Kensington Bushland Reserve

Kensington bushland reserve is a significant remnant of Swan Coastal Plain vegetation, that has been reserved in the suburb of Kensington, in Perth, Western Australia, by the state government.

It is located west of Kent Street Senior High School, and lies on the north side of Kent Street. The portion of Jarrah Road that defined the western boundary of the reserve is a cul de sac, known as Baron Hay Court. Across the road is a Department of Agriculture complex. It is bounded to the north by Harold Rossiter Park, and George Reserve and has an area of 9.1 ha. It is close to the Western Australian Herbarium. In 2000 it was designated as "Bush Forever Site 48" by the Government of Western Australia.

It was made a reserve in the 1990s when the suburb was still located within Perth City council boundaries. It is now within the Town of Victoria Park local government area, and is managed together with "The Kent Street Sand Pit" and the "George Street Reserve" (a contaminated landfill site) as a single entity, the "Jirdarup Bushland Precinct". This Precinct has a total area of 17.9 hectares. The name Jirdarup is a Nyoongar word meaning "place of birds". The Town of Victoria Park plans to rehabilitate the Sandpit site.

Description
It lies on the Bassendean Dune system, the oldest and most easterly of the sand dune systems of the Swan Coastal Plain.

Flora
Key upper storey plant species within the bushland are Banksia menziesii, Banksia attenuata and Jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata). As of 2003, some 207 plant species have been found, representing 42 families and 111 genera. Major weeds are Asparagus asparagoides, perennial veldt grass, Gladiolus caryophyllaceus, while Ehrharta longiflora, Ursinia anthemoides, and Misopates orontium are also threatening also to become a problem.

This bushland is part of the threatened ecological community (TEC), Banksia woodlands of the Swan Coastal Plain, the main threats to which are: fragmentation, dieback, weed invasion, inappropriate fire regimes and climate change. In February 2016, a bushfire burned approximately 70% of the native vegetation of the reserve.

