Mount Keira - Environment

The natural beauty of Mount Keira gives an unspoiled backdrop to the City of Wollongong. (Cox & Outteridge, 1990) Mount Keira is part of the Illawarra Escarpment. The vegetation is made up of a mixture of rainforest (closed forest) and sclerophyll forest (open forest). Early logging removed most of the oldest and largest tall forest trees in the area but there is a stand of Turpentines "as tall as sixty metres and over two metres in diameter" near Mount Keira. (Environment Illawarra, 1992)

Mount Keira, and the Illawarra, are important phyto-geographical areas. Mount Keira is a crossover point with a number of species reaching their northern and southern limits within the area. Those at their northern limits are temperate species such as the eucalypts Yellow Stringybard (Eucalyptus muellerana) and Gully Gum (Eucalyptus smithii). Subtropical species such as White Bolly Gym, (Neolitsea dealbata) and Red Kamala (Mallotus philippensis) can be found in the rainforest of the lower foothills of Mount Keira. (Environment Illawarra, 1992)

The Mount Keira Summit Park includes the whole of the summit of Mount Keira. The plateau sloping to the west consists of a capping of Hawkesbury sandstone resting on the less durable rocks of the Narrabeen group and the upper coal measure. The massive nature of the Hawkesbury sandstone has resulted in the sheer cliffs on the seaward escarpment.

Plant species found in the Park include the protected species Waratah (Telopea speciossisma) and rainforest species such as Turpentine (Syncarpia glomulifera) and Pittosporum undulatum. Schlerophyllous species such as Eucalypus dendromorpha are also present. There are areas of tall open forest in gulley areas of the Park. These gullies contain rainforest elements that include tall Eucalypts and Turpentines, up to 30 metres. (Cox & Outteridge, 1990 p. 40)

The escarpment forests provide a habitat for a large number of fauna species, some of which are rare and endangered. The following species are listed in Mill's 1990 Flora and Fauna Study of Mount Keira:-

Carpet and Diamond Python ( Morelia spilota)
White-bellied Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogastel)
Emerald Dove (Chalcophaps indica)
White-throated Needletail (Hirundapus caudacutus)
Cicadabird (Coracina tenuirostris)
White's Thrush (Zoothera diurnal)
Crested Sprike-tit (Falcunculus frontatus)
Rufous fantail (Rhipidura rufifroms)
Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus)
Gang Gang Cockatoo (Callocephalon fimbriatum) (Mills 1990, p. 6)
In the Cox and Outteridge survey of Mount Keira Summit Park only 2 species of small mammals were caught. These were Antechinus stuartii and Rattus fuscipes. One Brush Tailed Possum (Trichsurus vulpecular) was spotted and numerous scats and diggings from the long nosed bandicoot were identified.

A total of 26 bird species were also identified, in this survey, in a four hour bird watching session. Lyrebird scratchings were found over the entire park indicating a large population of Lyrebirds. A large flock (about 20) of Gang Gang Cockatoos came into the park in the early hours of the morning to feed. The birdlife sited in the Mount Keira Summit Park survey were:-

Lewins honey eater
Rufous fantail
Brush Cuckoo
Brown treecreeper
Magpie
Brown thornbill
Laughing kookaburra
White throated tree creeper
Grey shrike thrush
Wattle bird
Golden whistler
Powerful owl
Wonga pigeon
White headed pigeon
Eastern spine bill
Grey backed silvereye
Satin bowerbird
Sacred kingfisher
Pied currawong
Australian raven
Varied sittella
Superb lyrebird
King parrot
White browed scrub wren
Grey fantail (Cox & Outteridge, 1990)