One of the key people behind the regeneration of the coastal strip of Angels Beach and Ballina was Shirley White, who died recently.
Originally from Sydney, Ms White was recognised with a Bush Regeneration Award in 2003 from the Australian Association of Bush Regenerators, which noted her ‘visionary venture’ in coastal regen work after she became founding coordinator of Dune Care at Angels Beach in 1991.
Although supposedly retired, this was just the beginning of thirteen years dedicated labour in her adopted district. As Shirley White’s colleague Lee Andresen remembers, she was a ‘very remarkable woman’.
In the words of Ms White’s Bush Regeneration Award citation, ‘She leaves behind a formidable reputation as an inspirational and organisational force to be reckoned with. Through her work and example, Shirley has inspired a truly monumental program of achievements.
‘Perhaps more than any other influence, those achievements have profoundly shaped the way coastal bush regeneration is now understood and practised on the far north coast of this state.
‘When she began, there were no TAFE courses or coastal management manuals, and virtually nothing in print or otherwise to show how classical bush regeneration theories and practices from the Sydney basin might be adapted to the bitou-bush ravaged, sand-mined, cattle-pastured and otherwise devastated dunal systems of the far north coast.
‘Shirley literally wrote the local “how to do it” book through dedicated trial-and-error and inspired experimentation.’
Something quite extraordinary
The citation goes on to say; ‘Sensing that something quite extraordinary was happening, others soon came and learned from her work.
‘Shirley visited schools and enlisted staff and students to help, spoke to public meetings and conferences, brought in labour teams, and formed a small but resilient band of local people who stuck by her – often in the face of ridicule and sometimes bitter political opposition.
‘The methods Shirley developed sometimes departed from the traditional ones, but they worked and they mark the significant historical phase of pragmatic adaptation of earlier bush regeneration theory to new environments and previously unimagined challenges.
‘Those who now follow Shirley and continue her work, inspired by her forthright example, are doing the same thing, continuing to creatively adapt and innovate, and letting the land itself be the teacher rather than dogmatic copying of what worked for others in other places.’
Inspiring example
As an example of how one dedicated person can inspire others and change the world for the better, the achievements of Shirley White and her team included:
- Attracting $118,000 of public grant monies and $12,000 of local sponsorship.
- Receiving ten awards from sources including Keep Australia Beautiful, The National Trust, and Landcare Australia.
- Installing dune stabilising and vegetation-protecting infrastructure on the beach.
- Removing Asparagus aethiopicus from over 20 hectares of infested forest.
- Removing 30 hectares of bitou bush, as well as large infestations of morning glory and other exotic weed.
- Planting 32,000 trees, shrubs and ground covers, mostly raised from indigenous seed by Dune Care members and educational institutions.
- Installing 30 tree species plaques, as well as major memorial plaques recognising the littoral rainforest and an Aboriginal massacre site, and sea and shore birds interpretive plaques.
- Enlisting the support of local surfriders’ and service clubs, and forming a placement base for community service participants.
- Planting 2,000 trees on an Olympic Site to celebrate the Green Olympics.
- Forging ongoing links with members of the Jali Local Aboriginal Land Council with whose permission work has proceeded from the outset on the southern sacred site end of the beach known as Black Head.
- Publishing an original brochure on dune care for this area which was subsequently adapted by Coastcare for use in other districts.
- Researching the flora and fauna of the beach, so that now over 250 native indigenous plant species are listed, over 100 birds and 40 other fauna plus over 100 marine life species on the intertidal platform at Flat Rock.
Neil Denison remembers Shirley
With the news of Shirley White’s death, Ballina Coastcare stalwart Neil Denison wrote on social media, ‘Having a drink tonight to celebrate the passing of the life of an amazing human being Shirley White, one of the founders of Angels Beach Dunecare…
‘Without her dynamic input in preserving the Ballina Coastal Reserve the “Green behind the Gold” would likely have been earmarked for development. Ballina Coastcare continues to this day to preserve and improve the work that Shirley started so many years ago.
I have no doubt that should she still be alive she would be proud of the efforts of the existing members and volunteers of Ballina Coastcare Inc.’
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