was we were seeing division in the community. It’s a small, tight-knit community and I think one of the things we actively want to avoid, if it’s not too late, is that division.
“Trying to bring people back together, finding common ground would be good.”
A Bulli local, Sean works as an environmental engineer (in a field unrelated to offshore wind) and volunteers with the Red Cross. He started the Good for the Gong Facebook group
Minnamurra River is the training ground for elite kayakers
“I’d actually like to sit down – you know, at the pub, over a coffee or something – and chat to some of the members.”
– Sean Moran, Good for the Gong
in October 2023 and, while running it does take time, he said it’s less work than flying solo. “Before Good for Gong, I was spending a lot more time just keyboard warrior-ing it up in my own time. And it was having quite a negative effect on me and my personal life, taking energy. I’m finding I’m enjoying it a lot more and it’s actually taking less energy now than it was before we started.
“We’ve seen a real shift in the narrative around offshore wind in the community since creating the group. And we’ve turned it from what was quite a toxic discussion with a lot of disinformation to something that’s a lot more science and evidence-based … and kind, actually. I think we’ve been able to change the nature of the discussion.
“We feel good about that.”
On Monday, June 17, after protestors gathered with signs reading “No coastal wind factory” at Wollongong Harbour, Responsible Future’s media spokesperson Alex O’Brien told the Flame that while the group opposed wind turbines sensitive marine environments like the Illawarra, he did not want to see the “tribalisation of our communities”.
“That’s not what the Illawarra is,” Alex said. “We’re a great group of diverse people that have enjoyed that coastline and we should be looking at ways to heal the community, not further divide it.”
Responsible Future now has two events planned: public forums in Fairy
Meadow on June 25 and Kiama on July 9. Alex said the events would be a chance for the group to share its research.
“The community has a right to know how much of a gamble offshore wind is for the Illawarra,” he said. “I’m not against renewables and nor is the association, but we need a better way –from the energy options, from the way they’re rolled out, from the way communities are consulted – and we need to stop the division in the community. It’s important – we all want to live here. We don’t want to be angry with our neighbours because they hold a different view.”
Alex himself is a Wollongong local, drawn to the city four years ago by family ties and its natural beauty. “We decided that, a few months after our daughter was born, we wanted her to grow up not in a city, but in a natural environment. So we relocated, as many in our community have, to our beautiful coastline.”
Alex previously lived in Newtown for several years where he transitioned to a plant-based diet, a decision he made for the sake of the environment and his love of animals. It was his career in wealth management – where he’s worked for 15 years at a senior level – that drove him to become involved in the campaign against offshore wind: “I have seen how profit drives investments. I have seen how investors profit off people and the environment. When this project came about, I could see all the hallmarks of it being greenwashed, being profit driven.”
Therecent announcement of the Illawarra Offshore Energy Infrastructure Zone marks a pivotal moment for our community. Whilst the Federal Government’s submission summary report paints a picture of a community divided, it also provides some important clues about where there are opportunities for collaboration.
The summary report reveals that 33% of submissions were in favour of the proposed zone and 65% were opposed. While these figures might suggest overwhelming opposition, it’s worth remembering that it is common for opponents to dominate participation in public consultation exercises. It is therefore likely that the divide between the two camps is not as wide as these figures might suggest.
But focusing on the blunt binary of
support versus opposition is not a constructive path through the current conflict in our community. It’s imperative to start to bridge the divergent views between these two positions. Dismissing concerns from opponents as uninformed or self-interested or disregarding supporters’ perspectives risks deepening rifts within our community. Genuine progress requires respectful dialogue and a commitment to finding common ground.
Moving forward demands a concerted effort towards collaboration. We feel there is more work to do to support this – and there are some great ideas contained within the submissions. Firstly, the report documents concerns about the adequacy of current consultation methods and notes that a numbers of submissions advocated for a
“Genuine progress requires respectful dialogue and a commitment to finding common ground”
– Michelle Voyer
community taskforce to enhance engagement and guide research priorities. There is still scope to do this now the zone is declared and we feel that this step could bolster inclusivity and coherence in the approach to feasibility licencing.
Secondly, environmental concerns unite both supporters and opponents, with 77% of submissions citing worries about potential impacts. Addressing these concerns through robust, independent research is vital. We had hoped to see a strong commitment from the Federal Government to support independent research to underpin the future development of this industry, including creative approaches to how this might be funded. Regrettably, this did not occur, but the opportunity for independent environmental research remains.
