This article was written by an English visitor named Elsa Christian who was touring Australia and New Zealand with her husband Frank in their own small van. The article was published in the Australian Women’s Weekly, magazine, March 1966. Elsa writes she wanted to visit four Australian locations before she died: Ayers Rock (actually Uluru), the Snowy River project, dolphins at Coolangatta and the Penguin Parade at Phillip Island. These destinations were all very popular in the 1960s for both Australian residents and overseas visitors. Because the roads were becoming better too many locations, self guided tours in small vans for cars towing bond would caravans were becoming more popular means of seeing Australia

The article is significant in many ways. 1. Indicates the places English visitors commonly wish to see in Australia. 2. Describes the growing trend to self- drive van/camping holidays. 3. Gives the route taken from Melbourne to Phillip Island during the 1960s. 4. Describes the appearance of the roadsides and locations visited. 5. It is written in a descriptive and lyrical style designed to appeal to Women’s Weekly magazine readers, who were probably wondering how they could visit Phillip Island with their husbands or families themselves, and what there was to see there. 6. Gives the visitors’ view of how the Penguin Parade operated at the time. 7. Includes a description of potter and artist Eric Juckert’s renowned garden at Grossard Point, Ventnor. 8. Indicates how introduced plants such as Hawthorn pushes and Kate weed were common in the area. 9. Describes Phillip Island as “a place to fall in love” because of its natural beauty, fauna and coastal seascapes. 10. As a visitor Elsa describes the housing estates as a blot on the landscape, but also sees the value as a way of their owners escaping from the hustle and bustle of Melbourne. 11. Gives the visitors’ interpretation of the behaviour of wildlife the RC in the wild, as well as Elsa’s knowledge about some of the species she encounters.

Photocopy of full page article with 5 columns of text, a map and 2 photographs. Black ink on white paper. Photographs blackened in photocopying process

phillip island, cape woolamai, penguin parade, seal rocks, nobbies, township of rhyll phillip island, princes highway, dandenong, pakenham, kooweerup, carinya creek, officer, san remo, gippsland highway, holiday homes, fort dumaresq, kitty miller's beach, wreck of the speke, hereford cattle, fleetwood manor, koalas, ventnor, eric juckert, little penguin behaviour

Written during the 1960s when surfing was burgeoning across Australia’s coast and Phillip Island surf beaches had become extremely popular, few management strategies were in place to control interaction of the public with the delicate flora and fauna of the coastal environments. There were few good access tracks, car parks, bins, toilets etc at coastal/surfing hotspots around the Phillip Island coast. A number of management issues occurred with the influx of surfers. These included dune erosion caused by surfers climbing dunes to see the surf before going on the beach; informal parking on wildlife habitat; numerous access paths from wherever cars were parked down to the beach cutting through habitat; illegal camping on foreshores; illegal lighting of fires on beach and in dunes; surfers’ dogs let out of the car while surfers were out on the water. The dogs were uncontrolled. Certainly some surfers behaved responsibly, as is almost invariably the case these days. However, in that era of this article few people understood the delicate nature of the coastal environment and that it need to be protected through public education, infrastructure and enforcement of regulations. As now, most rural Fire services were run by dedicated volunteers who faced many challenges in their roles as Country Fire Authority firefighters. However, it was not uncommon for visitors and locals to also assist with fire-fighting efforts.

The article is significant in containing quotes from both sides of the discussion who were directly involved in coastal fire incidents on Phillip Island in the 1960s. It also indicates the large number of surfers visiting Phillip Island beaches, the volunteer nature of the firefighting service and the extra challenges they faced on Phillip Island as a visitor destination. The anonymous university student surfer who is quoted, also describes possible causes of the fires, methods he and his fellow surfers used to extinguish the fires and raise the alarm, and the way they assisted the volunteer firefighters . The reference to him breaking into one of the Summerland housing estate holiday houses is also significant because that housing estate was purchased over 2 decades by successive Victorian governments to remove management issues caused to the wildlife habitat on Summerland Peninsula.

