The recent AGM in the Tothills was a great success with 25 people at the meeting and a really good feeling of friendship and “belonging”. Seven people camped on the Friday and they were joined by a further five on the Saturday night. Some interesting conversations were had amid the smoke around the campfire.

John took those interested on short walks to see orchids and to investigate the differences in the two Pultenaea species and many other species came under scrutiny as well.

Our guest speaker for the day was Denzel Murfet, Company member and botanist extraordinaire. Denzel outlined the history behind the establishment of the website saseedbank.com.au. He then talked, with the use of charts, on how to navigate through the website for the information it holds. After 5 years of dedicated work by some very keen volunteer botanists (including Denzel), the website now has some 2800 of SA’s 3500 plants listed with detailed information/ photographs of each, maps of distribution and links to other useful botanical sites. This site is well worth a look.

New members, though absent, were welcomed to the Company by the Chair (Bill Blessing) who later gave a brief summary of events over the past year. Among things mentioned were the death of Bill Matheson and the generousity of the family in naming Bushland the beneficiary of any donations (which came to $845); the possibility of fossil footprints on our KI property after they were found 2 km west of Mouth Flat; the successful working bee held at Rockleigh and the completion of the update of the management plans (though still at the printers).

In his property report for the Tothills, John mentioned the completion of a cull of kangaroos and the need for a further cull as numbers are still damagingly high. The Rockleigh report included information on the memorial planting for 2018 in Bill Matheson’s honour. We have had an excellent response to the appeal for growers, many thanks to all concerned, and hope for an equally good response next year when a working bee will be called to plant the trees and shrubs.

In general business the Board wanted to inform the meeting of its decision to set a minimum entry into the Company of $10,000 when a spare shareholding is used to split a large sale, but otherwise the entry price is that of the shareholding being sold. The Board also gained the endorsement of the AGM for the following

. “that access will not be granted to Bushland properties for commercial ventures except under exceptional circumstances as approved by the Board”.

This motion had arisen as a result of Bushland being approached by a private concern for permission to film a commercial at Black Point and was arrived at after much discussion.