Gunning & District Historical Society

The Mundoonen Spotted Quail-thrush Above:  The Mt Lofty sub-species of the Spotted Quail-thrush - now declared locally extinct.  What does it tell us about the bird we have in the Mundoonen district and the wider Upper Lachlan Shire?  This article has a go at explaining the lessons we might draw from its story.     Image courtesy Australian Geographic. Image courtesy Wayne Weatherstone This is number 5 in a twelve part series inspired by Gladstone Weatherstone, a dedicated and knowledgeable amateur naturalist who lived at  Lyndfield Park near Gunning from 1941 until his death in 1996. From 1962 until 1981 he recorded bird sightings on his farm and its near surrounds.  Each month we look at one of the birds Gladstone noted, try to place it in context and see if we can draw any lessons about the recent natural history of our district. Gladstone's note book entry for 14 May 1974 records " Two Quail Thrushes (which are ve...

Bushrangers Hall, Dunn and Gilbert attack police guarding the Gundagai Mail 1865. Dunn and Gilbert may have splashed out a substantial sum for lunch in the Lade Vale/Mundoonen district not long before or after this event [Picture: State Library of Victoria via Wikimedia Commons]. New Discovery About Local Bushranging History – Or Mundoonen Myth? Over the last few months lifelong Gunning and Lade Vale resident, Mr Sid Hillier, has been generously and helpfully back grounding me on local history. Among other things, Sid has told me about a family story concerning his grandmother, Ellen (Granny) Hillier, and the notorious bushrangers Dunn and Gilbert. I bring Sid’s story to you despite it leaving some important questions unanswered. The Gunning District Historical Society would not normally publish mythical tales but I believe this to be an essentially true account of an historical event. Yes, there are a few significant gaps which you may feel places it more in the ...