the land
"Willumbin" - the ecovillage site
history: indigenous & pastoral
The large (110ha / 269acres) and magnificent Ecovillage land parcel has a diverse array of topography and features.
“Willumbin”, as it was known in recent times, has had an interesting history. This extraordinary site forms an important part of the beautiful Currumbin Valley which, in pre-European settlement must have been an absolute paradise.
Located just a few hundred metres upstream from the tidal salt water of Currumbin Creek, Willumbin has a diversity of land forms from creek flats to hillside ridges, an elevated valley and a second water course that surely proved a magnificent home for the indigenous owners who resided in the locality for thousands of years. We have been advised by our cultural heritage consultants that the main ridgeline on Willumbin formed an important ‘foot highway’ from the coast through to lands to the west including rainforest areas of Springbrook and beyond.
Apparently, the ridges were ‘public property’ for travellers, whilst the lower lands were tribally guarded and used for hunter gatherings and camping of the local groups.
European settlement commenced with timber getting of rainforest species with the valley being a rich resource. This was followed by farming procedures which saw much of the slight sloping land cleared for beef cattle pasture.
Banana farming around the turn of the century completely cleared most of the valley hillsides including Willumbin’s slopes leaving only crerk vegetation, giant Fig trees, some mango trees and scattered hardwood along the ridge - the Ecovillage land was almost totally denuded.
After the banana ‘bunchy-top’ epidemic in the early 1920s and a moratorium on all banana production, dairy farming was resumed on the site. The land was used for dairy grazing with fodder cropping on the creek flats through to the 1980s.
There has been much vegetation regrowth since the site was simply used for agistment grazing purposes and The Ecovillage has a comprehensive revegetation plan to beautify the site and enhance biodiversity.
In the 1970s the then owner planted a 25 acre native Hoop Pine forest which is now a mature feature. This forest now requires thinning to make the most of this much loved area and timber will be used sustainably in the making of community buildings. It is envisaged that this forestry initiative will, over the years, offset the wood used in home construction by enlightened forestry practice.
land use: wise and sustainable
The diverse landscapes of “Willumbin” allowed a site led design to unfold throughout the planning stages of The Ecovillage. As ‘developers’ of the project, Landmatters took on a ‘custodian’ role - believing that the land dictates what is right for where and merely helping others align themselves with that vision. Many principles that protect the land are in place - minimal cutting and filling to position homes, smaller footprints of buildings, leaving the topograph and site hydrology in tact and working so as to not impact on other areas and increasing of biodiversity on the land - bringing it back to it’s original state. Revegetation and regeneration have occurred to beautify and coax wildlife to co-habitate on the site - this is why there is a strict ‘no dogs / cats’ policy in the Ecovillage.
The precincts fall predominantly into three main types:
• The Creek Ecohamlets bordered by Currumbin Creek Road and the pools and cascades of Currumbin Creek;
• The Valley Terraces gently sloping elevated pasture overlooking Currumbin Creek; and
• The Highlands, an elevated undulating valley system with its own forested ridges, small creek and views towards the Pacific Ocean.
For an aerial view of the site with precincts marked click here.
