What’s Flowering In Paluma – Tibouchina ‘Chameleon’

Paluma’s ‘Purple Haze’ – Tibouchina ‘Chameleon’

This website features numerous photographs of the many varieties of flowering Tibouchina’s which thrive in the cool mountain climate at Paluma. Most gardens have at least one of these beautiful plants which burst into bloom a couple of times a year, usually in the warmer months.

The ‘Chameleon’ variety is at its flowering best at present and there is a spectacular specimen catching everyone’s eye at No. 16 Mount Spec Road.  The large shrub is a blaze of colour with hundreds of flowers and many buds still to open, ensuring a long flowering period of  two weeks or more. Many locals and visitors have stopped to admire and photograph this flowering gem over the past week. You just can’t miss it, as it can be seen from a considerable distance along Mount Spec Road.

Tibouchina ‘Chameleon’ is so-named because the flowers change colour as they mature. The flowers open as pure white and then ‘ripen’ to varying shades of purple, mauve and pink. The effect is that the plant will have a mix of flower shades at the one time- an amazing ‘Purple Haze’.

Other flowering Tibouchina’s are located at No. 40 and No. 52 Mount Spec Road. Take a walk through the misty village of Paluma and check out the ‘Purple Haze’. When Jimi Hendrix penned his famous song, he was surely inspired by a Tibouchina Chameleon!

Text & Photos by Michele Bird

Remembrance Day at Paluma

Remembrance Day at Paluma

On Sunday 11 November at 11 am a small group of Paluma residents and visitors congregated at the Community Hall to acknowledge Armistice Day and the 100 year anniversary of the end of World War 1.

The commemoration included an audio rendition of The Last Post and a minute of silence, followed by a short anecdote from Les Hyland.

Many thanks to Len Cook for raising the flag on the day and to Lynda Radbone for her technical assistance. Len also provided the morning tea!

 

 

 

Vale David Georgee

VALE DAVID GEORGEE

It is with sadness that we report the death of David Georgee, who passed away on 8th November 2018.

David’s connection with Paluma spanned more than seven decades. He described some of his fond memories of our little village in the clouds in his book, ‘Townsville As It Was’. As a young boy, he used to come to Paluma with his family for holidays, staying at the Main Roads Tents. These were tents surrounded by stone walls, left over after the Main Roads Commission had completed construction of the Range Road. The tents were then used for holiday accommodation. The rock walls were later used to become the Mist Haven holiday units.

In later years David purchased the property at 16 Smith Crescent. In his book he describes how the waterfall in Benham’s Creek opposite their house, was used as the shower for the children. The girls’ showers were at 4 pm while the boys’ turn was 5 pm. Because the water was warmer earlier in the afternoon, the girls could enjoy their shower.

David’s talent as a piano player had him perform at many weddings, dances and social functions, including our own Paluma Music Festivals. Don Battersby remembers David providing the musical entertainment at one of his birthday parties a few years ago; probably the last time David performed in Paluma.

Our sincere condolences go to David’s family on his passing.

 By Wilfred Karnoll

 

 

Rainforest Tree of the Month, November 2018 – Sloanea australis

Easy to overlook amongst the many trees in the rainforest, the Sloanea australis nevertheless draws attention when its fragrant, creamy white flowers bloom in September and October.

Worldwide, there are about 120 species of Sloanea –named for British scientist and collector Hans Sloan, who lived 1660 to 1753.  Four species are endemic to Australia with three of these growing in tropical rainforests in Queensland.  Sloanea australis is distributed between the Windsor Tableland and Paluma. Several of these trees may be seen on Mount Spec Road near the Sensory Trail at Paluma Environmental Education Centre where they grow among the stand of forest trees bordering the school property.

The tree grows to 30 meters and may be buttressed.  Bark is grey/brown, very lightly textured.  The obovate, simple leaves are a glossy green with wavy margins and clearly defined veins.  Flowers are dainty with 4 to 6 creamy white slightly fleshy petals, about 6 to 12 mm long.  They grow, usually in a short raceme from the leaf axils.  They are modest little flowers and easily lost amid all the dense green foliage.

