Much ado about very little: bat (Miniopterus schreibersii) guano mining at Naracoorte, South Australia

5 Pages·1998·0.27 MB·English

by  Elery Hamilton-Smith

Much ado about very little: bat (Minioptems schreibersii)
guano mining at Naracoorte, South Australia
Elery Hamilton-Smith'
'Rethink Consulting Pty Ltd, RO. Box 36, Carlton South, Victoria 3053
ABSTRACT
The mining of bat guano lor agricullural purposes has occurred throughout Australia, and as
a small localized industry has often been subject to considerable conflict. The history of this
mining at Naracoorte, Soulh Austral'! is outlined and demonstrates continuing conflict both within
the local communily and with lhe more distant state government. There are insuiiicient data to
understand the impact of mining upon the bat population.
INTRODUCTION Wooltana spawned a significant and long-
lasting company, while there is some ambiguity
In Australia, the mining hat guano has about the status of other operations. Wooltana
always been a small and localized is also well-known as the site from which
industry. It has occurred at Ashford, Molong, wood (1925: 440-444) described
J~~~~
Wee Jasper, Wellington, Willi Willi and
mummified specimens of the ~h~~~ B ~ ~ ,
Yessabah in New South Wales, Lake Cillear
~~~~~d~~ gigas, what is not so well known
near WarrnambOOla nd perhaps some is that these desiccated bats were so
sites (McIvor 1887) in Victoria, Mt Etna near
numerous as to adversely effect the quality
Rockham~toni n Queensland, NaracOOrte
of the guano. This problem was resolved
together with a multitude of sites in the
by the miners sieving the extracted material
Flinders Ranges in South Australia and the
in .der to separate out the bats and these
Jurien Bay area of Western Australia (Bridge
were bagged separately (Adelaide Registw, 2 1
et al. 1975). March 1920).
One the larger was at Mt Many of these mining operations were
Etna in Queensland, where mining had
subject to rivally and even conflict. 1 have
lag2 (Rands and
been able to most fully document this in
continued at various sites and under various
relation to N ~and as th~is conflict ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ,
leasehold or other land tenure arrangements reflects wider issues, it is worthy of
until the beginning World War Mt examination. At Naracoorte, much of the
Etna Fertikisers Ltd, established H.
problem revolved around the extent to which
EbbOtt in l9I6, and under a local resident interests and sense of
variety of names and organizational struc-
ownership in the resources of their
tures, was probably the largest of the
district were infringed by the actions of
enterprises operating in this area (Mt relatively remote government agencies.
Fertilisers Ltd 1924). They owned the mining H ~ this w~as com~pounde~d by l~ocal ~ ,
Operation and a mill at Mt Etna, a rivalries and contests. Naracoorte is in South
slaughter yard and a feniliser works at Australia, near the Victorian border, about
Murrarie near Brisbane, processing both
350km from ~ d ~ l a~nd i 5d00~km from
guano and a wide range of animal
Melbourne. Until 1924, the town name was
products, and a number of small phosphate
spelled "Narracoorte" and where appropriate,
mines near Molong in New South Wales
1 will use that spelling here.
However, it is clear that there was also a
number of smaller enterprises in the Mt Etna
region, and considerable conflict over land FIRST CLAIMS AT NARRACOORTE
claims and the right to mine.
The presence of the guano had probably
Similarly, in the Flinders Ranges of South been recognized soon after the discovely of
Australia, there was a number of small or the caves in about 1845, and doubtless some
medium scale ouerations. These included residents had taken out small amounts for
Burr Well (winton 1920), Arcoota (Winton their own use. Most early descriptions of the
1922), Buckalowie (Winton 1922), Wooltana caves do not specifically refer to the Bat
(Winton 1924). Blinman (Adelaide Advertiter, Cave, and so the first !ub lished description
