Northern Suburbs Branch, 18 March 2025

The Northern Suburbs Branch is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, and their 18th March meeting marked 40 years since the branch held its first meeting in 1985.

Almost on the same date, on March 19, 1985, 40 members (a good size even for today), convened by Alan Notley and John Dell (then President of the WA Naturalist Club), set up the objectives and aims of the Northern Suburbs Branch.

Known then as the Wanneroo and Northern Suburbs Branch, members met in varied venues, beginning at the Wanneroo Primary School library and culminating at the Henderson Centre at Star Swamp from 2001 onwards.

Early speakers at our meetings included Graham Chittleborough, who spoke on the Greenhouse Effect in 1988, and other familiar Club members, including Kevin Kenneally, Alan Burbridge, David Morcombe, Elaine Davison, Eric McCrum and John Dell, who presented topics in those early days.

Many excursions were over weekends, while others were longer trips to places like the Abrolhos Islands, Ningaloo Reef, Woody Island, and Wild Horse Swamp Reserve (257km)—35 km NE of Boyup Brook. Excursion information always included the distance travelled to get there.

Forty years on, the anniversary evening at the Henderson Centre was celebrated with stories and reminiscences of those early times. Don Poynton had gathered together, with some help, items of the branch’s early history, including newspaper reports, attendance records, excursion reports, and photos. We are lucky enough to still have members from those early days, and our 40-year NSB members, Marilyn Zakrevsky, Jenny Cunningham, and Bob Willis, were invited to present their recollections and photos of earlier times.

Marilyn Zakrevsky recounted her memories of the early meetings and excursions in an interview format, with Don asking the questions. Marilyn held both positions, as Treasurer from 1986 to 1998 and Secretary from 1991 to 1998, while her (late) husband Ken was Chairman.

Bob Willis attended many excursions with the Nats Club and the Northern Suburbs Branch, highlighting the Abrolhos Islands, Greenough River, Burnabinmah Station, and Wave Rock. Bob also told his version of the tale of the plate of biscuits taken from the meeting room kitchen that Marilyn mentioned earlier—a mystery still to be solved.

Jenny Cunningham was the branch secretary from 1986 to 1987 and again in 1999. She gave a detailed account of Jim Goodsell’s 1986 Excursion to the Abrolhos Islands, which involved a change of boats before they made it out into the ocean. Jenny explained and showed photos of the sleeping, eating, and activities on the islands.

It was a most enjoyable evening of stories and reminiscences for those who remember those times.

Then there was cake!

Willy Dadour