This is a list of Australia's field naturalist clubs. These natural history and conservation societies are dedicated to the study, appreciation and conservation of the natural environment in their local regions. Australia has a long field naturalist club history, with the earliest club, the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria, being founded in 1880. [1]
| Name | Year founded | Location | Notes | Official Webpages |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Field Naturalists Association of Canberra | 1981 | Canberra | Produces and publishes the naturalist newsletter, The Field Natter, since 1989. [2] | Club website |
| Name | Year founded | Location | Notes | Official Webpages |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goulburn Field Naturalists Society | 1965 | Goulburn | Actively participates in local conservation projects in the Goulburn area. [3] The club has published the Birds of Goulburn & District, which covers all rare and uncommon species of birds native to the area. [4] | Club website |
| Albury-Wodonga Field Naturalists Club | 1965 | Albury-Wodonga | Club hosts monthly meetings and field trips in and around the Albury-Wodonga area. [5] Works closely and is hosted by the Friends of Chiltern Mt Pilot National Park. [6] | Club website |
| Barrier Field Naturalists Club | 1920 | Broken Hill | Club hosts monthly meetings and field trips in and around the Broken Hill area. [7] The club was co-founded by acclaimed botanist Albert Morris, and in [ when? ] celebrated its centenary with the Broken Hill Historical Society. [8] [9] | |
| Dubbo Field Naturalist & Conservation Society | 1977 | Dubbo | Hosts monthly meetings and field trips in the Dubbo area. [10] This has included self-guided bush walks and ecological revitalisation activities along the Macquarie-Wambul River. [11] [12] | Club website |
| Murrumbidgee Field Naturalists | 1994 | Nerranda, Griffith and Wagga Wagga | Originally based in Nerranda, but has expanded to include branches in Griffith and Wagga Wagga. [13] The club's conservation work covers their local area, primarily focusing on the Murrumbidgee River Valley. [14] They are a member of the Murrumbidgee Environmental Water Advisory Group, working with Curtin University to monitor the biodiversity of the Gayini wetlands. [15] They have received community grants to continue this work by Griffith City Council. [16] | Club website |
| Orange Field Naturalist & Conservation Society | 1974 | Orange | Hosts monthly meetings and field trips in the Orange area, and continues to produce field guides for native orchids. [17] [18] | Club website |
| Name | Year founded | Location | Notes | Official Webpages |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alice Springs Field Naturalists Club | Alice Springs | Publishes the Alice Springs Field Naturalists Club Newsletter. [19] [20] | Club website |
| Name | Year founded | Location | Notes | Official Webpages |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Queensland Naturalists Club | 1906 | West End | The club can trace its history back to 1859, as a subsidiary of the Queensland Philosophical Society, however its inaugural meeting was held in 1906. It was originally called the Queensland Field Naturalists Club, changing to its current name in 1922. [21] [22] The club is the largest naturalist group in the state and acts as a parent organisation to the regional clubs across Queensland. | Club website |
| Chinchilla Field Naturalists Club | 1967 | Chinchilla | Has published a compendium of observations titled Going bush with Chinchilla Nats: thirty years of field observations (1997). [23] [24] | Club webpage |
| South Burnett Field Naturalists Club | Murgon | Club information webpage | ||
| Tamborine Mountain Natural History Association | Tamborine | Published A Natural history of Tamborine Mountain (1988) by Joy Guyatt. [25] The club funded a plaque commemorating Ian Stuart MacDonald, and field naturalist and founder of the club. [26] | ||
| Stanthorpe Field Naturalist Club | 1969 | Stanthorpe | Publishes a monthly newsletter since 1969. [27] | Club website |
| Toowoomba Field Naturalists | 1951 | Toowoomba | Published Flora, Fauna and Fellowship 70 Years of the Toowoomba Field Naturalist Club (2021) by Francis Mangubhai with Diane Pagel and Glenda Walter, as well as a field guide on frogs in the Toowoomba area. [28] | Club website |
