100 Years of the Field of Mars

The definitive history of the Field of Mars is now available free of charge.
100 Years of Field of Mars Reserve, 1887-1987, Written and compiled by Rod Wallace, has now been digitized and can be viewed or downloaded on this website.
Published in 1987 by the Ryde Hunters Hill Flora and Fauna Preservation Society, the book is a fascinating and informative chronicle of the century prior to that date.
The print version is still available in the Visitor Centre.

NEWS FROM AROUND THE FIELD OF MARS

Track Works – slow progress

We expected developments during the October school holidays, but nothing much has happened. Contractors removed the old concrete path between the Visitor Centre and Memorial Garden – these originally led to demountable classrooms when the Field Studies Centre began. The bags of rubbish behind the Visitor Centre had not been taken away beforehand, so they are still there. A few days ago, new turf was laid and the fence removed.
Some months ago, we asked for attention to tracks due to muddy soil and loose or washed-away rocks and paving stones. No action has yet been taken, so we advise visitors to take care especially at the Kennedy Street and Tyrell Park entrances and the Kunzea Track near Cemetery Creek 1.

Recently, work began on sealing the gravel road from the bus turning area to the vicinity of the Visitor Centre. A temporary protective cloth barrier appeared along the edge of the wetlands by Buffalo Creek but it is not tied down to the bottom of the start pickets… and the families of ducks have already realized they can cross it quite easily when it blows in the wind!
Works are scheduled to be completed by the end of 2024.

Wildlife
Bushwalkers continue to report finding ticks; see advice given in the October 2024 Wallumetta.
Meanwhile, the natural bushland seems to be quite healthy with the summer flowers appearing. These include Isopogon, Kunzea ambigua and Acacia spp. There are some excellent photos on the Habitat Network Facepook page: https://facebook.com/share/p/18CUK8vuM2/ Native animals – and rabbits – abound. Ducklings that appeared in the creek have now grown to almost adult size, and often graze in the grass near the Visitor Centre. And we hear the channel-billed cuckoos!

Visitor Centre Gardens

During the October school holidays, some East Ryde Scouts and Cub Scouts spent a day working on the two native plant gardens adjacent to the Visitor Centre. Both the Memorial Garden and the Rod Wallace Garden had many weeds introduced by wildlife and council mowers. The team of enthusiastic youth members cleaned up both gardens. In the process they levelled last year’s brush turkey mound, removed invasive weeds, repositioned the logs forming the garden borders, and planted seedlings supplied by The Habitat.

Behold… a mystery!
photo – M.Hughes
This tree suddenly appeared in the open grass area between the Education building and the creek. We do not know why or by whom it was planted, but identified it as being Eucalyptus cinerea which is not native to our local area – the species is endemic to inland areas south of Canberra.
Meanwhile, we have been monitoring the growth of a Melaleuca lineariifolia seedling which we planted in April 2021 and, now 2 metres tall, is growing well.
It replaces a large Melaleuca in which a butcherbird was nesting near the Buffalo Creek footbridge near the Visitor Centre… until that tree was cut down.

Bushcare
We ordered, but have not yet received, our Streamwatch kit, but bushcare groups continue Streamwatch monitoring with the equipment provided by City of Ryde. Interested participants in Streamwatch will receive training in its use Meanwhile, the volunteer groups continue to work well, weather permitting, and most of the native plants in our areas are healthy; we also manage to control the enthusiastic weed growth.
Rocky outcrops along the small escarpment near the Visitor Centre are looking good, thanks to the efforts of the Roving / Kennedy Street bushcare group.

Visitor Centre
The building is well-used during school term periods, with children regularly accessing the Visitor Centre toilets to fill their buckets for the environmental science activities. In the October school holidays we discovered the fridge was left unplugged! Fortunately the only perishable item in it at the time was our milk. It turned out that electricians had been in to do the annual testing and tagging of all electrical equipment. Meanwhile, visitors to the Reserve appreciate assistance provided by our team of volunteers on weekends and public holidays.

Field of Mars Reserve and Wildlife Refuge

Dry eucalypt woodland covers much of the Field of Mars Reserve. This vegetation is typical of the dry, infertile sandstone soils found in Sydney's north and is known as dry sclerophyll woodland. Many of the plants in this area have hard, waxy leaves that tend to be small and narrow, features which help to reduce moisture loss.

Despite being only 56 hectares in size, the reserve contains around 300 species of plants. These plants support an even greater array of animals from the tiniest spiders to large possums and birds.

Surveys conducted in 2006 found evidence of animals that were believed to be missing from the reserve. These include Sugar Gliders, Echidnas and Long Nosed Bandicoots. Control of pest species like foxes may be contributing to the return of animals to the reserve. Also Brush Turkeys are seen regularly and a swamp wallaby was observed in the reserve in 2012.

Along Buffalo and Stranger's Creeks there are long pockets of moist gully vegetation, known as wet sclerophyll forest. Different plant species flourish in the moist conditions found here. Wet sclerophyll forest is characterised by moist rich soils, shadiness and plants with dark green, soft leaves. The cool, moist conditions found within these gullies create the perfect habitat for some of the reserve's animals like finches, wrens, whip birds and ringtail possums.

The location of the Field of Mars:
Google Maps Location

You are very welcome to explore the Reserve using the walking tracks at any time of the day. The walking tracks of the Field of Mars: Field of Mars Walking Track System

The walking tracks map includes several distinct walking tracks. You can find specific information on each of these tracks by downloading the following brochures:
Track notes - Boardwalk
Track notes Doyle-Kunzea
Track notes Doyle-Warada
Track notes - Kunzea
Track notes - Warada Kunzea
Track notes Warada Strangers Creek

Information on birds of the Field of Mars is also available on Birds in the Field of Mars

The Field of Mars is a Wildlife Refuge gazetted under the National Parks and Wildlife Act. Dogs are not allowed in the Reserve. Riding of all types of bikes in the Reserve is also not allowed.

On weekends the RHHFFPS staffs a Visitors Centre in the Field of Mars (see opposite).

Click Here for information on the Plan of Management of the Field of Mars.

Visitors Centre

The Visitors Centre can be found in the Field of Mars off Pittwater Road. Parking is available in the carpark at the front. Volunteers open the centre each Saturday and Sunday.
Drop in to discover more about the environment and the Field of Mars Reserve before you explore and experience it for yourself!
The Visitors Centre can be reached on foot via a number of nearby streets. Car access is via Pittwater Rd. (opposite Buffalo Reserve). ph: 9816 1068
Opening Times
Winter schedule (April to August): Saturday and Sunday 9am - 4pm.
Summer schedule (September to March): Saturday and Sunday 9am - 5pm.
Enquiries from groups or individual wishing to visit during the week are welcome.  Guided bush walks are available by arrangement when volunteers are available. Contact through email address: rhhffps@gmail.com or phone 9817 4935.
The Visitors Centre contains maps, brochures and information on local and wider community environment issues.
Visitors using prams, strollers, walking frames and wheel chairs have easy access to the Centre toilets. The boardwalk provides a short, easy bushwalk.

INVITATION! - JOIN OUR VISITOR CENTRE TEAM ! We have a small number of members on a roster of 4-hour shifts to keep the Visitor Centre open on weekends and public holidays.
Our roster of 4-hour shifts (3½ hours in winter) is negotiated according to members’ availability. No specialised skills are required, and Alfred happily provides the training needed.
Most visitors’ questions are answered in the maps and range of free leaflets we have available.
If interested please email Alfred: alfred.vincent@bigpond.com(phone 02 9879 6067).