Pat Cawley has a special connection to Landcare site
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Pat Cawley is an active retiree, but claims his weekly outing with the Skennars Head Landcare group is ‘by far the best thing’ he does.
Led by Pat, the Skennars Head group are a small but jovial bunch, who wear their passion for the area they work in on their sleeves. And it's easy to see why - it's a beautiful and peaceful place. For Pat though, the passion for the area runs deeper - this is his childhood playground and his memories of happy times give him a special connection to the land. Originally a Lismore boy, Pat and his family spent 6 weeks every year holidaying in their cottage at Boulder Beach Headland. 'We'd pack up my uncles truck with loads of blankets and the chooks and head off, there was no electricity so we'd use kerosene lights and cook on kerosene stoves,' said Pat. He recalls picnicking under the pandanus grove, swimming at Little Boulders and also jumping off the 12 foot high dunes at Boulder Beach, before they were flattened by sand mining operations. |
Pat Cawley, Ian Woods and Rod Edwards of the Skennars Head Landcare Group.
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You can still see signs of the holidays by Pat's family at Boulder Beach headland. The back doorstep to his uncle's cottage is in the grassy area just north of the carpark and one of the Norfolk Island Pines, the largest standing, was planted by Pat's great grandfather, Charles Bulwinkel on armistice day - next year marks its 100th year. Charles Bulwinkel also installed the original iron peg at Boulder Beach point and the iron peg that remains there today was installed by Pat's father, Bern in 1956.
Pat remembers Skennars headland, where the landcare group work, as a grazing paddock and recalls 'walking up the hill to the dairy to collect the milk.' The group started their work in 2002 and through planting and weeding have transformed the northern part of the headland from a site overgrown with weedy grasses and Lantana to a regenerating natural area, 'I’ve seen such great changes,’ says Pat.
It's hard not to feel inspired by Pat and his dedication to giving back to the land which brought him so many fond memories, but for Pat the area is part of who he is and he's 'just happy to be there.'
The Skennars Head Landcare group wouldn’t mind a few extra volunteers, if you'd like to join them sometime please phone Pat on 6687 7143, alternatively you could simply turn up to a working bee. They work every Thursday 8am - 10am and meet @ Iron Peg car park, Boulder Beach.
*The Skennars Head group are a sub-group of Lennox Head Landcare.
Pat remembers Skennars headland, where the landcare group work, as a grazing paddock and recalls 'walking up the hill to the dairy to collect the milk.' The group started their work in 2002 and through planting and weeding have transformed the northern part of the headland from a site overgrown with weedy grasses and Lantana to a regenerating natural area, 'I’ve seen such great changes,’ says Pat.
It's hard not to feel inspired by Pat and his dedication to giving back to the land which brought him so many fond memories, but for Pat the area is part of who he is and he's 'just happy to be there.'
The Skennars Head Landcare group wouldn’t mind a few extra volunteers, if you'd like to join them sometime please phone Pat on 6687 7143, alternatively you could simply turn up to a working bee. They work every Thursday 8am - 10am and meet @ Iron Peg car park, Boulder Beach.
*The Skennars Head group are a sub-group of Lennox Head Landcare.
Article published, Lennox Wave October 2017
