Ligurian BeeBEES
"Smaller heaps of dead bees formed throughout the living room"
The Ligurian Bee story starts in 1884 when the South Australian Chamber of Manufacturers sent Ligurian bees to two Kangaroo Island farmers, John Buick of American River and John Turner of Smiths Bay. One year later other Island residents received Ligurian queen bees imported from Bologna, Italy.
The South Australian parliament subsequently proclaimed Kangaroo Island a sanctuary for Ligurian bees and no other breeds of bee have been introduced.
In October 1885 August Fiebig began commercial queen-bee breeding near Penneshaw, but ceased operating in 1890 due to geographical isolation and inadequate transport between Island and mainland.
Because of the Island's isolation all present-day honeybees are descendants of the early imports. They are pure Ligurian and, as such, are unique in the world.
Ligurian bees are renowned for their gentle nature and productivity. These characteristics, and the purity of the strain, make them a valuable genetic pool for breeding purposes. Mated queen bees are regularly exported interstate and overseas.
Legislation was introduced in 1931 prohibiting the importation of bees and of second-hand beekeeping equipment to the Island. Since then, the identification of Foul Brood Disease in mainland hives has necessitated the banning of all bee products to the Island to ensure that the Island's bees remain disease-free.
Experiences
The loud hum of bees, especially around some of the trees, is common at Western Cove. For many years a hive was situated in an old, rusting fridge standing outdoors which had its door partly open. Occasionally I considered stealing some honey but always had second thoughts due to the possibility of getting stung.
On a few occasions when my wood-burning stove was not used for several months, bees took up residence in the flue. I cleared them by burning some wood. Dead bees dropped into the fire and honey flowed downwards.
Several times when I was absent the stove-door was left slightly open and some bees squeezed through and into the house. Inside the stove dead bees lay four centimetres deep, and smaller heaps of dead bees formed throughout the living room. However, not all were dead; once when I was barefoot I got stung on two toes which was unpleasant.
1944 Report
Here is an item from the Adelaide Chronicle of 1944 which mentions Ligurian Bees:
Adelaide Chronicle, 10 February 1944
Out Among The People
- By "Vox"
STURDY GUM CUTTER
The other morning just before sunrise I was on a comfortable small ship looking across Nepean Bay. The landscape bathed in battleship grey, and I thought of the busy scenes of 1836 there when the first sailing ships landed our pioneering settlers on Kangaroo Island shores before coming on to Glenelg. Now the island is a popular holiday and fishing resort, and big progress is being made in bringing thousands of acres into profitable production.
There was much yacca gum, 60 tons of it, waiting to be picked up on Kingscote jetty, and when I went to the town I ran into Joe Jones, who claims to have cut more gum on KI than any other man — thousands of tons. I recalled that Dr. W. A. Hargreaves once told me that we do not yet know the value of yacca gum. Joe Jones, who went to KI 30 years ago, says they are just scavenging country that has been cut to pieces for years. The gum is nearly all tied up on Crown lands now. He reckons that the island gum is of better quality than the mainland product. Joe is the type of man to make Australia advance. He thrives on gum cutting, works 10 to 12 hours a day and gains weight on it; cheerfully says it is a dirty job, but a healthy dirt. In the past 30 years he has had seven years of war. He served with the 32nd Bn. in Great War I., and with the 27th in this war in Syria and Egypt, and at 51 is proud to say that he has three sons 'boxing on,' two in the Army and one in the RAA
LIGURIAN BEES
THEN we met Harry Hansen (curator) who had just come in from Flinders Chase reserve with the chairman (Mr. J. H. Gosse) and a party of friends who had spent a week out there— Mr. K .R. Elder, Mr Ernest Luxmoore, Mr. Arnie Knapman. Mr. Herbert Rymill. I discussed with Mr. Hansen the Ligurian bees, and he said that he had suggested years ago something should be done about them. When Mr. Ophel saw them first he jumped at the chance. “They have about 16 swarms there now, and there are hundreds in the trees,” Mr. Hansen told me. “Next month we will get plenty of honey, beautiful honey; you cannot buy honey like it anywhere else.”
SAW A PLATYPUS
EVER since he was appointed chairman of the Fauna and Flora Board some years ago, Mr. Gosse has gone to Flinders Chase annually and taken friends with him. Some day, with a good road round it and with normal transport facilities, the chase will be one of the show places of Australia. According to Mr. Hanson's records, there were 184 visitors last year.
The party last week were thrilled when they saw a platypus in Rocky River, a sign that they must be doing well. And in beautiful condition were the introduced koala bears, Wonga Wonga pigeons. They also saw swans, black duck, scrub turkeys, bronze wing and wood pigeons, echidna, kangaroos, wallabies, and the rare black cockatoo with a red crest and tail, unnamed and known only to Kangaroo Island. Wild pigs and wild goats are plentiful, and last month two members of Adelaide's Archery Club accounted for two pigs and a goat with the bow and arrow. Those on their first visit were impressed by the way Miss Joyce Hansen gains the confidence of animals and birds. They saw the amusing spectacle of following her in a group a calf, two sheep, a dog, cat, and emu. Back in Kingscote Mr. Elder was agreeably surprised to see magnificent apricots and peaches grown at Cygnet River…