A recent visit to Kial, the Bridled Nail Tail wallaby refuge near Marlborough, gave Maurie Shorley, Greg Adams and Lyn Smith, all from Adnaught Sheet Metal Fabrication in Rockhampton, the opportunity to see how their generous donation of a stainless steel ‘hospital’ table was being put to use.

As well, it enabled them to see first hand, the time and dedication being given to the long term survival of these timid endangered animals by Tina Janssen and partner Peter Brooks, ably assisted by a band of both local and overseas volunteers and supported by Queensland Parks and Wildlife. There are currently volunteers from America and England at Kial, who have come to Australia, specifically to work with the Nailtails.

Bridled Nail Tail Wallabies, or Flash Jacks as they are often known, disappeared from the mallee scrubs of New South Wales and Victoria in the early 1900s and were thought to be extinct, until in 1973, the presence of a small population was reported near Dingo in Central Queensland. Animals are now being repatriated to Kial with a view to breeding and release into Taunton National Park near Dingo.

“Very few Australians are aware of how little information is available about the immunobiology of our endangered marsupials,” Ms Janssen said.

“Dr Lauren Young who is a marsupial immunologist at Central Queensland University is building a group at CQU that is continuing to study things like the identity and arrangement of the immune cells in the tissues of the Nailtail which hopefully will lead to vaccines being developed. To have Adnaught contribute this sterile table to work on, will help make this research more valuable,” she said.

Ms Janssen said the operation at Kial was very dependant on the goodwill of people in Central Queensland, with items such as fencing, feed, cash donations, cooking pots and other items already put to good use.

“We have a wish list which is pretty long,” Ms Janssen said, “But you never know if someone might be throwing goods away, and we have a bunch of needy wallabies up here as well as a bunch of caring volunteers who could make good use of any of the items on our wish list.”.

Glenys Kirkwood, the Co-ordinator of the CQU Community Program can arrange delivery or is happy to be the contact point for any donations to Kial. She can be contacted by phone on 4923 2734 or by email on g.kirkwood@cqu.edu.au .

Photo above: Lyn Smith with 6-week-old Nailtail Joey. Lyn is now intent on making new ‘pouch-bags’ for orphaned Joeys.

Photo left: Lyn Smith, Maurie Shorley and Greg Adams from Adnaught Sheet Metal Fabrication admiring a 3-week-old Joey who is now benefiting from the ‘hospital’ table donated by Adnaught.