Professional Documents
Culture Documents
SFA Newsletter Spring 2014
SFA Newsletter Spring 2014
We are extremely grateful to Travis Dowling, our local Council, Mayor Laurie
Evans, Councillors, Simon Finlay of BCC and Sally Patterson of DEPI, for their
ongoing interest and support in our efforts to help protect the beaches of
Sandringham from erosion especially at times of storms, particularly in
summer-autumn and in spring.
We are honoured to be moving forward with modelling and costing studies to
do what is best for our beach. We want to get it truly right, using a scientific
approach. We have invited Sally Patterson, Program Manager of Coastal
Projects DEPI, to describe for us the proposed plans. We sincerely thank Sally
for all her efforts! Below is a delightful photo of Sally taking a ‘selfie’ on a
beautiful pristine coastline and she provides for us an outline of the proposed
coastal studies for the Sandringham beaches.
1. Technical soundness (how much sand will move in accordance with the wind and
wave movements, beach profile).
3. Value for money (consider a balance between capital cost, ongoing costs, and
maintenance costs).
DEPI will provide an update once the contractor has been nominated and the
project underway
SFA's main focus has been protecting and sustaining our local environment;
the cliffs, dunes and beaches, including re-vegetation, to create a natural fauna
& flora habitat – a wildlife corridor for future generations to enjoy.
Fossils: there are many fossils embedded in the rocks along our coastline
from Brighton to Beaumaris that are over 5 and even up to 12 million
years old. The Beaumaris Fossil Heritage site is a precious site that needs
absolute protection. SFA oppose any proposals to expand the Beaumaris
Yacht squadron.
Cliffs: rock geology and landscape sites unique to the Bayside area from
Brighton to Beaumaris; to minimize erosion of cliffs and beaches by
protecting the base of cliffs from wave action and diverting surface run-
off and drainage, and monitoring the entire Bayside coastline to protect
identified erosion when and where needed.
Beach cleaning
Have you noticed our beaches are cleaner? Many thanks to Victoria Perkins
and the community efforts of 3191 Beach Patrol; our beaches are looking
exceptionally cleaner. Please see details below for the next event. We would
love your assistance in joining Victoria.
Through our SFA membership, we have learned that a growing number of our
local and international community of residents, researchers, paleontologists
and scientists are feeling unease over the proposed expansion of the BMYS,
situated directly on an internationally significant fossil site. Expansion and
development of the BMYS will affect ongoing research of fossils in this area.
Fossils including 4-10 million year old shark-teeth (amongst other flora and
fauna) are unique to this site, which occur in the sea bed, on the beach and in a
layer of rock near to the water’s edge, and is precariously situated within 25
kilometers of the Melbourne CBD.
We appreciate that the current BMYS is providing a service to the local
fishermen and access for community emergency services. We value their
efforts in putting an EES together. However, we feel that the needs of these
user-groups are far outweighed when compared to the significance of the
fossil heritage site; in view of the large and growing number in the community
– including the international scientific community – who now oppose any
further expansion of the club, on the basis that the fossil site may be damaged
and lost.
The Beaumaris Bay Fossil Site, together with the adjacent Ricketts Point
Marine Sanctuary, has the potential – through volunteer and business ventures
– for ecotourism, which could be linked to Melbourne Conventions and
overseas visitors. The site is within easy reach of the city, and is of interest to
the whole of the community and scientists - nationally and internationally.
The following stakeholders met with DEPI to express our concerns and
objections to the expansion as we care and want to protect the fossil site to
the utmost degree. In the photo (over page), from left to right, we have:
When the fossil of a Pelagornis bone was found at Beaumaris Bay Fossil Site, it was established for
the first time that the Pelagornis, a gigantic seabird flew over Australia 65 million years ago:
http://scienceillustrated.com.au/blog/science/news/gigantic-seabirds-once-glided-over-the-australian-
coast/
http://blog.everythingdinosaur.co.uk/blog/_archives/2012/06/27/giant-toothed-birds-once-soared-over-
australia.html
Ter, P.C. & Buckeridge, J.St.J.S. 2012. Ophiomorpha beaumarisensis isp. nov., a trace fossil from the
late Neogene Beaumaris Sandstone is the burrow of a thalassinidean lobster. Proceedings of the
Royal Society of Victoria 124(3): 223-231. ISSN 0035-9211.
http://www.beaumarisconservation.net/ter_buckeridge_beaumaris_sandstone.pdf
The Sydney Morning Herald. Beaumaris fossil sheds light on ancient seals. (December 28, 2013, by
Bridie Smith).
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/sci-tech/beaumaris-fossil-sheds-light-on-ancient-seals-20131227-
2zzqr.html
Erich M. G. Fitzgerald, Travis Park & Trevor H. Worthy. First giant bony-toothed bird (Pelagornithidae)
from Australia. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology Volume 32, Issue 4, 2012 pages 971-974
DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2012.664596
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02724634.2012.664596#tabModule
http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/23251287?uid=3737536&uid=2460338175&uid=2460337935&u
id=2&uid=4&uid=83&uid=63&sid=21104506339313
Louchart A, Sire J-Y, Mourer-Chauvire C, Geraads D, Viriot L, et al. (2013) Structure and Growth
Pattern of Pseudoteeth in Pelagornis mauretanicus (Aves, Odontopterygiformes, Pelagornithidae).