Thirdly, the issue of community benefits from future wind farm developments remains unresolved. The potential for community benefits extends far beyond traditional employment numbers. The absence of structured negotiation mechanisms leaves communities vulnerable, as negotiations will happen behind closed doors and assumptions will be made, excluding broader community input. This approach risks undermining trust and fairness in benefit sharing arrangements.
Here are our suggested next steps for how our community can chart a new course which places local knowledge, experience and needs at the centre of the next stage of this long process:
1. Establishment of a Community Reference Group: we suggest a consultative mechanism needs to be established to harness local expertise to guide the feasibility and licensing process, ensuring community voices shape the direction of development.
2. Development of Independent Research Frameworks: we suggest the above group work with the community to define transparent research priorities which shine a light on risks and benefits and provide a foundation for informed decision-making.
3. Adoption of Community Engagement Protocols: we recommend instituting clear and transparent protocols for inclusive stakeholder engagement, ensuring all voices are heard and respected and that community gets a say in defining community benefit frameworks.
This process isn’t just about approving or rejecting a project – it’s about shaping a sustainable future that respects diverse perspectives and protects our environment. By fostering collaboration and informed decision-making, we can navigate this complex terrain together, ensuring the voices of all Illawarra residents are heard and respected.
As we embark on this journey of planning, research, and engagement, let’s embrace the opportunity to co-design a pathway that balances progress with community well-being. Together, we can build a resilient and inclusive future for the Illawarra, grounded in shared values and supported by robust evidence.
“I’ve been supported amazingly; it’s been the best. They’ve been really great.”
– Rhiannon DomineyEstablished at the height of the pandemic less than two years ago, local not-for-profit Yilabara is celebrating, having already found jobs for more than 400 Aboriginal community members.
On average, that’s two placements a week.
Yilabara is the only 100 per cent Aboriginal-owned and run Indigenous Specialist Workforce Australia provider in the country and according to its CEO, Matthew Clarke, it offers a unique service that is culturally safe.
And with unemployment rates as high as 21 per cent in local Aboriginal communities, the need has never been greater. “All our offices have local Aboriginal staff, which means we understand the challenges faced by our local Aboriginal community members, their families and the broader community,” Matthew said.
“Our first step is to get down there, listen to the community and make sure we give them a voice.”
Yilbara offers their services across five locations: Wollongong, Shellharbour, Dapto, Nowra and Batemans Bay.
Matthew describes the Federal Government’s offer of an Indigenous
specialist licence to deliver Workforce Australia services to jobseekers as “a landmark moment for local Aboriginal communities”.
“It represents a step forward in government trusting Aboriginal organisations to deliver employment services to our own communities. Every report says the same thing – if we are to close the gap then we need to have Aboriginal controlled organisations leading these programs.”
Yilabara is also celebrating another significant landmark moment with the recent placement of their 400th Aboriginal community member in work.
After taking a 12-month break from work to take care of her three boys, Gadigal woman Rhiannon Dominey was referred to Yilabara by Centrelink to support her return to the workforce.
With encouragement from her Aboriginal Employment Advisor, Rhiannon is now into her third month in her new job as an aged care worker.
“I’ve been supported amazingly; it’s been the best. They’ve been really great,” Rhiannon said. “They helped me get my NDIS check, work uniforms and just being there for me. They’ve supported me the whole way.”
The Illawarra Police Charity Ball on July 26 at UOW will help raise vital funds to support young people at MCCI like Hasnaa.
Hasnaa was 14 years old when she came to Wollongong and met Bec and MCCI’s youth team through Links to Learning and later Accelerate HER. Seven years later they are still in contact. “Bec is an inspiration. She has been a mentor for me,” Hasnaa said. As part of MCCI’s annual scholarship program, Hasnaa received an iPad, which will come in handy when she starts to study criminology at the University of Wollongong.
The ball will raise funds to support more young people from refugee backgrounds. $150, book here
“I’ve run in every Australian state except Western Australia, and we now plan our holidays around wherever we go.”
– Barbara Hemingway
EverySaturday morning across the world hundreds of thousands of joggers start their day with a jog.
parkrun has become a global fitness phenomenon and a Woonona woman, Barbara Hemingway, has just joined a small, celebrated group in Australia having run her 500th parkrun event.