The fruit is more easily detected, its red-coated seeds immediately attracting attention.  Ripening around February/March, the fruit is a brown or orange, very bristly, three-valved capsule which splits to reveal three shiny black seeds, encased in a red aril, (or fleshy growth).  Already tiny fruit can be seen; not yet much bigger than match-heads, their spiky skins are un-mistakable.  The seeds are eaten by many bird species.

Sloanea australis is known by several common names: Maidens Blush, Blush Alder and Blush Carbeen.  These names are derived from the colour of the tree’s heartwood which is a blushing pink.

Without flowers or fruit to guide you, it may be difficult to locate one of these trees but have a go!  At least, in Spring or Summer, when you come across the flowers or fruit, you may remember to which tree they belong.

Text and photos by Colwyn Campbell

Paluma Dam Good Trail Run

On Sunday Oct 29th, the population of Paluma swelled by more than 300, as competitors and spectators participated in this year’s trail run organised by Outer Limits Adventure.

There were 3 separate course covering distances of 6, 10 and 20 km and traversing terrain that many of use would struggle to walk up!  Wilfred Karnoll helped out by handing out lollies at the bottom of Blue Gum creek to provide a quick energy boost before runners started the last grueling climb up to the village.

 

Temperatures were high and there was little cloud cover, but all competitors completed the race and were provided with sustenance and refreshments at the finish.

 

Congratulations to all participants and to the winners of the various categories.

While the trail run no longer circles the Paluma Dam, the event  was still Damn Good!

Rifle Bird Courtship at Paluma

The breeding season for the Victoria’s Rifle Bird is between September and January. Courtship behaviour and displaying by juvenile male birds is in full swing at Paluma during the peak of the breeding season in early November. The elaborate courtship rituals are something to see!

Over several days, numerous young male birds have been sighted on ‘perches’ high in the rainforest canopy, carrying out their elaborate dance displays to attract the females. At one location on a suitable tree stump I observed three birds displaying in quick succession, one after the other on the same perch. The displays were accompanied by the distinctive raucous, raspy calls which were quickly answered by other birds throughout the nearby forest. The distinctive clapping sound made by the male birds rapidly alternating their wings during displaying was also heard from the surrounding rainforest.

Cliff and Dawn Frith have spent many years studying the courtship display and mating habits of rifle birds. Much of their research was based at Paluma. They describe the courtship display as typically having three discrete components:

  1. Calling – usually associated with the opening of the beak and exposure of the inside of the bright yellow mouth.

2. Circular wings and gape display

3. Alternate wing clap – this involves the rapid, alternating ‘clapping’ of the wings whereby the female is ’embraced’ within the male birds wings. The tempo of the wing clapping increases until copulation.

Just describing the remarkable courtship behaviour of the male rifle bird does not do it justice. The video below captures a short sequence of the typical display.

Text & Photos by Michele Bird.  Video by Michele Bird & Jamie Oliver.

 

 

Bruce Highway Closure

Overnight closures of the Bruce Highway, north of Townsville 19 – 21 November 2018

Please see the attached flyer with information about the upcoming overnight closures of the Bruce Highway at Yabulu, north of Townsville between Monday 19 and Wednesday 21 November 2018.

Flyer_Bruce Highway closure-Yabulu

It is expected that the highway will be closed each night at 8pm and reopened to traffic each morning at 4am. Every effort will be made to ensure the highway will be reopened by 4am. However, should weather events or construction issues require a longer closure, then updates will be provided on the QLD Traffic website www.qldtraffic.qld.gov.au and App.

This is a significant closure of the Bruce Highway, with no alternative routes. Please review the information in the flyer and if you have any questions, contact the Customer and Stakeholder Management Team on 1800 625 648 or email engagement.northern@tmr.qld.gov.au.

