A 30-strong platoon of volunteers recently completed a significant planting project at Playles Hill Park in Corryong.
In seven days, the industrious group amassed more than 280 hours of work to prepare beds and plant in excess of 1200 local native shrubs, groundcovers, grasses and wildflowers.
More than 35 different species of plants are now spread throughout the park which complement those already found there and others which are native to the local area.
The variety ranges from tiny wildflowers including bulbine lilies, everlasting daisies, hardenbergia (‘happy wanderer’), murnong daisies, bluebells and trigger plants to grasses such as dianella (flax lily), lomandra and kangaroo grass, plus shrubs such as wattles (four different varieties), hakea, ‘egg and bacon’ species, grevilleas and banksias.
One hundred locally extinct and critically endangered Banksia canei have also been included in the plantings.
“We are very privileged that Playles Hill Park has been chosen as the location of an ‘insurance’ population of these special plants,” said a spokesperson for the Playles Hill Project Group.
“The ‘unextinction’ of Banksia canei project has involved many different organisations including Royal Botanic Gardens, Parks Victoria, Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA), Wild Research, Our Native Garden Nursery and a large number of volunteers.
“The Royal Botanic Gardens at Cranbourne has also supplied 35 other local endangered and critically endangered species such as acacia, grevillea and tea-tree.
“Special thanks go to Laura Simmons (research scientist at Royal Botanic Gardens), Glen Johnson (Wild Research) and Dom Larsen and her team at Our Native Garden Nursery.
“Once these plants grow, Playles Hill Park will not only be a place to help ensure the survival of these species but it will provide an opportunity for all to be able to see and appreciate these special rare plants without having to trek into our local mountain areas,” they said.
“We hope that the local community and all who use the park respect the hard work that has gone into these plantings by group members and also those volunteers who have trekked into wild places to source seed and grow these plants for us. While you are encouraged to look at these plantings please walk gently and keep dogs and bikes away from the freshly planted areas as these can cause significant damage to the young plants.
“A big thanks also goes to all our volunteers – Susan Cole, Peter Dikschei, Maurie Foun, Karyn Healy, Emmat Hermmersley, Judy Jeffcott, Rod Macdonald, Steve Mandich, Seb Matthews, Tom and Thea Newton, Jon Pitman, Alan and Imma Reece, Yosephina and Austine Tlali, Jackie Nicovic, Warwick and Cathy Ross, Jill and Peter Rossborough, Sarah Wahjudi, Les and Lou Weibenga, Andrew and Harry Whithead, Ian Williams, Leonie Wilson and Chris and Lea Young.
“Thank you also to Black Sheep and Café Corryong Brew for supplying our morning tea goodies.
“We still have about 90 more plants to get into the ground, some clearing (removing dead branches and blackberries) and lots of mulching to do.
“In years to come we will all see the benefits of this amazing volunteering effort.”
A further working bee has been scheduled for this Sunday 14th September at 10am with a BBQ lunch to follow.
If you can help, RSVP for catering to Playles Hill Project Facebook page or call Thea Newton on 0418 869156.
If you are not available on Sunday and a week day would suit you better to help with the mulching, contact Thea Newton or Cathy Ross to arrange a time.
This article appeared in Corryong Courier, 11 September 2025.