Photocopy of newspaper cuttings including 2 related articles. Five columns of black text on white paper with one poorly reproduced photo bottom right

phillip island, cat bay, country fire authority, artie murdoch, alf towns, frank dixon, barry thompson, newhaven-san remo rural fire brigade, penguin parade, cowrie beach, surfers, coastal fires

Written in February 1966, this is a letter from the editor or a journalist to a child who had brought a weak young Little Penguin into the office of the Express newspaper in Wonthaggi. February is the time that adult penguins have what is known as a “catastrophic moult" when they lose all of their feathers within a week or 2 and cannot go to the sea to fish. Any chicks left in the burrow will not be fed and need to go to sea themselves to feed. Some are just not strong enough or have mature feathers to do this and perish. Bert West was a Phillip Island resident and manager at the Penguin Parade, who was very knowledgeable about Little Penguins and was able to explain this to the journalist who then wrote the letter. Presumably the photograph had been in a previous edition so this item in the form of a letter to Simon would be a follow up to the original article.

This cutting is significant because it indicates that this Little Penguin had been fishing in the Cape Paterson area, and possibly was not able to find sufficient food there. It also indicates that there was apparently no process in place for dealing with weak birds found by the public. Neither the child nor the photographer knew any better than to allow the child to interfere with or hold a sick Penguin as shown in the photo. That is definitely no longer recommended, as we now know that handling a sick bird in that way is very stressful to them and can contribute to poor outcomes for them.

Very poor photocopy of single column with large photo of boy holding penguin under text

THE EXPRESS

phillip island, penguin parade, cape paterson, bert west, wildlife care, little penguin

Article written in Wonthaggi newspaper giving up to date information about facilities, visitation and numbers of Little Penguins at the Phillip Island Penguin Parade in 1966.

The information in the article is a very valuable record of the population of the penguins, (small compared with 2023); the huge numbers of visitors permitted per night - 10,000 compared with maximum of about 2,500 per night 2023; facilities available then and how funded.

photocopy cutting of newspaper article. 4 columns text but right hand column cut in half. large photo of penguins above text. Poor photocopy

20/1/66

phillip island, phillip island penguin parade, tourist attraction., a h bert west, souvenirs, little penguin behaviour

Miranda was a very popular journalist of this era, whose homely style appealed to many readers, especially women, her main audience in her writing. Here she talks about renting a new demonstration holiday home (probably a Coldon Home), which, although small, had a 'dream kitchen'. She describes the birds and walk through the wattle to the beach, but also the many blocks for sale and wonders what the island will be like in 10 years time from their visit. Her son drove them to Pyramid Rock where they almost got bogged on the road. They visit the usual spots, which she describes with a combination of curiosity and enjoyment. She also mentions another block fenced off on the main road which was a gift from the ratepayers of Phillip Island, and which the Young Farmers were to plant out for koala trees.

This article is significant because thousands of Weekly Times newspaper readers read Miranda’s letter article without fail each edition. She describes renting a house for a holiday, which indicates the move away from family holidays in guest houses. She also describes some of the rough roads in parts of the island at the time. She concentrates on the island’s natural attractions rather than man- made tourist attractions, which is also significant in letting us see why people would visit Phillip Island in that era. Miranda also predicts the explosion of the holiday home owner market which took place soon after, and continues today though in a more controlled way.

Photocopy of newspaper article cut out from full page. Cutting has three columns of text, no images. Black text on white paper. Dark areas due to poor photocopying

WEEKLY TIMES / 2/9/65

phillip island, miranda, weekly times newspaper, holiday home, phillip island flora and fauna, pyramid rock, phillip island pengiun parade, young farmers, phillip island beaches, cuddly koala bears, phillip island housing estate land sales

This article is written in a very conversational style with a number of asides and little 'digs' (e.g. Phillip Island being named after "Chap who first began to mess up Port Jackson".) The writer, Peter Fenton, is also relating some ornithological and tourist information, along with how to get to Phillip Island via the first Phillip Island bridge (so pre-1969) or train from Melbourne to Stony Point and across on ferry.

