Uralba Nature Reserve Plan of Management

The gullies of the western side of the Reserve contain important remnants of the former “Big Scrub” which was once the largest continuous tract of sub-tropical rainforest in Australia covering approximately 75,000 hectares of the rich basalt soils between Ballina, Lismore and Bangalow.

From the 1860s onwards the Big Scrub was heavily cleared for valuable timber species and later agriculture, and by 1900 was essentially gone. Today approximately 0.4% of the original Big Scrub remains, and even less is in relatively intact condition. Other Big Scrub remnants include Boatharbour, Victoria Park, Davis Scrub, Hayters Hill, Andrew Johnston Big Scrub and Wilson Nature Reserves.

The eastern side of the Reserve occurs on the forested ridge of the Blackall Range which is an important landscape feature visible from the surrounding coastal plains, Alstonville Plateau and highways.