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Northern Beaches District Group

Activities

What we do

The group's meetings and talks are held monthly on the first Thursday of each month at 7pm at Stony Range Botanic Garden from February to November.  The members also greatly enjoy Anne Gray's walks and other excursions. The morning tea or lunch that follows gives a relaxing debrief and social time with other members.

Upcoming events

  • Northern Beaches - Visit to Penny Hunstead’s garden

    • 16 Aug 2025
    • 10:30 AM

    Join the Northern Beaches APS group on Saturday 16 August at 10.30 am for a special visit to Penny Hunstead’s garden. This is a great opportunity to explore a local native garden and gain inspiration and ideas for your own space.

    Members only.
    Enquiries to apsnorthernbeaches@gmail.com



    Show details

  • APS Northern Beaches Group Meeting & Talk: Nadiah Roslan - Frog Conservation in the Northern Beaches

    • 4 Sep 2025
    • 7:00 PM
    • Stony Range Regional Botanic Garden, Dee Why

    Join the APS Northern Beaches Group for an evening of botanical exploration and wildlife conservation at our September meeting.

    Nadiah Roslan will present Frog ID, an insightful talk on frog conservation in the Northern Beaches area. This presentation will explore the significance of frogs as environmental indicators, the threats they face, and how citizen science initiatives like the FrogID project are helping to monitor and protect local frog populations.

    Event Details
    Venue: Stony Range Regional Botanic Garden, Dee Why
    Date: Thursday, September 4, 2025
    Start Time: 7:15 PM

    All are welcome. For enquiries, contact apsnorthernbeaches@gmail.com.

    Show details

  • Northern Beaches - Stony Range spring festival

    • 14 Sep 2025
    • 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
    • Stony Range Regional Botanic Garden, 810 Pittwater Rd, Dee Why

    Celebrate Spring at the green oasis of Australian native plants nestled in the beachside suburb of Dee Why!

    Features plant sales, displays, activities & refreshments.

    In conjunction with the volunteers from Stony Range. Expert cultivation advice is available.

    Also enjoy

    Live music 

    plant display

    children's activities

    live native animals

    native bees

    Aboriginal artefacts

    ‘Creations and Collections’ exhibition by volunteers

    coffee & homemade cakes

    sausage sizzle

    Contact stonyrange@gmail.com for further detail.


    Show details

  • APS Northern Beaches Group Meeting & Talk: Elly Gearing - Australia’s Extinction Crisis

    • 6 Nov 2025
    • 7:00 PM
    • Stony Range Regional Botanic Garden, Dee Why

    Join the APS Northern Beaches Group for an evening of botanical exploration and environmental awareness at our Novemeber meeting.

    Elly Gearing will present Australia’s Extinction Crisis, an important discussion on the challenges facing Australia’s native species. This talk will explore the causes of biodiversity loss, the impact of habitat destruction, and the urgent conservation efforts needed to protect vulnerable flora and fauna.

    Event Details
    Venue: Stony Range Regional Botanic Garden, Dee Why
    Date: Thursday, November 6, 2025
    Start Time: 7:15 PM

    All are welcome. For enquiries, contact apsnorthernbeaches@gmail.com.

    Show details


APS NORTHERN BEACHES SCHEDULE 2025

6 Feb 2025 - Presentation from Penny on her South Australia visit.

19 Feb 2025 - Visit "Beauty Rich and Rare" exhibition, Museum of Sydney.

6 Mar 2025 - Show & tell plus committee meeting. 

15 Mar 2025 - APS NSW Quarterly Meeting at North Curl Curl. Rain Forest Talk and Dune Walk.

12 Apr 2025 - Visit "Botanica" exhibition, Royal Botanic Gardens.

1 May 2025 - Chris Smallbone “WildThings NSW”. 

5 June 2025 - Mark Blanche “Rouse Hill Stormwater Infrastructure Project Stage 3: Landscape Restoration”.

18 June 2025 - Plant ID Walk North Head.

3 July 2025 - Petra Holland “iNaturalist”. 

19 July 2025 - Challenger Track Walk at West Head.

7 August 2025 - Pic Andrews "Northern Beaches Council’s Wildflowers Programme".

16 August 2025 - Visit to Penny Hunstead's garden in Newport.

4 September 2025 - Nadiah Roslan “Frog ID” Frog Conservation in the Northern Beaches area.

14 September 2025 - Stony Range Spring Festival.

2 October 2025 - Show & tell plus committee meeting.

6 November 2025 - Elly Gearing “Australia’s Extinction Crisis”.


APS NORTHERN BEACHES SCHEDULE 2024

1 Feb 2024 - Eleanor Eakins Stony Range Story.

14 Feb 2024 - Paul Nicholson Australian Rainforests & rainforest plants.  RBGS, outdoors. Details here.

7 Mar 2024 - Meetings: Show & tell, AGM & SGM.  Details here.

23 Mar 2024 - Samantha Newton Guided walk Macquarie University Arboretum. Details here.

 4 Apr 2024 James Indsto Orchids mimic pea plants to increase chance of pollination. Details here.

18 Apr 2024  Visit to Cicada Glen Nursery & talk.

2 May 2024 Julie Leal Bees - Native bees and exotic bees, kept for honey production. Details here.

6 Jun 2024 Show & tell plus committee meeting.

13 Jun 2024 Walk the Basin Trail. RSVP essential. Details here.

 4 Jul 2024 - Mick Roderick The Regent Honeyeater & its Mistletoe. Details here.

18 July 2024 North Head Sanctuary Fairfax Walk: plant identification. RSVP essential. Details here.

1 Aug 2024 Sophia Findlay - The urban forest program. Details here.

24 Aug 2024 - Visit to a member's garden. Details here.

 5 Sept 2024 - Piret May Natural methods of pest management used at RBGS. Details here.

 8 Sept 2024 - Our major event Stony Range spring festival. Details here.

Member volunteers needed - contact group.