PLoS ONE 8(11): e80372. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0080372
http://www.plosone.org/article/fetchObject.action?uri=info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.00803
72&representation=PDF
http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0080372
Australian Geographic. Giant bony-toothed bird fossil found. By Tiffany Hoy, June 29, 2012A bizarre
bony-toothed, giant bird fossil, with a 5m wingspan, has been discovered in Victoria.
http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/news/2012/06/giant-bony-toothed-bird-fossil-found/
Ophiomorpha beaumarisensis - note burrows imprinted within iron rich local “Beaumaris
sandstone” – formerly known as “Black Rock sandstone”.
Austromegabalanus victoriensis
To our knowledge these are the only known examples from the Cainozoic of
Australia. They are known (although they are very rare), from the Ediacara
Formation in South Australia which is about 600 Million years old.
These photos (thanks to Vicki and Professor Buckeridge) are useful examples of what you
can find when you learn to identify and start to recognise what you’re looking for – make
your next beach-walk a fossil-hunt! – Ed.......
Although we would love you to donate your unique fossils for research and education! vk
The winter edition of the SFA newsletter created a huge response amongst
members. Here is one response:
Climate change increases storm intensity; wind speed and direction has caused the
sea level to rise. Both these factors increase erosion.
Water flow at the heads, blasting the heads and deepening the channel has
increased water flow into and out of the bay. This was modelled in the 1960's by the
State Rivers and Water Supply with a full scale model of the bay at Werribee. The
beach erosion evident from the model, was the reason Sir Henry Bolte didn't proceed
with blasting the heads but established the Port of Hastings."
3191 BEACH PATROL
working together to clean
Sandringham Beach and Bay!
Meeting Point: Jetty Road car park, above the yacht club. We will
focus on the northern end of Sandringham Beach.
____________________________________________________________
The VCS 2014 builds on the achievements of previous three iterations of the
Strategy and addresses five key issues: Managing population growth
Did you know that Vicki Karalis often gives talks for a number of Victorian
school children? She does this on a voluntary basis and asks the school to
donate to a local non-profit environmental organisation. On this occasion she
taught St Leonard's College students at Sandringham beach; they were fun,
engaging and interested. The College kindly donated $200 to the Marine
Sanctuary at Rickett's Point.
St Leonard's College Year 9 students learning about cliffs, coastal erosion, coastal
processes and fossils 24th July 2014
The Winning of the Ricketts Point
Sanctuary
Bob Whiteway OAM profile:
Pioneer; how he helped protect Rickett's Point marine sanctuary
Biography
High School teacher, Bob Whiteway, taught his students about the local marine life by
taking them down under, but that was undermined. The shellfish poachers were just too
many and the ecosystem started to unravel. So between 1984 and 1994 Bob took the
following action:
* Wrote a booklet on marine life of the coastal fringe
* Produced a documentary on coastal marine life
* Conducted an 8-year local newspaper campaign to stop the poaching
* Gained support of the local Council and police
* Attracted the help of MP Murray Thompson
* Made the Ricketts Pt Submission for a sanctuary, to the State Government
Then followed a complex, roller-coaster political campaign lasting a further 8 years. Ricketts
Point finally won the battle and was declared a Sanctuary in 2002. Many individuals and
groups joined the campaign along the way, including the Greens, the mainstream political
parties, the VNPA, CoastAction/Coast Care, the Bayside Council, BRASCA and many others.
Some pointers for fighting conservation battles
And don’t forget that politicians don’t like sticking their neck out.
Truly understanding match box philosophy no. 1 (above) is, beyond all the
other philosophies … the way to win conservation battles
ID: 19880
Copyright: library does not own image (image on public access)
Org ID: 1unsroad2
Description: Coloured photograph, 11.5 x 18cm. Beach Road near present day Surf Avenue
looking south towards Haydens Road. The two children on the right are standing between
the rails of the horse tram track.
Subject: unsealed roads.
http://www.picturevictoria.vic.gov.au/site/bayside/Beaumaris/19880.html
A couple of visitors at our beaches…
https://www.facebook.com/Dailybay?hc_location=timeline
http://www.change.org/p/parliament-of-victoria-bayside-and-kingston-local-councils-
reject-the-proposal-by-beaumaris-motor-yacht-squadron-for-a-marina-in-beaumaris-
bay?utm_source=guides&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=petition_created
https://www.facebook.com/pages/NO-marina-for-Beaumaris-Bay/609246705862722
We hope you have enjoyed reading the spring edition of the SFA newsletter.
Vicki Karalis sincerely thanks Cristian for a superb job of editing and
designing this wonderful newsletter!