The Future Proofing the Cabbage Tree Palm project is reconnecting remnant vegetation across the region.
Join us to help secure the future of Kiama’s iconic Cabbage Tree Palms in the Jamberoo area.
The Cabbage Tree Palm (Livistona australis), known as Dharawal by the First Nations people of the Illawarra, has long been an important and versatile species. The tender growing tips were eaten, trunks were used for building, and leaves were woven into fibres for thatching and shelter.
Early European settlers used the palms in similar ways, and also harvested the juvenile fronds to weave the iconic cabbage tree hat, once the preferred headwear of colonial Sydney. As a result, thousands of Cabbage Tree Palms were removed from the Illawarra, along with large areas of it’s rainforest habitat cleared for farming.
Today, a small number of Cabbage Tree Palms — some more than 200 years old — remain scattered across paddocks, while others survive in rainforest remnants below Saddleback Mountain and along the Illawarra Escarpment.
In late 2024, Landcare Illawarra launched the Future Proofing the Cabbage Tree Palm Project. The project aims to encourage natural regeneration of remnant palms and to support land managers to protect existing trees through fencing, planting and improved land management.
We are now working with local property owners in the Jamberoo area to preserve this unique species. Support includes the provision of juvenile plants, fencing, and advice on maintenance and suitable companion species to help ensure a thriving future for the Cabbage Tree Palm.
Join us on Thursday 5 March for a community event for Jamberoo locals, where we’ll share more about the project, its progress so far, and how you can get involved
Presenters
- Sue Brian, historian, weaver and traditional hatter, will explain how the palms were historically harvested for hat making.
- Alison Windsor and Ailee Calderbank will provide an update on the project to date.
- Nicholas Carlile, ecologist, will share his detailed research on Livistona australis across Australia
- Kevin Mills, local botanist, will explore the rich rainforest biodiversity that once supported Cabbage Tree Palms in the Jamberoo area.
Want to get involved?
Landholders – If you’re interested in supporting this project on your property, please fill in this form and we’ll be in touch.
Volunteers – We’ll call for support as community planting dates are confirmed. If you’d like to be involved—or if you have extra skills to offer—please fill in this form.
How do community plantings work?
The project so far has included fencing trials, community plantings, and habitat restoration activities to protect Dharawal/Cabbage Tree Palms (Livistona australis) and restore the ecosystems of which they are an essential part.
Read more about the five community plantings we held in 2025 in this project update.
Want to donate?
Not everyone can join on-ground works and plantings—and that’s okay. This project is funded by private donors, and we’re deeply grateful for their support so far. Their contributions fund plants, planting equipment, essential fencing, and project management. We would love to scale up what we can achieve, and additional funding will help.
If you’d like to know more about donating to Landcare Illawarra for this project, this document explains how to make tax-deductible donations through Landcare NSW.
Please mention that you’d like to support the Cabbage Tree Palm Project—anonymous gifts are welcome too.
Thank you to our supporters
This project would not have been possible without generous contributions from:
• BlueScope WIN Community Partners Program– Fencing support
• Endeavour Energy Nature Positive Program– Partnership
• Private donors – Ongoing support
