Bill and Noela

Honouring a Bushcare Pioneer: Bill Jones (1934–2024)

With the death in October 2024 of Bill Jones at the age of 90, the bushcare community of northern Sydney has lost a wonderful contributor. At the funeral, Caleys Pavilion at the St Ives Wildflower Garden in northern Sydney was packed out by many people who had worked with Bill and gained the knowledge he shared in his many activities.

The chronicle of Bill’s life, together with his wife Noela Kirkwood – they were inseparable – provides us with a history of the development of bushcare in northern Sydney.

Bill was a scientist with CSIRO and his retirement in 1992 opened a new world immersed in the natural environment. His scientific background gave him the skills to develop a deep knowledge of plants and soils. He was the go-to person to identify tricky plants such as grasses. He often consulted with the Botanic Gardens to confirm the identity of a plant that had been discovered in a bushcare site. His technical knowledge was also put to good use as one of the early members of AABR (the Australian Association of Bush Regenerators).

Bill and Noela were a great team. Noela was a TAFE teacher of bush regeneration and one of the founding members of AABR. They were involved with the Friends of Lane Cove National Park from before its beginning. They attended the inaugural bushcare breakfast meetings in 1991, which later led to establishment of Friends of Lane Cove National Park after the 1994 fires.

Prior to moving to West Pymble near the National Park in the 1990s, Bill and Noela were active members of the Ryde Hunters Flora and Fauna Preservation Society. They introduced the Bradley method of regeneration to the Field of Mars Reserve in Ryde. Birds were another interest through Birding NSW and the Bird Observers Club.

Bill ran workshops on grass identification in the remnant of Sydney Turpentine Ironbark Forest at Killara Park. This helped bush regenerators to recognise the value of this remnant of native vegetation that is now classified as critically endangered. They persuaded Ku-ring-gai Council to cease mowing and volunteers started regular work removing weeds to stimulate regeneration. It is now transformed into a diverse multi-layered forest.

Bill’s involvement in saving forests and bush regeneration started when he was a member of the KUBES, the Ku-ring-gai Bushland and Environment Society from 1992. This group was active in changing the attitudes of the Council towards the biodiversity value of native vegetation. They started the longwinded process of saving from development the Blue Gum High Forest in Rosedale Road, St. Ives that eventually became part of the Dalrymple Hay Forest in 2007 and is now managed by National Parks and protected as Dalrymple-Hay Nature Reserve. KUBES folded into STEP in 1998 who continued being actively involved in this process

Bill led many walks for STEP. He also made major contributions to the activities of the Australian Plants Society (North Shore Group).

Together, Bill and Noela managing several bushcare sites. This included sites in Lane Cove National Park such as Quarry Creek, now restored with many sightings of wallabies and reptiles.

Bushcare in Ku-ring-gai Council area and Lane Cover National Park will not be the same without Bill, but he leaves a wonderful legacy of knowledge and regeneration of our bushland.

Taken from STEP Matters 228