# Kensington Bushland Reserve

Kensington bushland reserve is a significant remnant of Swan Coastal Plain vegetation, that has been reserved in the suburb of Kensington, in Perth, Western Australia, by the state government.
It is located west of Kent Street Senior High School, and lies on the north side of Kent Street. The portion of Jarrah Road that defined the western boundary of the reserve is a cul de sac, known as Baron Hay Court. Across the road is a Department of Agriculture complex. It is bounded to the north by Harold Rossiter Park, and George Reserve and has an area of 9.1 hectares (22 acres). It is close to the Western Australian Herbarium. In 2000 it was designated as "Bush Forever Site 48" by the Government of Western Australia.
It was made a reserve in the 1990s when the suburb was still located within Perth City council boundaries. It is now within the Town of Victoria Park local government area, and is managed together with "The Kent Street Sand Pit" and the "George Street Reserve" (a contaminated landfill site) as a single entity, the "Jirdarup Bushland Precinct". This Precinct has a total area of 17.9 hectares. The name Jirdarup is a Nyoongar word meaning "place of birds". The Town of Victoria Park plans to rehabilitate the Sandpit site.

## Description

It lies on the Bassendean Dune system, the oldest and most easterly of the sand dune systems of the Swan Coastal Plain.

### Flora

Key upper storey plant species within the bushland are Banksia menziesii, Banksia attenuata and Jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata). As of 2003, some 207 plant species have been found, representing 42 families and 111 genera. Major weeds are Asparagus asparagoides, perennial veldt grass, Gladiolus caryophyllaceus, while Ehrharta longiflora, Ursinia anthemoides, and Misopates orontium are also threatening also to become a problem.
This bushland is part of the threatened ecological community (TEC), Banksia woodlands of the Swan Coastal Plain, the main threats to which are: fragmentation, dieback, weed invasion, inappropriate fire regimes and climate change. In February 2016, a bushfire burned approximately 70% of the native vegetation of the reserve.
List of native flora found in Kensington Bushland :
Acacia huegeliiAcacia pulchella Prickly MosesAcacia rostellifera Summer-scented WattleAcacia saligna Orange WattleAcacia sphacelataAcacia stenoptera Narrow-winged WattleAcacia willdenowiana Grass WattleAdenanthos cygnorum Common WoollybushAlexgeorgea nitensAllocasuarina fraseriana SheoakAllocasuarina humilis Dwarf SheoakAmphipogon amphipogonoides-Amphipogon turbinatusAnigozanthos humilis CatspawAnigozanthos manglesii Mangles Kangaroo PawArnocrinum preissiiAstroloma macrocalyx Swan BerryAstroloma pallidum Kick BushAustrostipa compressaAustrostipa elegantissimaAustrostipa flavescensAustrostipa hemipogonAustrostipa mollisBanksia attenuata Slender BanksiaBanksia ilicifolia Holly-leafed BanksiaBanksia menziesii Firewood BanksiaBillardiera fraseri Elegant PronayaBillardiera fusiformis Australian BluebellBillardiera heterophylla GumugBossiaea eriocarpa Common Brown PeaBrachyscome bellidioidesBurchardia congesta KaraCaladenia discoidea Dancing OrchidCaladenia ferruginea Rusty Spider OrchidCaladenia filifera Blood Spider OrchidCaladenia flava Cowslip OrchidCaladenia latifolia Pink Fairy OrchidCaladenia longicauda Common White Spider OrchidCaladenia longiclavata Clubbed Spider OrchidCaladenia macrostylis Leaping Spider OrchidCalandrinia corrigioloides Strap PurslaneCalandrinia granulifera Pygmy PurslaneCalectasia narragaraCalothamnus sanguineus Silky-leaved Blood FlowerCalytrix angulata Yellow StarflowerCalytrix flavescens Summer StarflowerCalytrix fraseri Pink Summer CalytrixCassytha racemosa Dodder LaurelChamaescilla corymbosa Blue SquillComesperma calymega Blue-spike MilkwortConostephium pendulum Pearl FlowerConostephium preissiiConostylis aculeata Prickly ConostylisConostylis aculeata subsp. aculeataConostylis aurea Golden ConostylisConostylis junceaConostylis setigera Bristly CottonheadCorynotheca micrantha Sand LilyCrassula colorata Dense StonecropCyanicula sericeaDampiera linearis Common DampieraDasypogon bromeliifolius Pineapple BushDaviesia divaricata MarnoDaviesia nudifloraDaviesia triflora
