Sandringham Foreshore Association Newsletter

Spring Edition 2015

SANDRINGHAM FORESHORE ASSOCIATION (SFA) Founded January 2007 ABN 42947116512

A CHARITABLE NOT FOR PROFIT VOLUNTARY ASSOCIATION

SFA

PO Box 52

Sandringham 3191

E-mail: sandyforeshore@optusnet.com.au

Website: http://sandringhamforeshore.tumblr.com/

Patron of SFA: Professor Tim Flannery

From the president of SFA, Dr Vicki Karalis

Welcome everybody, to our spring newsletter. We hope you are enjoying this delightful weather and have managed to have a swim in our beautiful Bayside beaches! The cool weather changes are also a refreshing, welcome change to the heatwaves we are experiencing this spring. Update on erosion of the Sandringham beaches The movement of sand is now occurring towards the north, due to prevailing south and south-westerly winds typical of this time of the year. We are now

starting to witness sand depletion north of both rock groynes and any hard structures; for example, the Royal Ave and Southey St groynes. These changes are evident in the photos below. As has occurred in previous years, this will continue, particularly over summer and autumn. As the sand continues to deplete, strong wave action will further erode the base of our cliffs.

Tennyson St beach north 19.11.2015 Note undercutting of sand at the shoreline north of the Southey St rock groyne. This will progress over summer, though autumn

Royal Ave beach north of the rock groyne 19.11.2015 Note undercutting of sand at the shoreline

Edward St beach 17.11.2015 - in need of sand! Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) update The good news is positive discussions are continuing with the DELWP. We are extremely grateful to Kelly Crosthwaite, Regional Director, Port Phillip Region of DELWP. She has made an enormous effort to listen to community concerns. We have also worked closely with Sally Patterson, of DELWP in the past. Sally is currently on maternity leave and we wish her all the best. The coastal engineering report, Sandringham Sand Management Plan, prepared by Cardno Coastal Engineers, should be finalised soon. We will be in touch with you once it is available. Fluker post research for monitoring of Sandringham beaches DELWP in conjunction with Bayside City Council, have installed two Fluker Posts at the base of the Royal Avenue groyne and on the Sims St ramp. Beach users are invited to take photos from these fixed points and send through to the web link to monitor the beach profile changes. See the below for more information:

https://picasaweb.google.com/114676241519217510044/SAN1Sandringham https://picasaweb.google.com/114676241519217510044/San2Sandringham A Fluker post allows passers-by to take a photo from the exact same perspective on different days, which they can send to the Fluker Post Research Project. Photos are then arranged in chronological order and stored in an

online database. If you would like us to help you demonstrate how to use these posts please contact us at sandyforeshore@optusnet.com.au For more information please view the following link: https://www.facebook.com/fluker.post

Hampton (Brighton) beach update – completing the groyne field Many of you have asked us what we thought of the 2 new rock groynes recently constructed and finalised at Hampton (Brighton) beach. The SFA supported this project as the situation here is different than the beach dynamics experienced at Sandringham beach. Firstly there is a revetment wall spanning the entire Hampton beach. Sand does not usually hold in front of revetment walls. This can be seen in front of the revetment wall at Black Rock beach too. Secondly, the Hampton beach already had 3 large groynes in place; it was necessary to complete the groyne field. A rock groyne can be useful for retaining sand on one side of the beach, but not the other. Where erosion or lack of sand occurs, this is called Terminal

Groyne Syndrome (sounds medical!). Once a rock groyne is put in place, it usually requires construction of another to assist sand retention and prevent the erosion it causes on the other side of the groyne. However, the new groyne then affects the next beach. Eventually the beach is completed with a series of groynes, called a Groyne field. This is the situation at Hampton beach. It may be necessary in the future to need one more rock groyne at Green point if the existing reef cannot mitigate sand loss moving towards the north in summer and autumn. 25,000 cubic metres of sand was dredged from the local sand bars to replenish the area. Continued monitoring of this area will determine if this is required. Of interest, there was a curved rock groyne built at Green Point in the past, but according to Graeme Disney, the swirl and turbulence created by this groyne resulted in several drownings despite warning in six languages. Consequently, the groyne was buried with rocks and sand during renourishment of the beach adjacent to Green Point. The following photo was taken 21st June 2015, during construction works. It demonstrates the two new 80 metre rock groynes abutting the revetment wall