Kind regards,

Erin

Customer and Stakeholder Management Team
North Queensland Region
Program Delivery and Operations Branch | Infrastructure Management and Delivery Division | Department of Transport and Main Roads

Bird (Mis)behaviour – Pale Yellow Robin

For some months now we have had a Pale Yellow Robin resident close to our house on the five acre blocks.  He [or very possibly, she]  perches in the Murraya tree close to our kitchen window and mounts an attack on the window pane on the left hand side from our perspective looking out.  His claws land on the glass and he drops down onto the lintel at the base of the window. He usually pauses for a few seconds before repeating the attack two panes to the right and again usually pauses looking quizzically at you if you happen to be at the sink, totally unfazed by the sight of humans.  He then proceeds to circle the house, usually anti-clockwise but not invariably so, attacking windows randomly before returning to the tree and repeating the antics over and over for maybe an hour or more before going off duty for a period. We think he must be eating during this gap as he has an annoying habit of leaving a calling card on or below the windows in the kitchen.

More recently he has discovered that the car has mirrors and he is fascinated by the second bird and spits at the reflection in the mirror and leaves copious deposits on the curve above the door handle which have to be washed off frequently to avoid damage to the paintwork. You may deduce that we are a bit cheesed off with this behaviour and have taken to thwarting the car attacks with our car cover which is pretty successful as he can’t even get at the windows. He still looks for the now covered car windows but has more or less given them up as a lost cause.

But he still does the house daily – we don’t know if our presence engenders his behaviour as we can’t see what happens when we are not there ! He is extremely hard to photograph but the photograph below is at the kitchen window by the sink. 

Text & Photo by Les Hyland

Remembrance Day, Sunday 11 November

LEST WE FORGET 

REMEMBRANCE DAY SUNDAY 11 NOVEMBER

Remembrance Day Gathering, 11 AM on Sunday 11 November 2018 at the Paluma Community Hall.

Please meet at the Community Hall at approximately 10.45 AM in preparation for the raising of the flag and a minute of silence at 11 AM to commemorate Remembrance Day.

ALL PALUMA RESIDENTS AND VISITORS WELCOME

What’s Flowering In Paluma, Late October – Tree Waratah and Snow In Summer

Flowering Trees – Tree Waratah and Snow In Summer

Paluma gardens never cease to surprise and delight with the variety of spectacular blooms to be found here. In the garden of No. 15 Mount Spec Road, the brilliant red flowers of a Tree Waratah flame in the crown of this tall, slender tree. Higher than the house roof, the flowers can be easily missed unless you are scanning the tree-tops for birds.

Native to the North Queensland rainforest, the Tree Waratah and its natural habitat on the Atherton Tableland, have largely disappeared there due to clearing for grazing and agriculture. The tree is known for its beautiful pink timber.

Formerly known as Oreocallis wickhamii, it has undergone a name change and is now classified as genus Alloxylon in reference to its unique timber. There are two species within the Queensland tropical rainforest – Alloxylon flamelleum, (which I suspect is the species flowering in the Paluma garden), and Alloxylon wickhamii. The common names for these trees are Queensland Waratah, Pink Silky Oak and Red Silky Oak for A. flamelleum and Tree Waratah, Satin Silky Oak and Pink Silky Oak for A. wickhamii. All very confusing to a non-botanist: so much easier to identify it as ‘Tree Waratah’.

Take a short walk from Mount Spec Road along Lennox Crescent to the Townsville City Council Water Depot. Look up the driveway to see, rising behind the buildings and tower, a magnificent Melaleuca tree, its crown completely covered in dense white bloom. It gives the impression of being heavily snow-laden. This tree is Melaleuca linariifolia and not surprisingly, one of its common names is ‘Snow in Summer’.

This small evergreen tree grows to a height of 6m to 10m. It is from the myrtle family and is endemic to New South Wales and Queensland. This particular specimen was planted in the early 1990’s (in 1993 or 1994) by long-time Paluma resident Kelly Davis. The trunk of this tree has thick sheets of papery bark.  The flowers are a major attractant for bees, butterflies and birds.Unfortunately, the spectacular display of the ‘Snow in Summer’ will not last long; already some of the blooms are browning in the tropical heat.

Text by Colwyn Campbell & Photos by Michele Bird