October 2024
Mid Spring
Wheel & Cross is proud to publish this monthly Almanac at the start of each new month. It was created to observe and understand the cycle of seasons as they occur in the Australian Capital Region, through the lens of European agricultural knowledge and publically available and openly shared knowledge of the traditional custodians of ‘Capital Country’, the Ngunnawal.
I acknowledge that the Ngambri people also claim custodianship of these lands. Unfortunately, I do not have any knowledge about Ngambri cultural information regarding language, connection to Country or seasonal customs. This means I am not able to share anything relating to Ngambri culture but I am always keen to learn.
I pay my respects to all First Nations Elders, past and present and to all First Nations peoples from around Australia and the Torres Strait Islands who are the proud custodians of this Country we all love.
Contents
Weather and Climate
Star Gazing and Star Lore (moon phases, visible planets, meteors, solar movements, western and First Nations ‘star lore’)
Seasonal Celebrations
Celebration Ideas
Nature and Environment (native flora and fauna)
In Season (seasonal crops, flowers and food)
Weather and Climate
Sources: Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Australian Meteorology, Timeanddate.com, Weather Spark
Weather Summary - September
September weather was unusually dry and windy, with the coldest temperature for September on record as well as higher than average temperatures for the month.
Max Temp - The average maximum temperature for September this year was 18.5°C, slightly higher than the average of 17°C and below the hottest September average of 19.9°C recorded in 2013. The highest maximum temperature was recorded on September 24 at 24.9°C, which was 3.7°C under the warmest maximum September temperature on record of 28.6°C on 26 September 1965.
Min Temp - The average minimum temperature for September this year was 3.5°C, slightly lower than the average of 3.1°C and warmer than the coldest September average of 1°C recorded in 1968. The lowest minimum temperature was recorded on September 16 at -6.9°C, the coldest-ever temperature recorded for September. The previous record occurred in 2012 at -6.8°C.
Rainfall - It rained on 4 days this month with a total of 20.8mm, well below the September average of 8.3 days and 53.6mm of rain. The wettest September on record was in 2013 with 150.6mm of rain.
Wind - Average wind speed for the month of September is 25km/hr. This month’s average wind speed was 48.9km/hr with 27 days of above-average wind speeds, and a top windspeed of 85km/hr was recorded on September 2nd. Most days in September, the wind blew WNW, changing to Easterly in the closing days of the month.
October Temperatures
Most of Australia is forecast to experience above-average maximum and minimum temperatures throughout Spring, especially in northern regions. There is a 65% chance that temperatures will exceed the median maximum temperature by 1 to 2 degrees, which is better than the much greater risk of higher-than-usual temperatures in the west and north of Australia. The average maximum temperature for the Australian Capital Region in October is 21°C while the average minimum is 6°C.
The El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) remains neutral although some Australian Bureau of Meteorology models predict a transition to La Niña from October, which generally means:
Increased rainfall across much of Australia
Cooler daytime temperatures (south of the tropics)
Warmer overnight temperatures (in the north)
Shift in temperature extremes
Decreased frost risk
Greater tropical cyclone numbers
Earlier monsoon onset
The Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD - connected to monsoon activity) is expected to remain neutral until the end of Spring in November. Global Sea surface temperatures (SSTs) remain much higher than average, though they appear to be cooling in the Pacific. Warm oceans commonly increase atmospheric moisture and energy, which can increase rainfall and the severity of storms.
NB: Forecasting weather and using weather prediction models has become increasingly difficult due to unforeseen consequences of global warming and resulting climatic instability.
October Rainfall
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology forecasts that the Australian Capital Region and most of Eastern Australia is likely to have average rainfall within the seasonal range for Spring, while the west of Australia will have drier than average conditions. The average rainfall in the Australian Capital Region for October is 49.2mm.
October Winds
Average wind speed is expected to decrease to a constant average of 20km/hr with wind direction likely to return to mostly Westerly with a normal pattern of cooling afternoon Easterly changes.
Frosts
Although daytime temperatures are expected to be warmer than normal this month, snap frosts are still a danger to frost-tender plants throughout October. Pay attention to weather forecasts and protect frost-sensitive plants. The traditional time to plant summer cropping/fruiting plants for this region is in November, after the Melbourne Cup (horse racing carnival).
