The Cecil Hoskins Nature Reserve is a

protected Protection is any measure taken to guard something against damage caused by outside forces. Protection can be provided to physical objects, including organisms, to systems, and to intangible things like civil and political rights. Although ...

nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologic ...

located in the Southern Highlands area of

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

, Australia. The reserve is situated between the towns of

Bowral Bowral () is the largest town in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia. It is south-west of Sydney and north-east of Canberra. It is the main business and entertainment precinct of the Wingecarribee Shire and the Southern Highl ...

and

Moss Vale Moss Vale is a town in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia. Moss Vale is the administrative centre of Wingecarribee Shire local government area. It is located south-west of Sydney and north-east of Canberra. The Illawarra Hi ...

and is known for bird watching.

Description

The nature reserve is a mostly cleared area with a

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aqua ...

med section of the

Wingecarribee River The Wingecarribee River ( Aboriginal Dharawal: ''Winge Karrabee''), a perennial river that is part of the Hawkesbury– Nepean catchment, is located in the Southern Highlands region of New South Wales, Australia. Course and features Wingec ...

. Much of the area was cleared in the 1820s by

Charles Throsby Charles Throsby (1777 – 2 April 1828) was an English surgeon who, after he migrated to New South Wales in 1802, became an explorer, pioneer and parliamentarian. He opened up much new land beyond the Blue Mountains for colonial settlement ...

. The Throsby Park Historic Site is located near the reserve. There is some remnant bushland with the rare Camden woollybutt and some of the best stands of snow gums in the southern Highlands. Recent plantings have increased the area of natural bushland. Barbecue, picnic facilities and public toilets are present. The area is more of a cultural reserve than preserved natural bushland.

Etymology

Cecil Hoskins Sir Cecil Harold Hoskins (1889–1971) was an Australian industrialist associated with the iron and steel industry. He is notable mainly for the establishment of the steel industry at Port Kembla, the company Australian Iron & Steel, and its su ...

had been a resident at

Exeter Exeter ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and the county town of Devon in South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter w ...

and

and had a keen interest in gardens. He had a profound knowledge of trees and shrubs in particular and his advice on parks and gardens was sought by many. As well as his extensive home gardens at ''Invergowrie'' Exeter and later at ''Cardrona'' Moss Vale, there is much evidence of his keen interest in creating parks and gardens. For example, he planned the unique garden setting for the Portland Cement Works at , he was responsible for the planning and development of ''Seymour Park'' in Moss Vale and was Chairman of the Berrima District Committee of the

Remembrance Driveway The Remembrance Driveway in Australia is a road and war memorial, memorial system of arboreal parks, plantations, and road-side rest areas that provide a living memorial in honour of those who served in the Australian Defence Forces in World Wa ...

Fauna

Foxes Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...

cause considerable damage to the local wildlife. They have been targeted by shooting, poisoning and trapping. The

platypus The platypus (''Ornithorhynchus anatinus''), sometimes referred to as the duck-billed platypus, is a semiaquatic, egg-laying mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. The platypus is the sole living representative or monotypi ...

, water rat and

eastern grey kangaroo The eastern grey kangaroo (''Macropus giganteus'': gigantic large-foot; also great grey kangaroo or forester kangaroo) is a marsupial found in the eastern third of Australia, with a population of several million. Although a large ''M. giganteus ...

are recorded here. The bird life of the area is of interest. At least 90 species of birds have been recorded. Cecil Hoskins Nature Reserve is an important resting and feeding place for many migratory species, particularly waterbirds. During

drought A drought is a period of drier-than-normal conditions.Douville, H., K. Raghavan, J. Renwick, R.P. Allan, P.A. Arias, M. Barlow, R. Cerezo-Mota, A. Cherchi, T.Y. Gan, J. Gergis, D. Jiang, A. Khan, W. Pokam Mba, D. Rosenfeld, J. Tierney, ...

, many inland birds find refuge here. Noteworthy sightings recorded here include the

blue-billed duck The blue-billed duck (''Oxyura australis'') is a small Australian stiff-tailed duck, with both the male and female growing to a length of 40 cm (16 in). The male has a slate-blue bill which changes to bright-blue during the breeding se ...

and the rare

Australasian bittern The Australasian bittern (''Botaurus poiciloptilus''), or Matuku-hūrepo in Māori language, Māori, is a stocky, sizeable and elusive heron-like bird native to the Wetland, wetlands of Australia, New Zealand, and New Caledonia.Heather, B. D., & ...

Gallery

File:Blue-billed-duck.jpg,

Blue-billed duck The blue-billed duck (''Oxyura australis'') is a small Australian stiff-tailed duck, with both the male and female growing to a length of 40 cm (16 in). The male has a slate-blue bill which changes to bright-blue during the breeding se ...

File:Bitterngould.jpg,

File:Hydromys chrysogaster - Gould.jpg, Australian water rat

References

{{Nature reserves of New South Wales , state=autocollapse Southern Highlands (New South Wales) Important Bird Areas of New South Wales Nature reserves in New South Wales Protected areas established in 1975 1975 establishments in Australia

Description

Etymology

Fauna

Gallery

See also

References