Executive Committee
Office Bearers
Chair Pip Tilbrook
Vice Chair
John Blaney-Murphy
Secretary Wendy Coffey
Treasurer Graeme Heighton
(Project Officer Craig Carter) 		General Members
Phillip Marshall
Des Wolfe
Keith Smith
Roger Hirley
Lex Langridge
Tania Scoles
Mandy Arnold
 No. 32 Spring / Summer 2012 
Torbay Catchment Group Inc. P O Box 1900 Albany Western Australia 6331

www.torbay.southcoastwa.org.au [email protected]
The Torbay Catchment Group is a community-based volunteer organisation whose primary focus is protecting and restoring the health of the lands and waterways in the Torbay Catchment as well as supporting a prosperous and sustainable community within the catchment area.

Phillip with his farm produce
2012 is the Year of the Farmer and the International Year of Sustainable Energy

Phillip Marshall, local farmer and founding member of the Torbay Catchment Group (TCG) deserves credit for his environmentally sympathetic farming practices and his support of the TCG. A farmer from the UK, he arrived in Torbay in 1970 with wife Sheelagh and family having decided that the Torbay / Albany area was the best place to bring up their kids and make a living.

Their first farming initiative was to fence off their remnant bush and waterways to preserve the native landscape on their 615 hectares. This was followed up by a vigorous weed control program (with support from the council and the Catchment Group) focussing on Taylorina, Blackberry and Watsonia.

Initially they farmed beef cattle, but when prices took a dive the family planted asparagus and reaped their first harvest in 1974.

As a founding member of the Albany Farmers Markets Phillip has been selling asparagus since the markets commenced ten years ago.

The family (including son Bruce, daughter in law Fiona and grandkids Henry, Alice and Elsa) have also grown horse radish, sweet corn, raspberries, artichokes, sugar peas and boysenberries. At present they look after 450 head of beef cattle plus calves that are paddock rotated every 3 - 7 days to aid pasture production.

Kikuyu is their main grass as it stabilises the soil and binds nutrients.

Phillip has rigorously practiced soil testing every three years since 1970 and states that this is one of the most important acts he undertakes as a land carer and farmer.

Phillip is very knowledgeable about local sustainable farming practices and like many others in the TCG is willing to share his knowledge. If you would like to know more, contact the TCG.

Rail Trail update

A grant to establish toilets, water tanks and parking areas at both ends of the Torbay Rail Trail is now complete thanks to funding from Royalties for Regions, Elleker Sporting and Progress Association, Torbay Agricultural Hall Committee and the City of Albany.

Bush Fire Brigade Contacts

Bornholm

Laurie Nissen 0429 838 038
Chris Ayres 0427 451 123

Elleker

Roy Parsons 0422 607 347
Brett Smoker 0438 939 613

Redmond

Lance Flett 08 9845 3048
Phil Dunkley 0417 273 931

South Coast

Derek Jones 0409 882 958
Darren Prior 0417 965 822

Torbay

Phillip Marshall 08 9845 1045
Leith Nicholson 08 9845 1054

Youngs

Kevin Martin 0427 452 032
Martin Peterson 08 9845 2010

This newsletter is printed on paper made from 50% recycled stock & 50% plantation sourced stock  

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