Historic Riverina cemeteries such as Stockinbingal and Wallendbeen protect rare plants and animals in partnership with the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust. Photos: Mindy Greenwood / Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council.
Riverina cemeteries have become essential conservation sites to protect the region’s native habitats and species.
Thanks to local councils and the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust (BCT), cemeteries in Stockinbingal, Wallendbeen, Marrar, Monteagle, and North Berry Jerry are being managed under conservation agreements with the NSW Government to safeguard local flora and fauna.
Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council (CGRC) owns the Stockinbingal and Wallendbeen cemeteries.
CGRC Regulatory Compliance Officer Nicky Godber said that with BCT support, local councils were actively managing, maintaining, and monitoring these cemeteries to protect resident species.
“While small country cemeteries may seem an unlikely place to manage biodiversity for future generations, these areas are helping protect our unique plant and animal species, such as chocolate lilies, bluebells, and superb parrots,” Ms Godber said.
“Our small and historic cemeteries are really important to locals and provide a vital sense of connection to the area.
“It’s essential we care for these places in the long term, and that means managing them in a way that protects our native plants and animals.”
Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council owns the cemeteries in Stockinbingal and Wallendbeen.
NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust Senior Ecologist Mason Crane praised the region’s small cemeteries, crediting volunteers and workers who manage them for their unique conservation success.
“Cemeteries might seem an unusual place for biodiversity conservation, but they’re essential to conservation in our area,” Mr Crane said. “They often have high biodiversity value, serving as islands of native vegetation in an otherwise highly modified agricultural landscape.
“Stockinbingal and Wallendbeen cemeteries are exceptional examples of remnant box-gum woodlands, which have otherwise been heavily cleared. These sites preserve a diverse understorey, as well as ancient ‘grandmother’ box trees with large hollows, providing crucial habitats for arboreal mammals and birds.”
Mr Crane said the BCT was collaborating with other councils to protect more cemetery vegetation. “Cemetery vegetation is a gold mine for biodiversity in heavily cleared landscapes,” he said. “We can provide grant funding for fencing, pest control, and weed management to support the upkeep of these sites.”
For more information about conservation efforts on private land, visit the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust website.
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