From Bulldozers to Bush Regeneration

Trees can be removed for fire hazard reduction. People value bigger houses and water views more than trees. Roads are built. Development always chips away at nature. The Sydney Harbour National Park was declared in 1979, protecting those areas from development.

The Mosman Parks and Bushland Association was formed in the 1964 by residents protesting against a road being bulldozed through Ashton Park. This highlighted the need for an organisation to defend the natural remnants against further development.

The Bradley sisters developed a system of bush regeneration and wrote a book which the Mosman Parks and Bushland Association published in 1971. Their approach became known as the Bradley Method and was taken up by the National Trust. It continues to be taught in TAFE colleges.

The Bradley Method encourages the bush to grow back by itself, rather than by replanting. There are three main principles:

1) Start in the healthiest area with the least number of weeds.

2) Minimise soil disturbance. This involves careful removal of weeds by hand.

3) Limit the size of the area being worked on to what can be maintained.

The Bradley sisters worked on various sites around Mosman, including Ashton Park and Taylor’s Bay. They kept notes on the native plants and weeds and made weed maps. The residents still meet monthly to maintain the bush and people come from other parts of Sydney join us. It’s sociable and productive. Some areas are quite inaccessible, such as cliffs, so professional bush regenerators are brought in. The presence of bush regenerators protects the bush and the birds and other creatures who live there.