Morialta Third Falls Track Project

This project began in 1994 when Paul Farmer and I started work to control extensive stands of broom in the firebreaks and adjoining bush along Third Falls Track at Gate 10 off Moores Road. Over the years we extended the project area and the range of weed species dealt with. The project now includes Colonial Track, Moores Track and Fox Hill Track.

In recent years the Trail Runners SA and the Biology Society SA (BSSA) have joined the project and adopted their own bushcare sites along Colonial Track and Fourth Creek. They contribute enthusiastic on-ground work and specialist knowledge.

At one of the BSSA events I was talking with Alex who has a special interest in orchids and mentioned that I had noticed that the weed orchid Monadenia is often found with Leek or Onion Orchids nearby. Alex asked which of these it was and I was a bit hazy about the difference at the time. Later I went back to my orchid books for the answer, and so when I saw an unfamiliar orchid a few weeks later I was able to recognise it as Prasophyllum odoratum (Scented Leek Orchid). Thanks to that discussion we have added a new species to the Morialta plant list.
"Start with the Leaves" by Robert Lawrence is a highly recommended book for identification of native orchids and lilies in the Adelaide Hills.

We have employed contractors to undertake work that is unsuitable for volunteers at Third Falls and on boneseed in good bush on steep ground adjacent to Hikers Hill. This work will be followed up next year to revisit and to extend the ground covered.

We continued our efforts to control Ornithogalum and Muraltia which are both priority environmental weeds, and have made good progress on significantly reducing Watsonia along 4th Creek from where it enters the Park near Gate 12 to Third Falls. There is no shortage of the usual suspects - broom, gorse, boneseed, Tangier pea and scabious etc to keep us occupied.

The large sections of Morialta which were burnt in 2024 are recovering and many plants have regrown from epicormic buds, roots or seed. This recovery phase is an opportunity for patrolling and controlling weeds while the ground is relatively clear before the shrub layer and canopy reestablishes but the extensive burning makes it impossible for the Friends with our limited personnel to cover the whole fire ground.