The article is significant for demonstrating the growing interest in visiting destinations for natural experiences as well as activities such as golf and motor racing.

photocopy of newspaper article cut from newspaper. double column of text with associated map below article. Dark patch from photocopy bottom right corner.

15/3/65

phillip island, little pengiuns, mutton birds, birds of the moon, pacific region, island rookeries, peter fenton, westernport ferry, stony point, railway line, first phillip island bridge, seal rocks, phillip island koalas, governor arthur phillip, golf links, motor racing course

The article relates the journalist's visit to Phillip Island, starting from Melbourne and describing features along the way, then at San Remo on mainland side of Phillip Island bridge, then Newhaven on the other. Other places visited include the main town of Cowes, the jetty and beach there, and the Nobbies (Point Grant), with views of the Seal Rocks offshore through telescope at the Nobbies. The writer also visited Summerland beach, described as a surf beach, with penguin and mutton bird rookeries. While not specifically referring to the Penguin Parade, the writer says the spectacle of seeing the penguins coming ashore is not to be missed. The brief military colony at Rhyll and the first Victorian 'garden' planted at Churchill Island in 1801 are also mentioned

Article is significant because it is an early (1950s?) tourist guide to Phillip Island's most popular tourist destinations.

3 column text under map of Phillip Island. Black print on white paper.

phillip island, newhaven, , westernport, surf beaches phillip island, summerland beach, penguins, mutton birds, the nobbies, point grant, seal rocks, cowes, nobbies blowhole, rhyll, churchill island, nobbies telescope

The article describes a fire incident which took place in January 1965 at Swan Lake, a water reserve at the entrance to Summerland Peninsula, Phillip Island. Due to an extremely heavy infestation of gorse (noxious weed) and natural tea tree scrub, along with poor vehicle access, the volunteer fire fighters could apparently not gauge the extent of the fire. A light plane operator visiting Cr Arthur Hamilton nearby was able to fly Phillip Island Shire Engineer, Jock McKechnie, over the lake to better direct the fire fighters. Swan Lake has many Bunurong Aboriginal middens and short-tailed shearwater rookeries, and, being not far from the Penguin Parade, a fire there posed a direct threat to the birds.

The article is significant because it indicates the vulnerability of the Summerland Peninsula reserves to fire, the way the Shire Engineer, local bulldozer contractor and volunteer fire fighters tackled the fire outbreak.

photocopy of newspaper cutting. Dark copying at top. Double column heading. Single column black text on white paper

28-1-65 EX

swan lake phillip island, summerland peninsula, bunurong aboriginal middens, short-tailed shearwaters, mutton birds, little pengiuns, penguin parade, jock mckechnie, cr arthur hamilton, fire fighters, , max stewart, jim jeffery

Due to increased numbers of tourists in the post-World War Two era, and the increased popularity of the Penguin Parade, without sufficient public education or protection of the penguin habitat, many Little Penguins perished during the 1960s. Trampling, unsupervised interference with the birds, unrestricted access to their dune habitat, plus predation by foxes, cats and dogs, led to most of the rookeries outside of the Summerland patrolled areas - such as on the west and north Phillip Island coasts, and parts of the south coast - being obliterated by the mid 1970s.

this article is highly significant as it was published shortly before the establishment of the Phillip Island Conservation Society Inc in 1968, which commenced agitation to make management of Crown Land by Phillip Island Shire Council and government bodies accountable for protection of wildlife habitat on Phillip Island.

photocopy of newspaper cutting. Black print on white paper.

