On lutruwita,
In collaboration with the incredible team at Source Eco Community Garden at the University of Tasmania, we were delighted to establish a dedicated Bee Sanctuary in celebration of World Bee Day 2024.
This initiative was made possible through the support of the Urban Sustainability Grant from the City of Hobart, and reflects our shared commitment to supporting biodiversity, pollinator health, and sustainable urban living.
The Bee Sanctuary design included the creation of a honeybee tree nest using a traditional Warre hive and swarm hive.
Attendees had the opportunity to learn from experts in the Tasmanian natural beekeeping community and witness a rare ecotype of Apis Honeybee living in a hollow of a Southern blue gum, Eucalyptus Globulus.
The event organisers strategically chose a selection of bee-friendly flowers to enhance the nutritional resources for pollinators.
In the 1970s, an apiary in Tarraleah, located in the Central Highlands of Tasmania, was found to harbor nearly pure descendants of these original black bees. These bees had been collected from wild colonies in the area, and their presence in such a remote and high-altitude location suggests a natural adaptation to Tasmania.
The discovery of Apis mellifera mellifera, commonly known as the dark or black bee, in Tarraleah, Tasmania, is a significant event in the field of apiculture and conservation. These bees, characterised by their dark coloration and robust physiology, were reported to be sent to Australia in 1831 by Dr. T.B. Wilson on the ship Catherine Stewart Forbes. They were presented to Governor Arthur and placed in the Government Gardens, though further research is required to understand the earliest presence of wild honeybees on the island.
Efforts to conserve this subspecies have been proposed, including the establishment of a bee sanctuary in the Tarraleah area to protect and maintain the purity of this lineage.
Tasmania is home to a unique and pristine environment that has made it a subject of interest for conservationists, scientists, and researchers. The idea of a wild native honeybee ecotype, specifically tailored to Tasmania’s climate and biodiversity is increasingly a discussion of local apiarists.
The discovery of of the Black Bee (Apis mellifera mellifera), a subspecies of the honeybee, is a unique aspect of the history of honeybees in the Southern continent.