March 2016 guest speaker

Boyd Blackman - Guest Speaker at the BIHS meeting, 9 March 2016 

Boyd Blackman, a long serving ranger of the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service was the March Guest Speaker.  Boyd spoke about his diverse role within the QPWS and how his indigenous background gave him a cultural insight into the historical aspect of the Island.  He has been based on Bribie Island for the past 12 years and previously worked on Fraser Island and in Mt. Isa.  

Guest speaker Boyd Blackman and BIHS President Lynne Hooper
at BIHS March 2016 meeting, Bribie Island.
Photo: Graham Mills

Boyd, a Butchulla man from the Hervey Bay area, spoke about his involvement in the Aboriginal community and his Maryborough grandfather, Jessie Aldridge, who lived to be 100 and taught Boyd about his aboriginal culture.

Boyd’s account of his day to day activities, his amusing anecdotes and stories were not only entertaining but informative. He regaled the meeting with information regarding everything from the introduced pine trees, native timbers, dugong, dolphins, dingoes and emus to keeping tourists under control in the National Park.  

Boyd advised of the difficulties in conserving the WW2 relics on the Island and how he has to juggle not only keeping the National and Marine Parks protected but also allowing members of the public to enjoy the beaches and parks through the Recreational Area Management scheme.