Newcastle and Hunter Valley Speleological Society (NHVSS) is a caving club based in Newcastle, New South Wales (NSW), Australia.
History The Newcastle and Hunter Valley Speleological Society formed in May 1984.Lacey I., (1994) "The Newcastle and Hunter Valley Speleological Society - The Beginning of an Era", Newcaves Chronicles, Vol.3 P.14-15. ISSN 1325-0930 The Society became an "Associate Member" of the Australian Speleological Federation in late 1984 and a full "Corporate Member" in January 1986.ASF 'Member Societies & Associated Organisations', Australian Caver (1986), No.110, P.1, ISSN 0313-413X The Society's first organised trip in June 1984, was a weekend of simulated cave rescues at the Timor Caves, located around 150 km North-West of Newcastle in the Hunter Valley.
NHVSS became part of the World Wide Web with the setting up of the society's website in mid 1999. This allowed members to access information on upcoming trips and provided contact details for like minded members of the public.Whitby J., (2000), "NHVSS Web Page Waffle", Newcaves Chronicles, Vol.14, P.5 ISSN 1325-0930 Then during 2003, NHVSS became an Incorporated Society, registered with the 'NSW Department of Fair Trading'.
In 2004, NHVSS received a NSW Environmental Education Community Grant to fund research and publish an up-to-date educational resource book on the Timor Karst and Caves.Thompson F., (2006), 'Hunter's Hidden Depths Unearthed', Newcastle - Herald News, 15 December 2006, P.7. Fairfax Regional Media Research field work was carried out between February 2005 and October 2007 with assistance of members from several other organisations and speleological societies.Stuart A., (2008), The Whistler, No.2 (2008), P. 44-48, ISSN 1835-7385. Hunter Bird Observers Club, New Lambton, N.S.W., Australia During the field work, an additional 27 new caves were discovered and documented.Rutledge J., et al. (2008), ‘Timor Caves - Hunter Valley, New South Wales’, Newcastle and Hunter Valley Speleological Society Inc. 'More Caves Uncovered at Timor', Hunter Valley News, 30 July 2008, P.7, Fairfax Regional Media The book 'Timor Caves - Hunter Valley, New South Wales' was published in August 2008.Taylor-Smith S., (2008), "Timor Caves Book Launch", Caves Australia, No. 175, P.5-6, ISSN 1449-2601
In July 2009 the NHVSS lodged a class 1 appeal with the NSW Land and Environment Court (L&EC), objecting to the granting of a limestone quarry approval at Timor in the upper Hunter Valley, NSW. The NSW Environmental Defender's Office acted on behalf of NHVSS in appealing the "Stoneco Pty Ltd" limestone quarry approval by the Upper Hunter Shire Council. P.77-78. 'Approval of Development Application 308/08 - Timor Limestone Quarry' L&EC hearings were held during November 2009 and again in May 2010. The court granted consentL&EC Judgement (2010), Land and Environment Court of New South Wales, AustraliaStrachan J. (12 July 2010) "Blasting on Hold", "Newcastle Herald" and "Central Coast Herald", P.13, John Fairfax Publications Pty Ltd.' for the quarry to proceed in June 2010, provided that strict monitoring protocols were implemented and imposed many additional conditions focused on the protection of Timor karst values and biodiversity covering the project site during the life of the quarry.NSWL&EC, 'Judgement' and 'Conditions of Consent', Newcastle & Hunter Valley Speleological Society Inc v Upper Hunter Shire Council and Stoneco Pty Limited (No 2) NSWLEC 104, https://www.caselaw.nsw.gov.au/decision/549f98963004262463b0b1cbSmith G.K., and Rutledge J., (2011), "The Timor Quarry Case", Caves Australia, journal of the 'Australian Speleological Federation Inc'. No.185, P.16-19. ISSN 1449-2601 The conditions imposed by the L&EC set an important precedent for the types of conditions which may be imposed on similar quarries and mines in the future,'Mining and Quarrying', (November 2010), Chapter 10.0, P.72-73, Environmental defenders Office (N.S.W)Scoins D., (2011). "Treading Cautiously: How the NSW Judiciary Appear Reluctant to Apply the Precautionary Principle", IMPACT - A National Journal of Environmental Law. Issue 91, V.3, P.19-25Kelly J., (2012), 'The Constitutionality of the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act', Upholding the Australian Constitution Volume Twenty-Four, Proceedings of the Twenty-Fourth Conference of The Samuel Griffith Society, P.75-76 and the case has since been quoted in numerous development applications for coal, mineral and metal mines in NSW.