Beaumaris Bay Fossil site (BBFS) update Palaeontologists such as Professors John Long, John Buckeridge, Tim Flannery and Dr Erich Fitzgerald have been busy promoting the significance of the BBFS. Please click on the following links to view their good work:

Fossil book of BBFS is now available on the Museum Victoria website: http://museumvictoria.com.au/pages/40235/fitzgerald_schmidt_2015_fossils-of-beaumaris.pdf

Professor John Long articles published in The Conversation: 1. We need to protect the fossil heritage on our doorstep

July 27, 2015 https://theconversation.com/we-need-to-protect-the-fossil-heritage-on-our-doorstep-42263

2. Australia needs more state fossil emblems, but let the public decide September 8, 2015 https://theconversation.com/australia-needs-more-state-fossil-emblems-but-let-the-public-decide-46930

Beaumaris Bay Fossil Site featuring Dr Erich Fitzgerald and Professor Tim Flannery now available on Global TV on Vimeo

https://vimeo.com/134601117

ABC News 4 October 2015 featuring Professor John Long and Murray Orr on the Beaumaris Motor Yacht Squadron development

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-10-04/beaumaris-yacht-club-risk-to-melbourne-fossils-palaeontologist/6824708 Fossil finds at BBFS Please email us your interesting fossil finds. The images over page were discovered and photographed by Murray Orr, a local resident passionate about the fossil site. The fossils illustrated are about 5 million years old.

Articulated bone

Complete cluster of mud oysters with both top and bottom shells and a barnacle

Bayside City Council update Draft Sandringham Foreshore Masterplan Discussions to date with stakeholders and Council consultants, Matt and Nelly from Thomson Berrill Landscape Design, have taken place in preparation of the draft Sandringham Foreshore Master Plan process.

The draft Masterplan is available online under Council's Have You Say page on the website: http://yoursaybayside.com.au/sandringham-foreshore-masterplan On this page, you will find a copy of the full draft Masterplan report and copies of the detailed plans proposed for each of the car park precincts. A detailed information sign is located on site, adjacent to the Sandy Kiosk. Closing date for comments on the draft Masterplan is C.O.B Monday 30 November. Please feel free to contact Amy Weir of Bayside City Council should you have any comments or queries in the meantime. Also, let us know what you think of the plans and if you have any concerns. Friends of Bayside update Mother stock area for the Bayside Community Nursery As part of the Community Nursery upgrade, Bayside City Council is establishing a ‘mother-stock’ area at Sandringham Golf Course. This will hold plant stock of species propagated at the nursery, and will allow them to be maintained in good health so that seeds and cuttings can be collected without depleting our bushland reserves. Volunteers are needed to help water and weed the Mother stock area. If interested please email Jill Robinson at friends@bayside.vic.gov.au and specify your availability. InDigital Photographic Nature exhibition featured the beauty of Bayside's environments, by many local artists. Congratulations to Pauline Reynolds of Friends of George St Reserve, Friends of Bayside Support Officer Jill Robinson and Barbara Jakob former Support Officer of Friends of Bayside. The exhibition was created by the Bayside Environmental Friends Network (BEFN) with support from Bayside City Council. The Exhibition was hosted at Bayside City Council's ARTrium Exhibition Space during the month of September 3rd - 30th. Enjoy below samples of photos celebrating of our natural environment.

