Home

Riparian rainforest alongside Ekibin Creek

The Group

Ekibin Creek Bushcare is a group of volunteers who are committed to regenerating Australian native flora and fauna. We do this by recreating natural-like habitats at a reserve bordering Ekibin Creek, Holland Parkin order to improve biodiversity. Our work involves:
- reintroducing local native plants at regular working bees;
- controlling invasive weeds and feral animals;
- monitoring wildlife activity; and
- sharing our knowledge.

We've been doing this for over 22 years and have watched a mature riparian rainforest develop. In turn, native wildlife have returned and begun to breed (including koalas, wallabies, dragons and gliders). We welcome people who share our interests.

Natural History

Ekibin Creek is a small watercourse (only a few kilometres long) that drains from sources high in the Mt. Gravatt Outlook Reserve and Toohey Forest before joining Norman Creek at Joachim Street Park, Holland Park. The bushcare site surrounds the creek for a short section (350m) where it is unconstrained, beginning at the roundabout junction of Nursery, Gaza and Bapaume Roads and extending to the South East Freeway. Most of the site is on Holland Park SHS school grounds with smaller portions held by the council and Main Roads.

When indigenous people lived here, they used the creek as a source of food and material. In particular, the reeds growing in the stream likely provided both food (when the bulbous stems were roasted) and weaving material. The term "ekibin" is probably aboriginal in origin and refers to these plants.

Following European settlement the land was developed as a dairy farm, first settled in the late 1800’s. Over time most of the native vegetation was removed. The creek was often used as a dump and became very weed-infested and degraded. In the twentieth century the farm was abandoned and its buildings demolished (although some ruins remain).

Affiliations

Ekibin Creek Bushcare belongs to Habitat Brisbane, Land for Wildlife, the Norman Creek Catchment and is also closely associated with Holland Park State High School.