1. Acacia huegelii

2. Acacia pulchella Prickly Moses

3. Acacia rostellifera Summer-scented Wattle

4. Acacia saligna Orange Wattle

5. Acacia sphacelata

6. Acacia stenoptera Narrow-winged Wattle

7. Acacia willdenowiana Grass Wattle

8. Adenanthos cygnorum Common Woollybush

9. Alexgeorgea nitens

10. Allocasuarina fraseriana Sheoak

11. Allocasuarina humilis Dwarf Sheoak

12. Amphipogon amphipogonoides-

13. Amphipogon turbinatus

14. Anigozanthos humilis Catspaw

15. Anigozanthos manglesii Mangles Kangaroo Paw

16. Arnocrinum preissii

17. Astroloma macrocalyx Swan Berry

18. Astroloma pallidum Kick Bush

19. Austrostipa compressa

20. Austrostipa elegantissima

21. Austrostipa flavescens

22. Austrostipa hemipogon

23. Austrostipa mollis

24. Banksia attenuata Slender Banksia

25. Banksia ilicifolia Holly-leafed Banksia

26. Banksia menziesii Firewood Banksia

27. Billardiera fraseri Elegant Pronaya

28. Billardiera fusiformis Australian Bluebell

29. Billardiera heterophylla Gumug

30. Bossiaea eriocarpa Common Brown Pea

31. Brachyscome bellidioides

32. Burchardia congesta Kara

33. Caladenia discoidea Dancing Orchid

34. Caladenia ferruginea Rusty Spider Orchid

35. Caladenia filifera Blood Spider Orchid

36. Caladenia flava Cowslip Orchid

37. Caladenia latifolia Pink Fairy Orchid

38. Caladenia longicauda Common White Spider Orchid

39. Caladenia longiclavata Clubbed Spider Orchid

40. Caladenia macrostylis Leaping Spider Orchid

41. Calandrinia corrigioloides Strap Purslane

42. Calandrinia granulifera Pygmy Purslane

43. Calectasia narragara

44. Calothamnus sanguineus Silky-leaved Blood Flower

45. Calytrix angulata Yellow Starflower

46. Calytrix flavescens Summer Starflower

47. Calytrix fraseri Pink Summer Calytrix

48. Cassytha racemosa Dodder Laurel

49. Chamaescilla corymbosa Blue Squill

50. Comesperma calymega Blue-spike Milkwort

51. Conostephium pendulum Pearl Flower

52. Conostephium preissii

53. Conostylis aculeata Prickly Conostylis

54. Conostylis aculeata subsp. aculeata

55. Conostylis aurea Golden Conostylis

56. Conostylis juncea

57. Conostylis setigera Bristly Cottonhead

58. Corynotheca micrantha Sand Lily

59. Crassula colorata Dense Stonecrop

60. Cyanicula sericea

61. Dampiera linearis Common Dampiera

62. Dasypogon bromeliifolius Pineapple Bush

63. Daviesia divaricata Marno

64. Daviesia nudiflora

65. Daviesia triflora

1. Desmocladus flexuosus

2. Dianella revoluta Blueberry Lily

3. Dianella revoluta var. divaricata

4. Dianella revoluta var. revoluta

5. Diuris brumalis

6. Diuris magnifica

7. Drosera erythrorhiza Red Ink Sundew

8. Drosera huegelii Bold Sundew

9. Drosera macrantha Bridal Rainbow

10. Drosera menziesii Pink Rainbow

11. Drosera menziesii subsp. penicillaris

12. Drosera pallida Pale Rainbow

13. Drosera stolonifera Leafy Sundew

14. Eremaea pauciflora

15. Eremaea pauciflora var pauciflora

16. Eriochilus dilatatus subsp. dilatatus

17. Eucalyptus marginata Jarrah

18. Eucalyptus todtiana Coastal Blackbutt

19. Gastrolobium capitatum

20. Gompholobium tomentosum Hairy Yellow Pea

21. Haemodorum spicatum Mardja

22. Hardenbergia comptoniana Native Wisteria

23. Hemiandra pungens Snakebush

24. Hibbertia huegelii

25. Hibbertia hypericoides Yellow Buttercups

26. Hibbertia racemosa Stalked Guinea Flower

27. Hibbertia subvaginata

28. Hovea trisperma Common Hovea

29. Hyalosperma cotula

30. Hybanthus calycinus Wild Violet

31. Hypocalymma robustum Swan River Myrtle

32. Hypolaena exsulca

33. Isotropis cuneifolia Granny Bonnets

34. Jacksonia furcellata Grey Stinkwood

35. Jacksonia lehmannii

36. Jacksonia sternbergiana Stinkwood

37. Johnsonia pubescens Pipe Lily

38. Kennedia prostrata Scarlet Runner

39. Lagenophora huegelii

40. Laxmannia squarrosa

41. Lepidobolus preissianus

42. Lepidosperma angustatum

43. Lepidosperma squamatum

44. Leptomeria cunninghamii

45. Leptomeria empetriformis

46. Leptospermum spinescens

47. Leucopogon conostephioides

48. Leucopogon parviflorus Coast Beard-heath

49. Leucopogon propinquus

50. Levenhookia stipitata Common Stylewort

51. Lobelia tenuior Slender Lobelia

52. Lomandra caespitosa Tufted Mat Rush

53. Lomandra hermaphrodita

54. Lomandra nigricans

55. Lomandra odora Tiered Mat Rush

56. Lomandra preissii

57. Lomandra suaveolens

58. Lyginia barbata

59. Lysinema ciliatum Curry Flower

60. Macarthuria australis

61. Macrozamia riedlei Zamia

62. Melaleuca seriata

63. Mesomelaena pseudostygia Semophore Sedge

64. Mesomelaena stygia

65. Microtis media Tall Mignonette Orchid

1. Monotaxis grandiflora Diamond of the Desert

2. Neurachne alopecuroidea Foxtail Mulga Grass

