One of the magnificent Yellow box trees at the old stock camp (W.Pix). Since the photo was taken in March 2005 and following persistent hand weeding over a decade, the weedy ground cover of large parts of the old stock camp has been replaced with native species.
When: Sunday 20th September 1-4pm
Where: Meet at 1pm at Mount Majura Nature reserve gate car park, Mackenzie St near Grayson St, Hackett.
What: At the gate, we will distribute small mattocks to each of you to carry.
Walk together for about 30 minutes, along Blue Metal Road then veer right at a large water tank and continue uphill to the ridge top where there is great view Eastward across Majura valley.
If you miss the group at 1pm, use the Google maps links to find the weeding site:
Walking from Mackenzie St car park:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/7z7cMU9jddHXhTb76?g_st=am
OR Walking from the Kellaway St car park:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/zVpmAnVjiZiJn9uh8?g_st=am
Aim: to remove as many herbaceous weeds as possible before they flower and produce seeds. The main weeds are several species of thistles, Buchan Weed (Hirschfeldia incana) & Great Mullein (Verbascum thapsus).
View from the old stock camp (sheep camp south) to southeast (J.Zeil, August 2026)
Bring: Enthusiasm, water to drink, sun & weather protection. Wear gardening clothes, sturdy shoes and gloves. Bring your favourite weeding tool if you prefer to BYO.
We share with you: a warm welcome, gloves, tools such as light mattocks, & delicious cake for a sociable mid-afternoon break with a view.
Horehound and Great Mullein were some of the common herbaceous weeds on the old stock camp before hand-weeding began in 2015.
Sheep camp south. The approximately 5 ha area is one of several old stock camps located on the Mt Majura – Mt Ainslie ridge-line.
In 2015, Friends of Mt Majura volunteer Jochen began hand weeding Horehound (Marrubium vulgare), Saffron thistle (Carthamus lanatus), Spear Thistle (Cirsium vulgare), Scotch Thistle (Onopordum acanthium), Cockspur Thistle (Centaurea melitensis), Buchan Weed (Hirschfeldia incana), Great Mullein (Verbascum thapsus), St John’s Wort, Serrated Tussock (Nassella trichotoma) and more.
The above links include photographic records of the old stock camp taken in March 2005 The records indicate the degree of the degradation by weeds. Compared with the situation today, the records also indicate that persistent and continuous work achieves a remarkable transformation.
The old stock camp (sheep camp south) in August 2026 with recruits of native ground cover and trees; Mt Majura’s summit is visible in the north (J. Zeil)
