2001
- May 19 – 20 : Buchan, working bee
- September 22 – 23 : Buchan, working bee
- December 1 – 2 : Buchan, Annual General Meeting
NB: The first working bee was originally going to be 31st March – 1st April, but this was postponded on 28th March to the later date of 19th – 20th May.
Barbecues may be held at 6PM on the Saturday of each working bee weekend, at the Guides’ Hut in the main Caves Reserve. Meat and salads provided; bring your own drinks. Please let the someone on the committee know if you are coming so that adequate catering can be made.
2001 Letters to members
1st May 2001
Dear Friends,
On Sunday 6th May 2001 the Victoria’s Parks Festival is being held at Albert Park in Melbourne. This letter includes a copy of the flyer from Parks Victoria. The Friends of Buchan Caves are participating in the “Friends Village” marquee along with a dozen or so other Friends groups.
We will be putting on a display of photographs and information about the Friends of Buchan Caves and it will be manned during the Festival hours of 11am – 4pm. If you would like to come down, see the Festival (its free), and help us out by putting in some time at the Friends display to talk with the public about what we do, please contact Erica or Jim as we need your support.
This letter is also to inform you of the new committee and announce the calendar of working bee dates for 2001. The Annual General Meeting was held on Saturday 2nd December 2000 at the Guide’s Hut in the Buchan Caves Reserve. A small band of ten Friends and staff from the Reserve enjoyed the free BBQ and a productive meeting.
The Committee for 2001 is:
- President, Jim Tulk
- Vice President, Karen Smith
- Secretary, Erica Maggs
- Treasurer, Anne Raner
The working bee weekend dates for 2001 are:
- 19th – 20th May
- 22nd – 23rd September
- 1st – 2nd December (AGM on 1st)
Please contact Erica or Jim if you are coming along on a working bee, so we can plan the catering for the free BBQ which will be held at 630PM on the Saturday night. The first working bee is only two weeks from now, and will include the continuation of calcite restoration and cleaning in the tourist caves, and discussions on the grant for interpretive signage at the Potholes.
Regards,
Erica Maggs (Secretary) and Jim Tulk (President)
Erica, Home (03) 9808 7248, Mob (0412) 357 827, email: 
Jim, Home (03) 9458 2485, Mob (0413) 800 223, email: 
26th November 2001
Dear Friends,
2001 Working Bees Report
There were two working bee weekends held earlier this year, on 19th – 20th May and 22nd – 23rd September. Both weekends were attended by just two Friends, Erica Maggs and Glenn Baddeley. It was very disappointing to see the lack of support provided by other Friends members on the working bees. There was good weather on both weekends. Ranger Dale Calnin continued in his capacity as the Friends group coordinator for Parks Victoria.
No grants or major projects were completed this year, although work has been done on text and layout for a proposed major interpretation sign at the Potholes reserve. The other notable activities undertaken were:
- Measuring up for new stainless steel cable hand-rails in Federal Cave.
- Assessing the damage to the revegetation area at the Potholes reserve following the grass fire earlier this year. Approximately a quarter of the “lower” revegetation area was burnt up to about 50cm in height, with quite a few trees burnt further up their trunks and branches. Fortunately it looks like only a couple will die. Some of the wooden fence posts were blackened but they escaped any structural damage. A lot of the plastic insulators on the bottom strand of the electric fence were melted, and these will need replacement if the fence is to continue working effectively. The electrics are still working OK.
Notice of 10th Annual General Meeting
The AGM will be held in the guide-hut at the Buchan Caves Reserve on Saturday 1st December 2001 at 8PM. The usual business of the meeting is the presentation of the Annual Financial Report, the election of a committee for 2002, and to decide the working bee dates for the coming year.
It is planned to have a free barbecue outside the guide-hut, commencing at 630PM. This is subject to enough people letting us know by the night of Thursday 29th November that they will be there. We can then provide enough food, such as Salads, bread, cooked sausages and hamburgers. Please bring your own drinks.
The $2 individual and $5 family annual membership fee becomes due at the AGM, so if you come along it will be an ideal chance to renew your membership of the Friends.
It would be good to see some new people on the committee. Please consider volunteering, the work involved in each of the four positions is really very easy. Hope to see you there!
Yours sincerely,
Erica Maggs (Secretary) and Jim Tulk (President)
Erica, Home (03) 9808 7248, Mob (0412) 357 827, email:
Jim, Home (03) 9458 2485, Mob (0413) 800 223, email: