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Critically endangered Spiny Daisy

The spiny daisy (acanthocladium dockeri) was first discovered by Dr Hermann Beckler (of the Burke /Wills expedition) in 1861 near Menindee (Pamamaroo), NSW. The specimen was sent back to the Royal Society and described and named by Dr Ferdinand Mueller. A further specimen was unable to be located until a discovery in 1910 at Overland Corner (near Kingston-on-Murray). Many years later, the species was pronounced extinct – until, in 1999, a local farmer discovered an outcrop near his farm, not far from Laura. The species is being translocated by environmentalists seeking to recover the plant from its present situation, critically endangered.

Spiny daisy (acanthocladium dockeri) flowering early October, 2024, near Laura
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Plains Wanderer: Strzelecki Track area

The unicorn of the outback, the Plains Wanderer (Pedionomus torquatus) is a Gondwana species that looks like a quail, is related to shorebirds of South America and lives in a sparse (but not too sparse) arid inland grassland habitat so niche that it has come close to extinction.

Plains Wanderers are very secretive and are rarely seen by day. They are generally only located with spotlights or the use of thermal imaging while they roost in grasses at night. Local field naturalists had a lucky daylight encounter with this one.

Plains Wanderer in the Strzelecki Track area, South Australia

Monitoring of conservation sites in NSW and Victoria has shown recent breeding boom due to the La Niña rains.

Recommended read: Multiple award winning CSIRO publication On the Trail of the Plains Wanderer, available the Leigh Creek Library.