3 Oct 2024 Show & tell plus committee meeting.

12 Oct 2024 Chiltern trail north walk, Ingleside. Details apsnorthernbeaches@gmail.com

 7 Nov 2024 - Dan Clarke Threatened flora of the general Sydney area. Details here.

7 Dec 2024 - End of year party at Stony Range. Details here.


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APS NORTHERN BEACHES SCHEDULE 2023


2 Feb 2023 - Landscape historian Stuart Read - A history of garden design, using Australian native plants. Details here.

22 Feb 2023 - Paul Nicholson Plants in Peril - rare & threatened plants & plant communities. Details here.

15 Mar 2023 - Visit to Cicada Glen Nursery. Details here.

6 Apr 2023 - Helen Smith from the Australian Museum - Huntsman spiders + spider Q&A. Details here

15 Apr 2023 - Plant identification walk & visit to Aboriginal engravings Elvina Track, West Head. Details here.

4 May 2023 - Harry Loots, Northern Beaches group member - Plants hidden in the clouds. Details here.

20 May 2023 - APS NSW Gathering & AGM. Hosted by APS Central Coast.

1 Jun 2023 - Vanessa McPherson & Michael Gillings Fungal species, their ecology and their interaction with plants. Details here.

21 Jun 2023 - Visit to Harry’s prize-winning garden, as featured on Gardening Australia.

6 Jul 2023 - Wendy Grimm A beginner's guide to native orchids. Details here.

22 Jul 2023 - Plant identification walk, Ralston Ave track Belrose. Followed by lunch. Details here.

3 Aug 2023 - Angela Michaelis  Plants for gardens in the shade. Details here.

19 Aug 2023 - Plant identification walk, Heath track, Allambie Heights.

7 Sept 2023 - Brian Roach  Beside the seaside.

9 Sept 2023 - Members set-up for Festival. 10 Sept 2023 - Stony Range Spring Festival. Details here.

15 Oct 2023 - Visit ‘Cumblerland Plain Woodland’, Cranebrook. Followed by lunch.

2 Nov 2023 - Gracie Liu  Creating a frog-friendly garden. Details here.

15 Nov 2023 - Macquarie University Arboretum Guided walk with Sam Newton. POSTPONED.

9 Dec 2023 - Members' end of year PARTY! Stony Range, 12.00 for 12.30. Bring a plate. Details here.


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APS NORTHERN BEACHES SCHEDULE 2022

With activities finished for 2022, the group celebrated the end of the year in December. Details here.


Feb 2022


Talk by Graham McLean at the Australian Museum 

The Evolution of Plants in Australia -  a private viewing of plant fossils stored at the Museum was a unique privilege. We enjoyed lunch afterwards at the Museum. Details here.
Mar 2022

Paul Nicholson guided us on a tour themed The evolution of Australian flora - before and after the triumph of the gum trees

Royal Botanic Garden Sydney

a convivial lunch at the cafe followed Details here.
Oct 2022


National Herbarium of NSW, Mount Annan.

Guided tour by Collections Manager Hannah McPherson.

Members only. Details here.


Oct 2022

 

 

Stony Range Spring festival

Plant sales, walks, kids activities, coffee & homemade cakes

Open to the public. Details here.

Thanks to all members who worked on the event.




Walks & garden visit 2022 


April Plant I.D. walk North Head Sanctuary & cafe lunch. Details here.

June Turimetta Headland & cafe lunch. Details here.

July Challenger track, West Head & cafe lunch. Details here.

Aug The Bluff track, Bantry Bay & cafe lunch. Details here.

Sept Slippery Dip Trail, Belrose & pub lunch. Details here.

Nov Visit to Pam & Valmai's garden, Allambie Heights. Details here.
 


Meetings 2022, first Thursday of the month -


Presentation, minor plant family & Annual General Meeting May 2022

Ian Thompson Garden insects & bugs - a close-up look  Details here.

The AGM convened after the break.


Presentations & minor plant family 2022

Mar Bill Dobson Native orchids of the Northern Beaches  Details here.

Jun Trevor C Wilson What is the Australian Bugle?  Details here.

Aug Penny Hunstead Bush Tucker  Details here

Sep Hannah McPherson 1.4 million plant specimens make their way to     Mount Annan.  Details here

Nov Sean Granger Weeds. Details here.


Jul, Oct 2022 7.15 minor plant family 7.30 show & tell 8.30 committee meeting 


Local Gallery

Actinotus helianthi

Image: Russell Beardmore. Taken at North Curl Curl.


An eastern species that grows in shallow, sandy soil . A bit tricky in cultivation.











Epacris longiflora

Image: David Drage



A local favourite found in sand, cliff faces, heath and woodland margins.


Platylobium formosum

Image: David Drage. Taken at Katandra Wildflower Reserve.


Local species. Straggly hardy understorey species up to 2.5m. Bright flowers in Spring.


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