EXPERIMENTS IN THE RANGELANDS - Rethinking Invasion Ecologies from the Environmental Humanities - page 110

Peacock had great respect for the native vegetation of the semi-arid interior. It
was uniquely adapted to its environment, it could teach settlers about the long-
term climate, it was drought-resistant, the number of species was 'truly remarkable',
and 'in its primeval condition was admirably adapted for the support of animal life
throughout prolonged periods of dry weather' (ibid.: 652). His Agricultural Gazette
article seethed with an undercurrent of outrage that exploitative stocking methods
had left 'many varieties . . . well-nigh extinct'. In tandem with wheat experiments,
he began planting trial plots and paddocks with various saltbushes.
The genus name for saltbushes is Atriplex and different species grow around the
world in semi-arid and arid climates. They tolerate soils with high salt content and
their leaves are salty to taste. They have been consumed in human diets for
millennia but recently they have been valued more for their role in renewing
degraded and salt-affected soils in drylands. In 1904, Peacock had planted 60 acres
of saltbushes at the Coolabah Experiment Farm (Figure 7.3). The most valuable for
pastoral properties, and probably the most well-known species, was Old Man
Saltbush ( Atriplex nummularia ). Peacock's Old Men grew 3 metres tall and stayed
green for the duration of the drought. Protecting the plants and allowing them to
reach that height meant the higher branches were beyond the reach of the sheep
and this prevented over-grazing. It provided shelter for animals, produced an
abundance of seed, and was easy to cultivate.
FIGURE 7.3 Saltbush cultivated under the management of Robert Peacock in 1900.
The original caption in his report read, 'Saltbush that is given a chance in the
Coolabah Experiment Farm Paddock.'
Source: Agricultural Gazette of New South Wales , National Library of Australia.