Wildlife Land Trust / Sanctuaries / NSW / Mavis’ Refuge

Mavis Mann is the owner of semi-rural property located in Mullumbimby, approximately 15km North of Byron Bay. The property is a home and dedicated wildlife sanctuary currently being rehabilitated by Mavis, and has been in the family for some 86 years after being bought by her father. The saw mill operating on the property was closed in 1965 with natural habitat being allowed to regenerate for native fauna ever since, and it is Mavis’ intent for this regeneration to continue to provide permanent habitat for wildlife.

The sanctuary covers approximately 4.86 hectares predominantly comprised of a wide variety of native vegetation species, examples of which include tallowwood (Eucalyptus microcorys), woolly butt (eucalyptus longifolia), box woods (Buxus spp.), sally wattle (Acacia melanoxylon), cypress pines (Callitris spp.), cedars (Cedrus spp.), silky oak (Grevillea robusta) and lilly pilly (Syzygium paniculatum).  The property also features a range of fruit trees such as mangoes, pears, peaches and cherries.

Known wildlife inhabitants include multiple bird species such as scrub turkeys (Alectura lathami), pied currawongs (Strepera graculina), laughing kookaburras (Dacelo novaeguineae), and mudlarks (Grallina cyanoleuca), as well as koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus), brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula), short-beaked echidnas (Tachyglossus aculeatus) and a number lizard species.