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| Robert Miller is pleased to see wildlife returning to his farm after the Black Summer fires. (Supplied: Robert Miller) |
By Justin Huntsdale
Before 70 per cent of his New South Wales dairy farm burnt in the devastating bushfires of 2019–20, Robert Miller's property was teeming with wildlife.
"We saw lots of big lizards, lace monitors, goannas, blue tongues, snakes, and birds," he said.
"We have a billabong on the farm plus rainforest, so we have a pretty good setting for native wildlife."
The Currowan fire that hit his property in Milton five years ago burnt nearly 500,000 hectares across the state's south east.
"After the fires, the place was silent," Mr Miller said.
"The lack of insects was the big thing."
Since then he has been nursing his farm back to health, planting trees to replace the ones he lost, and hoping to see signs of fauna returning
'Like it's the boss'
Mr Miller was driving on the farm recently when he saw what he estimated to be a 1.8-metre-long lace monitor strolling along the road.
The reptile, sometimes called a tree goanna, can grow up to 2m in length.
"It was such a shock because it's six feet long and we haven't seen them on the property since before the fires," Mr Miller said.
He said it gave him hope that animal populations on the property were recovering.
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R Robert Miller says it's reassuring to see the land return to its previous state. (Supplied: Robert Miller) |
"It shows the bush is regenerated and the animal life has come back," he said.
"It's a pleasure to know that things get back to normal."
Mr Miller said he had seen the lace monitor every day since the first sighting.
Whether the lizard was born on the property or travelled there, it has happily set up residence near the property's billabong.
"It's just living there on the trees, you see it wandering around, it walks up the road as if it owns the place — it's like it's the boss," Mr Miller said.
'A very fat reptile'
Years of consistent rain have turned Mr Miller's billabong into a rich ecosystem with a variety of food for the lace monitor to feast on.
"We've got a billabong full of frogs and insects, so the habitat is there for it to have a great feed," he said.
"When you look at the pictures of it, it's a very fat reptile, so it's doing its job and it's enjoying itself."
Mr Miller said consistent years of La Niña weather patterns had brought welcome rain to his property, nourishing the soil and his young trees.
"Everything is starting to flourish again — the bird life is great and is probably brought back by the insects, and now we have these big lizards," he said.
"Humans have been through the trauma and the animal world has been through the same thing.
"Everything returns to normal after time."
'Hard to describe'
At Kevin Clampsom and Lorita Baumann's property at East Lynne, south of Milton, burnt trees that were hollowed out in the fires still come crashing down in high winds.
The WIRES volunteers rebuilt a wildlife rehabilitation enclosure that was destroyed and, like Mr Miller, did not see much wildlife for years after the bushfires.
But animals are slowly re-establishing themselves here too.
"It's encouraging and inspiring to hear Robert's story about wildlife returning," Mr Clampson said.
"We are surrounded by bushland rather than pasture, but it still took two to three years before wildlife began returning in any significant numbers."
NBA star Patty Mills visited the East Lynne property with supporters after the Black Summer fires.
(Supplied: Kevin Clampsom and Lorita Baumann)
Mr Clampson said even the smell of smoke causes concern and prompts them to call neighbours and other WIRES members.
"It's hard to describe the feeling of seeing green growth return to the trees and the land," he said.
"But the trauma of living through such a formidable event will never leave us."
First published at ABC News, February 4, 2025
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