3--1-64

phillip island, penguin parade, little penguin, habitat destruction, penguin parade committee, shell house,

Shire of Phillip Island managed the Phillip Island Penguin Parade during this era, and made several improvements for visitors including the building of a kiosk for food and beverage and some souvenirs. The building was located on a bitumen area at the base of the hill along with a brick toilet block. The area was actually raised from creek bed adjacent to the bitumen area, with Little Penguin rookery either side. The Shire tendered out the contract for the running of this kiosk on a 3 yearly basis.

This small public notice from a Wonthaggi newspaper at a time when no local newspaper was being published on Phillip Island, marks the time when the Shire of Phillip Island began to increase provision of tourist facilities at the Penguin Parade. The number of visitors being 100,000 for the previous year is also an excellent indication of the popularity of the Penguin Parade. The listing of infrastructure available to the building is useful.

Photocopy of Public Notice, Rectangular. Single collumn with heading, sub-heading, 5 paragraphs of text and Name and position of Shire Secretary. Black and white.

"30-7-64 EX" Meaning: 30.07.1964. Powlett Express newspaper.

phillip island penguin parade, shire of phillip island, penguin parade kiosk, tender process, penguin parade visitor numbers, sec state electricity commission, stan harris phillip island shire secretary

This article by journalist Bill Hitchings describes the state of the land market and cost of transporting building materials, Phillip Island, late 1960s. At that stage a number of outlying residential estates had been created, especially on Phillip Island South Coast and at Cowes West. While blocks of land on the outlier estates were very cheap and poorly serviced, the Cowes blocks were selling at $3000 per residential block. Hitchings quotes the owner of the Hollydene motel, Reg Orr, as saying that when the new bridge opens shortly he did not expect it to create a rush of visitors or residents.

Bill Hitching was a well-known Melbourne journalist. This article gives an idea of land values on Phillip Island in the late 1960s, the fact that business owners were prepared to upgrade and expand their businesses to cater for extra potential demand on accommodation, and the strong identification of Phillip Island with the Phillip Island Penguin Parade in the minds of the general public in Melbourne. The significance of the new Phillip Island bridge to Phillip Islanders and visitors, and the cost of the bridge, are also outlined. Reg Orr was highly active in the business community of that era on Phillip Island. The Hollydene motel was a well-known Phillip Island accommodation venue.

T-shaped article cutting with large image at top of article, dark due to poor photcopy. Double collumn text under photo clearly readable. Black and white.

Sun/29/8/6 (?) Probably: Melbourne Sun newspaper, 29 August, 1969

phillip island, phillip island tourism, development, hollydene motel, reg orr, phillip island penguin parade, land values, phillip island first bridge, phillip island 2nd bridge, transportation costs

This letter to the editor of an unknown newspaper probably dates from the late 1960s or early 1970s. At that time the Victorian government’s Liberal Party Premier was Sir Henry Bolte. In a reference to the major industrial valley in Germany, he and his government had a vision to make Western Port and Hastings into “the Ruhr of Victoria”, if not Australia. While this letter does not refer to Western Port, but apparently to Wiliamstown, the situation was similar in both bays. Substantial land was zoned in Hastings by the Bolte Government for industrial purposes, where BP built a refinery for oil imported through the Port of Hastings. The large oil tankers entered Western Port Bay via the western channel, which required dredging to accommodate them. It became a common site to see globules or patches of oil washed up on beaches around Western Port, and oil-affected wildlife. It is impossible to know how many wildlife were affected directly by oil spills and other forms of pollution in the Bay during that era. Sufficient numbers of oiled Little Penguins were found to prompt numerous references to the problem in newspapers, including letters, articles and even major features. The refinery eventually closed, with tanker traffic dramatically reducing in Western Port from the late 20th century.

Statement of significance: This letter to the editor is significant in making reference to pollution caused in Port Phillip and Western Port bays by tanker traffic and the presence of oil refineries on industrial land in the bays. It is also indicative of the emergence of many conservation-related community groups of volunteers in Australia during the 1960s and 1970s in response to growing concern around conservation issues. Letters to the editor were a common means for these groups to have their concerns aired in public.

