It’s one of those fragments of “wasteland” that barely warrants a second glance – unless by chance you happen to be a property developer.
This patch of scraggy, soggy ground sits behind Carlton Beach Rd going south from Dodges Ferry and it is littered with not only scattered pine trees but rusting bits that once belonging to cars. Its only saving grace is a small, reed-fringed lake which on the day of my visit was graced by two black swans and their three cygnets.
Like so much of this type of marginal land that sits behind the sand dunes of some of our most beautiful beaches, these apparently barren areas attract the attention of developers. They appear ripe for either holiday homes or the infrastructure associated with tourism. This particular spot is being eyed as a possible caravan park.
Although it is potentially prime real estate, it has another value beyond the realm of the 21st century human world. This margin of land – part wetland, part grassland – is rich in biological diversity, containing treasures of flora and fauna. It also holds treasures of a different kind, artifacts from Tasmania’s Aboriginal past.
My attention was drawn to this forgotten fragment of the dunes and lagoons that once dotted the coastline facing Storm Bay by Mercury columnist Charles Wooley last month. Wooley, who is also deputy mayor of Sorell Council, wanted to get my views on his idea of possibly turning the land into a reserve, complete with boardwalks, to provide access when it is water-logged in the winter months.
Joining us was journalist Simon Bevilacqua, who also lives in the area and has a special interest in its Aboriginal archaeology. We had only been scouting the area for about 10 minutes when Bevilacqua spotted an unusually shaped stone, which he identified as an Aboriginal cutting tool. The piece of dolerite fit neatly into his hand, and it clearly had a finely chiselled cutting edge.
As Bevilacqua explained, the land we were walking on fitted snuggly behind the dunes of Carlton Beach and would have given Aborigines shelter from the harsh winds blowing off Storm Bay, especially on such a day as our visit when an icy blast was sweeping ashore.
The wildlife values of this potential reserve had clearly been compromised by invasive species of flower, shrub and tree but native black and coastal wattle, and cutting grass, were refusing to yield.
Along with the swans, birds also proliferated with the calls of endemic green rosellas ringing from the wattles.
Marginal land like this at Carlton Beach are among the most threatened environments across the world, vanishing rapidly along with the wildlife that calls them home.
Wooley says that, by preserving this site, Sorrell Council would be sending out an important message about conservation, and at the same time giving its residents another open space to study nature.