21 June 1922, 5 August 1922), Oraparinna appears to be that of E enezer Ward (1869).
(Segnit 1933a), Good Friday Cave (Segnit On Ward's visit in March 1868, the licensee
193313) and Mt Sims. Of these, only that at of the Commercial Hotel was already
April 1- Ausbdian Zoologist 30(4) 387
conducting regular tours, having "had a remove materials. A further notice in the
waggonette built expressly for picnics to the Gazette (9 March 1871, p. 363) authorized
caves". The Bat Cave was one of those shown the clerk of the local court at Narracoorte,
to visitors and Ward described the guano amongst others, to issue licences. It has not
deposits as being "knee-deep". been possible to trace any record of those
authorised to take guano at this stage, but
The first documented claim arose on 23
one was Hinckley. It is not clear whether he
September 1867, when one Caleb Fidler,
did or did not "make a hole in the top of the
who was a partner in Fidler and Webb's stores
cave", but in view of later developments it
in both Mount Gambier and Narracoorte and
seems likely that he did not do so. Dow
a member of the Southeast Roads Board,
(1874: 47-48) reported on Hinckley's success
wrote to the Commissioner of Crown Lands
as a farmer, businessman, chairman of the
seeking permission to remove the guano for
district Council and a political activist. He
"garden purposes". The Surveyor General,
noted that part of his agricultural success was
G. W. Goyder, recommended that the request
be refused on the basis that ". . . it would not due to his use of guano, and in particular,
noted that his success had aroused an angry
be provident to aUow the deposit to be recovered
reaction from the squatters of the region,
except under supervision, and it would not pay
probably most particularly from Robertson,
to employ an officer for that purpose" (South
who had formerly controlled the land selected
Australian State Archives, GRG 5/1/1867/
by Hinckley.
1082).
The next event in this story came when
A further request on 13 March 1868 from
H. L. Sprigg, of Hynam, wrote to the
os.eJ ' h Horwood, who was an Adelaide
res~e nt, argued: ". . . in one of them, known as Narracoorte Herald (14 qecember 1875) to
complain that the Crown Lands Ranger,
the Bat Cave, I obsewed a large accumulation of
bird [sic] manun when it occurred to me that the Mr Singleton, had seized the manure which
had legitimately been raised from the caves.
same might be utiliud for agricultural purposes.
No further details have been found of the
I acconlingly obtained a sample which I hnve since
basis for this episode, but it indicates some
hnd analysed. The result is such ar to make me
conflict. Perhaps Robertson or other squatten,
desim of practicaUy testing its propmtics, and
as men of considerable power and influence,
fm this purpose, I am anxious to obtuin a lease of
had influenced Singleton, as a new appointee,
the cave containing the deposit, with the privilege
of removing the material as required" (GRG 35/ to obstruct Hinckley's efforts. However, the
seizure may also have related to the pro-
1118681225).
clamation of the Cave Range Forest Resewe
This too was refused, but on 1I November of 5 345 acres on 15 October 1875. This
1869, Thomas Hinckley, the first selector in included the Caves, together with an
the region, wrote also seeking permission, extensive area of future plantation land.
and pointing out that the Bat Cave was
not usually visited, but again was refused The Narracoorte correspondent of the
permission (GRG 35/2/1869/887). On 8 August Border Watch (8 January 1876) commented:
1870, he wrote once more: Xs I am desirous "The sale of guano raised out of the caves by
of hying the effect of the bat dung in the caves I private persons, as announced by order of the
would be much obliged if you would grant me Government, is attracting considerable attention
pennissh to toke some for that purpose to be used here at present. A leader in our local journal hns
on my fann. It will be necessasy to make a small been flatly admired for being so outspoken on the
hole in the top of the cave of sufficiat size to hoist subject. It seem that four or jive years ago, the
a bag up" (GRG 35/2/1870/1672). Government issued licences to enable anyone
wishing to do so to raise the guano rmt of the caves.