Photocopy of newspaper cutting, single column letter to the editor.

little penguins, oil spill, western port, port of hastings, henry bolte, "ruhr of victoria", oiled penguins, oiled wildlife, bp refinery, oil tankers, , mrs d waight, williamstown and district animal relief society

This letter to the editor of the Wonthaggi Express newspaper was written by “ONLOOKER (name and address/supplied)” in 1969 at a time when the Phillip Island Penguin Parade was under the management of the Phillip Island Shire Council. There was very limited parking at the Penguin Parade at that stage, and visitor numbers on any night were not capped. It was not uncommon for many cars to be parked along the main road leading to the Penguin Parade. This was a cause of a great deal of concern as visitors to the Parade walked back to their cars in the dark along the main road after the Parade finished some hours after sunset. At that time there was no designated Phillip Island newspaper, with the Wonthaggi Express also covering some news from Phillip Island.

The letter articulates the concern felt by many local residents and visitors to the Penguin Parade with regard to the lack of parking and other infrastructure for tourism on Phillip Island, and the Phillip Island Penguin Parade in particular. Having been published in the Wonthaggi local newspaper of the time, the Wonthaggi Express, also indicates that either there was no local newspaper being published on Phillip Island, or that the author submitted to both local newspapers in order to get their message across.

Single column letter to the editor in 3 short paragraphs. Black ink on white paper. Photocopy of original article.

10-4-69 EX (referring to 10th April 1969, Wonthaggi Express newspaper)

phillip island penguin parade, letter to the editor, parking problems, wonthaggi express newspaper, phillip island conservation society historical archive

Cr J Gall was a councilor on the Borough of Wonthaggi Council. The Borough included Cape Paterson, where Cr Gall saw 5 little penguins on the beach. He described them as looking for somewhere to nest – that is, to dig burrows in the coast adjoining the Cape Paterson sandy beach. At that stage, the Wonthaggi state coal mine had been closed for 4 years and Wonthaggi had more emphasis on attracting different industries. There was little interest in flora and fauna of the area at that stage. Cr Gall’s unusual sighting of the Little Penguins possibly nesting at Cape Paterson attracted derision from the other councillors, and also a sarcastic Editor's Note from the newspaper's editor - none of which was not surprising for that era. The Borough of Wonthaggi was later amalgamated with the shires of Phillip Island and Bass, plus other areas of a couple of others local shires in 1994 to form Bass Coast Shire Council, which quickly moved to a heavy emphasis on flora, fauna and the tourism industry related to the environment generally.

The article clearly demonstrates the disinterested if not dismissive attitude of the Borough of Wonthaggi councillors and the local newspaper editor at the time towards observations of flora and fauna. However, the article is also an interesting record of 5 Little Penguins being sighted at a beach where they were not known to have previously been seen.

Photocopy of Single column newspaper article, black print on white paper. Article has curved line border design on top, sides. Cut off in copy at bottom edge. Five paragraphs in main article, and 1 paragraph at bottom marked: Editor's note

SEN 13 - 7 - 72 (South Gippsland Sentinel Times newspaper, 13th July, 1972)

little penguins, fairy penguins, eudyptula minor, penguin behaviour, borough of wonthaggi, cr j gall

With the establishment of the large heavy industrial zone at Hastings in the late 1960s, which included the BP oil refinery using the Port of Hastings at the north-western arm of Western Port, a number of environmental problems predicted by both scientists and conservationists arose. The main shipping channel on the western arm of Western Port was dredged, causing suspended particles affecting seagrass beds. With inadequate regulation around discharge of bilge water within the bay, and oil spillage, oil pollution affecting both seabirds and coastal areas was not uncommon. This report of 40 penguins actually known to have been killed by an oil spill event was typical of reports at the time. The 2 men quoted – Vernon Johnson and Ken Pound – were well known conservationists. Vernon and his wife Nora owned the Kingston Gardens picnic and zoo business where they cared for many injured wildlife. Ken was a Phillip Island counsellor for a few years, and instrumental in the establishment of the Phillip Island conservation Society. He also contributed various documents and newspaper cuttings to this archive.