Desmocladus flexuosusDianella revoluta Blueberry LilyDianella revoluta var. divaricataDianella revoluta var. revolutaDiuris brumalisDiuris magnificaDrosera erythrorhiza Red Ink SundewDrosera huegelii Bold SundewDrosera macrantha Bridal RainbowDrosera menziesii Pink RainbowDrosera menziesii subsp. penicillarisDrosera pallida Pale RainbowDrosera stolonifera Leafy SundewEremaea paucifloraEremaea pauciflora var paucifloraEriochilus dilatatus subsp. dilatatusEucalyptus marginata JarrahEucalyptus todtiana Coastal BlackbuttGastrolobium capitatumGompholobium tomentosum Hairy Yellow PeaHaemodorum spicatum MardjaHardenbergia comptoniana Native WisteriaHemiandra pungens SnakebushHibbertia huegeliiHibbertia hypericoides Yellow ButtercupsHibbertia racemosa Stalked Guinea FlowerHibbertia subvaginataHovea trisperma Common HoveaHyalosperma cotulaHybanthus calycinus Wild VioletHypocalymma robustum Swan River MyrtleHypolaena exsulcaIsotropis cuneifolia Granny BonnetsJacksonia furcellata Grey StinkwoodJacksonia lehmanniiJacksonia sternbergiana StinkwoodJohnsonia pubescens Pipe LilyKennedia prostrata Scarlet RunnerLagenophora huegeliiLaxmannia squarrosaLepidobolus preissianusLepidosperma angustatumLepidosperma squamatumLeptomeria cunninghamiiLeptomeria empetriformisLeptospermum spinescensLeucopogon conostephioidesLeucopogon parviflorus Coast Beard-heathLeucopogon propinquusLevenhookia stipitata Common StylewortLobelia tenuior Slender LobeliaLomandra caespitosa Tufted Mat RushLomandra hermaphroditaLomandra nigricansLomandra odora Tiered Mat RushLomandra preissiiLomandra suaveolensLyginia barbataLysinema ciliatum Curry FlowerMacarthuria australisMacrozamia riedlei ZamiaMelaleuca seriataMesomelaena pseudostygia Semophore SedgeMesomelaena stygiaMicrotis media Tall Mignonette Orchid
Monotaxis grandiflora Diamond of the DesertNeurachne alopecuroidea Foxtail Mulga GrassNuytsia floribunda Christmas TreeOlearia paucidentata Autumn Scrub DaisyPatersonia occidentalis Purple FlagPersoonia saccata SnottygobblePetrophile linearis Pixie MopPetrophile macrostachyaPheladenia deformis Blue Fairy OrchidPhilotheca spicata Pepper and SaltPhlebocarya ciliataPimelea suaveolens Scented BanjinePimelea sulphurea Yellow BanjinePodolepis gracilis Slender gracilisPodotheca angustifolia Sticky LongheadsPodotheca chrysantha Yellow PodothecaPodotheca gnaphalioides Golden Long-headsPoranthera microphylla Small PorantheraPterostylis dilatataPterostylis pyramidalis Snail OrchidPterostylis recurva Jug OrchidPterostylis sanguineaPterostylis vittata Banded GreenhoodRegelia inopsRytidosperma caespitosumScaevola canescens Grey ScaevolaScaevola repensSchoenus brevisetisSchoenus curvifoliusSchoenus lanatus Woolly Bog-rushSchoenus latitansScholtzia involucrata Spiked ScholtziaSiloxerus humifusus Procumbent SiloxerusSowerbaea laxiflora Purple TasselsStachystemon vermicularisStackhousia monogynaStirlingia latifolia BlueboyStylidium amoenum Lovely TriggerplantStylidium androsaceumStylidium brunonianum Pink Fountain TriggerplantStylidium calcaratum Book TriggerplantStylidium carnosum Fleshy-leaved TriggerplantStylidium diuroides Donkey TriggerplantStylidium junceum Reed TriggerplantStylidium neurophyllum Coastal Plain TriggerplantStylidium piliferum Common Butterfly TriggerplantStylidium repens Matted TriggerplantStylidium schoenoides Cow KicksStyphelia tenuiflora Common PinheathSynaphea spinulosaTaxandria linearifoliaThelymitra graminea Shy Sun OrchidThelymitra macrophylla Scented Sun OrchidThysanotus manglesianus Fringed LilyThysanotus sparteusThysanotus tenellusThysanotus triandrusTrachymene pilosa Native ParsnipTricoryne elatior Yellow Autumn LilyTripterococcus brunonis Winged StackhousiaVerticordia densiflora Compacted FeatherflowerWahlenbergia gracilenta Annual BluebellWaitzia suaveolens Fragrant WaitziaXanthorrhoea brunonisXanthorrhoea preissii Balga, Grass TreeXanthosia huegelii :
List of Weeds found in Kensington Bushland :
Asparagus asparagoides (Bridal Creeper)Avena barbata (Bearded Oat)Brassica tournefortii (Mediterranean Turnip)Briza maxima (Blowfly Grass)Bromus diandrus (Great Brome)Chamelaucium uncinatum (Geraldton Wax)Conyza bonariensis (Flaxleaf Fleabane)Corymbia citriodora (Lemon-scented Gum)Corymbia maculata (Spotted Gum)Ehrharta calycina (Perennial Veldt Grass)Ehrharta cf. longiflora/brevifolia? (Annual Veldt Grass)
Eragrostis curvula (African Lovegrass)Eucalyptus camaldulensis (River Gum)Euphorbia terracina (Geraldton Carnation Weed)Euphorbia peplus (Petty Spurge)Fumaria capreolata (Whiteflower Fumitory)Fumaria muralis (Wall Fumitory)Fumaria bastardiiGladiolus caryophyllaceus (Wild Gladiolus)Hordeum glaucum (Northern Barley Grass)Lupinus sp. (Lupin)Malva parviflora (Marshmallow)
Medicago sp. (Medic)Misopates orantium (Lesser Snapdragon)Oxalis pes-caprae (Soursob)Pelargonium capitatum (Rose Pelargonium)Raphanus raphanistrum (Wild Radish)Romulea rosea (Guildford Grass)Solanum nigrum (Black Berry Nightshade)Sonchus asper (Rough Sowthistle)Sonchus oleraceus (Common Sowthistle)Ursinia anthemoides (Ursinia) :