It was a cool, soggy Saturday as Barbara was cheered to the finish line finishing mid field wearing the blue shirt which symbolizes a 500th run.
“We have different coloured shirts to celebrate every parkrun milestone,” said race director Michael Kennedy.
“It’s important that we celebrate people running their tenth, 25, 50, 100, 250 and 500,” he said. “You wear the red shirt for 50 parkruns and black for 100.”
Barbara, 58, is the first member of the Sandon Point Parkrun Club to run 500 events and while most of them were in the Illawarra, she’s also run in many other places including New Zealand and Singapore.
“I’ve run in every Australian state except Western Australia, and we now plan our holidays around parkruns wherever we go,” she said.
It was a friend, Megan Cracknell, who inspired Barbara to join the parkrunning craze.
“We became friends through watching our sons play rugby and I decided to join
Megan playing touch footy, But I was so unfit, and I was huffing and puffing after running 10 metres,” Barbara said.
So, in 2013 she ran her first 5km parkrun and since day one she rarely misses a Saturday morning run.
“It’s just wonderful to see how people encourage each other and it’s such a lovely community to be a part of.”
Inspired by people in the Sandon Point group who are still running in their 70s, 80s and 90s, Barbara has no doubt that sometime in the future, maybe around 2035, she’ll be striding out across the finish line in her 100th parkrun.
The parkrun community is growing all the time – but it’s all still based on the simple, basic principles formed from the start: weekly, free, for everyone. Forever.
parkrun fun facts
The first parkrun took place on 2 October 2004 in London UK where 13 intrepid runners got together; this year marks its 20th anniversary. On 2 April 2011, the first Australian parkrun was held at main beach on the Gold Coast, Queensland with 115 participants.
There are now more than 400 parkrun events in Australia with more than 750,000 participants.
Parkrun events are also held every Saturday at Helensburgh, Fairy Meadow, North Wollongong and Shellharbour.
TheIllawarra Canoe Club (ICC) has produced high-level kayakers competing in places like Bulgaria and Croatia. With their intense training regimes, these athletes could one day find themselves in the Olympics.
The ICC has had an impressive year and four rising stars – 21-year-old Jasmine Locke, 18-year-old Kynan Burke, 19-year-old Callum Elliott and 18-year-old Tarren Elliott – have already competed in numerous events, including the 2024 Paddle Australia Canoe Sprint Championships.
For these kayakers, putting the time into their training is important to reach the next level.
“It’s probably looking at between 15 to 20 hours a week,” said Jasmine.
“I do a lot of different sessions to help me get the best out of my work.”
They train two to three times a day. This can involve anything from kayak training to running, swimming or a gym session.
“It can be a bit hard to struggle, balancing school and training, but you just have to see it all in,” said Tarren.
“I always liked the sport and I want to succeed, so I have to train hard,” said Kynan.
Their kayak training focuses on building up technique and harmony with the boats. This includes drill repetition to work on acceleration and resistance training to improve speed.
“It’s a lot of high-intensity interval efforts… like three minutes on, one
minute off,” Callum said.
“We do this stuff called resistance where we put a occy strap around the front of the boat, which reduces how streamlined it is through the water and makes it hard to push through the water.
“When we take that off, it helps to build your strength, so then you feel like you’re flying once you have it off.”
A key factor in becoming a great kayaker is the boat. The type of boat varies based on the event – whether it’s a K1, K2, or K4, with the numeral representing the number of paddlers –but the common trend seems to be the brand: Neo.
“Most of the athletes use them, that’s what I think the top of the range is,” said Kynan.
While not as intense as some athletes’ diets, these kayakers ensure they meet all their nutritional requirements to keep their bodies ready for competition.
“It’s just really important to have a balanced diet, ensuring I’m getting enough protein and carbs into my training,” Jasmine said.
Despite already having a big year of competition behind them, more challenges await. Jasmine and Kynan have been selected to compete in the Australian U23 and Junior World Championships Teams respectively in Bulgaria in July.
“I’m incredibly excited to go and race,” said Jasmine.
“This is my third time competing in the under-23 team, we’ve got a really
strong team, and I can’t wait to race the rest of the world.”
Tarren has her own journey ahead. In September, she will head to Croatia to compete in the Junior World Canoe Marathon Championships.
“It’s take two, I’m going with Chelsea Sutton from Manly Warringah Kayak Club,” Tarren said.