Star Gazing and Star Lore
Sources: Weather Spark, The Lighthouse - Macquarie University, SciTech, Australian Indigenous Astronomy
Lunar Phases
Thursday, 3rd - New Moon
Friday, 11th - First Quarter Moon - Rise 11:54am ESE, Zenith 5:55am
Wednesday, 17th - SUPER FULL MOON (Beltane or Flower Moon)* - Rise 7:08pm ENE, Zenith 10:26pm
Thursday, 25th - Last Quarter Moon - Rise 11:35am WNW, Zenith 7:03pm
*The names of the full moons provided here generally correspond with names used in old English agricultural calendars and similar American Almanacs, although they have been re-arranged according to their appropriate season in the southern hemisphere. See Full Moon Names for the Southern Hemisphere for more information.
Stars, Planets and Meteors
Stars appear to twinkle as their light comes from active suns in distant solar systems. Planets shine steadily in the night sky rather than twinkle as they reflect the sun’s light.
MERCURY - cannot be seen with the naked eye as it rises during daylight hours.
VENUS (also known as ‘The Evening Star’) - reaches its greatest elongation in the western sky on October 24 and can be seen shining brightly and steadily in the western sky for an hour or two after sunset.
MARS - can be observed shining with a red hue in the east one or two hours before sunrise.
JUPITER - the largest planet in our solar system can be observed in the eastern sky one or two hours before sunrise.
SATURN - rises just after sunset and will be visible most of the night. It is currently tilted towards Earth and its rings and largest moon, Titan, are viewable with a telescope. By March 2025, its thin rings will seem to disappear as its tilt straightens relative to Earth.
METEORS - originating from Haley’s Comet, the Orionids Meteor Shower will light up the night sky with up to 20 ‘shooting stars’ per hour from midnight to early morning on the 21st and 22nd but they will be difficult to see due to the light of the moon waning from full on the 18th.
Constellations
Southern Cross - sinking low in the southwest evening sky.
Milky Way - moving further to the west each day. The bright centre of the galaxy can still be seen this month before it dips below the horizon for summer. Information about the Milk Way and First Nations ‘Dark Emu’ can be found in September’s issue.
Taurus Constellation - visible from about midnight until sunrise and located almost exactly opposite the centre of the Milky Way. This means that when you look at the centre of the Milky Way, Taurus is directly behind you. There are myriad stories associated with this constellation. Ancient Egyptian stories told of the bull being sacrificed before the new life of spring. Babylonian stories told of the goddess Ishtar, who sent the bull to kill Gilgamesh for rejecting her advances, while some Greek stories told of Zeus disguising himself as the bull in order to abduct the princess, Europa.
Taurus is often connected to the nearby and well-recognised Orion constellation. Both constellations are upside down in the southern hemisphere. In ancient Greek mythology, Orion is a boastful hunter who is constantly pursuing the seven sisters of the Pleiades star cluster:
In the sky, Orion is defending himself from the charging bull Taurus, represented by the V-shaped Hyades star cluster. The Hyades are daughters of Atlas and sisters of the Pleiades.
In Wiradjuri Aboriginal traditions of central New South Wales, Baiame is the creation ancestor, seen in the sky as Orion - nearly identical in shape to his Greek counterpart. Baiame trips and falls over the horizon as the constellation sets, which is why he appears upside down. The Pleiades are called Mulayndynang in Wiradjuri, representing seven sisters being pursued by the stars of Orion.
In Aboriginal traditions of the Great Victoria Desert, Orion is also a hunter, Nyeeruna. He is pursuing the Yugarilya sisters of the Pleiades but is prevented from reaching them by their eldest sister, Kambugudha (the Hyades).
Duane Hamacher (2017), Kindred skies: ancient Greeks and Aboriginal Australians saw constellations in common, The Conversation.
Seasonal Celebrations and Important Dates
6th October - Daylight Savings Time (DST)
Clocks in Australia’s southern states including New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and Melbourne are turned forward one hour at 2:00 am. Western Australia, the Northern Territory, and Queensland do not observe daylight saving time.
14-20 October - Aussie Bird Count
Join this year’s Aussie Bird Count to help BirdLife Australia develop an understanding of local birds across the country.
The Aussie Bird Count is an activity for all-ages that involves observing and counting the birds that live near you – whether that’s in your garden, the local park, a beach or even your town centre. By telling us about the birds you’ve seen within a 20 minute period, you will help BirdLife Australia develop an understanding of local birds whilst getting to know the wildlife on your doorstep!
31st October - Beltane
Although the southern hemisphere celebrates Halloween in conjunction with the northern hemisphere, Halloween is actually an Autumn festival with profoundly autumnal traditions and iconographies like the Harvest Moon, pumpkins, apples, spooky decorations and costumes.
In the southern hemisphere, October 31st is in the middle of our Spring and according to our seasonal calendar, we celebrate Beltane at the end of the month. This corresponds with April 30th and May Day Spring celebrations in the northern hemisphere. Ancient Beltane traditions, still practised in some parts of Britain involve lighting twin Beltane balefires (bonfires) on Beltane Eve and passing cattle or other livestock through the middle to protect them from illness and malignant forces. In Germany, Walpurgis Nacht (Walpurgis/Witches Night) was celebrated.