### Fauna

Significant bird species which may be seen in the bushland are Carnaby's Black Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus latirostris) - endangered, Forest Red-tailed Black Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus banksii) - vulnerable, and the rainbow bee-eater (Merops ornatus), with Forest Redtailed Black-Cockatoo being year-round residents of the area. Pitfall trapping in 2017 found eight native reptiles. These included the western bobtail (Tiliqua rugosa), dugites (Pseudonaja affinis), the western bearded dragon (Pogona minor), and Buchanan's snake-eyed skink (Cryptoblepharus buchananii).
This tiny piece of remnant bushland has often been the subject of surveys. Thus, one of the first Australian records for the aphid, Uroleucon erigeronense is from Kensington Bushland. The day-flying moth, Pollanisus occidentalis, is found in abundance in the bushland. A new species of robber fly, Cerdistus hudsoni, has so far (2011) only been found in two places, one of which is Kensington Bushland.

## Galleries

* Native plants found and photographed in Kensington Bushland reserve
* Allocasuarina humilis 2018-06-21
* Billardiera fraseri 2016-01-19
* Calectasia 2007-10-08
* Pimelea sulphurea 2016-10-09
* Nuytsia floribunda 2015-10-19
* Jacksonia furcellata 2017-12-20
* Daviesia divaricata 2011-10-13
* Anigozanthos manglesii 2007-10-09
* Banksia attenuata 2007-10-19
* Dasypogon bromeliifolius 2007-10-09
* Petrophile linearis 2007-10-16
* Synaphea spinulosa 2007-10-16
* Scaevola canescens 2018-06-21
* Daviesia nudiflora 2014-07-12
* Philotheca spicata
* Stirlingia latifolia
* Hemiandra pungens
* Macarthuria australis
* Podotheca gnaphalioides
* Eucalyptus marginata
* Weeds found and photographed in Kensington Bushland reserve
* Gladiolus caryophyllaceus
* Wahlenbergia capensis
* Fumaria capreolata
* Lupinus cosentinii
* Ursinia anthemoides
* Trifolium campestre