The Mallee regions in South Australia and Victoria are unique. A great place to understand and learn about the pioneering heritage in Australia and it's farming importance in both states.

Pinnaroo (SA) | Walpeup (VIC)
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History

Explorers and squatters disliked the mallee because it contained very little water or grass for stock. Therefore, the land in the Murray Mallee region with access to the River Murray floodplain was first used for sheep grazing. In the 1870s, instead of viewing the Mallee as useless because it could not support a small intensive European farm, it took on enormous value when considered as an extensive farming system for cereal crops.

Large scale Mallee vegetation clearance schemes rapidly followed. Charles Mullens developed a crude but effective technique for cleaning extensive areas of mallee scrub for wheat growing. This enabled mallee land to be profitably utilised by greatly reducing the expense of clearing. In 1913/14, the completion of railway lines led to the main period of settlement in the Murray Mallee region. The 1920s were the major period of vegetation clearing and development, and wheat growing was the main enterprise. In 1948, the Murray Mallee District Soil Conservation Board was formed, to provide leadership and soil conservation and landcare.

Mallee landscape and the Mallee Fowl

Today, there are about 1500 agricultural establishments and some 1700 farmers/farm managers (ABS Figures 96/97) in the district. Most of these establishments operate as integrated crop and livestock farms with the average size ranging from 4,500 ha in the north-west to 1,300 ha in the south.

There are about 1.2 million hectares (63% of the region) of cleared land with potential for wind erosion. About 20% of the original vegetation in the Mallee remains. Vegetation in conservation reserves totals about 235,000 ha (10% of the region) with about 150,000 ha on private land, the majority of which is contained in areas smaller than 100 ha.

Most of the fauna species (such as the Mallee Fowl) are threatened by loss and fragmentation of habitat, along with pressures from wildfire and feral animals, especially foxes and cats. The clearing of deep rooted Mallee trees has greatly increased the amount of rainwater entering the groundwater system. Groundwater has risen and several low lying areas have become salt pans where groundwater is now within 2 metres of the land surface.

Source: Banrock Station