A bushland environment is a very special area. Its naturalness makes it an aesthetic part of, and provider of habitats for our native animals and plants to co-exist. The bush rock is very much a part of this complex wildlife environment and the need to leave these rocks that lay upon the ground in all shapes and sizes is essential for the survival of the animals and plants that frequent that particular area. Bush rocks are characteristic of the bushland scene and should remain so.

Any natural rocks that are exposed above the ground level or lay upon the ground are bush rocks. At times, these rocks are loosely referred to as ‘small floaters’. In the Sydney region they are generally sections of horizontally bedded sandstone rocks. The nature of the bush rock depends upon their texture, composition and the climatic conditions of the area, to provide the interesting character to support the lichens and mosses.

Bush rock is an integral part of the environment and the plants and animals have adapted to the rock strewn environment. They also protect the soil from drying out and provide a constant thermo-regulating barrier to any sudden climatic change to the soils beneath the rock. Because of this and during dry conditions it is more likely for seed to germinate near the rocks, and while there the mulching effect would encourage root growth. Animals, like centipedes, microfauna, slater, snakes, reptiles and small mammals seek the shelter of these rocks. At this level (ie. about and under the rock) a complete food chain is available and the animal life would be perpetuated about these rocks.

In turn, however, life-forms that require this habitat support a larger predation population which feed upon the animals that depend upon the sanctity of these rocks. This then illustrates the importance of the bushland scene where rock occurs and shows the inter-relation of all the life that is focussed about a bush rock.

It is then reasoned that when bush rock is removed from a bushland environment it would have a dramatic effect, in particular, on all animals that are associated in any way with life beneath the rock. They are branded for extinction. Proportionately a percentage of all animals and flora associated will be destroyed. This then reduces permanently the flora and fauna population of that given area.

These rocks act as a retardant to fire because of the reduction of fuel and protect beneath them most of the animals that survive in their fire shelter. The removal of the vegetation by fire enhances the value of the bush rock as a soil protector. It reduces the run-off in time of rain and conserves the water from evaporation. In the case of wind erosion, it reduces the exposure of soil that can be blown and acts as a barrier which tends to encourage seed to be deposited near the edge of rocks. This then accelerates the re-establishment of the plant and animal communities among bush rocks.

As a landscaping medium, bush rock has only dropped off a little in popularity. This is largely due to cost and the difficulty experienced in collecting this material. A good percentage of this material about Sydney is carted long distances for landscape purposes. Because the material is becoming scarcer, reserve and park lands are being plundered for this strategic environmental material.

It is essential for the ‘bush rock fashion’ to alter because of these conservation reasons expressed. A simple way the public can help is not to use this medium in their gardens. If they were to engage a landscape gardener, insist that bush rock is not used. They could influence their friends also in this need and take a vocal interest in any proposal that uses this material.

The alternative materials are various and thoughts should turn to the use of quarried rubble, stone flagging, sawn stone, mulching techniques with wire on the slopes, railway sleepers, log timber lengths, bricks, or the subtle use of cement.

The quarried rubble and flagging stone can be made to lose their newness by minute applications of natural ochre and to accelerate the weathering character of the fresh stone, the judicial application of a little watered milk upon wet rock encourages microscopic growth to form. Some well rotted manure or compost rubbed into the rocks will promote growths, and eucalypts left wet on such surfaces will effectively stain the rock.