3. Nuytsia floribunda Christmas Tree

4. Olearia paucidentata Autumn Scrub Daisy

5. Patersonia occidentalis Purple Flag

6. Persoonia saccata Snottygobble

7. Petrophile linearis Pixie Mop

8. Petrophile macrostachya

9. Pheladenia deformis Blue Fairy Orchid

10. Philotheca spicata Pepper and Salt

11. Phlebocarya ciliata

12. Pimelea suaveolens Scented Banjine

13. Pimelea sulphurea Yellow Banjine

14. Podolepis gracilis Slender gracilis

15. Podotheca angustifolia Sticky Longheads

16. Podotheca chrysantha Yellow Podotheca

17. Podotheca gnaphalioides Golden Long-heads

18. Poranthera microphylla Small Poranthera

19. Pterostylis dilatata

20. Pterostylis pyramidalis Snail Orchid

21. Pterostylis recurva Jug Orchid

22. Pterostylis sanguinea

23. Pterostylis vittata Banded Greenhood

24. Regelia inops

25. Rytidosperma caespitosum

26. Scaevola canescens Grey Scaevola

27. Scaevola repens

28. Schoenus brevisetis

29. Schoenus curvifolius

30. Schoenus lanatus Woolly Bog-rush

31. Schoenus latitans

32. Scholtzia involucrata Spiked Scholtzia

33. Siloxerus humifusus Procumbent Siloxerus

34. Sowerbaea laxiflora Purple Tassels

35. Stachystemon vermicularis

36. Stackhousia monogyna

37. Stirlingia latifolia Blueboy

38. Stylidium amoenum Lovely Triggerplant

39. Stylidium androsaceum

40. Stylidium brunonianum Pink Fountain Triggerplant

41. Stylidium calcaratum Book Triggerplant

42. Stylidium carnosum Fleshy-leaved Triggerplant

43. Stylidium diuroides Donkey Triggerplant

44. Stylidium junceum Reed Triggerplant

45. Stylidium neurophyllum Coastal Plain Triggerplant

46. Stylidium piliferum Common Butterfly Triggerplant

47. Stylidium repens Matted Triggerplant

48. Stylidium schoenoides Cow Kicks

49. Styphelia tenuiflora Common Pinheath

50. Synaphea spinulosa

51. Taxandria linearifolia

52. Thelymitra graminea Shy Sun Orchid

53. Thelymitra macrophylla Scented Sun Orchid

54. Thysanotus manglesianus Fringed Lily

55. Thysanotus sparteus

56. Thysanotus tenellus

57. Thysanotus triandrus

58. Trachymene pilosa Native Parsnip

59. Tricoryne elatior Yellow Autumn Lily

60. Tripterococcus brunonis Winged Stackhousia

61. Verticordia densiflora Compacted Featherflower

62. Wahlenbergia gracilenta Annual Bluebell

63. Waitzia suaveolens Fragrant Waitzia

64. Xanthorrhoea brunonis

65. Xanthorrhoea preissii Balga, Grass Tree

66. Xanthosia huegelii

1. Asparagus asparagoides (Bridal Creeper)

2. Avena barbata (Bearded Oat)

3. Brassica tournefortii (Mediterranean Turnip)

4. Briza maxima (Blowfly Grass)

5. Bromus diandrus (Great Brome)

6. Chamelaucium uncinatum (Geraldton Wax)

7. Conyza bonariensis (Flaxleaf Fleabane)

8. Corymbia citriodora (Lemon-scented Gum)

9. Corymbia maculata (Spotted Gum)

10. Ehrharta calycina (Perennial Veldt Grass)

11. Ehrharta cf. longiflora/brevifolia? (Annual Veldt Grass)

1. Eragrostis curvula (African Lovegrass)

2. Eucalyptus camaldulensis (River Gum)

3. Euphorbia terracina (Geraldton Carnation Weed)

4. Euphorbia peplus (Petty Spurge)

5. Fumaria capreolata (Whiteflower Fumitory)

6. Fumaria muralis (Wall Fumitory)

7. Fumaria bastardii

8. Gladiolus caryophyllaceus (Wild Gladiolus)

9. Hordeum glaucum (Northern Barley Grass)

10. Lupinus sp. (Lupin)

11. Malva parviflora (Marshmallow)

1. Medicago sp. (Medic)

2. Misopates orantium (Lesser Snapdragon)

3. Oxalis pes-caprae (Soursob)

4. Pelargonium capitatum (Rose Pelargonium)

5. Raphanus raphanistrum (Wild Radish)

6. Romulea rosea (Guildford Grass)

7. Solanum nigrum (Black Berry Nightshade)

8. Sonchus asper (Rough Sowthistle)

9. Sonchus oleraceus (Common Sowthistle)

10. Ursinia anthemoides (Ursinia)

Fauna
Significant bird species which may be seen in the bushland are Carnaby's Black Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus latirostris) - endangered, Forest Red-tailed Black Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus banksii) - vulnerable, and the rainbow bee-eater (Merops ornatus), with Forest Redtailed Black-Cockatoo being year-round residents of the area. Pitfall trapping in 2017 found eight native reptiles. These included the western bobtail (Tiliqua rugosa), dugites (Pseudonaja affinis), the western bearded dragon (Pogona minor), and Buchanan's snake-eyed skink (Cryptoblepharus buchananii).

This tiny piece of remnant bushland has often been the subject of surveys. Thus, one of the first Australian records for the aphid, Uroleucon erigeronense is from Kensington Bushland. The day-flying moth, Pollanisus occidentalis, is found in abundance in the bushland. A new species of robber fly, Cerdistus hudsoni, has so far (2011) only been found in two places, one of which is Kensington Bushland.