THE LICENSING PERIOD Suddenly, however, the Cmwn Lands Ranger put
the broad anow on it, thus depriving some poor
Although Hinckley was again refused
men of the value of many nonth work."
permission, some phrases in the letter
suggests that it may have followed discussions An editorial note (Narracoorte Herald, 1
with an officer, and its timing further February 1876), cited a translation from the
suggests that it may have been related to Awtralkche Zeitung (25 January 1876) of
planning for the promulgation of the 1871 Adelaide, which reported upon the richness
regulations providing for the extraction of of the guano saying, "We were surprised at
"stone, salt and manure" (South Awtralian the richness of the manure; in many respects it is
G w mGaz e&, 16 February ,1871, p. 230-31). the best we huve ever seen". The report then
These regulations provided for licensing and expresses concern that the Government
the payment of licence fees as well as ". . . does not allow the formers to obtain
demanding the licensing of drays used to the manure at a reasonable rate." Shortly
388 Australian Zoologiol 30(4)
afterwards, the Herald (15 February 1876) However, it appears that the fortunes of the
quoted a more picturesque report by one company were subject to continuing change
Frank Skeffington: "The government, after as the Forest Board reported the following
having licensed a number of men to dig the guano, income from the sale of guano:
and allowing them to collect a few tons togethel;
1877 f 1271911
came down upon them like a Brahman kite on a
1878 £251013
dead Malay, and conficated the lot."
1879 f2319110
An advertisement (Narracoorte Herald, 28 1880 £451512
December 1875) noted that 300 tons of
There is an unexplained discrepancy
guano were to be auctioned, but it is not
clear whether this was the seized material or between the claim of 3 AJ ' ril that some 350
tons had been taken, an the actual royalty
some other. The strength of local concern
paid to the Forest Board.
over this matter is also indicated by the fact
that when the Minister for Education visited
Sprigg advertised the sale of guano in the
the town to discuss schooling, a group of
Narracoorte Herald throughout February and
citizens waited upon him to convey their
early March of 1878, naming E. R. Peake as
concern about the problem of guano mining
the company's Narracoo.rte Agent. Then Peake
and to seek his intercession with his
advertised (using the word "Urgent") through
colleagues (Narracoorte Herald, 29 February
March to July, but advertising then ceased
1876).
and a statement appears in the Narracoorte
There is also extensive correspondence in Herald of 18 February 1879 that ". . .there has
the archives with one Mrs Ann Renfrey been none [guano] removed for some time back,
seeking compensation for the taking of that as the contractors find it not be a remunerative
pan of the guano which was her property, but undertaking."
the papers are incomplete and although the
The Forest Board was abolished in 1882,
Surveyor-General had been sympathetic to
and control of Forest operations transferred
her request, the outcome of her request is not
to the new Woods and Forests Department.
known.
The Department then devolved responsibility
for the guano to the Narracoorte District
THE FOREST BOARD
Council and it was agreed that the Council
The Forest Board took control of the caves would pay a royalty of five shillings a ton to
in 1876, and on 19 October 1876, called for the Crown Lands Ofice (Minutes Narracoorte
tenders ': . .for the purchase of the whole of the District Council 13.3.83, 25.4.83). The
guano in the Caves on the Cave Range Forest Council then accepted a tender from H. C.
Reserue, Hundred of Joanna. Tenders must state Smith Jr to raise the guano at 619 per ton,
expressly the sum offered for each ton of guuno. appointed one Thomas Stuart as "caretaker",
Guano may be removed in lots to suit purchasers, evidently to control sales, and fixed a price
but no lot is to be removed without a certificate of thirty shillings per ton at the cave mouth
of an officer appointed by the Board that the (Minutes, 2.5.83). There is no record of the
guano has been weighed and paid fol: The raising total amount raised, but it was later agreed
and removing of the guuno is to be entirely at the that the royalty and any profit should be
expense of the successful tenderel:" (Government spent on improvement of the road to the
Gazette, 19 October 1876, p. 2168). caves, and in lune 1883, a total of f23511919
was expendedVon road improvement (Minutes,
H. L. Sprigg, a highly regarded pastoralist
30.5.83, 27.6.83).
from nearby Hynam, was then awarded a
two-year lease as from 1 January 1877 at the The major contractor was H. C. Smith Sr.