“I’ve never been to a world championship before, so I’m pretty excited about that.”
All the ICC kayakers are eager to compete against the world’s best paddlers.
“The world championships and the Olympics, that’s probably the end goal,” said Callum.
While Olympic medals are on their minds, they are also keen to enjoy the journey and keep improving along the way.
“I just want to make more teams and events every year, see where it takes me from there,” said Kynan.
The ride isn’t a solo journey for these four dedicated competitors, who acknowledge they couldn’t do it alone.
“I know I’d like to thank my parents for dedicating a lot of time and money and effort into getting me where I am and my coaches as well,” Callum said.
“Always, rain, hail or shine, they put in effort.”
Check out the full season report to find out more on the ICC’s incredible kayakers.
“It can be a bit hard to struggle, balancing school and training, but you just have to see it all in.”
– Tarren Elliott
“We recently started intimate dinner service and I have a lovely helping hand to ensure service runs top notch during those times.”
–Oliver Boudib, Lil Mahs
Inhis book, In Defence of Food, Michael Pollan tells us to ‘Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants’. It’s a simple enough premise and a few years ago in an effort to improve my health, I launched into a plant-based lifestyle. For me though, I ate less plants than recommended and more Oreos than was reasonable.
Thankfully, Oliver Boudib is saving me from myself and offering the good folk of the Illawarra food to get excited about.
Lil Mahs, named for his Lebanese grandmother who inspired his love of food, is an intimate restaurant, nestled down an alley on Crown Street, away from the hustle and bustle of the mall.
It opened in August 2023 when Oliver moved to the Illawarra after spending the previous eight years running Samadhi Whole Foods in Camden. Both restaurants were the result of over 20 years of experience as a chef in various establishments throughout Sydney.
And while Lil Mahs has been much loved by the region’s vegans, it’s kind of a well-kept secret from local omnivores.
Oliver refers to the food as “plant-based or food for humans” and thanks to inclusions such as the incredibly popular plant-powered kebab and braised ‘lamb’ sandwich, both made with seitan, a super tasty meat substitute, it’s an easy and very delicious way to dip
your toes into the world of plants.
“I always encourage people to give it a go and see for themselves. Generally people who are sceptical [of vegan food] have very low expectations and it’s always very satisfying to see the surprise and just how much they enjoy the food,” Oliver said.
What makes Lil Mahs especially impressive is that it’s pretty much a one-man show with Oliver prepping and making the majority of the seasonal menu, from the focaccia to the cookies and muffins, while also greeting and serving customers. Special ‘date night’ set menus and Friday nights featuring jazz are also popular.
“We recently started intimate dinner service and I have a lovely helping hand to ensure service runs top notch during those times,” he said.
The next special event dinner is this Friday, June 21 and, with an Indianinspired menu and tickets only $44 per person, it’s the perfect time to try Oliver’s take on plants.
“I’m very proud to serve food that’s good for people, the planet and provides a new palate of flavours that showcases just how good plant food can be.”
To keep up to date with special events and opening hours, follow Lil Mahs on Instagram and Facebook.
WhenI was pregnant with my first daughter, my husband and I nested like all parents. We renovated the house and created and painted the nursery. But before all that, one of my first nesting urges was the procurement of four hens for our backyard.
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Look out for Andy’s parenting columns on Mondays
Named Judi Dench, Hattie McDaniels, Ginger Rogers and Betty White, the jazzy hens became wonderful pets and a nostalgic reminder of my own childhood growing up on ten acres with a menagerie of animals. As a result of that childhood, I am an egg snob. Once you’ve had homegrown, it’s hard to go back to store-bought. So the chookies earned their keep, laying eggs for us in exchange for kitchen scraps and free-range of the yard.
Soon, baby girl number one arrived and from the moment she could move, she wanted to wrestle the chickens. By the time she could walk, she was helping me feed them every day.
Even now, there is something deeply calming about feeding the chooks and collecting the eggs. Beyond that, it is deeply important to me that my children have a relationship with their food and the plants and animals that produce it. The simple act of collecting the eggs creates a somatic memory of where that food comes from. Our modern lives are pathologically disconnected from our food sources, courtesy of fast food, supermarket chains and the allure of convenience. That convenience is fast becoming a necessity in order to maintain the ever-increasing busyness of our lifestyle.