This article is significant for being a record of an exact number of penguins found dead from oil spill pollution in Western Port. Also as a record of conservationists in the early years of community and environment movements both locally and in Australia. The article further gives evidence of linking tourism with wildlife.

Photocopy of newspaper cutting. Black print with very dark black and white photo of Fairy (Little) Penguin. Poor reproduction due to older photocopy machine.

(indecipherable) - late/1960s.

little penguins, fairy penguins, eudyptula minor, penguin behaviour, phillip island tourist attractions, phillip island conservation society, oil spills, bp refinery hastings, port of hastings, western port, marine pollution, oil tankers, vernon johnson, ken pound, phillip island promotion association

Short tailed shearwaters and Little Penguins, nesting in burrows on the coast during the warmer months of the year, are extremely vulnerable to fires. Phillip Island had a history of fires on foreshores – either deliberately or accidentally lit. This article describes 2 accidentally lit fires on consecutive days at the Phillip Island Penguin Parade rookeries during the height of the breeding and tourist season in January 1967. The vital importance of volunteers such as the country Fire authority members and the local surfing community, is alluded to in this article by well-known naturalist and author from the time, Graham Pizzey. The Victorian government’s chief secretary, Arthur Rylah, reported here seeking an investigation into the fires at what he terms: “one of the best conservation projects we have done”, was a prominent Victorian politician for many years.

This article is significant for demonstrating a growing awareness of the vulnerability of ground nesting birds, of the importance in volunteers such as members of the local country Fire authority and Phillip Island surfing community partnering with wildlife management bodies to protect ground nesting birds, in particular the Penguin and short tailed shearwater rookeries at the Phillip Island Penguin Parade and other parts of Phillip Island. The article also reflects the growing awareness by the Victorian government of the importance of the Phillip Island Penguin Parade to the Victorian tourism economy. Written by naturalist Graham Pizzey, wrote regularly for the Melbourne Herald, the article is another example of how this journalist frequently emphasised Phillip Island’s flora and fauna in his newspaper column.

Photocopy made in 1980s of newspaper cutting. Black print and black and white images of original photograph of author Graham Pizzey within the article.

5/1/67

little penguins, fairy penguins, eudyptula minor, phillip island penguin parade, graham pizzey, penguin rookery, penguin behaviour, phillip island tourist attractions, short tailed shearwaters, phillip island conservation society, arthur rylah, victorian government, phillip island cfa, phillip island surfers, fires on foreshores

The general public was fascinated by the nightly 'Penguin Parade' on Phillip Island. Many articles have been written about the birds and the Penguin Parade attraction since the 1930s. So many people spent their summer holidays on Phillip Island in one of the many guest houses, then caravan parks and holiday homes and a visit to the Penguin Parade by them and their visitors was very common during their holidays. Articles tended to be a mix of basic penguin behavior information and anthropomorphic descriptions. Accompanying photographs were almost invariably taken by flashlight (now illegal), or of penguins taken from their burrows during daylight hours for photo opportunities. This article, written in the 1950s, describes the management of the Penguin Parade at that time as being run by the Penguin Preservation Committee. This was before the Phillip Island Council took over running the Penguin Parade.

The article provides evidence of the level of knowledge about Phillip Island's Little/Fairy Penguins at this time. (1957)

single full-page magazine article, black ink on white paper. Photocopied from original, so photos appear as black and white.

little penguins, fairy penguins, eudyptula minor, phillip island penguin parade, dorothy vernon, penguin rookery, penguin behaviour, phillip island tourist attractions

The general public was fascinated by the nightly 'Penguin Parade' on Phillip Island. Many articles have been written about the birds and the Penguin Parade attraction since the 1930s. So many people spent their summer holidays on Phillip Island in one of the many guest houses, then caravan parks and holiday homes and a visit to the Penguin Parade by them and their visitors was very common during their holidays. Articles tended to be a mix of basic penguin behavior information and anthropomorphic descriptions. Accompanying photographs were almost invariably taken by flashlight (now illegal), or of penguins taken from their burrows during daylight hours for photo opportunities.

