Last updated 17Sep23

Fork Fencing on Sheep Station Creek

The remnant Fork Fencing on Sheep Station Creek is located near the confluence of Sheep Station Creek and Naas Creek, south of Lutons Crutching Shed, in the Namadgi National Park.

Location: GR 55H FA 75930-33115 (MGA94), Yaouk 8626-2N 1:25000

This site is no more, probably burnt in the 2019-2020 bushfires.


Remnant fork fencing across Sheep Station Creek, August 2014

There is a further smaller site (no photo) around 1.3km up Sheep Station Creek at around GR 55H FA 74664-32613 (MGA94), Yaouk 8626-2N 1:25000

Visits: 16-17 Sep 23, 30 Aug 14, 3 Sep 11, 19 Jul 11, 18 Mar 08

Photographs are available.

Documentation:

• Gudgenby: A register of archaeological sites in the proposed Gudgenby National Park, J H Winston-Gregson MA thesis, ANU, 1978. Site B7. Two fork fences. Directly across the valley of Sheep Station Creek. Rough timber. Originally a large, square enclosure valued at £14 for Alexander Brayshaw in 1879. Condition is very good until the fences reach dry ground at the edges of the valley; at this point they immediately fragment. The fences are about 200m long and about 400m apart. See extracts of the relevant pages in the photos above.

• Sites of Significance in the ACT. A 9 volume set, pre-cursor to the ACT Heritage Register. Published in 1988 (Vols 1-7), 1989 (Vol 8) and 1990 (Vol 9); pp38-43. Site G32. The site includes a long section of fork fencing crossing the swampy valley of Sheep Station Creek. The fence was built by burying the lower part of a forked or branched section of a tree with the forks protruding as a ‘Y’. A sequence of these (spaced at intervals of a few metres) are then filled and linked with branches and logs to form an effective stock fence. This is a long and intact section of such fencing which was widely used in Gudgenby, particularly in the upper Naas valley. The fences are gradually falling into disrepair and decay but there are many fine examples (such as this one) still to be seen. They are clear examples of the use of a readily available resource (the Snow Gums are commonly strongly branched or forked close to the ground) to establish grazing boundaries in the Gudgenby area. See extracts of the relevant pages in the photos above.