Frenchman Bay Association - FBA

06/06/2026

Makuru – season of fertility

Black swain with red beak swimming on a river.
During Makuru, Mali (Black Swan) prepare to nest and breed

Winter: June to July

Time to move inland.
More food available.

Lifestyle of the Nyoongar communities during Makuru

Makaru is the coldest and wettest time of the year. Traditionally, this was a good time of year to move inland from the coast. The winds turned to the west and south bringing the cold weather, rains and occasionally snow on the peaks of the Stirling and Porongurup Ranges.

As the waterways and catchments started to fill, people were able to move about their country with ease. Their food sources changed from sea, estuarine and lake foods to those of the lands, in particular the grazing animals such as the kangaroo. As well as a food source, animals provided people with many other things. For example, Yongar (kangaroos) provided meat and 'bookas' (animal skin cloaks that were used as the nights became much cooler). Nothing was left – even the bones and sinews were used in the manufacturing of bookas and for hunting tools, such as spears.

Makuru is also a time for many animals to be pairing up in preparation for breeding in the coming season. If you look carefully, you might see pairs of Wardongs (ravens) flying together. You also notice these pairs not making the usual 'ark ark arrrrrk' that they're well known for when flying solo. Upon the lakes and rivers of the south-west, you'll see a large influx of Mali (Black Swan) as they too prepare to nest and breed.

Flowers emerge, including the blues and purples of the Blueberry Lilly (Dianella revoluta) and the Purple Flags (Patersonia occidentalis). As the season ends, white flowers of the weeping peppermint (Agonis flexuosa) begin to bloom, and the blue flowers of Djilba change to white and cream flowers.

06/06/2026

Good afternoon everyone

It's w**ding time again.

We meet at 10am on Saturday 13th June at the Fire Shed at the top of Austin Road.

The plan is to w**d along the verge of Austin Road bordering the National Park. Weeds spotted (so far) are Victorian Tea Tree, Sydney Golden Wattle, Kunzea and a large, spiky Aloe.

Most of the plants are fairly small so it would be great to remove them before they can set seed. Hand tools, garden forks, or spades will be handy on the day.

So please join us for a fun morning protecting our native landscape from pesky w**ds. Don’t forget to bring a cup for morning tea/coffee.

01/06/2026

Hello everyone

We are very pleased to announce our next social event at Whalers Galley on the 26th June.
Ian Herford will be talking about the geology of our local mountain ranges - the Porongurups and the Stirlings.
Please join us for what will certainly be an informative evening.
Book early to avoid disappointment as numbers are limited.

01/05/2026

May Weeding Bee

Well - this is a new one! It seems we have a large stand of Chinese Gooseberries growing where they shouldn’t be.

We meet at 10am on Saturday 9th May at the track leading to the Bird Hide on La Perouse Road. The gooseberries will probably be able to be pulled up by the roots fairly easily but the bamboo nearby will take a bit more effort. And as if that is not enough, we have some Asparagus Fern just getting started about 70 metres down the road and Ivy another 20-30 metres further on.

Plenty of w**ds for everyone. Garden forks, spades or hand w**ding tools recommended for the jobs and please bring a cup for well-deserved morning tea or coffee.

02/04/2026

Djeran – season of adulthood

Autumn: April to May
Ant season.
Time to repair housing and shelter.
Lifestyle of the Nyoongar communities during Djeran
Djeran season, at last, sees a break in the really hot weather. A key indicator of the change of season is the cool nights that once again bring a dewy presence in the early mornings.
The winds have also changed, especially in their intensity, with light breezes generally swinging from southerly directions (south-east to south-west). Many flying ants can be seen cruising around in the light winds.
Djeran is a time of red flowers, especially from the Red-flowering Gum (Corimbia ficifolia) and Summer Flame (Beaufortia aestiva). As you travel around the Perth area, you may notice the red 'rust' and seed cones forming on the male and female Sheoaks (Allocasuarina fraseriana). Banksias start to display their flowers, providing nectar food sources for many small mammals and birds.
Traditionally, foods at this time of year include seeds collected and stored for treatment from the Zamia last season along with the root bulbs of the Yanget (Bullrushes), fresh water fish, frogs and turtles.
As the season progresses, the nights become cooler and damper. Some days are cool and rainy, which means that traditionally mia mias (houses or shelters) were repaired and updated to make sure they were waterproof and facing in the right direction in readiness for the deep winter months to come.
Thank you again to the GBGQs for the beautiful visual representation of the season.

02/04/2026

April Weeding Bee

We meet on Saturday 11th April at 10am. This time we are returning to the Frenchman Bay carpark. Victorian Tea Tree is appearing along the track to Bommie Rock and also in the bushland either side of the path to Whalers Beach. Sydney Golden Wattle seedlings are emerging - again - around the pine trees and Fleabane is popping up in small patches.

Loppers, handsaws, or garden forks would be handy tools on the day and don’t forget to bring a cup for your morning tea/coffee. We will update you on the Sea Spurge Control Program that we will be undertaking in association with CSIRO.

07/03/2026

March Weeding Bee

We had a great turnout for our February w**ding bee but the extent of the w**ds proved to be more than we estimated. The dolichos pea and honeysuckle put up a good fight but we managed to get it all and the SGW too. Which still leaves the Asparagus Fern to be dealt with.

We meet at 10am on Saturday 14th March and this time we will set up at the La Perouse Road end of the Forest Reserve by the roundabout. Please bring garden forks, or shovels, or small hand w**ding tools. Everyone is welcome and don’t forget to bring a cup for a well earned tea or coffee.

03/02/2026

February Weeding Bee

After all that Christmas feasting I hope you are eager to get back into our wonderful bushland and get w**ding.

We meet on Saturday 14th February at 10.00am. This time we are returning to the forest reserve at the end of Karrakatta Road. In terms of w**ds the main culprit is Asparagus Fern but there is also Dolichos Pea, Honeysuckle, and some Polygala. The fern will likely need large garden forks or spades to dig it out. There is also a bloody great big Sydney Golden Wattle hiding deep in the bush and it’s loaded with seeds. The City Parks team will be chainsawing it down but we need to drag it out in bits and load it onto the truck for removal.

So please join us for a fun morning of w**ding and don’t forget to bring a cup for morning tea or coffee break.

25/01/2026

This event at Discovery Bay might be of interest.

An intimate performance of contemporary dance about the restorative nature of the sea. A series of vignettes inspired by the tides, moon, and beautiful loca ...

20/01/2026

Family Beach Adventure!
Thank you to everyone who attended our event on Sunday. Over 60 people came along, with a third of them being children. What fun we had enjoying activities such as a treasure hunt, tug of war, sandcastle building and beach cricket!
The day was such a success we hope to make it an annual event.