Tidbinbilla
As early as 1910, the unique landscape of the area we know today as the Tidbinbilla Valley was suggested as a suitable place for a Nature Reserve. In 1936 on the advice of the Royal Society of Australia, the Fedral Government set aside an area of 2000 acres in the Valey as a National Park & Fauna Reserve. The name Tidbinbilla was chosen for the newly created National Park & Fauna Reserve as it was derived from the Local Ngunnawal Aborigional word "Jebinbilla" - A Place where Boys become Men.
Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve is a 54.5 square kilometres (21.0 sq mi) , on the fringe of Namadgi National Park. The nature reserve consists of a large valley floor, nestled between Tidbinbilla and Gibraltar Ranges. The sides of the valley are steep and relatively undisturbed. The Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve now forms part of the Australian Alps National Parks, a series of parks and reserves that span Australia’s High Country. On 7 November 2008, the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve was added to the Australian National Heritage List The Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve is also Classified as an IUCN Category II Protected Area.
The Tidbinbilla Valley has a number of significant historical sites of Aboriginal use dating back over 20,000 years. The site with the most historical significance is the Birriagi Rock Shelter, which is the oldest Aboriginal site within the Australian Capital Territory.
In 1939, the first Koala enclosure was built by the Institute of Anatomy, and six were imported from Victoria due to being driven to extinction in the ACT. Following ongoing pressure from groups such as the Royal Society of Canberra, freehold land was gazetted in 1964 and a Ranger was appointed, adding 6,987 acres of freehold land to the reserve. In 1969 three large compounds were constructed for emus, kangaroos, and waterfowl, and bird feeding tables were established. In the November 1971 the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve was officially gazetted in its current form.
Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve is home to a wide range of Australian animals living in diverse Sub-Alpine habitats including wetlands, grasslands, wet and dry forests and woodlands. These habitats support a wide range of wildlife including, Kngaroos, Wallabies, Koalas, Platypus, Potoroos, Bandicoots, Wallaroos, Echidnas, Emus, Lyrebirds as well as many other birds and reptiles.
To Claim this Geocache
To Log this Cache as Found - You are required to go to Both the GZ and the Early Settlers Plaque Waypoint.
At the Posted Coordinates: Take a Photo of Yourself or Something with your Geocaching Name that shows one of the two "Welcome to Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve" Signs in the Background. This photo must be included with your "Found It" log.
At the Early Settlers Plaque Waypoint: Locate the Plaque and Answer the following question: According to the Information on the Plaque, Tidbinbilla was First Settteled in what Year?
Note: Please send a message or email with your answer to the CO. Please Do Not post the answers to the question in your "Found It" log. Any "Found It Log without the required Photo may be deleted without notice.
Example "Found It" Log Photo
Virtual Rewards 3.0 - 2022-2023
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between March 1, 2022 and March 1, 2023. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 3.0 on the Geocaching Blog.