This project was initiated by the NSW branch of the Australian Society of Soil Science (ASSSI) for the Sydney 2004 Supersoil conference but not completed until after the conference.

It uses 9 soil monoliths, 4 from existing DPI collections and 5 new ones. The display begins by acknowledging the Aboriginal use of the land and soils in New South Wales. It associates the development of agriculture during the 19th century with the soils that supported it and looks at soil use up until the present day. The core of the display is a group of nine profiles representing the wide range of soil covering the state.

Ancient Land - Fragile soils

A soil from western NSW where Aborigines used fire to enhance their food supply, by stimulating grasses and suppressing woody weeds - Click to view.

A soil from western NSW where Aborigines camped beside ancient freshwater lakes - Click to view.

Soils That Saved Us

Crops were poor around the early settlement at Sydney Cove on acidic, low-nutrient, sandy soils like this - Click to view.

The good crops grown on this young loamy alluvial soil from the Hawkesbury River flats helped avert starvation in the 1790’s - Click to view.

Soils That Developed Us

During the 19th century agriculture expanded rapidly across the state, with grazing and cropping on soils like this from the central west - Click to view.

The black soils, with their rich native pastures, were grazed extensively in the 19th century - Click to view.

After harvesting their valuable rainforest timber, many areas with red volcanic soils like this were cleared for dairy farming - Click to view.

Soils That Support Us

Cracking clay soils were once difficult to farm but are now used for intensive production of rice and cotton - Click to view.

Previously used only for grazing, soils with a dense acidic clay subsoil like this profile now support vegetable growing and vineyards - Click to view.