Activities The society's activities include; exploration, survey, documentation, research and conservation of caves and karst. NHVSS has been involved in speleothem research in Australia,England B., (2000) 'Moonmilk Characterisation Project', Newcaves Chronicles, No.14, P. 54-55. ISSN 1325-0930, Newcastle and Hunter Valley Speleological Society, (NPWS Scientific Investigation License No.A2630)Turner K., (2002), 'Chromophores Producing Blue Speleothems at Cliefden, NSW', Helictite, 38(1): P. 3-6. ISSN 0017-9973. 'Journal of Australasian Speleological Research' palaeoclimate research on the Indonesian islands of Flores and Sulawesi,"Large Cave Discoveries on Flores (Indonesia) July- August 2006", Australian Speleological Federation, 26th Biennial Conference Proceedings, January 2007, Sec. 28. P.1-10Smith G.K., (2006),"Large Cave Discoveries on Flores (Indonesia)", Caves Australia, No.172, P.14-19, ISSN 1449-2601, journal of the 'Australian Speleological Federation Inc' Atiu - Cook IslandsSmith G.K., Borsato A., Frisia S., Hellstrom J., Hartland A. & Faraji M., (2019), "Karst and Caves of Atiu – Cook Islands", Caves Australia, No. 210, P.11-18, ISSN 1449-2601, journal of the 'Australian Speleological Federation Inc' and cave exploration diving.OBrien R., (2018), Australian Cave Diving – New South Wales, P.68-69, 253-258, 267. During 2018 the society assisted on palaeontology research expeditions to caves in the Upper Hunter Valley NSW Australia, resulting in discoveries of significant Quaternary fossils, including five extinct Pleistocene megafaunal taxa.Price GJ, Louys J, Smith GK, Cramb J. 2019. Shifting faunal baselines through the Quaternary revealed by cave fossils of eastern Australia. PeerJ 6:e6099 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.6099 A number of other research projects (e.g. bat monitoring, glow-worm distributionSmith G.K., (2023) 'Gloucester Caves, Glow-worm Research', Newcaves Chronicles, V.61 P17-19, ISSN 1325-0930 and groundwater faunaSmith G.K., (2023) 'Timor, Psammaspididae Research trip', Newcaves Chronicles, V.60, P 21-25, ISSN 1325-0930) have been undertaken by the society at various cave and karst locations in NSW.
Since 2011, the speleological society has regularly assisted Newcastle University lecturers, by guiding geology students through the Timor Caves, on field excursions. The excursions provide students with a better understanding of cave geomorphology and highlights specific geological features covered in the university course.Rutledge J., (2012), 'Timor Caves (Uni Trip) 27–28 August 2011', Newcaves Chronicles, V.37, P16-17, ISSN 1325-0930Rutledge J., (2012), 'Timor Caves (Uni & NBN TV trip) 12–13 May 2012', Newcaves Chronicles, V.38, P.29-30. ISSN 1325-0930
Currently the NHVSS have members engaged in a programme of exploration and surveying Bullita Caves Helictite, No.41, P.37-66, ISSN 0017-9973. 'Journal of Australasian Speleological Research' within Gregory National Park, Northern Territory, which to date has over 300 km of surveyed passage,Sefton M., (2017), 'Report of the 2017 expedition to Judbarra-Gregory National Park by members of the Judbarra-Gregory Karst Research Special Interest Group (SIG) of the Australian Speleological Federation' making it amongst the longest underground systems in the world.Smith. G. K., (2018), "Australia's Largest Cave Systems in Judbarra-Gregory National Park, NT", Caves Australia No. 206, P.14-18. ISSN 1449-2601, journal of the 'Australian Speleological Federation Inc'
NHVSS members undertake a diverse range of activities, catering for a wide range of skill levels, from beginners to hard core veteran cavers. Horizontal and vertical caving skills of members, are kept up to date through regular training days. Other activities include canyoning, bushwalking and occasionally cross country skiing and white water kayaking.Smith G.K. (2018), 'Time Capsule of Ancient Life', Australian Age Of Dinosaurs, The Annual Publication of Australian Age Of Dinosaurs Museum of Natural History, Issue 15, P.22-29, ISSN 1448-4420
Publications Newcaves Chronicles, . Newcastle and Hunter Valley Speleological Society Inc. Published twice yearly since August 1993.
Timor Caves - Hunter Valley, New South Wales, (2008). .
References
External links Newcastle and Hunter Valley Speleological Society Australian Speleological Federation