Friends of Bayside Support Officer Jill Robinson with Vicki Karalis at the exhibition

Pauline Reynolds and Fiona Harrison featuring a photo in the background taken at the SFA Beaumaris Fossil Event

Austrostipa stipoides, looking towards Red Bluff

Photo by John Amiet (pictured)

Seaweed crab

Photo by Raymond Lewis, President of MESAC

Lice bites at Sandringham beach Have you experienced any unusual bites from sea creatures at our local beaches? Please let us know. A local Sandringham family experienced lice bites at the beach last August. The story was featured in our local Bayside Leader newspaper – follow the web link: http://leader.newspaperdirect.com/epaper/showarticle.aspx?article=3bce2d30-449b-4308-a077 c565891abb40&key=6k9Qyrcv5TI%2bs6wF1lJs8g%3d%3d&issue=68822015081100000000001001

Beach cleaning Have you noticed our beaches are cleaner due to the enormous efforts of volunteers with Beach Patrol? But they need your help! More volunteers are required particularly to pick up the growing amount of plastic! For more details about your local Beach Patrol contact Ross Headifen at: admin@beachpatrol.com.au

Book feature Melbourne Down Under is developed and managed by Aquatic Scientist and Environmental Communicator, Sheree Marris. Meet some of the bizarre and wonderful marine creatures that live in our bay! Melbourne Down Under is revealing areas best kept secret; Port Phillip Bay, a stunning marine environment that rivals tropical reefs in colour and diversity: Think magical kelp forests, vibrant rocky reefs and dragons that sparkle like jewels… Over 80% of the marine life found here on the southern shores is found nowhere else in the world. To date, a 200 page full-colour coffee table book has been produced with enormous success. This book is available by clicking on the following link: http://www.melbournedownunder.com.au/

Congratulations to Sheree for producing a wonderful illustrated book!

SFA member profile MARGARET GURNEY Dip Art, Post Grad. Com. Ed./Dev., VAS

Bayside based artist Margaret Gurney has exhibited her work both nationally and internationally in a career spanning most of her life. She has had 22 Solo Exhibitions and hung in numerous Group Exhibitions. Margaret was invited to the Florence Biennale in 2009. Her study has been continuous; Graphic Design at Swinburne, Post Graduate Community Education/Development, Art study tours to Europe and North America and selected master classes.

Margaret worked as a graphic designer, an art director, a lecturer and an arts manager. She has taught numerous workshops at the National Gallery of Victoria and Melbourne Art Societies. Her work is represented in public and private collections in Australia and overseas. She is an exhibiting member of the Australian Watercolour Society, the Victorian Artists Society, the Melbourne Women Painters and Sculptors, and the Contemporary Art Society. Margaret has lived and worked from her Black Rock studio for many years and walks daily along the bay for spiritual replenishment and inspiration. She also paints plein air along the foreshore. Born in Brighton to an artistic family, she is the youngest daughter of Australian artist, Alex Gurney, creator of the legendary ‘Bluey and Curley’ cartoon. A love of drawing and painting has been a natural part of Margaret’s life from her earliest days. Her contemporary style continues to develop, emphasizing strong shapes, form and glowing colour. She paints with a deep passion and sheer love of her creative outlet. www.gurneyart.com.au

Margaret Gurney with her painting of Red Bluff cliffs

Fossils of Beaumaris Bay

Beaumaris Bay cliffs – Table rock

We hope you have enjoyed reading the spring edition of the SFA newsletter 2015. Yours with kindness, Dr Vicki Karalis, SFA President SFA committee members: Alison Horton, Vice-President, Perfusionist Salva Crusca, Secretary, Mental Health worker Craig Francis, Treasurer, IT expert Ike Solomon, Engineer Helen Gibson, Geologist Paul Hede, Architect Adrienne Smith, Secretarial assistant, IT consultant Cristian Silver, Editorial assistant

Free SFA Membership The Sandringham Foreshore Association is a charitable not-for-profit association. Membership is free. Our self-acclaimed role is to foster and promote good natural conservation principles to Bayside foreshore management. Our current focus is to assist public education by aligning ourselves with scientific experts in fields of conservation and natural environment, and to facilitate effective communication between community – council and state governments – and established environmental science publications and position statements. The role of SFA is to care for and help protect our local beaches and cliffs, but also to educate, raise awareness and preserve our local archaeological, geological, cultural, indigenous and heritage sites such as the Beaumaris Bay fossil site. If you are interested in joining our free membership, to receive notices and our Quarterly Newsletters – Please respond via our website http://sandringhamforeshore.tumblr.com/MembershipForm