| Name | Year founded | Location | Notes | Official Webpages |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Field Naturalists Society of South Australia | 1883 | Adelaide | Founded in 1883 as a section of the Royal Society of South Australia, inspired by the success of the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria three years earlier. [29] Originally called the 'Field Naturalists' Section of the Royal Society of South Australia', the club was incorporated in 1959. [30] The club has published The South Australian Naturalist since 1919. [31] | Club website |
| Kangaroo Island Flora & Fauna Club | Kangaroo Island | Published the Native orchids of Kangaroo Island: a field guide (2017). [32] | Club webpage | |
| Riverland Field Naturalists | Riverland | In 1986 the club established the Littra House Memorial on Lake Littra, stabilising the buildings' ruins through funding from State Government. [33] | Club website |
| Name | Year founded | Location | Notes | Official Webpages |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tasmanian Field Naturalists Club | 1904 | Hobart | The first club of its kind to be founded in Tasmania, it has played a critical role in guiding and enabling amateur and professional research and conservation work for Tasmania's flora and fauna. [34] The club serves as a parent organisation to the various regional field naturalist groups in the state. The club has produced Easter Camp Reports since 1905, as well as an annual research journal, The Tasmanian Naturalist and a monthly Club Bulletin since 1907. [35] [36] [37] They also publish extensive field guides of Tasmanian flora and fauna. [38] | Club website Tasmanian Naturalist Tasmanian Field Naturalists' Club Bulletin Tasmanian Field Naturalists' Club Easter Camp Reports |
| North East Tasmanian Field Naturalists Club | 1972 [39] | Bridport | Undertakes excursions and studies of Tasmania's natural wildlife on the North-East Region of Tasmania. [40] | Club website |
| Launceston Field Naturalists Club | Launceston | Runs monthly meetings, excursions and camps. [41] The club owns 60 hectares of native bushland at Myrtle Bank where it undertakes observation and conservation activities. [42] | Club website | |
| Burnie Field Naturalists Club | Burnie | Runs field trips, outings and social gatherings around the Burnie area. [43] | Club webpage | |
| King Island Field Naturalists Club | King Island | Club webpage | ||
| Central North Field Naturalists (Disjunct Naturalists) | Launceston | Focused on the Central North Tasmanian bioregion, but retains members from all over Australia, and further afield. [44] The club produces The Natural News newsletter that discusses club activities, articles from club members and current naturalist news topics. The club made a submission to the review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, proposing changes to the Act in the interest of native flora and fauna. [45] | Club website |
| Name | Year | Location | Notes | Official Webpages |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Field Naturalists Club of Victoria | 1880 | Blackburn | Oldest still running field naturalist club in Australia, being founded in 1880. The club has published a journal, The Victorian Naturalist bimonthly since 1884. The club is situated in Blackburn, in Melbourne's eastern suburbs. [1] The club serves as a parent organisation to many field naturalist clubs across Victoria, hosting yearly events, assisting in conservation efforts and acting as a leading body for the movement in the state. The club has been awarding the Australian Natural History Medallion to individuals who have made the most meritorious contribution to Australian Natural History, since 1940. [46] | Club website |
| Ballarat Field Club and Science Society (defunct) | 1882-1918 | Ballarat | Predecessor of the Field Naturalists' Club of Ballarat, which now maintains the club's archives. It was the second founded field naturalist club in Victoria, behind the state club. | |
| Field Naturalists' Club of Ballarat | 1952 | Ballarat | Founded as a continuation of the Ballarat Field Club and Science Society (1882-1918), acting as a repository for the society's records. [47] The club hosts face-to-face meetings, excursions, camps and conservation activities throughout the year. [48] The club has also published the monthly Ballarat Naturalist since 1974. [49] | Club website |
| Bendigo Field Naturalists Club | 1945 | Bendigo | Has published the monthly field naturalist magazine, The Whirrakee since 1979. [50] [51] The club has also previously published The Bendigo Naturalist from 10 September 1945 to the early 1950's. [52] | Club website |
| Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club | 1976 | Castlemaine | Alongside regular meetings and excursions, the club organises vegetation and bird surveys, as well as weed control and roadside clean up days in the local region. [53] The club has published the monthly newsletter the Castlemaine Naturalist since 1976. [54] | Club website |
| Geelong Field Naturalists Club (defunct) | 1880-1932 | Geelong | Published The Wombat: Journal of the Geelong Field Naturalists' Club from 1895-1902, [55] as well as its successor, The Geelong Naturalist: The Journal of the Geelong Field Naturalists' Club until 1931. [56] | The Wombat |
| Geelong Field Naturalists Club | 1961 | Geelong | Alongside regular meetings, excursion and camps, the club publishes the quarterly Geelong Naturalist: journal of the Geelong Field Naturalists Club. [57] [58] The club has no official ties to its predecessor. | Club Website |
| Peninsula Field Naturalists' Club | 1952 | Frankston and Mornington Peninsula | Founded as a junior group of the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria, by members of the parent organisation. [59] Has undertaken extensive observations The club has published the Peninsula Field Naturalists' Club Newsletter on a quarterly basis since 2011. [60] The club's emblem is the rabbit's ears orchid ( Thelymitra antennifera). [61] | Club website |
| Portland Field Naturalists Club | 1945 | Portland | Hosts monthly meetings and excursions around the local area, including Mount Richmond National Park, Lower Glenelg National Park and Cobboboonee National Parks. [62] [63] They publish a monthly newsletter that discusses recent excursions and observations. [64] The club has published the Portland Field Naturalists Club Newsletter since 1968 and the Birds of the Portland District (2007 and 2019). [65] | Club webpage |
| Latrobe Valley Field Naturalists Club | 1960 | Latrobe Valley | Hosts monthly meetings, excursions and field camps and a bimonthly magazine, the Latrobe Valley Naturalist. [66] [67] The club emblem is the flying duck-orchid ( Caleana major ). [68] | Club website |
| Maryborough Field Naturalists Club | 1951 | Maryborough | Hosts monthly meetings and excursions. [69] [70] The club has published the naturalist history guide and trail-book Exploring Maryborough & district (1988). [71] The club has a close working relationship with the Bendigo and Castlemaine field naturalist clubs, with the three clubs jointly publishing several naturalist guidebooks and CDs. The club has been instrumental to expanding protected reserves in the area, including the founding of the Winifred Waddel Wildflower Sanctuary (1960), Bell's Swamp (1975), Clune's Swamp (1976) and Paddys Ranges State Park (1989). [72] | Club webpage |
| Ringwood Field Naturalists Club | 1961 | Ringwood | Hosts monthly meetings, excursions and field camps and a biyearly magazine, The Whistler. [73] Previously, the club published The Ringwood Field Naturalist, which ran from 1995 to 2015. [74] | Club website |
| Upper Goulburn Field Naturalists Club | 1978 | Alexandra | Hosts monthly meetings and field trips. [75] | Club webpage |
| Anglesea Aireys Inlet Society for the Protection of Flora & Fauna (Angair) | 1969 | Anglesea | Dedicated to protecting indigenous flora and fauna, hosting monthly committee meetings, excursions and various conservation activities. [76] Since 1969, the society has hosted the Angair Nature Show, a wildflower and art show weekend, which celebrates indigenous flora and fauna and funds conservations efforts in the Inlet. [77] The society has previously provided conservation advice to government and community bodies who are developing in the area, including working with Parks Victoria and the Surf Coast Mountain Bike Club to develop non-invasive biking paths throughout the protected land. [78] They also host revegetation days with local school groups to propagate native plants in the area. [79] | Club website |
| Bairnsdale & District Field Naturalists Club | 1960 | Bairnsdale | Hosts monthly general meetings, field excursions and bushwalks. The club publishes the quarterly newsletter, The Clematis. [80] They have also published the Orchids of East Gippsland — A Field Guide (2014), which includes much of the club's survey work and observations of rare native orchids in the East Gippsland area from the foundation of the club, including across Wilsons Promontory, Licola and Mallacoota. [81] | Club website |