Keeping chickens won’t solve that. But, it does go some way in reminding us what it means to procure our food. To slow down long enough to watch the whole process and eat with the joy of knowing exactly where that egg came from. And besides that, chickens are hilarious and their antics will bring you
and your children happiness.
Well, some of their antics. It wouldn’t be fair if I only laid out the good parts. Left unprotected, your chickens will decimate your garden. I was cavalier about fencing the garden too many times to count, and therefore the chickens have had many wonderful adventures eating through my veggie patch and excavating enormous amounts of soil from my garden beds.
Additionally, where there are chickens, there cometh rats. This is probably the worst part about keeping chooks. You can get feeders and coops that are rat-proof, but regardless the rats will still come. We manage by sealing food bins and cleaning the coop regularly, but it’s something we’ve learned to accept and live with.
Two years ago, I impulse bought a small incubator and was subsequently gifted some fertilised eggs. Excitedly, I embarked on an experiment with my kids, letting them observe the process of incubation and waiting three weeks for the eggies to hatch.
Now, whenever my youngest sees an egg she coos and says ‘ooo bubby chicky in there’. It’s heartbreakingly sweet. Funnily enough, it doesn’t seem to bother her when we crack those eggs, or they’re served to her soft boiled with toast soldiers. I like to think that being so close to the process brings a duality of feeling: a love for the animal and a sense of respect for the fact that we are consuming a product that (if fertilised)
would have become another chicken. I’m totally projecting my own embodied ideology onto my child’s innocent macinactions, but I hope my children absorb that ideology nonetheless.
Two chicks hatched after the three-week incubation period and the joy they bought my girls was palpable. Every day the requests came in to ‘cuddle chickies’. Every. Single. Day. My eldest girl named one Bobbi Toffee and the other Jacqueline Blackeline. My second daughter, much younger at this time, said her first word: ‘chickies’.
Unfortunately, Bobbi Toffee turned out to be a rooster. And despite his loving upbringing, he became a VERY aggressive rooster. Roosters are not permitted to be kept in Wollongong suburbia due to the noise pollution created from their crowing. So, Bobbi Toffee had a lovely 18 months of life with us before he attacked the baby and signed his own vacating notice. Not before he had the chance to sire a clutch of new chickies for the girls to cuddle!
Few things have brought as much richness to our lifestyle as the humble chooks in our backyard. They are incredible emotional regulators for both me and my children. They provide us with hours of entertainment; my eldest has become a chicken hypnotist and likes to line up prostrate chooks to stroke their tummies. And of course, they are the invaluable source of our Sunday morning poached eggs on toast.
“Few things have brought as much richness to our lifestyle as the humble chooks in our backyard”
– Andy Lawrence
Justabout to come into massive flower is the Coastal Wattle (Acacia longifolia subsp. sophorae).
Widespread on the coastal foredunes throughout the region, and further north and south, Coastal Wattle is an incredibly hardy plant that can cope with frontline conditions including wild winds and salt spray.
Often seen as wind-sheared low plants near the sea, it can grow taller and more open a bit further back, such as along the track at Puckey’s Estate in Fairy Meadow, where it lines the path at many points.
As I write, the flower buds on many plants are still green but growing and becoming paler. Before long the full yellow colour explosion will be on full display.
In full flower, Coastal Wattle is more yellow than green, more flower than leaf, and can be absolutely buzzing with interested pollinators and the small birds that like to eat them. (See photo above by Leon Fuller).
This wattle is common in the region, although it really is restricted to coastal areas as it prefers sandy soils. It will grow
elsewhere as long as the soil is very free-draining and not too rich in nutrients.
It is an awesome habitat plant, and attracts a myriad of insects and birds. Right now plants coming into flower are being mobbed by finches, wrens, silvereyes, weevils and robins which hide among the dense foliage and some of which like to eat the insects.
One of the many species of small bird that frequent Coastal Wattle, the Red-browed Finch can currently be seen in large numbers, often foraging in
mixed flocks that include wrens and other species. (Photo above copyright Keith Horton).
For humans, the seed of Coastal Wattle are one of several wattle species that can be eaten, roasted and ground. Care needs to be taken in determining the species you are looking at, and there are risks associated with incorrect identification. Buying commercially prepared wattle seed is the safest option unless you really know what you are doing.
“The Red-browed Finch can currently be seen in large numbers, often foraging in mixed flocks that include wrens and other species.”
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