Boginderra Hills Nature Reserve

Boginderra Hills Nature Reserve is a protected nature reserve situated to the north of Temora, located in the Riverina region of New South Wales in eastern Australia. It has an area of 756 hectares.

History

The reserve was formed in 1982 when NSW Parks and Wildlife purchased 551 hectares of mainly forested granite hill, recognising the conservation value of the area. In August 2005, an additional 205 hectares of adjacent and similar hill country were purchased and added to the reserve.

Geology

The reserve covers the Boginderra Hills, which form the main ridge of the Nurraburra Hills. Its highest point rises to 494 metres above sea level. These hills are made of Boginderra granite, which was formed from cooling magma bodies from deep within the earth. These bodies, known as plutons, then lifted through the crust to their current positions. This occurred around 370 million years ago. The granites in the Nurraburra Hills are around 77% silicon dioxide and 11% aluminum oxide, with a range of other metal oxides present. No mining surveys have been conducted, however drilling has been completed in other hills in the Nurraburra complex which has shown the presence of some rare earth elements, however none in any economic quantity.

Biology

Flora

Plant life is typical of the area, including eucalypt, callitris and acacia species covering a range of native shrubs, grasses and ground covers. Key populations present in the reserve include:

Tumbledown red gum, red stringybark in the creeklines and areas with deeper soils
Tick bush and drooping sheoak on the eastern and southern sides where the soil is shallower and rockier
Dwyer's red gum, black cypress pine and currawang, found on rocky soils and exposed aspects.
White box and yellow box in the north east

Kurrajong trees are interspersed across the reserve
There are two plant species of conservation significance in the reserve, Brunonia australis, a small blue-flowering annual, and Mitrasacme paradoxa, a small perennial herb.

Fauna

Animal life is reasonably diverse. Observed species include:

Mammals

No survey targeting bats or small mammals has been undertaken, so no species have yet been recorded.

Birds

At least 65 species have been observed in the reserve, and an additional 69 in the surrounding areas many of which are likely to occur
within the reserve. Threatened species recorded include:

Reptiles and amphibians

Southern shiny-tailed gecko
Tree dtella
Thick-tailed gecko
Nobbi lashtail
Tree-crevice skink
Shiny-palmed shining skink

Human use

Like many of the surrounding hill areas, the Boginderra Hills may have seen light use by Aboriginal Australians for various purposes. Immediately prior to the formation of the reserve, the land had been used for livestock grazing. Cropping was impossible on the rocky and hilly terrain and so no substantial land clearing had taken place on the hill itself. A trigonometric station, called Nurraburra, was placed on the hill by the Central Mapping Authority. Since formation of the reserve, human use has been limited to recreational use. No trails have been formed in the reserve and NSW Parks and Wildlife service do not intend to create facilities, so as to limit the impact of public visitation on the flora and fauna.