The World of Tidbinbilla – a book produced by volunteers

Launch of “The World of Tidbinbilla” by ACT Minister for the Environment Simon Corbell
11am, Saturday October 9 at Floriade in the Corporate Marquee near Stage 88

The World of Tidbinbilla is a 160 page, user-friendly guide to a jewel in the ACT crown, the
re-creation of Tidbinbilla-Birrigai-Jedbinbilla.  The nature reserve is an important tourist attraction and outdoor educational experience, as well as a conservation precinct.  All this so close to a major city makes Tidbinbilla unique in Australia.

In celebration of the amazing recovery of Tidbinbilla after the 2003 fires, the book suggests where to go and what to do, with walking maps and illustrated descriptions of self-guided and ranger-guided walks, and adventure activities for children and adults.  A special part of the reserve, The Sanctuary, allows visitors to experience the feeling of the Australian bush.

The expanded education programs at Birrigai offer ACT schools special out-door experiences, as well as opportunities for youth and adults to learn about their Australian bush heritage.

The World of Tidbinbilla provides an easy-to-use reference guide to the animals, plants and rocks of Tidbinbilla, with almost 200 original colour plates. Descriptions of Tidbinbilla’s marsupials, birds, bats, reptiles and frogs are followed by keys to the eucalypts, shrubs, and plants such as orchids and grass trees. Accounts of the geological processes that created the landscape, and the rocks they have left behind allow visitors to understand the remarkable scenery.  These sections have been provided as a voluntary contribution by ACT experts in each field.

An important activity described in the book is the endangered species program at Tidbinbilla involving the breeding of Corroboree frogs and Brush-tailed rock wallabies.

The final section of the book contains the stories of the people of Tidbinbilla over the centuries, from at least 25,000 years ago as an important learning and ceremonial place for Aboriginal people, to the 150 years since European settlement. Vivid accounts of the 2003 fires and the memories of the early days make for fascinating reading.

The World of Tidbinbilla has been supported through funding made available by the ACT Government under the ACT Heritage Grants Program.

Queries to: Steve Welch, Southern ACT Catchment Group

Phone: 6296 6400         mob 0447 223 396

The World of Tidbinbilla

The World of Tidbinbilla is a user-friendly guide to the beauty, the riches and the history of Tidbinbilla.

There are 5 sections:

  1. Where to go: maps
  2. What to do: walks and activities
  3. How to fi nd: the animals;
  4. How to fi nd: the plants and rocks
  5. People: the stories of Tidbinbilla

The book allows you to enter the worlds of experts on plants, animals and rocks; bushwalkers and rangers; artists and map makers; pioneers and volunteers; the Ngunnawal people; and educators and managers who work at Tidbinbilla.

The World of Tidbinbilla can be purchased at the Southern ACT Catchment Group email: info@satcg.org.au; phone 02 6296 6400, the Tidbinbilla Visitor Centre, the ACT Visitor Centre Northbourne Avenue, and the Botanical Bookshop at the National Botanic Gardens. Assisted by funds from ACT Heritage