Geoff Williams receives Life Membership Award

On the 29^th March 2026 we acknowledged Geoff Willilams with a Talbot Brook Land Management Association (TBLMA) Life Membership Award for his dedication and service of over three decades of volunteer work within the local environment as a member and the Secretary of TBLMA.

In his “thank you” speech Geoff provided the group with an overview of the history of the Talbot Brook Land Management Association Inc. which was formed out of a meeting held at Tabot Hall in 1994 and incorporated on 14^th July 1995. The legal process was executed by Leigh Warnick pro bono. TBLMA initial management included David Breen, Laurie Fairclough, Bruce Acutt, Peter Brown, John Dawson and George Malkiewycz.

The 1990s was a period of popular and political support for responsible land management that became the Landcare movement. Both Federal and State governments and various charitable organisations offered support for Landcare organisations. This meant there was quite a lot of funding available to incorporated groups.

TBLMA accessed funding to provide fencing material, site ripping and seedlings for a range of projects. This generally required TBLMA to identify suitable properties, fill out complex funding applications in conjunction with the landowner, organise the purchase and delivery of fencing supplies. Build suitable native plant seedling lists, organise nurseries to germinate, grow and deliver the seedings to a suitable property by a date just prior to the proposed planting date. The nurseries used included those in Beverley, Brookton, Wongan Hills and Men of the Trees.

Planting days were initially supported by the State Government Department of Water & Rivers supplying shelters, planting equipment and some personnel. Twice Men of the Trees volunteers were organised and once a bus load of volunteers from Perth City Farms arrived with a DJ and big sound system on a 4x4 ute they and camped overnight in the Talbot Hall.

Planting days were organised well in advance and including the supply of morning tea on site, lunch at the Talbot Hall and a hot dinner at the hall. With up to 40 planters plus cooks and caters, these required considerable logistical planning. Some dinners were epic including farmer supplied dressed sheep for spit roasting, roast veg and on a couple occasion’s a chocolate fountain.

The annual plantings were generally a success but included a couple of failures. An early planting included the use of a Chatfield planter towed by a tractor. Both became very bogged and took considerable time and manpower to extricate. On another annual planting day in early August, it rained all day making for a cold wet planting team, but they struggled on and planted all of the supplied seedlings. The rain stopped the next day and there was no significant rain until Christmas, with massive seedling failure.

The smaller property owners were very supportive in supplying projects The support by the larger farmers in the district was in the main very good and were happy to supply large projects. These included on Davies, Brown, Luelf, Fairclough, and Emin properties. TBLMA completed projects on Talbot Brook, Horrins Brook, 6 Mile Creek, 16 Mile creek, Bland Brook and in many small tributaries. TBLMA also hosted a number of property walking tours including one long one with the then local member Max Trenorden.

TBLMA hosted a soil recognition course prior to a soil mapping workshop and an Acid sulphate soil workshop prior to a small planting program with sedges and reeds.

TBLMA won a State Landcare award in 2001

TBLMA’s most recent project has been the rehabilitation of the old gravel quarry on Qualen West Road.

Despite changing times, government and community priorities, as well as funding structures, there is still work for TBLMA to do in education and advocating for better soil and vegetation management, reduced pollution, for example against rubbish tips, and the clearing of remnant vegetation.

Geoff thanked TBLMA members for the award and his family for their support during his three decades of working within the local community.