On Beltane Day (November 1st) also called May Day in the northern hemisphere, traditions include bathing in the early morning dew, visiting holy wells and springs, tying clooties to sacred trees, Maypole dances, and May Tree customs. Dias de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrations are also seasonally appropriate in the southern hemisphere. Wheel & Cross will explore these traditions over the next month through the Wheel & Cross podcast.
Celebration Ideas
Pack away the Spring Equinox and Eostre decorations in anticipation of Beltane on October 31st. In recognition of this blossom-filled month, adorn your home with displays of seasonal flower wreaths, bouquets or posies from your garden, local flower growers or flower shops. At the Beltane or Flower Moon (see the previous section), instead of the usual spooky Autumn decorations, decorate your home with Spring witches, bedeck a broom with flowers and ribbons, raise a stag’s skull decorated with ribbons in the front yard (creepy but colourful, perfect for the season), string up colourful flags or bunting, or decorate for the colourful and ‘spooky’ Dias de Los Muertos.
Nature and the Environment
Most of the information provided about seasonal flora and fauna is relevant to the cool climate region in Australia’s south, particularly the Australian Capital Region, and can be found in the book, ‘Ngunnawal Plant Use: A traditional Aboriginal plant use guide for the ACT region,’ and the ‘Ngunnawal Seasonal Calendar’ by Ngunawal Elder and traditional custodian, Tyronne Bell from Thunderstone Aboriginal Cultural Services.
Flora
The yellow wave of wattle blossoms has begun subsiding and a smaller wave of creamy-coloured wattle blossoms can now be seen in the natural landscape. ‘False Sarsparilla’ (Hardebergia violacea) is still in full flower. The first wave of ‘Bottlebrush’ (Callistemon spp.) has begun flowering. Smaller lilies and native bluebells have also begun flowering, alongside the ‘Yellow Buttons’ (Chrysocephalum apiculata), Tea Trees (Leptospermum spp.), Boronias (Boronia spp.), Australian Indigo (Indigofera Australis) and Flannel Flowers (Actinotus helianthi). Tuber plants are also in flower. Grass Tree (Xanthorrhoea spp) flower spikes are still producing nectar.
Black Wattle (Acacia mearnsii) - Black Wattle (Nummerak in Ngunnawal) is still flowering across the Australian Capital Region with highly-scented cream-coloured flowers. The sap or gum is edible and can also be used to make a sealant to waterproof containers. The bark was notched in Autumn by Ngunnawal people to ensure a continuous supply of sap. It could be infused in hot water to make a remedy for indigestion and it was also used to make coarse string.
Blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon) - Blackwood (also Nummerak in Ngunnawal) is still flowering with small, cream-coloured, ball-shaped flowers. Its leaves can be used as soap and make fish poison when mixed with water. The bark can be used in a hot water infusion, then rubbed onto sore joints to alleviate rheumatism. It can also be used to make string. The hard timber is made into clap sticks, spear-throwers and shields. Some Ngunnawal groups consider the Blackwood to be a women’s tree.
False Sarsparilla (Hardenbergia violacea) - False Sarsparilla, also called ‘Happy Wanderer’ is still flowering across the region. When in full flower it indicates to Ngunnawal people that fish are fat and ready to be caught. Boiled leaves are used to make a slightly sweet tea for refreshment or as a medicinal mouthwash for ulcers and to treat chest infections. Flowers can be used to make a dye and were also eaten to treat liver and kidney disease.
River Bottlebrush (Callistemon sieberi) - The River Bottlebrush is now in flower. Its nectar-rich blossoms can be licked as a sweet treat or soaked in water to make a sweet liquid drink.
Blue Flax-lily (Dianella longifolia) and Spreading Flax-lily (Dianella revoluta) - Flax-lilies are blossoming until the end of November, growing into edible berries that ripen to blue in December and January.
Tuber Plants - Many plants with edible tuberous roots are in flower and thus ready to be harvested. ‘Milkmaids’ (Burchardia umbellata) has cream to white flowers while the ‘Bulbine Lily’ (Bulbine bulbosa) has bright yellow flowers. Both die back after flowering and become dormant in summer. ‘Common Fringe-lily’ (Thysanotsus tuberosus) has bright purple flowers and also dies back after flowering, becoming dormant in autumn and winter. The ‘Blue Grass-lily’ (Caesia calliantha) flowers from September to January. The ‘Chocolate Lily’ (Dichopogon fimbriatus) bears mauve flowers that emit a chocolate or deep caramel aroma on warm days. Tubers and roots can either be eaten raw or are typically roasted.
