Loughie’s Bushland

The site of Loughie’s Bushland was originally a mixture of orchards and native vegetation owned by Anthony Loughnan in the 1900’s.

The land has since been used as a pine plantation and has been subject to wood harvesting for the nearby Antimony Mine and subdivision and development.

After the First World War, the property was divided into smaller holdings of 10-20 acres. A lake which was popular with the public existed for several years near the Glenvale Road entrance.

It was created by Anthony Loughnan’s damming of the creek. The dam was removed during the early stages of development in the area in the 1970s.

Council purchased the site in three stages from 1993 to 1995, responding to public concern for the land’s high conservation value. 

Loughie’s Bushland consists mainly of Valley Heathy Forest, with a patch of Swampy Riparian Woodland. The following list represents some of the common and some of the rare and significant (*) plants found in the reserve.

Upper storey

• Red Box - Eucalyptus polyanthemos
• Red Stringybark - Eucalyptus macrorhynca
• Bundy – Eucalyptus goniocalyx
• Blackwood - Acacia melanoxylon
• Swamp Gum - Eucalyptus ovata
• Narrow-leaf Peppermint – Eucalyptus radiata

Middle storey

• Cinnamon Wattle – Acacia leprosa*
• Prickly Moses - Acacia verticillata
• Tree Everlasting - Ozothamnus ferrugineus
• Sweet Bursaria – Bursaria spinosa
• Drooping Cassina – Cassinia arcuata
• Snowy Daisy Bush – Olearia lirata

Lower storey

• Cranberry heath - Astroloma humifusum*
• Clustered Everlasting - Chrysocephalum semipapposum*
• Derwent Speedwell - Derwentia derwentiana*
• Reflexed Bedstraw - Galium binifolium*
• Grey Guinea-flower - Hibbertia obtusifolia*
• Tall Lobelia - Lobelia gibbosa var. gibbosa*
• Showy Violet - Viola betonicifolia*
• Sweet Hound’s Tongue – Austrocynoglossum suavolens*
• Bidgee-widgee – Acaena novae-zealandia
• Common Heath – Epacris impressa

Grasses, Sedges and Rushes

• Red-anther Wallaby-grass - Joycea pallida
• Tall Sword-sedge - Lepidosperma elatius
• Tall Sedge – Carex appressa
• Velvet Tussock Grass - Poa morrisii
• Variable Sword Sedge - Lepidosperma laterale

Lilies and Orchids

• Yellow Bulbine-lily - Bulbine bulbosa
• Tiger Orchid - Diuris sulphurea
• Common Bird-orchid - Chiloglottis valida

Birds

• Grey Butcherbird - Cracticus torquatus
• Common Bronzewing - Phaps chalcoptera
• Australian King-Parrot - Alisterus scapularis
• Rainbow Lorikeet – Trichoglossus haematodus
• Laughing Kookaburra – Dacelo novaeguineae
• Tawny Frogmouth - Podargus strigoides
• Bell bird – Manorina melanophrys
• Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo – Calyptorhynchus funereus
• Olive-backed Oriole – Oriolus sagittatus
• Thornbill – Acanthiza pusilla
• Scrub Wren – Sericornis frontalis
• Wood Duck – Chenonetta jubata
• Grey Thrush – Colluricincla harmonica
• Noisy Miner - Manorina melanocephala
• Pied Currawong - Strepera graculina
• Galah – Cacatua roseicapilla
• Eastern Rosella – Platycercus eximius
• Crimson Rosella – Platycercus elegans
• Crested Pigeon - Ocyphaps lophotes

Mammals

• Swamp Wallaby – Wallabia bicolor
• Short-beaked Echidna - Tachyglossus aculeatus
• Koala – Trichosurus vulpecula
• Common Brushtail Possum – Trichosurus vulpecula
• Common Ringtail Possum - Pseudocheirus peregrinus
• White-striped Freetail Bat – Tadarida australis

Amphibians

• Common Froglet – Crinia signifera
• Southern Brown Tree Frog – Litoria ewingi