rate of 1416 (fourteen shillings and six pence) Other payments included £ 1711314 to Stuart
per ton (Nal-racomte Herald, 13 February 1877, and f311410 to H. C. Smith Jr (Minutes
p. 2). Sprigg advertised for tenders for 11.7.83, 5.9.83, 3.10.83). Later in the year,
undertaking the work of removing 500 or it was found necessary to offer the guano
more tons. He then, with other farmers, which had been raised for sale by tender
formed the Blanche Caves Guano Company (Minutes, 3.10.83), and this being unsuccess-
(apparently a business name and not a cor- ful, the council resorted to an auction
poration), and on 3 April, it was reported (Minutes 17.10.83) and finally, further sales
that they had raised 4 000 bags (between were then offered at the reduced price of £1
350 and 400 tons) in three weeks of work, per ton at the caves or f 1/15/0 at the railway
and 40 tons had already been forwarded to station (Minutes 14.11.83). This was followed
Port Adelaide for sale. (Editor's note: 12 by disputes about the costs of raising the
pence = 1 shilling; 20 shillings = 1 pound guano and discrepancies in the weight of
(f) = $2.00.) material sold (Minutes 4.12.83, 12.12.83,
April 199.9 Australian Zoologist 30(4) 389
9.1.84), and in March 1884 by a further Reddan's strict on-site management and also
auction (Minutes 7.3.84). Finally, in August by the proactive marketing of Holloway Bros
of that year, the Council wrote to the who had apparently secured the rights to the
Commissioner of Crown Lands again urging guano. Their 1888 advertisements read
the appointment of a caretaker for the caves Holloway Bros., having sunk a shaft into the
(Minutes 28.5.84), and no Further action was celebrated Bat Cave, are now $re t, ared to supply
taken by the Council in relation to the guano the valuable deposit of guano t erefrom to the
deposits. fanners and of Mount Gambicr and its
vicinity". The price was quoted at £4 per ton
On 3 February 1885, E. R. Peake advertised
at the cave or £4/1010 delivered (B& Watch,
about 20 tons of cave guano in lots to suit
24 October 1888).
buyers at a price of fifty shillings per ton of
11 bags (Na~acoorteH erald, 3 February 1885), By 1893, fears were being expressed that
and this appears to have been the last of the the supply of guano might be exhausted. The
guano raised by the Council in 1884. parliament of the day determined that a
Following this, a lease for the purpose of grant should be made to enable a search
extracting guano from the caves was issued for further caves in the region. No further
by the Woods and Forests Department to significant guano deposits were found, and in
H. L. Sprigg for a two-year period commenc- due course, the mining came to an end,
ing 1 January 1887 (Annual F'rogress Report of probably more because of declining demand
the Comervator of Forests, Parliamatnly Paper 83 and profitability than any shortage of guano,
of 1879). although Reddan's attention to the newly
discovered Victoria Cave (in 1896) may also
When William Reddan was appointed as
have played a part in the decline.
caretaker in 1887, he was required to take
responsibility for collecting payments due
for any guano taken from the caves, but at WHAT OF THE BATS?
least some local residents resisted Reddan's
Strangely, the bats (Minioptems schreibersii)
control by entering the caves at night and
themselves are ignored in virtually all of the
"poaching". On becoming aware of this,
numerous accounts by visitors to the caves.
Reddan sat up one night to keep watch at
Even the species present was not identified
the caves, and on seeing a wagon arrive,
until reported in a paper by Leche (1884).
watched while the men with it collected,
Given the scale of the population and the
bagged, carried out of the caves and lifted
spectacular exit flight during summer, this is
onto the wagon a full load of guano. He
quite remarkable.
then followed them to their farm before
confronting them, and insisted that they not The level of mining activity over a
only return to the caves, but carry every one protracted period must have occasioned con-
of the sacks back into the caves and empty siderable disturbance to the bat population,
them. Apparently the extent of "poaching" yet the bats survived this. In fact, the
diminished abruptly. (A. Needham, pers. "high-water mark" on the cave walls indicates
comm., 1956) that, at the time mining commenced, the
bat cave would have been almost closed by
The Annual Reports of the Woods and
the accumulation of guano, and so mining
Forests Department showed the following
has probably served to further the long-run
amounts as having been raised from the sale
survival of the species at Naracoorte. A shaft
of guano:
can be seen in the roof of the major roosting
chamber of the Bat Cave, and it is clear that
this was dug, probably in 1888, in order to
facilitate the extraction of guano. A small
galvanised iron shed, which probably housed
winding gear was erected adjacent to the
shaft, reputedly by Reddan, then it was filled
and closed at some stage, but collapsed in the
early 1920's and was reblocked by caretakers
Carthy and Leitch (Mrs C. Fogarty, pers.
comm., 1987).