Yam Daisy (Microseris walteri) - called Dharaban in the Ngunnawal language and commonly known as ‘Murnong’ is a staple food for south-Eastern Australian First Nations peoples. Its edible tubers can be eaten raw but roasting improves and sweetens the flavour. The tubers have more than eight times the amount of nutrition as a standard potato and are easily digestible without causing a spike in blood sugar. The yellow floret heads are similar to flatweed (Hypochaeris radicata) or dandelion (Taraxacum). Before flowering the flower stalk is pendulous (bowed over), becoming erect for flowering to attract pollinators and again when the seed head ripens. First Nations peoples across the south of Australia tended to and harvested from large cultivations of Dharaban, and the Monaro Plains in the Australian Capital Region were extensively cultivated with Dharaban before colonisers introduced sheep, which ate the plants and compacted the soils. Dharaban is now rarely seen in the region.
Australian Indigo (Indigoferis australis) - The Australian Indigo is a small and hardy shrub that bears beautiful purple blossoms throughout spring, which were used to make an effective indigo dye. Its roots and leaves can be crushed and added to pools of water to stun and disable fish so they are easily caught when they float to the surface.
Native Bluebells (Wahlenbergia spp.) - Native Bluebells start flowering this month and continue flowering throughout spring and summer. The small, light blue flowers are edible though not particularly tasty.
Grass Trees (Xanthorrhoea spp) - Grass Trees are still flowering across the region. See September’s post for more information about its uses by the Ngunnawal people.
Fauna
Snakes - Snakes are becoming more active as they leave their brumation nests to mate and feed. See the September issue for more information on the common and highly venomous Brown and Tiger snakes.
Invasive Birds - Invasive Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) and Indian/Common Myna Bird (Acridotheres tristis) numbers are continuing build. If you live in the Australian Capital Region and notice these birds are becoming an issue in your area, contact the Canberra Indian Myna Action Group (CMAG) for information and advice.
Magpies - Human and dog-aggressive magpies should start settling down at the end of the month as hatchlings get bigger and less vulnerable. Male magpies will be too busy feeding and bringing up their broods to worry about attacking passers-by.
Small Passerine Birds - Family groups of ‘Superb Fairywrens’ (Malurus cyaneus), ‘Yellow Thornbills’ (Acanthiza nana) and ‘Red-Browed Finch’ (Neochmia temporalis) are in the middle of their breeding season and active in residential and urban areas as well as native woodland. These birds stay in family groups helping to feed and protect hatchlings and juvenile birds. Their melodious calls and twittering can be heard throughout the day as they move through their territory in groups feeding on insects and small seeds.
Frogs - Frogs are breeding in still water throughout urban and bush settings. The ‘Pobblebonk Frog’ (Limnodynastes dumerilii) also known as the ‘Eastern Banjo Frog’ with its loud ‘banjo pluck’ song can be heard calling enthusiastically throughout the day and night in the peak season from October to December. The short (1:45 mins) video below features the Pobblebonk and its calls.
Insects - Insect numbers are building across the region. Unfortunately, this means the start of the fly season is upon us.
In Season - Agricultural Year
October marks the start of the lucerne and oaten hay harvest with lucern usually harvested by November and oaten hay in December. In the southern regions of Australia, the winter grain crop harvests start at the end of October and finish in January.
Flowers - Early spring flowers like daffodils, jonquils, and snowflakes have given way to tulips, rannunculus, poppies, and primulas. Pomme and stone fruit trees have leafed and those that are still blossoming at the start of October will be finished by mid-October (e.g. cherry, nectarine, and plums followed by apples and pears).
Herbs - Nettles, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, chives, coriander, oregano, chervil, bay.
Leafy Greens -Winter greens will become leggy, flower then go to seed. Spring greens include purple sprouting broccoli, cabbages, cauliflower, chard, endive, green garlic, lettuces, and sorrel, spring onions start flowering but their leaves can still be harvested, radishes, rhubarb and spinaches.
Vegetables - Asparagus, beetroot, radishes, and turnips.
Fruit - Although the shops are filled with fruit, these are most likely imported from northern parts of Australia or from overseas. Most of the southern parts of Australia do not have any fruit in season until November.
Wow this is awesome! Especially love the local starlore, and the plant lore.
Did you know you can look up the actual days of the cross quarters online? They’re quite different to the traditional dates now. This year Beltaine is November 8 I think.
I love reading through this fabulous mix of information linking knowledge from across cultures... again, I'd love to have access to this in a book that I can dip in and out of any time!