Indigenous use of Fire

"Using Fire as a Tool for Managing Native Grasses: An Indigenous Perspective

This was a project partnership between the North East Catchment Management Authority (NECMA) and Kiewa Catchment Landcare Groups. Funding was obtained (commencing in 2013) under the Caring for our Country Sustainable Environment and Sustainable Agriculture stream.
The project examined the use of fire as a management tool and how it could be applied to achieving sustainable native pasture management in North East Victoria in partnership with Traditional Owners (TOs) to help incorporate an understanding of the traditional uses of fire (a form of Traditional Ecological Knowledge or TEK).
The project is structured around:
1. Two fire forums
2. Three demonstration trial plots/sites; and
3. Two associated field days.
The outcomes (of the demonstration trial plots) was measured using indicators of both biodiversity and productivity.
Project outcomes include:
• Increased awareness of the value and benefits of native pastures and how management practices can either degrade or enhance native pastures;
• Increased understanding of how fire can be used to manage native pastures;
• Increased capacity and skills to sustainably manage native pastures; and
• Increased appreciation of and respect for Indigenous TEK.

Project films:

"Indigenous Fire Knowledge" Victorian Fire Awards (1 min 52 seconds)

"Traditional Use of Fire in North East Victoria" (2 min 28 sec)

"Considering Native Pastures" (11min 41 sec)

Project resources:

Project report compiled by Paul Foreman (Project Ecologist) in 2015 shows promising results for the burn trial sites.

Detailed plot assessments compiled by Paul Foreman listing all plant species (native and exotic) at each trial site - Jan & Nov 2014

Native Grass feed analysis of weeping grass (Microlaena stipoides) at trial sites

Soil Test analysis of plot sites

Victorian Landcare Magazine article "New Approaches to Sharing Ancient Fire Knowledge" - Autumn 2015

2014 Fire Forum

The forum was well attended

Venue: The Albury Club

Forum participants

More participant pics

Our MC

Mary-Anne Scully kept things moving along very nicely

Brendon Kennedy

Brendon is the Indigenous Landcare Facilitator for Victoria - based at NE Catchment Management Authority. Brendon spoke about his involvement with the Fire Project.

Uncle Rod

Uncle Rod helped us understand Indigenous burning techniques and assisted with the burns at the trial sites

Richard McTernan

Richard is the Indigenous Liaison Officer at NE Catchment Management Authority. NECMA partnered in this project.

Simon Feillafe

Simon is a Project Officer (Biodiversity) at North East CMA and he spoke about Grassy Woodlands and fire

CFA Vegetation team

The CFA (Victoria) spoke about their work with planned burns and experience with working with Indigenous people.

Adjunct Prof Bill Gammage

Bill ispoke about the importance of fire in managing the landscape.

About Bill

There was plenty of time for a Q&A session

Afternoon tea

Venue: The Albury Club

Lucky door prize winner

Venue: The Albury Club

2013 Fire Forum

It was a packed house

Venue: La Trobe University Wodonga

Many people travelled considerable distances to be at the forum

Item Title

Our amazing MC for the day-

Mary-Ann Scully

Dr Fred Cahir

Fred is an Associate Professor in Aboriginal History at Federation University Australia. His research interests are colonial Aboriginal history and Indigenous ecological knowledge.

Peta Standley

Peta Standley travelled all the way from Cape York to be at the forum. Peta is the Operations Manager at Cape York NRM and is studying Indigenous use of fire as part of her Phd.

There was plenty of time for questions

Larry Towney

Larry works in the Lachlan catchment and across NSW, helping individuals and communities adapt traditional burning practices.

Watch video

Emiritus Prof. Bill Gammage

Historian and author of "The Biggest Estate on Earth - How aborigines made Australia"

More audience pics

It was great to see Traditional Owners at the forum

Venue: La Trobe University Wodonga

Afternoon tea break

Venue: La Trobe University Wodonga

Victorian Planned Burns team

Venue: La Trobe University Wodonga

Bill with Rangers from Indigenous Rangers from Booderee National Park

Peter Serpell (President Kiewa Catchment Landcare Groups) presents Fred Cahir with a thank-you gift

Trial Sites

Trial sites were set up at Baranduda (Doyle), Talgarno near Bellbridge (Sinclair) and Talgarno (Hayes). Each site had 10 x 10m plots that had different treatments including graze/no graze and burn/no burn. Each treatment was repeated three times.

Fences were built around the no graze plots at both sites in Talgarno

Building fences in the middle of summer wasn't the easiest job!

Each plot (treatment & replicate) was numbered and tagged

Burns were conducted in May.

An area at Talgarno after it has been burnt

Uncle Rod shared his knowledge of Indigenous burning techniques.

Burning at Baranduda trial site in May

Every effort was made to ensure that the "no burn" plots were not burnt.

Native Grasses Field Days Flyer

The Field Day was held in January 2015 Flyer

2015 Native Grasses Field Day

The Field Day was held at Greg's place at Talgarno. Participants had the opportunity to learn about the value of Native Grasses and also the burn trials that were conducted in the North East.

Paul Foreman led one of the groups. Paul was the project ecologist for the trial sites, and recorded all species and their abundance before and after the burns.

Meredith Mitchell from DELWP is an expert in Weeping Grass, a species highly abundant at this property. Meredith was a group leader on the day as well as a guest speaker.

The Field Day was attended by over 75 people

After lunch, everyone gathered in the Talgarno Hall to listen to the guest speakers.

Our guest speakers:

Bruce Pascoe (author of Dark Emu, Black Seed), Meredith Mitchell from DELWP (Weeping Grass Expert) and Paul Foreman (Project Ecologist)