Director of Outdoor Education, Tallong Campus

For the final Veritas Voice article for the term I thought I would write about something I suspect most people in our school community know nothing about. The Tallong Midge Orchid.

The Tallong Midge Orchid is seen as an emblem of the Tallong district. It is one of the rarest plants in Australia, occurring in only a few small areas in and around Tallong, and on a site in Moreton National Park. No other habitats have been located anywhere else in the world. It grows on very shallow soil or within mosses on sandstone conglomerate shelves. The Midge Orchids don’t necessarily flower every year, often skipping years when rainfall hasn’t occurred prior to the flowering season.

Some 20 years ago these orchids were discovered on the Tallong campus and are now managed by the NPWS who do annual audits and health checks on the plants. The locations of these orchids on the campus are a closely guarded secret. So not only does the campus hold a special place in the hearts of the Santa Sabina College community but the landscape also nourishes and protects these beautiful orchids. We look forward to protecting and nurturing these fragile plants into the future and encourage all of the students who visit the campus to become stewards of our natural world.

Kendal Hann
Director of Outdoor Education and Tallong Campus