| Donald History & Natural History Group | 1962 | Donald | A history and natural history organisation that manages the Donald Court House Museum which contains a wide-ranging collection of local and regional artefacts. In 2009 the museum also became a 'Keeping Place' for Indigenous Cultural Heritage Artefacts working alongside the Barengi Gadjin Land Council and the Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation. [82] The group is also a registered Place of Deposit for the Public Record Office Victoria. [83] | Club website |
| Hamilton Field Naturalists Club | 1958 | Hamilton | The club's logo is the endangered Eastern Barred Bandicoot ( Perameles gunnii ), which was adopted in 1976. The club has been integral to the conservation efforts for the bandicoot, which they started in 1980. [84] The bandicoot can now only be found in the Victorian wild in the Hamilton Parkland wildlife enclosure, in which the club works alongside Parks Victoria and other government and non-government organisations to continue the conservation efforts. [85] [86] | Club website |
| Sale & District Field Naturalists | Sale | Holds monthly meetings and excursions. It has previous hosted camps for the South East Australian Naturalist Association, in collaboration with the Latrobe Valley Field Naturalists Club. [87] [88] | Club webpage | |
| St Arnaud Field Naturalists Club | 1984 | St. Arnaud | Holds monthly meetings and excursions. It also works closely with the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning and Parks Victoria to undertake conservation efforts in the region including nesting boxes and pest removal. [89] [90] | Club website |
| Warrnambool Field Naturalists Club | 1958 | Warrnambool | Holds monthly meetings and excursions, as well as excursions and camp trips around the local area. [91] [92] [93] The club publishes the monthly Warrnambool Field Naturalists Club Newsletter and has previously published The Nature of Warrnambool authored by J.G. Douglas. [94] The club acts has continually undertaken conservation efforts on protected nature reserves in the area, including Tower Hill, Goose Lagoon, Lake Pertobe, Deen Maar at Yambuk and the Framlingham forest. [95] | Club webpage |
| Name | Year founded | Location | Notes | Official Webpages |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Australian Naturalists' Club | 1924 | Perth | The club is composed of several regional branches that encompass much of the greater Perth region. [96] The club has published The Western Australian Naturalist twice-yearly since 1947. [97] | Club website |
| Busselton Naturalists Club | Busselton | Undertakes monthly meetings, excursions and conservation activities. [98] In 2017 the club captured one of the few recordings of the Night Parrot's (Pezoporus occidentalis) calls during one of these excursions. [99] | Club website | |
| Goldfields Naturalists Club | 1987 [100] | Goldfields | Undertakes regular meetings, excursions and conservation works, including a biological survey of Victoria Rock Nature Reserve in 1991. [101] | Club webpage |
| Toodyay Naturalists Club | 1968 [102] | Toodyay | Published several books exploring flora and fauna in the region, including A guide to exploring Toodyay... naturally (2018). [103] | Club website |
| Name | Year founded | Location | Notes | Official Webpages |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South East Australian Naturalist Association (SEANA) | 1996 | South-East Australian Region | Formerly the Victorian Field Naturalists Club Association (VFNCA), SEANA serves as a host organisation to assist communication between the field naturalist clubs in the South-Eastern Australian Region. [104] The association organises biannual camp trips that are hosted and ran by the location's regional field naturalist club. These events are heavily attended by club members and generally also involve large conservation activities in the area. [105] | Association website |
| Australian Naturalists' Network | 1987-1988 | Australia-wide | Created in collaboration with the Geelong Field Naturalists Club and the VFNCA (which later became SEANA) as an Australia-wide project to bring field naturalists and conservation groups together. [106] The network runs two primary projects, a Register of Clubs for all members, and biennial camping trips to locations across the country. [107] | Network website |
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