# South West Woodland Nature Reserve

South West Woodland Nature Reserve is a protected nature reserve, located in the South Western Slopes, Riverina, and Murray Darling Depression regions of New South Wales, in eastern Australia. The 13,840 ha (34,200-acre) reserve consists of 27 separate precincts spread from Peak Hill in the north to Berrigan in the south, a distance of approximately 400 km (250 mi).

## History

The reserve lies within Wiradjuri and Ngiyampaa country. Some parts of the reserve have been surveyed and have registered Aboriginal sites, however further study and engagement with Aboriginal communities is required to fully understand its historic significance to Aboriginal people.
South West Woodland Nature Reserve was reserved as part of the National Park Estate (South Western Cypress Reservations) Act (2010). Prior to reservation the various precincts were state forests, with the previous state forest names continuing to be used for each precinct.
The various precincts of the reserve were gazetted as State Forests between 1913 and 1977 and managed by the Forestry Commission of NSW for logging and timber harvesting activities. The state forests were reclassified as a nature reserve on 1 January 2011.
State Forests incorporated into the South West Woodland Nature Reserve :
| Order | Name | Area | Area | Gazetted as a state forest | LGA | Location |
| Order | Name | ha | acre | Gazetted as a state forest | LGA | Location |
| 1 | Banandra* | 194 | 480 | 18 February 1914 | Murrumbidgee, Narrandera | 34°42′46.4″S 146°13′19″E﻿ / ﻿34.712889°S 146.22194°E﻿ / -34.712889; 146.22194 |
| 2 | Berrigan | 307 | 760 | 23 March 1917 | Berrigan | 35°41′06.5″S 145°55′50.2″E﻿ / ﻿35.685139°S 145.930611°E﻿ / -35.685139; 145.930611 |
| 3 | Blow Clear | 127 | 310 | 20 October 1916 | Bland | 33°44′47.5″S 147°14′47.1″E﻿ / ﻿33.746528°S 147.246417°E﻿ / -33.746528; 147.246417 |
| 4 | Blow Clear West$^†$ | 1,442 | 3,560 | 2 March 1917 | Parkes | 32°59′21.4″S 147°51′34.4″E﻿ / ﻿32.989278°S 147.859556°E﻿ / -32.989278; 147.859556 |
| 5 | Blue Mallee | 283 | 700 | 3 May 1957 | Bland | 33°55′21.6″S 147°06′09.9″E﻿ / ﻿33.922667°S 147.102750°E﻿ / -33.922667; 147.102750 |
| 6 | Booroorban | 1,402 | 3,460 | 2 March 1917 | Edward River | 34°56′55.6″S 144°49′41.5″E﻿ / ﻿34.948778°S 144.828194°E﻿ / -34.948778; 144.828194 |
| 7 | Buddigower | 423 | 1,050 | 16 August 1940 | Bland | 34°03′35.8″S 147°06′00.9″E﻿ / ﻿34.059944°S 147.100250°E﻿ / -34.059944; 147.100250 |
| 8 | Buggajool | 381 | 940 | 5 January 1917 | Bland | 34°10′32.6″S 147°13′20.4″E﻿ / ﻿34.175722°S 147.222333°E﻿ / -34.175722; 147.222333 |
| 9 | Cadow | 53 | 130 | 2 March 1917 | Lachlan | 33°16′07.5″S 147°27′05.7″E﻿ / ﻿33.268750°S 147.451583°E﻿ / -33.268750; 147.451583 |
| 10 | Cookamidgera | 547 | 1,350 | 10 December 1913 | Forbes | 33°13′57″S 148°16′21.8″E﻿ / ﻿33.23250°S 148.272722°E﻿ / -33.23250; 148.272722 |
| 11 | Coradgery | 765 | 1,890 | 3 November 1916 | Parkes | 32°48′49.9″S 147°56′07.9″E﻿ / ﻿32.813861°S 147.935528°E﻿ / -32.813861; 147.935528 |
| 12 | Edgar | 593 | 1,470 | 10 February 1915 | Edward River | 35°05′02.2″S 145°16′38″E﻿ / ﻿35.083944°S 145.27722°E﻿ / -35.083944; 145.27722 |
| 13 | Goolgowi | 101 | 250 | 5 September 1958 | Carrathool | 33°59′18″S 145°46′09.1″E﻿ / ﻿33.98833°S 145.769194°E﻿ / -33.98833; 145.769194 |
| 14 | Hiawatha | 778 | 1,920 | 28 January 1915 | Bland | 33°50′22.6″S 147°13′19.6″E﻿ / ﻿33.839611°S 147.222111°E﻿ / -33.839611; 147.222111 |
