Club History

A ‘Gippsland Field Naturalists Club’ was formed when a well-attended public meeting, sponsored by the Morwell and District Horticultural Society, was held in Morwell in February 1960. At this time there was an upsurge in interest in learning more about our native flora and fauna. In early 1961, the new club was renamed as the Latrobe Valley Field Naturalists Club, in line with the formation of new FNCs in Warragul and Bairnsdale.

Among those supporting the new club was the noted botanist and writer Jean Galbraith, of Tyers, who was very much a mentor and ‘guiding spirit’ until her death in 1999.

A club library was operating by 1963. In 1985, a club badge featuring the Flying Duck-orchid as the club emblem was designed and produced by artist Beatrice Rowles.

Holey Plains State Park

Right from its inception, the club has actively worked for the creation of a good many nature reserves in its region Some key early examples include:

  • Morwell National Park, established by an Act of Parliament in 1967.

  • Holey Plains State Park, declared in 1973.

  • Crinigan Road Bushland Reserve in Morwell, 1982.

  • Traralgon South Flora and Fauna Reserve, 1987.

  • Wirilda Environment Park, near Tyers.

For further information, refer to the publication To Protect and Enjoy: The First Fifty years of the LVFNC, 1960-2010 (LVFNC, 2010).