The reports argued that the dramatic The lack of any recognition of the bats in
increase in sales during 1892-1893 was due contemporary accounts means that we have
to the publicity of a very favourable chemical absolutely no consistent evidence of the ways
analysis (Balm Watch, 24 October 1888). This in which the mining impacted upon the
boost in sales was certainly furthered by population. Mining had continued, with
some interruptions, from 1871 until 1897. Needham, daughter of William Reddan and
Then the shaft, which would have destroyed Mrs Clara Fogarty, daughter of W. Carthy
the integrity of the maternity site, was (a later caretaker), both gave generously of
apparently sunk in 1888, and remained their time and personal memories to further
open until at least the cessation of mining in my understanding of the history of the
1897. It is certainly possible that the bats Naracoorte Caves.
abandoned the main Bat Cave and moved to
another of the several sites in the region REFERENCES
which might have sewed the population as an
alternative maternity site. Cornelius Proud, Bridge, P. J., Hodge, L. C., Marsh, N. L. and Thomas,
A. G., 1975. Chiropterite deposits in Moorba Cave,
who visited the caves in about August 1880,
Jurien Bay, Western Australia. Hcliclilc 13: 1S29.
reported that no bats were present, but this
may simply have been due to the annual Dow, J. L., 1874. Agriculture in South Auslralia, the Specid
Rcporrer o/ lhL "Lcoder". Melbourne: E. J. Syme at
movement pattern of the species. If they did
'The Leader Ofice".
abandon the site, they must then have
Mclvor, R. W. E., 1887. On Australian bat guano and
returned soon after the cessation of mining
some minerals occurring therein. Chcmicnl News 55:
as they were certainly in residence in the Bat
215-16.
Cave during the earlier years of the present
century (A. Needham, pers. comm., 1956) Leche, W., 1884. On some species of Chiroptera from
Australia. Proc. Zool. SOL. Lond. 1884: 49-54.
However, as social history, the story
Mt Etna Fertilisers Ltd, 1924. Company Prospectus
provides a small window on the struggle
between central and local interests and the Rands. W. H.. 1892. Olren'r end Johonnrcn's Cover war
Rochmplon. Government Printer: Brisbane.
contest between various local interests. The
people of Narracoorte obviously felt a sense Segnit, R. W., 19333. Report on the Oraparinna Cave
of ownership over the caves and their Phosphates. Min. Rcu. 58: 32-36.
contents, and argued at length with the State Segnit, R. W., 1933b. Report on the Good Friday
Government over the responsibility for the Phosphate Cave. Min. Ran. 58: 3638.
caves and the way in which this might best Ward. E., 1869. Thc Sor&h-Easlcnr Dklricl o/Sdh Awlrdia:
be exercised. Singleton's seizure of guano la Rerourccr and Rcpuirrmeryr. Adelaide: The Author,
appears to demonstrate a lack of com- at the oNtces of the South Aurlralion newspaper.
munication and understanding between the
Wmton, L. J., 1920. Report on the Mount Burr phosphate
government of the day and the Narracoorte and guano mine. Min. Rev. 32: 5659.
community. This seems to have been echoed
Wtnton, L. J.. 1922. Report on the guano deposits held
in respect to cave management and guano
by Nitrogen Limited at Arcoata and Buckalowie
mining at various locations, particularly in Creeks. Counties Hanson and Granville, out of
the late 19th and early 20th centuries. hundreds. Min. Rcv. 36: 57-61.
Winton, 1924. Rcport on the occurrence of natural
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ammonium rulphate and chloride associated with
guano in a cave deposit near Wooltana head station.
This paper owes a considerable debt to Min. Rev. 40: 4654.
Dr John Tregenza for his assiduous library Wood Jones, F., 1925. The Mammals of Soulh Aurlralin.
research on behalf of the author. Mrs Agnes Government Printer: Adelaide.
Australian Zoologist 30(4) 391