| 15 | Killonbutta | 1,515 | 3,740 | 6 August 1920 | Cabonne | 33°03′53″S 148°42′54.9″E﻿ / ﻿33.06472°S 148.715250°E﻿ / -33.06472; 148.715250 |
| 16 | Kulki | 172 | 430 | 15 June 1917 | Murrumbidgee | 34°56′42.8″S 145°46′40.7″E﻿ / ﻿34.945222°S 145.777972°E﻿ / -34.945222; 145.777972 |
| 17 | Lake Urana | 219 | 540 | 20 July 1917 | Federation | 35°16′18.6″S 146°13′14.2″E﻿ / ﻿35.271833°S 146.220611°E﻿ / -35.271833; 146.220611 |
| 18 | Little Blow Clear | 57 | 140 | 20 October 1916 | Bland | 33°44′15.9″S 147°14′01.5″E﻿ / ﻿33.737750°S 147.233750°E﻿ / -33.737750; 147.233750 |
| 19 | Mairjimmy | 483 | 1,190 | 13 July 1917 | Murrumbidgee | 35°29′25.4″S 145°42′57.8″E﻿ / ﻿35.490389°S 145.716056°E﻿ / -35.490389; 145.716056 |
| 20 | Mandagery | 1,514 | 3,740 | 10 December 1913 | Cabonne | 35°29′25.4″S 145°42′57.8″E﻿ / ﻿35.490389°S 145.716056°E﻿ / -35.490389; 145.716056 |
| 21 | Merriwagga | 156 | 390 | 4 November 1977 | Carrathool | 33°47′50.4″S 145°38′14.5″E﻿ / ﻿33.797333°S 145.637361°E﻿ / -33.797333; 145.637361 |
| 22 | Narraburra | 63 | 160 | 17 November 1916 | Temora | 34°20′24.5″S 147°38′20.6″E﻿ / ﻿34.340139°S 147.639056°E﻿ / -34.340139; 147.639056 |
| 23 | Puckawidgee | 412 | 1,020 | 27 February 1917 | Edward River | 35°04′36.7″S 145°13′51.8″E﻿ / ﻿35.076861°S 145.231056°E﻿ / -35.076861; 145.231056 |
| 24 | Stackpoole | 751 | 1,860 | 19 November 1976 | Carrathool | 33°49′38.8″S 145°50′02.1″E﻿ / ﻿33.827444°S 145.833917°E﻿ / -33.827444; 145.833917 |
| 25 | Steam Plains | 308 | 760 | 9 March 1917 | Edward River | 35°05′33.7″S 145°18′40.2″E﻿ / ﻿35.092694°S 145.311167°E﻿ / -35.092694; 145.311167 |
| 26 | West Cookeys Plains | 625 | 1,540 | 20 October 1916 | Parkes | 33°02′33.8″S 147°36′57.4″E﻿ / ﻿33.042722°S 147.615944°E﻿ / -33.042722; 147.615944 |
| 27 | Yeo Yeo | 179 | 440 | 23 August 1918 | Cootamundra–Gundagai | 34°32′06.5″S 147°59′59.8″E﻿ / ﻿34.535139°S 147.999944°E﻿ / -34.535139; 147.999944 |
| *A further 547 ha (1,350-acre) of Banandra State Forest was incorporated into Murrumbidgee Valley National Park. $^†$About 470 ha (1,200-acre) of Blow Clear West remains as State Forest. |||||||

## Environment
### Flora

Plant communities that exist within the reserve include woodlands and forests dominated by grey box, mugga ironbark, white cypress pine, bimble box, and red mallee. Other native plant species recorded within the reserve include pine donkey orchid, Wakool spear-grass, and Inland red box.
Introduced weed species found in the reserve include African boxthorn, white horehound, prickly pear, Noogoora and Bathurst burrs, Patterson's curse, and thistles.

### Fauna

Seven bird species listed under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 have been recorded within the reserve, including swift parrot, little eagle, brown treecreeper, pink cockatoo, speckled warbler, grey-crowned babbler, and varied sitella. Other birds recorded in the reserve include white-browed babbler, apostlebird, superb parrot, barking owl, black-chinned honeyeater, diamond firetail, little lorikeet, hooded robin, and shy heathwren.
Mammal species listed under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 which have been recorded in the reserve include yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat and little pied bat.
Introduced pest species found within the reserve include European fox, feral pig, European rabbit, feral goat, and feral cat.