Exploring district a highlight

By LYNETTE HASELGROVE

CAPTION: Members of the Stanthorpe Field Naturalists Club enjoyed a visit to Rivertree recently.

THE Stanthorpe Field Naturalists Club is planning a series of exciting new outings during the month of June.
This Friday, members visit Girraween Lodge – the morning will start with complimentary tea, coffee and bikkies on the lodge verandah with views of kangaroos and Castle Rock, before walking some of the tracks on the property, back at the cars by late morning. Walk leaders are Rob and Trish McCosker.

On Sunday 23 June, the club will explore the geology of Stanthorpe District Mines.
This will be a mostly driving outing from 9am-4pm. Stewart Watt, a school teacher from Warwick, will lead the outing. Stewart has had a lifetime interest in geology and is hoping to have another two geologists accompanying the group so there will be plenty of opportunity to learn more about the district.
The trip will include visiting outcrops of Stanthorpe Adamellite, Ruby Creek Granite and associated mineralisation as discussed by Warwick Willmott at the meeting in February. The group also hopes to visit a fossil site. Interested participants should bring water, morning tea and lunch and wear sturdy shoes.

The club’s full day outing in May was to Rivertree. How did Rivertree get its name? One school of thought is that if you look at a map of the area referred to as Rivertree you will see that three rivers or creeks join in close proximity to one another. The Maryland River, Boonoo Boonoo River and Koreelah Creek join to form the Clarence River. Thus you will see the branches of a tree or a river-tree.
The group met up with a local with extensive knowledge of the Rivertree area who shared his knowledge, particularly of the mining history. A chimney associated with the silver mine has been restored and this, with the remnants of mining shafts and drives, made for a very interesting exploration. After lunch members inspected an old sawmill site on the banks of the Clarence River. Returning downstream they enjoyed afternoon tea at the junction of Koreelah Creek and the Maryland River.
The Stanthorpe Field Naturalists Club has two outings each month usually on the first Friday and the Sunday preceding the fourth Wednesday of the month. The meeting point for most of these outings is Weeroona Park. If you would like to join the group please visit the website at www.granitenet.com.au/groups/environment/fieldnats/. The monthly meetings are held on the fourth Wednesday at QCWA Rooms, Victoria Street, Stanthorpe, at 7.30pm.