The article provides evidence of the level of knowledge about Phillip Island's Little/Fairy Penguins at this time. (approx 1960?)

Photocopy of 2 page magazine article. Black print. Images poor quality due old photocopy.

little penguins, fairy penguins, eudyptula minor, phillip island penguin parade, dorothy vernon, penguin rookery, penguin behaviour, phillip island tourist attractions

By 1966 when this poem and article were written by these state school students, the Phillip Island Penguin Parade had become famous and was a regular excursion destination for groups. The poem in rhyming couplets of 4 lines per stanza is typical of its time with human-centric description of the penguins in 'coat and tails', but both the poem and essay also indicate a growing interest in the evolution and behaviour at sea and on land of the Little Penguins. The Gould League of Bird Lovers, Victoria branch, which published these pieces in their 1966 edition of the Bird Lover magazine, was established for both children's 'nature studies' within school curricula, and for adults. The League published many booklets, posters and newsletters for schools and naturalists.

The article demonstrates a growing interest in state schools in teaching students about Australian wildlife at the time. Little Penguins are very appealing to humans and given the accessiblity for viewing them at the Phillip Island Penguin Parade, provided teachers and students an ideal springboard for learning. Encouraging both poetry and essay form also indicated a broad approach to allowing students to express their knowledge and attitudes in various ways within the school setting.Also demonstrates the influence of the Gould League of Bird Lovers within the Victorian Education system.

Photocopy of article. Black print on white paper with single greyscale image. Three-stanza poem "The Penguin" by Janice Ah Kee, followed by 4-paragraph description of life in the rookery by Diana Joseph. Both from Victorian state schools.

litte penguin, fairy penguin, , bird lover, state school 3125 eagle point, state school 4655 morwell, janice ah kee, diana joseph, christine ryan photo, phillip island penguin parade, gould league of bird lovers, gould league of victoria, phillip island nature parks

Phillip Island's Little Penguin and other bird species populations became the popular subjects of field naturalist and bird observer field trips from the late 19th century. By 1948 the decline of the Little Penguin population on the island was very evident due to fox predation. There were still many gaps in the knowledge about their breeding and other on-shore activities, as well as their feeding habits at sea. Various magazines and newspapers featured updates of information on occasion. This is an example.

The article provides evidence of the level of knowledge about Phillip Island's Little/Fairy Penguins in the last 1940s.

Photocopy of magazine or newspaper article. Three separate pages.

phillip island, little penguins, fairy penguins, penguin rookeries, fox predation, penguin moult

Description by author of a visit to rookeries of the Little Penguin at the Point Grant end of Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia, during nesting season, 1920. Includes one photograph of 4 penguins. The author, Tom Tregallis, refers to the birds as moulting, but this takes place in March-April, so the article must have been written at that time, before its publication in November, 1920. Or Tregallis was mistaken in thinking some of the birds were moulting, as they do not go to sea during the moult. Tregallis also describes the penguin rookery at the Little Nobby and Shelly Beach nearby.

Few accounts of the Little Penguin rookeries on Phillip Island during the 1920s exist in publicly accessible form, so this is a valuable description of the physical area, the numbers of penguins there at the time, feral animals such as foxes, cats and rabbits, perceived behaviour of these animals at the time.

Photocopy of Magazine or Newspaper cutting, black and white/greyscale print, 10 paragraphs. Article includes single greyscale photo of four penguins. Photocopy has darker shading towards top and bottom of image.

little penguins, phillip island, nobbies, penguin rookeries, penguin moult, tom tregallis